PDRN has become one of the biggest ingredients in Korean skincare, appearing in everything from serums and masks to creams and even cleansers. It feels like this trend is going to stay with us for a while. No matter whether you’re in your 20s, 40s, or 60s, it seems like almost every skincare product these days contains PDRN. Medicube helped bring PDRN skincare to a huge mainstream audience, but Rejuran has a very different connection to the ingredient. The brand is best known for its professional skin-rejuvenation treatments and has become closely associated with the wider PN/PDRN category.
You’ve probably heard of Rejuran before, but perhaps not as a skincare brand. Rejuran is better known for its injectable treatments containing DNA-derived ingredients. However, it’s not entirely accurate to say that these injections are based on PDRN. The majority of Rejuran’s injectable treatments use PN. While both substances are derived from DNA fragments, there are some differences between them.
PDRN has a much longer medical history than its recent skincare popularity suggests, but K-beauty has helped turn it into one of today’s most talked-about topical ingredients. Meanwhile, companies like Juvelook are trying to popularize similar solutions that originated as aesthetic treatments and are now making their way into skincare as ingredients, such as PDLLA.
Brands now offer a full range of PDRN products, but let’s focus on Medicube PDRN Pink Serum and Rejuran Healer Dual Effect Ampoule. According to OEB’s method, ampoules and serums are considered active steps in a skincare routine – they come after hydration and before nourishment.
The shopping links may be affiliate links, which means we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we truly believe in to support your skincare journey. If you’d like to support us, please shop through the links on this page. Thank you so much! with 💚from Yuhee (founder) and the OEB team xx
PDRN vs PN – what’s the difference?
You might see information claiming that PDRN started as an injectable treatment and is now an ingredient used topically, but this isn’t entirely accurate. PDRN consists of shorter fragments of salmon DNA and generally has a lower molecular weight than PN. This makes PDRN particularly interesting for topical skincare formulations, although topical PDRN should not be expected to penetrate or behave in the same way as PDRN or PN delivered through professional treatments. In topical skincare, PDRN is particularly interesting for mature skin because of its potential to support hydration, elasticity, and overall skin repair, although research on topical PDRN is still developing. PN generally consists of longer DNA chains and has a higher molecular weight than PDRN. In aesthetic medicine, PN is typically delivered through injectable treatments and is associated with skin remodeling, repair, and improvements in skin quality.
Topical PDRN shouldn’t be expected to provide the same results as injectable PN or PDRN treatments. While research into topical PDRN is still developing, it may help support hydration, elasticity, and the skin’s natural repair processes, making it an interesting ingredient to include in a well-aging skincare routine.
Although PDRN has a much longer medical history than its recent K-beauty popularity suggests, Korean brands have played a major role in bringing DNA-derived ingredients into the skincare spotlight. Rejuran, in particular, has become closely associated with PN injectable treatments and, more recently, topical PDRN skincare.
Medicube vs Rejuran
Medicube is definitely one of the most recognized Korean skincare brands, but it goes even further with its haircare and body care lines. The brand has grown significantly over the past few years, leaving behind many of the brands that helped make K-beauty popular in international markets a decade ago. One of the reasons Medicube became so popular is its strong marketing strategy, which many other brands are now trying to replicate.
Rejuran’s strategy is less aggressive, and the brand is primarily recognized for its professional products. It has a long-standing connection to the PN/PDRN category through its aesthetic treatments and skincare. What makes its topical skincare particularly interesting is the use of c-PDRN®, Rejuran’s patented PDRN ingredient derived from hydrolyzed salmon DNA. While many PDRN skincare products list Sodium DNA, Rejuran uses Hydrolyzed DNA, giving the two brands a different approach to topical PDRN.
Medicube tends to be the more affordable and accessible option, while Rejuran is positioned more toward the premium, professional skincare market.
Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum
Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum has been shown, including its texture and full ingredient analysis, on OEB previously. This serum has won several awards, including the 2024 Glow Pick Award and the 2025 YesStyle Award. It’s formulated with 10,000 ppm of PDRN. While many PDRN serums focus primarily on skin elasticity and wrinkle care, Medicube decided to combine PDRN with ingredients that provide a broader range of benefits.
The pink color of the formula comes from vitamin B12, an ingredient that may help improve the appearance of uneven skin tone. However, vitamin B12 may not be the best choice for acne-prone skin, as there is some evidence suggesting it can contribute to acne in susceptible individuals.
Niacinamide is an ingredient that continues to hold a strong position in skincare because of its multiple benefits. It can support the skin barrier, improve hydration, help with the appearance of acne, and address dull or uneven-looking skin.
Medicube also included Ubiquinone, which you may recognize as Coenzyme Q10. It’s a powerful antioxidant that can help protect the skin from oxidative stress and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Adenosine has almost become a staple of K-beauty formulations, and it’s not surprising that this ingredient remains popular. It has soothing properties and is widely used in Korean skincare to help improve the appearance of wrinkles and support smoother-looking skin.
Last but not least, there’s Copper Tripeptide-1, a peptide associated with supporting collagen production and skin repair. Overall, this is a rich, nourishing formula that mature skin may particularly enjoy. For mature skin, Medicube’s biggest advantage is that it doesn’t rely on PDRN alone. The combination of PDRN, Copper Tripeptide-1, CoQ10, niacinamide, and adenosine gives the serum a broader well-aging focus, targeting hydration, uneven tone, fine lines, and overall skin resilience in one formula.
Recommended for: Mature, dry to combo skin types.
Medicube
PDRN Pink Peptide Serum
Rejuran Healer Dual Effect Ampoule
Rejuran is far from a new brand, and its Dual Effect Ampoule won Olive Young Awards in both 2022 and 2023. Over the years, it has become something of a gold standard in PDRN skincare. Instead of using the Sodium DNA found in many PDRN skincare products, Rejuran focuses on 5,000 ppm of its patented c-PDRN®, listed as Hydrolyzed DNA, alongside Ceramide NP to support the skin barrier and help maintain moisture.
This ampoule is more focused on intensive skin repair and also contains squalane and niacinamide. One of Rejuran’s strongest points is its use of a three-layer penetration technology: D.E.E.P.™, D.O.T.™, and Water Cover System™. According to Rejuran, these technologies are designed to enhance ingredient delivery while supporting hydration, skin renewal, and barrier function.
While it might seem like Rejuran’s formula is less focused on active ingredients, the brand still includes Adenosine and Arbutin, which can help address signs of aging, inflammation, and dark spots. The texture feels more lightweight, but it’s still rich in actives. Sometimes, instead of packing a formula with numerous actives, it can make more sense to use fewer actives alongside patented technologies and solutions that are unique to the brand. For mature skin, Rejuran makes the most sense if your priorities are elasticity, hydration, barrier support, and overall skin resilience rather than simply choosing the formula with the longest list of well-aging actives.
Recommended for: Sensitive, dry, mature, combo and oily skin types.
Rejuran
Healer Dual Effect Ampoule
Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum vs Rejuran Healer Dual Effect Ampoule
If you want the more affordable, multi-active formula, Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum is the better choice. It combines PDRN with Copper Tripeptide-1, CoQ10, niacinamide, and adenosine, making it particularly interesting for mature skin concerned with fine lines, dullness, uneven tone, and overall skin resilience.
Rejuran Healer Dual Effect Ampoule takes a more specialized approach, combining its patented c-PDRN® with barrier-supporting ingredients and proprietary delivery technologies. It may be the better choice for mature or sensitive skin focused on elasticity, hydration, and barrier health.
In short: choose Medicube for value + multiple well-aging actives, and Rejuran for specialized PDRN + elasticity and barrier care.
Medicube vs Rejuran PDRN Comparison Cheat Sheet
|
Skin Type |
Best Pick |
Key Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
|
10,000 ppm PDRN, Vitamin B12, Ubiquinone, Adenosine, Copper Tripeptide-1 |
||
|
5,000 ppm c-PDRN®, Squalane, Niacinamide, Adenosine, Arbutin |
Medicube vs Rejuran PDRN FAQs
Is Medicube or Rejuran PDRN better?
There’s no single PDRN serum that will be better for everyone. Medicube targets a broader range of concerns with PDRN, peptides, antioxidants, and brightening ingredients, while Rejuran places greater emphasis on elasticity, hydration, skin resilience, and barrier support. Choose Medicube if you want a more affordable multi-active serum, or Rejuran if you prefer a more specialized PDRN-focused formula.
Does Rejuran ampoule contain PDRN?
Yes. Rejuran Healer Dual Effect Ampoule contains 5,000 ppm of the brand’s patented c-PDRN®, listed as Hydrolyzed DNA in the formula. This differs from many PDRN skincare products, including Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum, which use Sodium DNA. Because the two formulas use different PDRN ingredients and delivery systems, their 5,000 ppm and 10,000 ppm concentrations shouldn’t be compared as though concentration alone determines which serum is more effective.
Is Rejuran skincare the same as Rejuran injections?
No. Although both the injectable treatments and skincare products come from the same brand, they are not the same. Rejuran offers both professional injectable treatments and topical skincare products, but the formulations, ingredients, and delivery methods are different.
Product links lead to YesStyle and Olive Young Global
Extra 2 – 5% off at YesStyle using the code 👉 YUHEE10
Get 5% off at Olive Young Global with our code 👉 OEB10OY
Why You Can Trust OEB (One Eye Beauty):At OEB, we don’t just share skincare. We deep-dive, fact-check, and ingredient-decode every recommendation with intensive research and science-backed analysis. All of this is guided by Yuhee’s expertise as a certified well-aging skincare coach, committed to helping your skin glow at every age. Yes, we use affiliate links, but our opinions are never for sale. Because no matter what, your skin comes first. Always.
