There’s nothing (too) fishy about K-beauty’s rising-star ingredient, PDRN
The compound, primarily extracted from salmon reproductive cells (i.e., salmon sperm), will give you plump and bouncy skin
The latest star ingredient in K-beauty is derived from salmon reproductive cells.
Photo illustration by Ryan Quan
Words by Ray Liu
From the viral seven-step skincare routine to snail mucin, K-beauty has proven to the global consumer that it is not just a niche market, but a formidable competitor to western industry leaders. Just as the global K-beauty market has seemed to plateau, after brands—big and small—collectively recycled the same product formulations from hyaluronic acid serums to Cica creams, a rising star ingredient, new to the west but common in South Korea, is launching K-beauty to a new generation.
PDRN, short for polydeoxyribonucleotide, is a powerful skin cell-communicating ingredient that helps regenerate skin cells in only a few weeks, making it the hottest anti-aging or well-aging ingredient right now. And its hype is not fading anytime soon. While the skin of tilapia is often used to treat third-degree burns by hospital physicians, the same idea applies to PDRN. This DNA-based compound is primarily extracted from a salmon’s reproductive cells (i.e., salmon sperm). And when absorbed into the dermis, this ingredient helps heal the skin from free radicals, promote collagen growth, and provide long hydration, keeping the skin plump and bouncy.
While PDRN is trending outside of South Korea now, it’s actually a well-known ingredient popularized by skin treatment clinics in South Korea. Namely, Rejuran was the go-to brand used by the majority of skin clinics in Seoul that first introduced this technology and ingredient. During these procedures, the esthetician injects the extract of salmon DNA, in neat rows, into clients’ skin. Culture content duo, Aylen Park and her mom, visited a skin clinic in Southern California to receive their Rejuran treatment. Park shows the Rejuran device that punctures her skin, leaving small bumps in neat rows. Including her result after a month, Park shows her audience the incredible result of smoother and more radiant skin with barely noticeable textures and pores.
@aylennpark Omg we finally did it and got REJURAN!!!😍🤩 I think it took us this long to try because we heard it was painful, but honestly after seeing the results, the pain was worth it🤭 I also added clips of our most recent 2nd session in this video and you can already tell how much more glowy our skin looks!!! 📍we went to Alcler MedSpa (@Alcler Medspa) #beauty #skin #skintreatment #rejuran #koreanskintreatment #spa #koreanspa #kbeauty #koreanbeauty ♬ original sound - Aylen Park
As PDRN’s virality on American social media continues to spread, brands like Anua, Genabelle, Heveblue, Isntree, Medicube, Numbuzin, and VT Cosmetics—just to name a few—are capitalizing on PDRN’s popularity and launching their own iterations of this effective ingredient, ushering K-beauty into the era of PDRN.
The social media marketing of PDRN as salmon sperm has raised many eyebrows when it made its way westward, with people questioning whether it can be considered vegan. To address this issue, K-beauty brand VT Cosmetics discovered an alternative to extracting the PDRN compound without relying on salmon sperm: by extracting the same properties of PDRN from panax ginseng, a root ingredient that is extremely common in K-beauty and hanbang (traditional Korean medicine). Ever since VT Cosmetics introduced a truly vegan formulation of PDRN, other brands began to hop on the bandwagon, knowing that this new “vegan-PDRN” keyword will skyrocket their sales. Now, we have PDRN extracted from rose, seaweed, and green tea—in addition to ginseng and salmon. When it comes to the efficacy of these new age PDRN sources, it’s up to user preference and compatibility.
Now, how did PDRN become a household name in the world of skincare? In addition to its social media virality, this star ingredient actually first found its footing in family owned pharmacies in South Korea. Before stepping into the spotlight, PDRN was quite understated, as it was labeled as a clinic ingredient. Only those who knew about its benefits knew where to find the products that contained it. And so, brands like Rejuran—and its rival brand Rejuvenex—chose to stock their PDRN products in pharmacies rather than retailers. But when global social media caught wind of Rejuran’s PDRN benefits, the hero ingredient made it onto the table of every cosmetic company’s boardroom.
A new PDRN competitor was born in 2025. Dr. Reju-All (formerly known as Dr. Rejuall) soft launched with their product by way of a pop-up shop in New York City in May. By partnering with Gen Z-focused Asian skincare retailer Song of Skin, Dr. Reju-All successfully caught the attention of TikTok skincare enthusiasts and became the most talked about K-beauty brand of the summer, with their Advanced PDRN Rejuvenating Cream.
I met the CEO and founder of Dr. Reju-All, Junho Jung, at the pop-up. The 30 year old donned a warm, inviting presence, eager to share his research with shoppers at the event. Holding his tablet, he presented a slideshow of his data on why he chose to formulate Dr. Reju-All’s moisturizer with 1,200 ppm (parts per million) of PDRN. This particular amount of PDRN is optimal for absorption because too much PDRN would cause the compound to sit on top of the outermost skin layer, leading to a waste of the ingredient. Think of it as if you’re funneling oil. You want to pour just the right amount for a smoother process; pouring too much all at once can cause the oil to backflow. The same logic applies, and Jung found that 1,200 ppm of PDRN was the sweet spot. Luckily, folks in the United States can find Dr. Reju-All’s PDRN cream on the brand’s official Amazon storefront. But Rejuvenex can only be found in pharmacies in South Korea.
These days, you might see lifestyle influencers making plans to visit South Korea. But they’re not entirely hellbent on visiting South Korea for a cosmetic procedure, because their plans now include a checklist of PDRN products they’ll pick up at a local pharmacy. Dr. Reju-All and Rejuvenex’s respective PDRN creams are constantly “flying off shelves” at local pharmacies, becoming South Korean pharmacy exclusives, according to South Korea-based beauty influencer EuniUnnie. While Rejuvenex remains available only at South Korean pharmacies, Dr. Reju-All is now available on Amazon to global shoppers. But keep in mind that you won’t find a better deal on these PDRN products in the United States than you would at a local South Korean pharmacy—partly thanks to the tariffs that have been affecting imported goods from around the world.
Whether it’s Dr. Reju-All or Rejuran or Rejuvenex, PDRN is at the top of the social and beauty pyramid. Because of its versatility and effectiveness, PDRN offers an easy gateway into K-beauty for newcomers that more-volatile ingredients, such as retinoids and vitamin C, couldn’t. In a way, this star ingredient reminds me of the early days of K-beauty, when we all first discovered Centella asiatica—an all-rounder ingredient that can do no wrong. And suddenly, it’s incorporated in every single beauty product, from cleansers to sunscreens. But regardless of its hype and newfound mainstream success, PDRN has without a doubt rejuvenated the K-beauty industry. We are once again reminded of what K-beauty does best: blending beauty with innovation.
Published on November 12, 2025
Words by Ray Liu
Ray Liu is a New York-based entertainment and culture writer and K-beauty content creator. With a master’s degree in English, he finds purpose in analyzing fictional works with a cultural lens that centers marginalized communities. When he’s not writing, he’s making K-beauty content and reviews on YouTube (rayliur). Feel free to tweet him at @rayliur on Twitter.
Art by Ryan Quan
Ryan Quan is the Social Media Editor for JoySauce. This queer, half-Chinese, half-Filipino writer and graphic designer loves everything related to music, creative nonfiction, and art. Based in Brooklyn, he spends most of his time dancing to hyperpop and accidentally falling asleep on the subway. Follow him on Instagram at @ryanquans.