PDRN Explained: Anua vs Laneige and Myeongdong Rivals

Anua's PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum, 30ml, combines PDRN, eleven types of hyaluronic acid and hydrolyzed collagen inside a microencapsulated "Smart Capsule" delivery system, and Olive Young ranks it the top seller in its serum category. PDRN stands for polydeoxyribonucleotide, a DNA fragment purified from salmon or trout sperm that activates adenosine A2A receptors, a pathway linked in clinical literature to collagen synthesis, reduced inflammation and faster tissue repair; the same fragments run 50 to 1,500 kDa, a size that does not pass the stratum corneum the way small molecules do, so the medical evidence behind injectable PDRN (used in scar and wound treatment) does not automatically transfer to a leave-on serum.

The technology behind each Myeongdong bestseller decides which counter is worth the stop: shoppers chasing DNA-fragment regeneration read Anua's ingredient panel one way, shoppers chasing centella calming or fermented barrier repair read SKIN1004's or Ma:nyo's panel a different way, and shoppers who want plain hyaluronic-acid hydration are served just as well by Torriden, innisfree or Laneige.

Ma:nyo's Bifida Biome Complex Ampoule, 50ml, lists at 35,000 KRW on the brand's Korean site with a recurring 28,000 KRW sale price, built on bifida ferment lysate, lactobacillus and lactococcus ferments and niacinamide, rather than any DNA-fragment technology, positioning it as a fermentation-driven barrier ampoule. innisfree's Green Tea Seed Serum, now sold as the Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum, 80ml, runs $30 on the brand's US site and swapped its original camellia-sinensis-first formula for one built on five types of encapsulated hyaluronic acid, green tea water, panthenol and niacinamide.

Myeongdong's Olive Young flagship, the multi-brand K-beauty store Chicor, and the many other Korean cosmetics stores lining the district stock most of the names below, which is why the ingredient technology, not the store, decides the useful pick.

Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum

Anua's PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum, 30ml, lists at 39,000 KRW and sells at 22,500 KRW on Anua's Korean storefront, anua.kr (2026).

The full ingredient panel opens with water, glycerin and hyaluronic-acid derivatives before Sodium DNA, listed as PDRN, appears alongside adenosine, hydrolyzed collagen and niacinamide. Anua describes the format as a Triple Revitalizing Complex of PDRN, hyaluronic acid and collagen meant to help maintain the skin's natural moisture barrier, delivered through the brand's low-molecular Smart Capsule technology.

• PDRN (Sodium DNA), salmon-derived
• Eleven types of hyaluronic acid, including hydrolyzed and crosspolymer forms
• Hydrolyzed collagen and niacinamide

Anua's retail listing on Ulta qualifies the claim directly: improvement in skin absorption depth is observed, but as a cosmetic product, penetration is limited to the stratum corneum, which separates the topical serum from the injectable PDRN treatments clinics use for wound and scar repair. The same brand's Heartleaf 77 toner and Heartleaf 80 ampoule sit next to the PDRN serum on Olive Young's Myeongdong shelves, promoted alongside Anua's 2025 Hwahae Beauty Awards recognition for its PDRN cream line.

bttr Milk to Foam Cleanser 150g

bttr's Milk to Foam Cleanser, 150g, lists at 28,100 KRW on the bttr official store (2026).

The formula pairs three types of hyaluronic acid with six types of ceramide inside what bttr calls its "336" complex, delivered in a low-pH foam meant to remove sunscreen and makeup in one step, without a second cleanser afterward. The foam rinses without the tight, stripped feeling that follows some low-pH cleansers, lifts makeup and sunscreen on contact and leaves skin ready to absorb whatever active serum comes next in a Myeongdong routine, whether that is a PDRN capsule serum or a fermented ampoule.

• Three types of hyaluronic acid
• Six types of ceramide
• One-step sunscreen and makeup removal, per the product page

bttr's Milk to Foam Cleanser suits shoppers who want one cleansing step before layering a PDRN or fermented serum, because its documented one-step claim already covers sunscreen and makeup removal without a second, oil-based cleanse first.

SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule

SKIN1004's Madagascar Centella Ampoule comes in 30ml, 55ml and 100ml, priced from $9.50 to $17.60 depending on size, on the official product page (JSON-LD, 2026-09-08).

Its full formula lists seven ingredients: water, glycerin, butylene glycol, Centella Asiatica extract, 1,2-hexanediol, cellulose gum and ethylhexylglycerin, a minimal list built around a single active with no hyaluronic acid added.

• Centella Asiatica extract, first active ingredient
• Seven-ingredient total formula
• 30ml / 55ml / 100ml sizes

The ampoule spreads as a watery, slippery liquid that SKIN1004 describes as absorbing quickly without stickiness, positioning it as a calming layer for reactive or redness-prone skin, distinct from a hydration-plumping treatment. The official store lists a 4.8 rating for the ampoule (skin1004.com, 2026-09-14). Shoppers with visible redness or a stripped, reactive barrier reach for the Madagascar Centella Ampoule first, because its seven-ingredient formula keeps the routine simple while still centering on Centella Asiatica extract at the top of the list.

Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Serum

Laneige's Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Serum with Peptides uses a blue hyaluronic acid fermented with deep-sea algae and put through ten rounds of microfiltration, sized, by the brand's account, at one two-thousandth of the molecule used in Laneige's earlier Water Bank formula.

The serum adds peptides for firmness and contains no PDRN or DNA-fragment ingredient, setting it apart from Anua's serum as a hydration formula, not a regeneration one.

• Fermented Blue Hyaluronic Acid, ten-step microfiltration
• Peptides for firmness
• No PDRN or DNA-fragment ingredient

The Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Serum sits inside a wider collection that includes a matching cream and eye cream, based on the same blue hyaluronic acid claim across the line.

Torriden DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Torriden's DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum, 50ml, lists at 16,900 KRW as a single unit on Torriden's online store.

The formula layers five molecular weights of hyaluronic acid together with panthenol, aiming to hydrate at multiple skin depths without adding PDRN, ceramide or fermented actives.

• Five molecular weights of hyaluronic acid
• Panthenol
• 50ml standard size, refill and set formats available

Olive Young's Korean site lists the serum under a first-place moisture-serum ranking module, a retailer designation, not an independent award, and the same listing pairs it with multi-pad and refill bundles aimed at the same Myeongdong hydration shoppers who browse Anua's PDRN counter.

Sources: Applications of Marine Organism-Derived Polydeoxyribonucleotide: Its Potential in Biomedical Engineering, Polydeoxyribonucleotide in the Treatment of Tendon Disorders.