Anua was launched in 2019 in South Korea by the incubator The Founders, and it started with heartleaf. The Heartleaf 77 Soothing Toner and a pore-control cleansing oil were the early hits. From that heartleaf core the catalog branched into rice, PDRN, hyaluronic acid and ceramide ranges. One other source gives 2020 as the founding year, so I would call 2019 the brand's likely start and not the final word.

PDRN is short for polydeoxyribonucleotide. Marie Claire quotes a dermatologist describing it as fragments of DNA derived from salmon. NBC News says it helps repair the skin barrier, reduce inflammation and improve elasticity. The original version is Rejuran, an injectable facial popular in South Korea, though Marie Claire notes it is not FDA-approved for injection in the US yet. Serums like these are cosmetics, so they are a different thing.

If you are looking for anua pdrn, the one people mean is the PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum. Space NK calls it Korea's number one selling PDRN serum, and says the 100 does not mean a percentage. It refers to the brand's smart capsule 100 delivery technology.

The first grid is Anua, from the serum to the heartleaf toner. The second grid is other PDRN, peptide and glass-skin serums. My tip: add one new serum at a time, so you know which one is working.

Start with the PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum, a lightweight, hydrating serum that encapsulates PDRN, hyaluronic acid and collagen. It is the one I would hand to someone with dry or dehydrated skin who dislikes tacky layers. The PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturizing Cream is a fast-absorbing moisturizer with low-molecular PDRN, the logical seal over the serum.

Around those are the rest of the line. The PDRN 100 Hyaluronic Acid Booster Toner is non-sticky and made for dry or sensitive skin, though it has only three reviews. The Hydrating Capsule Mist holds emerald-toned oil capsules for a healthy-looking glow, and I like the idea of using it over makeup. The Moisturizing Cleansing Foam has fine micro-bubbles that lift sebum while leaving skin smooth and soothed. The PDRN Caffeine Rejuvenating Eye Cream is a massage cream with a cooling applicator for puffiness and fine lines.

Then there is the heartleaf side. Heartleaf 77 Soothing Toner is where the brand began, and it suits skin that gets red or reactive. Niacinamide 10 TXA 4 Serum is a watery, non-sticky formula with 10% niacinamide and 4% tranexamic acid, and it is the top-reviewed Anua serum here, built for dark spots and radiance.

What I would skip: layering the PDRN serum, the brightening serum and a strong acid in the same routine. Anua has so many steps it is easy to overdo.

Plenty of brands have a PDRN serum now. innisfree's Retinol Green Tea PDRN pairs it with 1% triple retinol complex and green tea PDRN at 56%, so it is the anti-aging one. Rejuran Turnover Ampoule has c-PDRN at 0.5% and aims at smooth texture and glass skin, which is notable given the brand's injectable background. IOPE XMD Stem III Clinical Recovery is a serum with PDRN H.A. complex and micro-molecular hyaluronic acid. Medik8 Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ is a vegan PDRN serum with a triple exosome complex.

point of view. Snatch It combines PDRN, peptides and ceramides in a stretchy ampoule meant to firm and smooth. It is the one for people who like a bouncy feel.

Then the serums that are not PDRN. Glow Recipe Prickly Pear Peptide Vegan Mucin Serum has 81% prickly pear and 3% peptide for redness and fine lines, and Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops is a lightweight gel for under makeup glow. Tatcha The Dewy Serum is the classic glass-skin pick, with lactic acid from Hadasei-3, hyaluronic acid and squalane, so it smooths texture and plumps.

One honest note. NBC News quotes a cosmetic chemist saying most topical PDRN products have about 0.5 to 1.5% of it, so it is a gentle ingredient and not a replacement for the injectable.

What I would skip: the retinol serum if you are sensitive, and the lactic acid serum right after a peel.

I think PDRN is best understood as a hydrating, skin-calming add-on, not a miracle. The Anua capsule serum is the easy place to start, since it feels light and comes from a brand that already makes a toner many of us know. Then compare it with one other serum from the second grid if you want something firmer or glassier. Give any new step two weeks before you decide, and keep the rest of your routine simple while you do. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together MAC Blush Beyond the Film Noir Shade Everyone Asks About and Bakuchiol Serum, the Gentle Retinol Alternative Everyone Keeps Asking About.