If you follow Korean skincare, you’ve probably noticed that PDRN is suddenly everywhere.
And if you’ve been looking for an easy way to add the trending ingredient into your skincare routine, the Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturizing Cream might have already caught your attention.
Anua is probably best known for its viral Heartleaf skincare, but the Korean beauty brand has been expanding its lineup with products focused on hydration, glow and that coveted plump, glass-skin finish.
I’ve been trying the Anua PDRN cream to see whether it’s actually worth the hype. Here’s my full Anua PDRN cream review, including the texture, ingredients, how it wears under makeup and whether I think it’s worth buying. It’s currently on sale on YesStyle!
Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturizing Cream: Quick Facts
Product: Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturizing Cream
Size: 60 ml
Made in: Korea
Key ingredients: PDRN, hyaluronic acid, squalane, niacinamide and hydrolyzed collagen
PDRN source: Salmon DNA
Texture: Lightweight gel-cream
Finish: Hydrated, smooth and dewy
Best for: Anyone looking for hydration and a plumper, glowing finish
When to use: Morning and/or night
What Is PDRN?
Let’s start with the ingredient everyone is talking about.
PDRN stands for polydeoxyribonucleotide, and it has become one of the buzziest ingredients in Korean skincare.
If you’ve heard of treatments such as Rejuran, you’ve probably heard PDRN mentioned before. But you don’t necessarily have to go the injectable route to find the ingredient anymore.
PDRN is now popping up in serums, masks and moisturizers, including this one from Anua. It’s important to note that the PDRN used in the Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturizing Cream is derived from salmon DNA, so this isn’t a vegan PDRN product. On the ingredient list, you’ll see it listed as Sodium DNA.
What’s Actually in the Anua PDRN Cream?
Despite PDRN being the ingredient getting all the attention, there’s a lot more going on in this moisturizer.
In fact, one of the first things I noticed when looking at the ingredient list is squalane is the second ingredient after water, followed by glycerin.
Both make a lot of sense in a moisturizer designed around hydration.
The formula also contains:
- PDRN (Sodium DNA)
- hydrolyzed collagen
- niacinamide
- multiple forms of hyaluronic acid
- centella asiatica
- madecassoside
- adenosine
Anua says the moisturizer has been clinically tested for up to 100 hours of dermal hydration, as well as improvements in moisture plumping and collagen. Those are Anua’s testing claims rather than something I’m realistically able to verify at home, but I can tell you how it actually feels on my skin.
And that’s ultimately more important to me.
Anua PDRN Cream Texture
This is probably my favourite thing about the moisturizer.
For something literally called the 100 Moisturizing Cream, I was expecting it to be much heavier.
Instead, the texture is lightweight and almost gel-like, but not so watery that it disappears immediately. It spreads easily across the skin and gives you that satisfying feeling of having actually applied moisturizer without leaving behind a thick layer of product.
The finish is also much more dewy than greasy. My skin looks noticeably more hydrated after applying it, but I don’t feel like I’ve coated my face in a heavy night cream.
How Does It Feel on the Skin?
The immediate result for me is plumper-looking, more hydrated skin.
This isn’t one of those skincare products where I’m staring at my face wondering if I’m imagining the difference. Immediately after applying it, my skin looks smoother, juicier and noticeably more dewy.
I particularly like using it when my skin feels dehydrated because it gives me that instant glass-skin effect without requiring five different hydrating products underneath. And despite the amount of hydration, it doesn’t feel overly sticky once it settles.
Does the Anua PDRN Cream Work Under Makeup?
This is actually one of the reasons I think the Anua PDRN cream makes sense as a daytime moisturizer.
A lot of ultra-hydrating skincare sounds great until you try putting foundation over it and everything starts sliding around or pilling. I haven’t found this moisturizer excessively heavy underneath makeup.
Because the texture is relatively lightweight, it creates a hydrated base without feeling like there’s a thick layer sitting between my skin and foundation. If your makeup tends to look dry or cakey, particularly around the cheeks or under-eyes, I can see this being a nice skin-prep step.
Is the Anua PDRN Cream Good for Dry Skin?
If dehydration is your main concern, I think this is where the moisturizer really shines.
Between the glycerin, squalane and multiple forms of hyaluronic acid, hydration is very clearly the focus of the formula.
However, there’s an important difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin. If you have extremely dry skin and love thick, rich creams, this may not feel heavy enough on its own, especially during a Vancouver winter.
But if you want plenty of hydration without the weight of a traditional rich moisturizer, I think the texture hits a really nice middle ground.
Is It Good for Combination or Oily Skin?
Potentially, yes.
The lightweight texture makes the Anua PDRN cream much more approachable for combination skin than I expected. If you’re oily and dehydrated, I’d be particularly interested in this one. For very oily skin, I would start with a small amount rather than slathering it on. You could also reserve it for your nighttime routine if you find the dewy finish too much during the day.
How to Use the Anua PDRN Cream
The Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturizing Cream is simply your moisturizer step.
A basic morning routine could look like:
Cleanser → Toner → Serum → Anua PDRN Cream → Sunscreen
At night:
Cleanser → Toner → Serum → Anua PDRN Cream
You don’t need an entire PDRN routine just because you’re using a PDRN moisturizer. Personally, I think skincare routines are much easier to stick to when they aren’t 14 steps long anyway.
Does the Anua PDRN Cream Contain Salmon?
Yes.
This is worth mentioning because not every PDRN skincare product uses the same source.
Anua states that the PDRN in this moisturizer is derived from salmon DNA. If you’re specifically looking for vegan or plant-derived PDRN skincare, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
So, Is the Anua PDRN Cream Worth It?
Yes!
PDRN might be the trendy ingredient that gets you interested in this cream, but the reason I’d continue using it is much simpler:
It’s a really nice moisturizer.
The formula feels hydrating without being excessively heavy, gives my skin an immediate plumper and dewier appearance and layers nicely into both my morning and nighttime routines.
I also like that the formula isn’t relying entirely on PDRN. You’re getting squalane, glycerin, niacinamide, hydrolyzed collagen and multiple forms of hyaluronic acid in the same product.
If you’re expecting a topical PDRN moisturizer to give you the same results as an in-office treatment, I think you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. But if you’re looking for a Korean moisturizer for dehydrated skin that leaves your complexion looking plump, smooth and glowy?
The Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturizing Cream is definitely worth a try. Get it now for 16% off on YesStyle.
For more Korean skincare recommendations check out my posts here.
