Medicube's PDRN Pink Peptide Serum has racked up millions of TikTok views promising plumper, more luminous skin, so Glamour had testers with three different skin types try it to see if it holds up. The serum contains PDRN, or polydeoxyribonucleotide — small fragments of DNA typically derived from salmon — which Dr. Christine Hall, an aesthetic doctor and general practitioner, says is "highly compatible with human tissue" and has become popular for supporting skin regeneration, elasticity and hydration.
Hall says topical PDRN behaves differently from the injectable polynucleotides used in aesthetic clinics: because the topical molecule is too large to reach the skin's deeper dermal layers, it doesn't stimulate collagen production the way injections do. Instead, she says, it can hydrate skin, reduce inflammation and support the skin's natural repair process, which is why users tend to notice calmer, less red, more "comfortable" skin.