The medicube PDRN Stick and the Salmon DNA Behind It

PDRN sounds new, but it has a medical history. The name stands for polydeoxyribonucleotide, a mix of DNA fragments purified from trout or chum salmon, which is why you see it sold as salmon DNA. A review in PubMed Central notes that Italy's drug agency approved a PDRN medicine in 1994 for wound and skin ulcer repair. Skincare picked it up much later, and there are now vegan versions made from microalgae.

medicube is a Korean brand owned by APR, which Kim Byung-hoon cofounded in Seoul in 2014 while he was a Yonsei University student, according to Forbes. APR launched its medicube PDRN products in June 2024, and Chosun Biz reports they passed 50 million units sold by February 2026.

The medicube PDRN stick everyone is searching for is officially the PDRN Pink Collagen Volume Multi Balm. It is a 10 gram twist-up stick with PDRN, 5% Volufiline, low-molecular collagen, peptides, retinol and caffeine. The brand says a swipe helps skin look plumper and smoother on the under-eyes, smile lines, forehead and neck. It is still a balm, and as a review in Crave put it, a topical stick cannot do what an aesthetic treatment does.

The first grid is the stick with the rest of the PDRN Pink line. The second is eight other skincare sticks.

My tip: use it over moisturizer, not instead of it, on the spots that look dry by late afternoon.

The whole line is pink, and the whole line is built around PDRN. What changes is the texture and where it sits in your routine.

Start with the Multi Balm, the stick itself. I keep it in a bag for the dry patches around my nose and the lines by my eyes that show up on a long day. It absorbs quickly, as the brand says, and it does not smear makeup if you press rather than drag.

For the routine at home, the Peptide Toner comes first, a glow booster with PDRN and 10 peptides. The Niacinamide Milky Toner is the gentler, milkier option that medicube pitches for acne-prone skin. The Toning Gel Toner Pads are jelly pads you swipe on, handy on mornings you do not want to pour anything. Then the Peptide Serum, which the brand says helps with uneven tone and elasticity, and the Peptide Eye Serum for under-eyes.

Two creams finish it. The Peptide Cream is a lightweight daily moisturizer with PDRN and hyaluronic acid. The Collagen Capsule Cream has little encapsulated beads you pop and blend, which is more fun than it needs to be.

What I would skip: stacking the toner, the pads, the serum and both creams in one go. Pick one toner, one serum and one cream, and let the stick handle touch-ups.

Skincare in stick form has become its own shelf, and this grid is the best of it. They all twist up, and they all fit in a pocket.

Tatcha The Serum Stick is the closest in spirit to the PDRN stick above, a concentrated treatment and touch-up stick for dryness and signs of aging. Peace Out Retinol Eye Treatment Jelly Stick uses encapsulated retinol and is made for the eye area. Milk Makeup has two serum sticks here: the Watermelon Jelly one with peptides for brightening, and the Cooling Water Jelly Ice one with niacinamide, which feels cold on the skin and is lovely on puffy mornings.

For dry skin, Hanni The Fatty is a fatty acid stick that supports the skin barrier, and Kate McLeod The Everywhere Stick uses four plant butters for chapped spots anywhere on the body. Mango People Juicy Glow is a clear balm that hydrates and preps skin before makeup.

The Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Dew Balm earns its place most days, because it is SPF 45 in a stick. Reapplying sunscreen over makeup is much easier this way.

What I would skip: a second retinol stick if you already use retinol at night. The skin around your eyes does not need two.

I think the medicube PDRN stick is a good product with a very loud internet around it. PDRN has a real medical background, and the stick is pleasant to use, but it is a moisturizing balm with active ingredients, not a treatment. Use it for what it does well: a quick swipe of comfort and glow on the spots that dry out first. Keep one in your bag and one on your desk, and let the rest of your routine do the heavy lifting. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Anua PDRN, the Salmon DNA Serum Everyone Asks About and Why Everyone Is Talking About the medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum.