PDRN in skincare: what it is and how to use it

PDRN in skincare is a water-light ingredient built around polydeoxyribonucleotide — DNA fragments usually taken from salmon. Korean brands add it to toners, gels and serums for hydration and a smoother, glowier-looking finish, often alongside peptides and niacinamide. It is a cosmetic step rather than an in-clinic procedure. This guide explains what PDRN is, what it does on the skin, and how to use it.

PDRN stands for polydeoxyribonucleotide: short strands of DNA, most often sourced from salmon. Brands describe these fragments as structurally close to human skin, which is the reason the ingredient has jumped from aesthetic clinics onto bathroom shelves. In a bottle it sits in watery, fast-absorbing formats — toners, essences, gels and light serums — usually at a named concentration, like the 1,000ppm of salmon PDRN numbuzin lists in its No.9 toner. You will also see it paired with peptides, niacinamide and, across numbuzin's No.9 line, NAD+. One quirk worth knowing: the pink or violet colour of many PDRN products is not dye — numbuzin and medicube both say it comes from vitamin B12.

In a cosmetic, PDRN is mainly a hydrating, glow-focused ingredient: it helps skin look smoother and more luminous and feel comfortable, rather than changing it the way an in-clinic procedure might. That gap matters. Most of the published evidence for polydeoxyribonucleotide comes from clinic settings, so a toner or gel used at home is doing a lighter, surface-level job — which is exactly right if hydration and a glowy finish are what you want. Brands keep their at-home wording modest for the same reason. medicube describes its PDRN Booster Gel as giving long-lasting hydration and a smoother, more radiant look; numbuzin frames its No.9 toner around glow. Read those as the brand's attributed words, not guarantees.

PDRN usually goes on early, while skin is still damp from cleansing, because most PDRN products are light and water-based. The thinnest layer goes first, then richer steps follow. A simple order:

1. Cleanse, and apply your toner if you use one.
2. Pat in your PDRN layer — a toner, essence, gel or light serum — while skin is still slightly damp.
3. Follow with any heavier serum or ampoule, then moisturiser.
4. In the morning, finish with sunscreen.

Format changes where it sits: a PDRN toner is a first, prep-style layer; an essence or gel comes a notch later; a serum slots in wherever its texture fits. If you are unsure how the first two differ, our guide on toner vs essence walks through the order. Patch test anything new, and let it bed in over several weeks before deciding.

They are three different things that often share a bottle. PDRN is the salmon-derived DNA fragment described above. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that brands include in formulas aimed at the look of firmness — numbuzin lists 50 of them in both its No.9 toner and its No.9 essence. NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme numbuzin builds its whole No.9 range around, which is why both products carry "NAD+" in their names. You do not have to choose between them: the point of a formula like the No.9 toner is that it carries PDRN, peptides and NAD+ in one light step.

These are the PDRN picks we carry, lined up by where each fits in a routine. Everything ships from Dublin across Ireland.

• Toner step: numbuzin No.9 PDRN Glow Boosting Toner. An essence-like toner with 1,000ppm salmon PDRN, NAD+, 50 peptides and niacinamide; numbuzin lists it for all skin types and suggests following it with the matching essence.
• Essence step: numbuzin No.9 BIO Lifting-sil Essence. The richer partner to the toner in the same No.9 NAD+ line, with NAD+, 50 peptides, glutathione and sodium hyaluronate in a thread-like, cushiony texture.
• Device or stand-alone gel: medicube PDRN Booster Gel. A lightweight 300ml gel with salmon PDRN, seven peptides and niacinamide; medicube makes it to glide under a facial roller or Gua Sha, though it says you can use it on its own too.
• Serum step: medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum. A 30ml serum with salmon PDRN, peptides and niacinamide; its pink colour comes from vitamin B12, not dye.

Want to see the full aisle? Browse toners and essences or serums and ampoules, and check delivery for timings across Ireland.

Start from the format that fits the gap in your routine, not the ingredient hype. If your skin feels tight after cleansing and you want an easy first step, a PDRN toner like numbuzin's No.9 is the simplest add. If you already use a facial tool, the medicube Booster Gel earns its place as a glide layer that doubles as a hydrating gel. Prefer classic drops on the face? Reach for a PDRN serum. And if you are after a glowy, plumper-looking finish rather than a quick fix, remember that PDRN rewards consistency: use it daily and judge the result after a month, not a day. Whatever you pick, it ships from Dublin across Ireland.