PDRN is one of the biggest breakthrough ingredients to emerge from K-beauty in recent years.
Short for polydeoxyribonucleotide, a DNA extract traditionally sourced from salmon sperm cells, but increasingly coming from plant-based or biotech-derived alternatives, the ingredient has entered the mainstream – and is here to stay.
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“PDRN has reached a really interesting point where several skin care trends are coming together,” says Dr Christine Hall, Aesthetic Doctor and Korean skin care expert.
“It has been sold in Korean pharmacies for years, used in both skin care and as an injectable in clinics.
“We are moving away from the idea of harsh actives, and that we always need to stimulate or exfoliate the skin, and more towards supporting the skin's own ability to recover and maintain itself.”
There is also a growing consumer interest in longevity and regenerative beauty, says Hall, and PDRN has “a very compelling story because of its history in regenerative medicine and wound healing”
She continues: “While we cannot and should not claim that topical PDRN carries the same regenerative benefits as the injectable form, it has its values in repairing compromised skin.”
Western brands have taken note of the rapid rise of PDRN, and 2026 has been marked with launches from big name brands – luxury and mass alike.
“Brands have recognised that consumers are interested in ingredients that support healthy-looking, resilient skin, and PDRN is an ingredient that can sit very naturally within that conversation,” Hall explains.
“The fact that it can be formulated into everything from serums and creams, to eye products and primers, also makes it very easy for brands to bring the trend into everyday skin care.”
PDRN is generating 37.2 million average monthly interactions across Google, TikTok and Instagram, according to Spate’s 2026 Ingredient Trends Report, with year-on-year growth of 609.8%.
The trend forecaster predicts growth is still accelerating with interest expected to rise 34.4% this year.
“For beauty brands watching the ingredient space, that combination of volume and growth velocity represents a formulation and positioning window,” the report noted.
K-beauty brands Medicube, Rejuran, Anua, Genabelle and VT-Cosmetics currently dominate interest in PDRN, the Spate data shows.
But there are plenty of beauty brands aiming to take that on with new PDRN launches.
From luxury brands such as Dior and Clinique, mass beauty brands like L’Oréal and The Ordinary, science-backed lines like Medik8 and Nip + Fab, plus high street fashion and beauty retailer Primark and make-up brand Iconic London.
“For brands, PDRN is attractive because it sits at the intersection of so many of the conversations happening in skin care right now: K- beauty, skin longevity, regeneration, hydration and barrier repair,” says Hall.
“It gives brands an opportunity to talk about supporting skin health rather than simply targeting visible signs of ageing.”
Hall notes too that though the evidence for PDRN’s topical efficacy is not as strong as for the injectable, the ingredient can still support hydration, calming and overall healthier-looking skin, and that formulation as a whole is key.
“Molecular characteristics, delivery system and the other ingredients used alongside PDRN all matter,” Hall concludes.
“I would much rather see a brand create a genuinely well-formulated product that uses PDRN to support the skin than simply add it to a formula because it is the ingredient of the moment.”
L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Filler Hyaluronic PDRN+ Anti-Wrinkle Plumping Serum
L’Oréal Paris’ bestselling Revitalift Filler anti-ageing serum has “entered a new chapter” with the addition of hyaluronic acid and vegan PDRN .
The upgrade includes L’Oréal’s own patented biotech PDRN+ and is said to be 3,000 times smaller than a pore, ensuring optimal absorption into the skin’s surface.
Known for its ability to improve overall skin quality, radiance and glow, PDRN is said to help the formula offer a glow boost, as well as restore plumpness and smooth skin.
RRP £31.99, boots.com
The Ordinary Lacto-PDRN 4% + B9 Eye Cream
The Ordinary has turned to PDRN for its first-ever eye cream, designed to address key signs of ageing and deliver visible firming and smoothing – instantly and over time.
The ingredient-led brand said it did not choose PDRN just because it is trending, however, and true to its efficacy-focused ethos, it sought to bring clinical evidence to the table.
Created through the controlled fermentation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a probiotic bacterium, Lacto-PDRN was selected by the brand for its targeted data specific to the eye area.
RRP £8.70, theordinary.com
Medik8 Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ Youthful Vitality Serum
Claiming to be “not your average PDRN serum”, this vegan treatment is boosted with exosomes to support skin recovery, calm visible redness and reveal smoother, more youthful-looking skin.
The brand’s vegan PDRN has a stable tetrahedral structure, specifically designed for optimal penetration deep into the skin.
The water-light, hydrating serum, for use AM and PM after cleansing, is said to improve skin barrier function and visible brightness, reduce wrinkles and redness, as well as a more even skin tone and improved skin texture and volume, along with increased firmness and skin elasticity, according to clinical results.
RRP £79, medik8.com
Iconic London Underglaze Long-Wear PDRN Grippy Primer
Plant-derived PDRN features in the make-up brand’s new primer, along with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.
The skin care and make-up hybrid aims to improve the look and feel of skin over time, while also delivering 12 hours of grip.
The lightweight formula creates a so-called ‘underglaze effect’ – a lit-from-within luminosity, with a dewy rather than greasy finish.
RRP £26, iconiclondoninc.com and lookfantastic.com
Protein Fix Skin Longevity Booster Drops 10%
Science-grounded Protein Fix is a longevity serum with 1% vegan PDRN, 2% NAD+ Enzyme Activator and powered by 2% microalgae biomimetic exosomes to help skin at the cellular level.
The plant-derived active is said to help support the skin’s natural regenerative mechanisms, barrier recovery and overall vitality.
The concentrated treatment is designed to deliver ‘collagen banking’ – that is proactive skin care designed to preserve skin strength, vitality and structural integrity before visible change occurs.
RRP £29.95, nipandfab.com and boots.com
Primark Beauty PS… PDRN range
Primark’s latest range of skin care includes a seven-strong line-up of products based around PDRN.
Its vegan PDRN is derived from camellia flower, and is combined with other ingredients such as niacinamide, collagen, peptide pomplex, pro vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid.
Consisting of a cleanser, overnight mask, serum, sheet mask, eye gel patches and toner pads, the brand claims to be the first to bring PDRN to market “at a truly affordable price for consumers”.
RRP from £2.50, Primark stores from October
Byoma Longevit-8 Peptide Serum
Containing vegan phyto-PDRN, Byoma’s first longevity serum is clinically proven to visibly reduce depth by up to 85% in two weeks, instantly boost hydration by up to 123%, and visibly enhance skin density in one month.
It also contains NMN, a molecular pre-cursor to NAD+, GHK-Cu longevity matrix (a blend of copper peptides, niacinamide and vitamin E that is said to support natural collagen 2.5x more effectively than retinol), plus the brand’s signature tri-ceramide complex.
The lightweight serum is suitable for layering and for all skin types, including sensitive, and is clinically tested on eight key markers (hence the name), including strengthening the skin barrier, enhancing luminosity and refining texture.
RRP £25, byoma.com
Dior Capture PDRN-Shot
Dior has combined a plant-derived PDRN with vitamin Cg and niacinamide, creating an innovative multi-action complex that is said to promote skin renewal, revive skin radiance and improve its texture for a visibly smoother appearance.
Inspired by dermo-aesthetic procedures, the intensive solution is designed to revitalise skin, which appears 25% more radiant for eight hours, while dark spots appear 25% less visible in 28 days, claims the brand.
Clinical assessment by dermatologists found skin appears 65% smoother and 62% more radiant.
RRP £72, dior.com
Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Collagen + PDRN Cream
A lightweight moisturising cream, PDRN and collagen are combined to target the early signs of ageing that come as a result of collagen decline.
Said to improve skin plumpness, making it firmier and bouncier, Clinique’s PDRN is biotech-derived from the cica (Centella asiatica) plant.
Clinical testing also improved texture and boosted radiance.
RRP £60, clinique.co.uk
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