Best PDRN serum
Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum
The lightest well-formulated PDRN serum we compared, with a verified ingredient list and humectants that carry the formula on their own merits.
Buying guide · Updated 2026-08-09
We compared the leading Korean PDRN skincare products available to UK shoppers by formula, ingredient transparency, routine compatibility, sensitivity profile and value. Here are our highest-rated options.





Every product below is in our catalogue with a verified ingredient list where stated. Prices change often, so we link to Amazon UK rather than quoting a figure.
#1 Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum
#2 Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturizing Cream
#3 medicube Salmon DNA PDRN Pink Peptide Serum
#4 VT COSMETICS PDRN 100 Essence
#5 Anua PDRN 100 Hyaluronic Acid Booster Toner
#6 medicube PDRN Salmon DNA Milky Toner
#7 medicube Salmon DNA PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream
#8 VT COSMETICS PDRN Cica Exosome Ampoule
#9 Anua PDRN 100 Hyaluronic Acid Glow Pads

#1 · Anua · Serums
A lightweight salmon-derived PDRN capsule serum with several forms of hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, collagen and glutathione. It is primarily a hydrating and glow-focused serum, not a proven substitute for prescription treatment or procedures.

#2 · Anua · Moisturisers
A lightweight salmon-derived PDRN moisturiser with squalane, collagen, niacinamide and multiple forms of hyaluronic acid. It is designed to sit smoothly under makeup while leaving a natural glow.

#3 · medicube · Serums
A moisturising salmon-derived PDRN serum with niacinamide, peptides and collagen-related ingredients. Its main immediate role is hydration and glow; the evidence for topical PDRN remains formulation-specific and less established than sunscreen or retinoids.

#4 · VT COSMETICS · Essences
A rich, milky essence using ginseng-derived plant PDRN alongside niacinamide, ceramides, panthenol and emollients. It provides a moisturising glow and may function more like an emulsion than a water-light essence.

#5 · Anua · Toners
A watery hydrating toner combining salmon-derived sodium DNA with humectants, panthenol and hyaluronic-acid/collagen components. It is intended to remove post-cleansing tightness and prepare the skin for later layers.

#6 · medicube · Milky toners
A milky salmon-PDRN toner with niacinamide, emollient oils, panthenol, ceramides and peptides. It gives more moisturising slip than a watery toner and may suit dry or dehydrated-feeling skin best.

#7 · medicube · Moisturisers
A customisable dual-texture moisturiser combining a clear gel with PDRN capsules. It creates a pronounced dewy finish and can be mixed lighter or richer according to skin comfort.

#8 · VT COSMETICS · Ampoules
A milky plant-PDRN ampoule with a rich emollient base, centella-derived ingredients, ceramides, panthenol and peptides. It suits dry or dull-feeling skin seeking a moisturising glow, but may feel heavy on very oily skin.

#9 · Anua · Toners
Dual-textured, essence-soaked toner pads designed for quick hydration and glow-focused skin preparation. They are primarily a hydrating convenience format rather than an exfoliating treatment.

#10 · VT COSMETICS · Toners
A watery plant-PDRN toner with glycerin, niacinamide, betaine, panthenol, centella and ceramide NP. It offers a straightforward hydrating first layer without the richness of the VT PDRN essence.
We only name a winner where the catalogue evidence supports a clear choice. Where two needs point to the same formula, we say so rather than inventing a second-best.
Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum
The lightest well-formulated PDRN serum we compared, with a verified ingredient list and humectants that carry the formula on their own merits.
Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturizing Cream
Squalane, collagen and niacinamide in a gel-cream that layers cleanly under SPF and makeup — the easiest way to add PDRN without changing your routine.
Anua PDRN 100 Hyaluronic Acid Booster Toner
A watery, non-stripping first layer that relieves post-cleansing tightness and prepares skin for later steps.
The clearest vegan option, using ginseng-derived plant PDRN alongside ceramides, panthenol and niacinamide.
medicube Salmon DNA PDRN Pink Peptide Serum
The most substantial salmon-derived formula, pairing sodium DNA with peptides and niacinamide in a cushioned emulsion.
Anua PDRN 100 Hyaluronic Acid Booster Toner
A low-commitment, low-irritation entry point. Start here for a few weeks before adding a serum or cream.
medicube PDRN Salmon DNA Milky Toner
A milky toner with ceramides, panthenol and emollient oils that behaves more like a light lotion.
Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum
The only PDRN product we compared with a genuinely light, fast-absorbing watery texture and no heavy emollient base.
medicube Salmon DNA PDRN Pink Peptide Serum
The most complete formula in the ranking if you want one treatment step to handle hydration, peptides and finish together.
PDRN stands for polydeoxyribonucleotide — short chains of DNA fragments used as a cosmetic ingredient. On a Korean skincare ingredient list you will usually see it as sodium DNA. In a topical product it behaves largely as a hydrating, film-forming ingredient, and it is almost always formulated alongside humectants, niacinamide, peptides or ceramides that have their own better-established roles.
Most PDRN in Korean skincare is extracted from salmon or trout milt. It is the source with the longest history of use, and it is what brands mean by “salmon DNA”. It is not suitable if you are vegan or avoid fish-derived ingredients, and anyone with a fish allergy should treat these formulas with caution.
Plant-derived or “vegan PDRN” is obtained from botanical sources such as ginseng. It exists mainly to serve people who avoid animal-derived ingredients. Direct comparisons between plant and salmon-derived PDRN in finished cosmetic products are limited, so we do not claim one outperforms the other.
Most of the interest in PDRN comes from clinical and injectable contexts, which are regulated medical procedures performed by practitioners. A cosmetic product applied to intact skin is a fundamentally different situation: the delivery, the concentration and the depth reached are not comparable. A topical PDRN product should never be expected to reproduce the effects of an injectable treatment.
Evidence for topical PDRN is emerging and formulation-dependent. Users commonly report better-hydrated, smoother-looking and more comfortable skin, which is consistent with what the humectants, ceramides and niacinamide in these formulas are known to do. PDRN products may support skin hydration and the appearance of skin quality as part of a consistent routine.
If you are looking for ingredients with the strongest evidence for the appearance of ageing, daily sunscreen and retinoids remain better established — see our PDRN vs retinol comparison.
Add one PDRN product at a time and give it four to six weeks before judging it. A toner or essence slots in after cleansing; a serum goes before moisturiser; a cream replaces your existing moisturiser. Patch test first if your skin reacts easily, keep the rest of your routine unchanged while you assess it, and continue using sunscreen every morning.
Cosmetic information only. Ingredient effects are formulation-dependent and evidence is often limited. This is not medical advice.
Products are scored out of 100 across formula suitability, evidence, barrier and sensitivity profile, UK value, transparency, packaging and stability, routine compatibility and retail reliability. Missing evidence lowers a score rather than being treated as neutral. Commission never influences placement. Read the full review methodology and our editorial policy.
Cosmetic information only. Ingredient effects are formulation-dependent and evidence is often limited. This is not medical advice.