Letters from a Dermatologist · Ingredients
Why Your PDRN Serum Says "Sodium DNA" on the Label
You buy a serum because the front says PDRN. Then you flip it over, scan the ingredient list, and the word PDRN isn't there. What you find instead is "Sodium DNA."
The Name on the Front vs. the Name on the Back
The front of the box is marketing, and brands can call an ingredient whatever is clearest to shoppers. The ingredient list on the back works differently. It uses a shared international naming system for cosmetic ingredients, and every name in that system has a fixed definition.
"PDRN" isn't one of those names. "Sodium DNA" is, and its chemical description is simply the sodium salt of DNA.
What PDRN Actually Is
PDRN stands for polydeoxyribonucleotide. It's one name, but it isn't one molecule. It's a mixture of DNA fragments. Its close cousin, PN (polynucleotides), is made of longer strands. The two names are often used interchangeably, but size is what tells them apart.
The classic source is the sperm cells of salmon and trout. That's where the "salmon" nickname comes from.
The Label Won't Tell You the Source
"Sodium DNA" names the ingredient, not where it came from. DNA from fish and DNA from plants are both listed under the same name.
Plant-based versions are now made from cultured plant cells and roots, and from flowers too. The PDRN in Seoul Glow Serum is extracted from the Damask rose. If the source matters to you, the ingredient list alone won't answer the question. The brand's own product description usually does.
By the Numbers
Two Things to Try Tomorrow
- Put it on first. Apply your serum right after cleansing, before any cream. Apply thinner textures before thicker ones.
- Give it a few weeks. Use it consistently for a few weeks before you decide how well it works for your skin.
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