First popularized as an aesthetic injectable by South Korean brand Rejuran, PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide) consists of short DNA fragments primarily sourced from the sperm cells of salmon trout or chum salmon, although there are now also vegan versions derived from microalgae.
For consumers already using PDRN in topical skincare, oral supplements are being positioned as a complementary rather than competing approach within a broader beauty regimen. It is also being incorporated into formulations with other functional ingredients like collagen to target multiple beauty endpoints.
“I believe PDRN has strong growth potential in the beauty supplement category,” said Jisung Kim, researcher in the Healthcare Lab at South Korean skincare and cosmetics giant Amorepacific.
“In Korea, consumer awareness of PDRN has increased rapidly alongside the growing popularity of skin booster treatments and dermatological procedures. As a result, a wide range of PDRN-containing supplements, including film, tablet and liquid formulations, have already entered the market.”
PDRN on the market
Amorepacific launched its Super Collagen supplement formulated with PDRN under its Vital Beautie brand just last month.
Sold through Olive Young, Naver and Amorepacific’s official mall, the liquid shot contains 6,000 mg of collagen with a molecular weight of 300 to 500 Da and a tablet containing 100 mg of PDRN derived from Alaskan salmon, 120 mg of hyaluronic acid and 100 mg of glutathione. Other functional ingredients in the formula include red orange complex extract, grape seed extract and vitamin C.
According to Amorepacific, the oral beauty supplement can be incorporated as part of a daily skin maintenance routine, as well as after professional treatments to support smoother skin texture, skin firmness, moisture retention and overall skin condition.
PharmaResearch, the biopharmaceutical company behind Rejuran injectable, also markets the Return Inner Dot DNA Glow Jelly, a single-serve jelly-stick supplement. The formula combines PDRN with low-molecular-weight fish collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin, alongside fruit and botanical extracts.
Noting the influence that K-beauty has in Southeast Asia and tapping into a first-mover opportunity, Malaysia-based wellness company Glowith Global, debuted its PDRN liquid stick HERAGEN Women All-In-One Care+ earlier this month at Vitafoods Asia.
“Most people know about PDRN from their cosmetics and skin care,” said Steve Wong, founder and group managing director at Glowith Global. “However, as more people are getting to know about K-wellness brands, I think we need to drive education for the Southeast Asian customers, which is why we want to be the first to export this product from South Korea.”
Developed with its manufacturing partner Kolmar, the liquid stick contains 150 mg of salmon-derived PDRN sourced from Japan, 1,800 mg of marine collagen, berries, vegetables and botanical extracts. The product is currently available at Watsons Malaysia and is certified by Halal the Korea Muslim Federation (KMF) Halal Committee to appeal to the region’s Muslim consumers.
What science says
PDRN has been used for skin repair for over 30 years after the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) approved it as a therapy for skin ulcers, dystrophic connective tissue disorders and superficial wounds in 1994.
A recent systematic review of randomized clinical trials reported that PDRN therapies may improve wrinkle-related outcomes, scar quality, wound-healing metrics and patient-reported satisfaction.
“The most consistent benefits were observed in wound-healing settings, where PDRN accelerated re-epithelialization and shortened healing time compared with controls,” wrote a team of university researchers in Saudi Arabia in the journal Cureus.
PDRN was also shown to double the rate of complete healing in difficult-to-heal diabetic foot ulcers compared to placebo when administered intramuscularly and injected into the tissue surrounding the wound, according to a 2014 study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
PDRN is understood to work through adenosine A2A receptor activation and the nucleotide salvage pathway, driving anti-inflammatory, angiogenic and tissue-repair responses.
According to the Rejuran website, the company’s patented c-PDRN is molecularly small enough to be delivered beneath the epidermis when used in topical skincare products, which the company says boost collagen production, improve the appearance of damaged skin and reduce the appearance of discoloration and inflammation, as well as help to protect the skin barrier.
Studies on PDRN as an ingestible, however, are still emerging.
The PDRN opportunity
Combining PDRN with other functional ingredients also opens up opportunities to target multiple aspects of skin health in a single formulation.
Collagen, when used as low-molecular-weight peptides, helps provide amino acids and bioactive peptides that make up the skin’s structural components.
“Collagen and PDRN can be seen as complementary, as collagen primarily replenishes structural skin components while PDRN supports cell proliferation and activation,” Kim explained.
Vitamin C, on the other hand, acts as a cofactor in collagen synthesis, and hyaluronic acid is associated with skin hydration and moisture balance, providing a complementary approach to collagen-focused structural support.
Kim noted that antioxidant ingredients such as glutathione, grape seed extract and red orange extract may also help protect the skin from oxidative stress.
Glowith Global’s Wong noted that while collagen serves as the foundation of skin health, PDRN may offer additional benefits related to skin radiance.
On the other hand, Kim pointed out three technical challenges in incorporating PDRN into oral supplements, beginning with maintaining its stability in the low-pH gastrointestinal environment.
“Because PDRN is sensitive to the digestive environment, we developed a formulation in a tablet format, designed to help protect the ingredient and support effective delivery after ingestion,” said Kim.
The second challenge is optimizing PDRN release and absorption. To address this, the company uses a controlled-release formulation that gradually releases PDRN over several hours following ingestion.
The third challenge is standardization of raw materials. Since PDRN consists of DNA fragments of varying lengths, ingredient’s characteristics can vary depending on the source material.
“We have evaluated factors such as DNA content, fragment size distribution and quality specifications of salmon-derived PDRN materials,” Kim said. “The sustained-release matrix was then optimized according to the characteristics of the selected raw material to ensure consistent formulation performance.”
As to whether PDRN could become the next “must-have” ingredient in beauty-from-within supplements, Kim sees strong growth potential for the category, citing current trends.
“We expect demand for extending ingredients that were once primarily associated with professional skincare treatments into everyday beauty and wellness routines to continue driving growth in the PDRN market,” said Kim.
“As additional research is conducted and raw material standardization continues to advance, rather than replacing collagen, PDRN has the potential to become one of the key ingredients driving the inner beauty market alongside collagen.”
