Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) — the DNA-derived active long sold in Korean pharmacies as both a topical and an injectable — is generating 37.2 million average monthly interactions across Google, TikTok and Instagram, with year-on-year growth of 609.8%, according to Spate's 2026 Ingredient Trends Report. The trend forecaster expects interest to rise a further 34.4% this year and describes the combination of volume and growth velocity as "a formulation and positioning window" for beauty brands.

Western companies are already moving through it. L'Oréal Paris, The Ordinary, Dior, Clinique, Medik8, Nip + Fab, Byoma, Iconic London and Primark have all launched PDRN-based products in 2026, spanning luxury, mass, science-backed and color-cosmetics lines. K-beauty brands Medicube, Rejuran, Anua, Genabelle and VT-Cosmetics still dominate consumer interest in the ingredient, the Spate data show, but the margin is narrowing.

What PDRN is — and what the evidence supports

PDRN is a DNA extract traditionally sourced from salmon sperm cells, though newer launches increasingly use plant-based or biotech-derived alternatives. Clinically, its strongest pedigree sits in regenerative medicine and wound healing — the domain of the injectable form used in Korean clinics.

"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."

Hall frames the ingredient's rise within a broader shift in skin-care philosophy: "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."

She is explicit about the evidence gap. "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." Topical PDRN, she notes, can support hydration, calming and overall healthier-looking skin — but formulation determines outcomes. "Molecular characteristics, delivery system and the other ingredients used alongside PDRN all matter."

Her closing caveat cuts at the commercial momentum: "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."

The launches, tier by tier

L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Filler Hyaluronic PDRN+ Anti-Wrinkle Plumping Serum (£31.99) updates the brand's bestselling anti-ageing serum with its patented biotech PDRN+ plus hyaluronic acid. L'Oréal says the molecule is 3,000 times smaller than a pore, ensuring absorption into the skin's surface. The brand credits the formula with a glow boost, restored plumpness and smoothed skin.

The Ordinary Lacto-PDRN 4% + B9 Eye Cream (£8.70) is the ingredient-led brand's first eye cream. The Lacto-PDRN is produced through controlled fermentation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a probiotic bacterium, and the brand says it selected the ingredient for targeted data specific to the eye area rather than for its trend status.

Medik8 Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ Youthful Vitality Serum (£79) pairs vegan PDRN — engineered with a stable tetrahedral structure for deep penetration — with exosomes. According to the brand's clinical results, the AM/PM serum improves barrier function and visible brightness, reduces wrinkles and redness, evens skin tone, and improves texture, volume, firmness and elasticity.

Dior Capture PDRN-Shot (£72) combines plant-derived PDRN with vitamin Cg and niacinamide in a multi-action complex inspired by dermo-aesthetic procedures. Dior claims skin appears 25% more radiant for eight hours and dark spots 25% less visible in 28 days; dermatologist clinical assessment found skin appears 65% smoother and 62% more radiant.

Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Collagen + PDRN Cream (£60) pairs PDRN — biotech-derived from Centella asiatica — with collagen to target early signs of collagen decline. Clinical testing also showed improved texture and boosted radiance, according to the brand.

Byoma Longevit-8 Peptide Serum (£25) contains vegan phyto-PDRN alongside NMN (a molecular precursor to NAD+) and a GHK-Cu longevity matrix of copper peptides, niacinamide and vitamin E, which the brand says supports natural collagen 2.5x more effectively than retinol. Byoma reports the serum is clinically proven to visibly reduce wrinkle depth by up to 85% in two weeks, instantly boost hydration by up to 123%, and visibly enhance skin density in one month, tested on eight markers across all skin types including sensitive.

Protein Fix Skin Longevity Booster Drops 10% (£29.95), from Nip + Fab, formulates 1% vegan PDRN with a 2% NAD+ Enzyme Activator and 2% microalgae biomimetic exosomes in a concentrated "collagen banking" treatment designed to preserve skin structure before visible change occurs.

Iconic London Underglaze Long-Wear PDRN Grippy Primer (£26) takes the ingredient into color cosmetics, combining plant-derived PDRN with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide for 12 hours of grip and a dewy "underglaze" finish.

Primark Beauty PS… PDRN range (from £2.50, in stores from October) undercuts the entire field with a seven-product line — cleanser, overnight mask, serum, sheet mask, eye gel patches and toner pads — built on vegan PDRN derived from camellia flower and combined with niacinamide, collagen, a peptide complex, pro-vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid. Primark claims to be the first to bring PDRN to market "at a truly affordable price for consumers."

Positioning logic

The price spread — £2.50 to £79 — signals how far PDRN has traveled from its regenerative-medicine roots in under a decade. "PDRN 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," Hall says. "It gives brands an opportunity to talk about supporting skin health rather than simply targeting visible signs of ageing."

With Spate projecting accelerating interest through 2026 and the ingredient now formulated across serums, creams, eye products and primers, expect the topical evidence base — not the launch cadence — to become the differentiating question for dermatology professionals and efficacy-focused consumers alike.