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These days, the newest, most innovative skin care ingredients seem to originate from Korean beauty brands. One of K-beauty’s star ingredients is PDRN, or polydeoxyribonucleotide, which is found in serums, toners, creams, masks and more. Toner pads are among the easiest to use, and the best PDRN pads can fit seamlessly into nearly any skin care routine.
PDRN consists of DNA fragments from salmon, which are broken down and filtered so it’s safe for use on the skin. It has become such a popular ingredient in skin care because studies show it supports cell renewal and regeneration, making it ideal for various skin issues, including fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, hyperpigmentation, acne and enlarged pores. PDRN pads are small fabric or gel squares or rounds soaked in a PDRN-infused liquid essence that can be incorporated into your skin care routine in a variety of ways.
At BestReviews, we’ve researched dozens of PDRN pad formulations to help us identify the best products. Our top pick, the medicube Toner Pads Salmon DNA PDRN, is suitable for all skin types and contains supporting ingredients like collagen and niacinamide that help plump, firm and brighten the skin. The pads have a soothing, cooling feel on the skin and are gentle enough for everyday use.
Best for All Skin Types
Quantity: 70 pads | PDRN Type: Salmon | Skin Type: All skin types, including sensitive | Key Supporting Ingredients: Collagen, niacinamide and madecassoside | Fragrance-Free: No
The medicube Toner Pads Salmon DNA PDRN don’t just feature the salmon DNA that PDRN products are typically known for. They are also packed with collagen, helping plump and firm the skin for a fresh, radiant complexion. The PDRN in the pads supports skin renewal, helping improve uneven skin tone and texture.
When you add the product’s PDRN essence to the container, the pads take on a jelly-like texture in under 10 seconds. This texture allows the pads’ active ingredients to absorb into the skin more quickly, so you can experience the benefits in less time than other similar pads. They can even boost your skin’s moisture levels in just one use.
The medicube Salmon DNA PDRN Toner Pads are suitable for all skin types because they’re clinically proven to be gentle and low-irritating even on sensitive skin. The formula doesn’t clog the pores, either, making them ideal for oily and acne-prone skin, too. Because of their soothing, gentle feel on the skin, you can use the pads daily without any issues.
Quantity: 100 pads | PDRN Type: Plant-based | Skin Type: All skin types | Key Supporting Ingredients: Squalane and Glutathione | Fragrance-Free: Yes
Instead of the traditional salmon-based PDRN, the MEDIHEAL Toner Pads [PDRN] use vegan, plant-based PDRN to deliver skin care benefits. The pads combine PDRN with squalane, an emollient, and glutathione, a peptide, and all ingredients work together to boost skin firmness and restore elasticity. They also offer mild exfoliation and pore tightening, so your complexion looks smoother and clearer over time.
The pads are made from 100% plant-derived cotton and don’t contain any dyes or fragrances. This hypoallergenic formulation makes them safe for all skin types, even those prone to sensitivity. They are gentle enough for daily use and suitable for both daytime and nighttime routines.
The MEDIHEAL Toner Pads are one of the more versatile PDRN products, too. While they can be used as toner pads, as their name implies, they can also be placed on specific spots to target specific areas of the face as a sheet mask. The cotton fabric used for the pads is stretchable, making it easy to cover wide areas.
Quantity: 60 pads | PDRN Type: Plant-based | Skin Type: All skin types, including sensitive Supporting Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid and ceramides | Fragrance-Free: Yes
The VT Cosmetics PDRN Tension Toner Pads are another vegan PDRN pad option for those who prefer plant-based PDRN formulas. Their PDRN is derived from Korean wild ginseng, which helps hydrate the skin, increase firmness and promote a healthy glow. It is paired with eight types of hyaluronic acid, too, so moisture is sealed in at several layers of the skin, allowing it to appear smoother and plumper.
In addition to hyaluronic acid, the pads feature ceramides to help soothe the skin. They help bolster and protect the skin barrier, allowing it to maintain moisture levels and increase elasticity. The rich, milky texture of the pads’ essence instantly hydrates the skin, too, giving it a healthy glow.
The pads are made of a plant-based fabric that stretches easily, allowing them to conform to the contours of the face. This tight-fitting material not only helps the ingredients absorb more fully into the skin but also creates enough tension to help lift the skin for a more sculpted look.
Best for Sagging Skin
Quantity: 60 pads | PDRN Type: Salmon | Skin Type: All skin types, including sensitive | Key Supporting Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides and collagen | Fragrance-Free: Yes
The ANUA PDRN 100 Hyaluronic Acid Pads are infused with PDRN derived from salmon DNA, which helps rejuvenate the skin and give it a healthy glow. They also contain hyaluronic acid, peptides and collagen, which ensure your skin is hydrated at multiple levels and boost firmness to help improve the look of sagging skin.
The pads don’t contain any artificial fragrances or colors, so they are safe for even the most sensitive skin. They even feature vegan fabrics designed to avoid skin irritation. In fact, the pads are so gentle that you can use them morning and night as part of your skin care routine. Each container has 60 pads, too, which is enough for one to two months of treatment, depending on how often you use them.
We also love that all the ANUA PDRN 100 Hyaluronic Acid Pads’ ingredients are ethically sourced. They are cruelty-free, too, so you can feel good about using them.
Best for Deeply Exfoliating Pores
Quantity: 70 pads | PDRN Type: Plant-based | Skin Type: Combination and oily | Key Supporting Ingredients: Retinol, centella asiatica extract and hydrolyzed peptides | Fragrance-Free: Yes
The Dear Doer Break PDRN Retinol Serum Pads are ideal for those with combination, oily and acne-prone skin. Made in Korea, they contain plant-based PDRN that helps soothe and repair stressed or irritated skin. It’s paired with centella asiatica extract, which can also calm redness, inflammation and irritation. The pads also deliver hydrolyzed peptides to the skin, so your complexion looks smooth and hydrated.
But the best news for those with oily and acne-prone skin is that the pads include encapsulated retinol. It helps encourage cell turnover to exfoliate pores, reduce oil production and smooth marks left by breakouts, so your skin is clearer and more balanced.
However, despite the Dear Doer Break PDRN Retinol Serum Pads’ exfoliating formula, they are gentle enough to use daily. That’s because they use a liposome delivery system that encapsulates the retinol in small, bubble-like structures that help it penetrate deeper into the skin without irritating it.
PDRN pads are available in a wide range of formulations, making it challenging to find the best fit for your skin. To identify the best PDRN pads, we analyzed customer reviews from several online retailers to see which formulas best met user expectations. In particular, we considered which pads offered the most noticeable improvements in skin texture, firmness and clarity, which hydrated most effectively, which were least likely to irritate the skin and which were easiest to use. Ultimately, we evaluated over a dozen PDRN pads and chose our top picks based on effectiveness, ingredient quality, versatility and ease of use.
PDRN is a compound molecule made of DNA fragments. These fragments are traditionally derived from salmon DNA, which has a similar structure to human DNA. However, more recently, plant-based PDRN products have entered the market. This PDRN usually comes from ginseng or other botanical sources and provides a vegan alternative to salmon-based PDRN formulas.
PDRN is a highly regarded skin care ingredient because it activates receptors in the skin that control regenerative processes within skin cells. It was originally researched as a wound treatment, and studies found that it can speed up healing.
In skin care products, PDRN offers other key benefits:
Toner: Most PDRN pads are used as a toner. A toner is usually a liquid product applied with a cotton ball or pad after cleansing to quickly replace lost moisture, soothe the skin and deliver beneficial ingredients that can easily penetrate the skin without heavier products getting in the way. To use PDRN pads for toning, simply run the pads over clean skin and let the ingredients soak in for several minutes before moving on to the next step in your routine.
Mini sheet mask: Many PDRN pads can also be used as mini sheet masks. These pads are made of stretchable materials that allow you to cover large areas of the face to target specific skin care concerns. You can also layer two or more pads to create a soothing mask for spots that need some TLC.
Exfoliating: PDRN pads are typically made of a gel or a fabric-like material, such as cotton. Those made of fabric can have a textured surface, which makes them ideal for gently buffing away dead skin cells for smoother, brighter skin. Exfoliating PDRN pads often contain additional ingredients that aid exfoliation, such as alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and retinol.
Hydration boost: PDRN pads can help increase moisture within the skin and strengthen the skin barrier to prevent future moisture loss. Pads that include other ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, madecassoside, panthenol and ceramides, which help boost hydration and fortify the skin barrier against moisture loss, are the most effective for moisturizing the skin.
Salmon PDRN
PDRN derived from salmon DNA originates from a part of the fish that may be a bit disconcerting for some skin care enthusiasts: salmon sperm cells. It’s not as bad as it sounds, though. The extracted sperm is filtered and sterilized, so it’s perfectly safe to use on the face. Because salmon DNA is structurally similar to human DNA, it’s also highly compatible with our skin.
However, for many people, using animal-derived ingredients raises significant ethical concerns, especially in skin care products.There are also fears about the environmental impact of overfishing the salmon. Additionally, individuals with fish or seafood allergies cannot use salmon-derived PDRN pads.
Plant-based PDRN
Plant-based PDRN is a vegan alternative to traditional salmon-derived PDRN. It typically comes from botanical sources, such as ginseng, green tea or roses. Because it doesn’t contain any animal-derived ingredients, it eliminates the ethical concerns associated with salmon-based PDRN and offers a more sustainable option.
However, in some cases, plant-based PDRN isn’t as effective as its salmon-derived counterpart. The efficacy of vegan PDRN is affected by the overall quality of the formula, its concentration and the supporting ingredients.
Gel pads
Gel PDRN pads have a jelly-like texture and are often made of silicone or other stretchable gel materials. They work well both as toner pads or mini sheet masks because they can be stretched to cover larger areas of the face. Gel pads usually have a perfectly smooth surface, too, so they’re less likely to irritate the skin. They are typically more expensive than soft pads, though, and can be more difficult to use because they’re a bit slippery.
Soft pads
Soft PDRN pads are usually made of cotton or a similar thin, natural fabric. The porous material often holds onto the PDRN essence more effectively than gel pads, allowing more of the key ingredients to penetrate the skin. They work well as toner pads, but can also be effective for exfoliating the skin. However, their texture may irritate sensitive skin.
Most PDRN pads contain other active ingredients to increase their skin care benefits. The best supporting ingredients depend on your skin type and needs.
A. PDRN pads vary in price based on the source of the PDRN, its supporting ingredients and the number of pads included. Formulations with a single supporting ingredient typically range from $14 to $20, while more comprehensive formulas with two or more supporting ingredients generally cost between $20 and $30. However, containers of these formulations with 70+ can cost up to $45.
A. In most cases, there aren’t noticeable side effects to using PDRN pads. However, if you are allergic to any ingredients in the formula or the pads contain potent ingredients like retinol,you may experience slight irritation and redness. Those with fish allergies should definitely avoid pads with salmon-derived PDRN. If you have acne-prone skin, you may also experience breakouts if the pads contain ingredients that clog the pores.
Jennifer Blair has covered home, kitchen, lifestyle and beauty products for BestReviews since 2017. She has written over 150 articles on products such as air fryers, vacuums, luggage, sunscreen and moisturizers. At home, she loves testing new K-beauty products, and her favorite PDRN product is a Medicube serum with added peptides.
