PDRN, an ingredient that moved from dermatology procedures into cosmetics, is establishing itself as a core ingredient in the global cosmetics market. After K-beauty brands such as Medicube and Anua made PDRN a signature ingredient, global cosmetics companies including Dior, Clinique and L'Oreal have rolled out their own PDRN products, spreading the boom across the global beauty market.
Monthly consumer interactions related to PDRN on Google, TikTok and Instagram totaled 37.2 million, up 609.8% from a year earlier, according to Spate, a global beauty trend analytics firm, on the 3rd. Spate projected that interest in PDRN would rise another 34.4% over the next year.
PDRN first gained recognition through dermatology procedures, but it has since become a mainstream cosmetics ingredient as Korean brands including Medicube and Anua launched serums and creams containing it. Spate identified Korean brands — Medicube, Rejuran, Anua, Zenabel and VT Cosmetics — as the main drivers of consumer interest in PDRN. Medicube launched its first PDRN line in June 2024 and said in February that cumulative sales at home and abroad had topped 50 million units on a single-product basis.
Global cosmetics companies are aggressively releasing PDRN products as well. Dior introduced Dior Capture PDRN Shot, which uses plant-based PDRN extracted from rice-derived DNA. Clinique released Smart Clinical Repair Collagen+PDRN Cream, and L'Oreal Paris launched Revitalift Filler Hyaluronic Acid+PDRN+ Serum.
Low-priced global beauty brands are also entering the PDRN market. Primark, the British fashion retailer, recently launched the PS...K-Beauty Vegan PDRN Face Serum through its in-house beauty brand PS... The product is priced at 5 pounds. The company describes it as a "Korean beauty facial serum" and states "Made in Korea" on the packaging.
The raw materials used for PDRN are also diversifying. Early products relied mainly on salmon DNA extracted from salmon testes, but the sources have since expanded to rice, centella asiatica, camellia flowers and microbial fermentation. The shift is seen as an effort to target the vegan market, as consumer resistance to animal-derived ingredients is relatively strong overseas.
The industry views the global spread of PDRN as evidence of K-beauty's influence. Where Korean brands once led innovation in formats such as cushion compacts and sheet masks, they are now driving change in the global cosmetics industry through ingredients as well.
"Competition has intensified as global players joined the PDRN market that Korean brands had led," an official in the beauty industry said. "Many consumers already find PDRN stale, so the industry appears focused on finding newer, more innovative ingredients."
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