2026 Skincare Trend: PDRN, Peptides & Azelaic Acid (Anua)

Anua Azelaic Acid Turnover Serum's 10% azelaic acid and bttr's [수분잠금] 하이드라 베리어 클렌징 336 밀크 투 폼 150g at ₩28,100 mark opposite ends of Korea's 2026 skincare shelf, where five actives, peptides, PDRN, azelaic acid, retinal, and spicules, now anchor most new launches. Which one a shopper reaches for first depends on the skin concern being treated: redness and post-acne marks call for azelaic acid, fine lines call for retinal or peptides, dehydration and dullness call for PDRN, and rough texture calls for spicules.

PDRN, short for polydeoxyribonucleotide and drawn from salmon or plant DNA fragments, moved from injectable use into everyday PDRN serums, ampoules, and creams because it supports hydration and skin recovery without the peeling of an acid or retinoid. Retinal, or retinaldehyde, is displacing plain retinol as the vitamin-A pick because it works at a lower concentration with less irritation. Peptides now rarely stand alone, pairing instead with PDRN, retinal, or barrier ingredients inside the same bottle. Spicules, needle-like microstructures often taken from marine sponges, appear mostly in spicule serums that open temporary micro-channels on the skin's surface to help other actives absorb, a mechanism sold as an at-home version of microneedling, though industry commentary notes the effect stays surface-level next to an in-office microneedling session. The same shelves pair these five actives with ectoin barrier serums, milky toners with a cushioned finish, ceramide barrier creams for overnight repair, and mineral-forward sunscreens meant to sit under makeup.

bttr [수분잠금] 하이드라 베리어 클렌징 336 밀크 투 폼 150g

The bttr [수분잠금] 하이드라 베리어 클렌징 336 밀크 투 폼 150g sells for ₩28,100 in the 150g size on the brand's own store, checked 2026-09-14. The formula's "336" name refers to the brand's stated combination of three hyaluronic acid forms, sodium hyaluronate, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, and sodium acetylated hyaluronate, alongside six ceramide types, NP, AP, AS, NG, NS, and EOP, plus cholesterol and stearic acid.

Formula

The cleanser starts as a milk texture and turns to foam on contact with water, letting it double as a foaming morning wash or a first-step night cleanser on dry skin without a second cleanser afterward. Its surfactant base runs on amino-acid and glucoside-based cleansers rather than sulfates, and the full 44-ingredient list includes fragrance along with salicylic acid and titanium dioxide, entries that Glowpick's own ingredient scale flags among three "medium risk or higher" markers, a labeling scheme rather than an irritation report.

In use

If the deciding axis is barrier prep before layering PDRN, peptide, azelaic acid, or retinal actives, [수분잠금] 하이드라 베리어 클렌징 336 밀크 투 폼 150g is the pick, since it carries none of those five ingredients itself and is built instead to leave the barrier intact for whatever goes on next. The brand's own storefront lists an aggregate rating of 4.6 out of 5 across 692 reviews, checked 2026-09-14.

• Foams on contact with water, cutting a two-step cleanse to one.
• Three hyaluronic acid forms and six ceramide types layer hydration into the wash itself.
• Amino-acid and glucoside-based surfactants replace sulfates in the base.
• Doubles as a milk cleanser at night and a foaming wash in the morning from the same bottle.

Anua Azelaic Acid Turnover Serum

Anua Azelaic Acid Turnover Serum ships in a 30ml bottle priced at $24.00 on Anua's own site, checked 2026-09-14, built around 10% azelaic acid as its lead active.

Formula

The 35-ingredient formula pairs azelaic acid with sodium hyaluronate, niacinamide, ceramide NP, and a centella asiatica complex, Centella Asiatica Extract, Leaf Extract, Root Extract, plus madecassoside and asiaticoside, and it is labeled vegan, cruelty-free, and safe for fungal-acne-prone skin.

Fit

If the deciding axis is redness, post-acne marks, or oily skin without a retinoid's peeling, Anua Azelaic Acid Turnover Serum is the pick, since 10% azelaic acid works on inflammation and tone while the ceramide and hyaluronic acid load keeps the barrier from drying out.

• 10% azelaic acid targets redness, blemishes, and uneven tone in one step.
• Niacinamide and ceramide NP support the barrier alongside the acid.
• Vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated to be safe for fungal-acne-prone skin.
• Lightweight, non-greasy finish suited to oily and combination skin.

• Official pricing appears only in US dollars on the brand's global site, so a won comparison needs a currency conversion first.

Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum : PDRN + Peptide

Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum : PDRN + Peptide comes in a 30ml bottle built around red bean-derived PDRN paired with a low-molecular-weight peptide, the combination the brand markets under its Red Bean PDRN line.

Formula

Its ingredient panel lists red bean extract, adenosine, niacinamide, centella asiatica extract, and coptis japonica root extract alongside the PDRN and peptide pairing, and the brand's own testing reports temporary reductions of 21.47% in pore count and 25.79% in pore area after four to five weeks of use.

Fit

If the deciding axis is enlarged pores and slack elasticity rather than surface redness or fine lines, Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum : PDRN + Peptide is the pick, since its two named actives work on pore size and firmness together instead of treating blemishes or wrinkles.

• Red bean-derived PDRN targets hydration and recovery at the pore level.
• A low-molecular-weight peptide supports elasticity alongside the PDRN.
• Niacinamide and centella asiatica round out the tone-evening and calming side of the formula.

• Beauty of Joseon sells more than one "Revive" and "Red Bean" serum under overlapping names, so matching the physical bottle to its ingredient panel is worth a second look.

medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Real-Deep Cure Cream

medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Real-Deep Cure Cream is a daily moisturizer built on Salmon PDRN and hyaluronic acid, sold through medicube's own US and Korean storefronts.

Formula

Its 58-ingredient list, per INCIDecoder's breakdown of the line, includes Sodium DNA, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 alongside several hyaluronic acid molecular weights, layering a peptide stack on top of the PDRN base.

Fit

If the deciding axis is a daily moisturizer that still carries PDRN and a multi-peptide blend rather than a treatment serum, medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Real-Deep Cure Cream is the pick, since the actives sit inside an everyday cream step instead of a leave-on ampoule.

• Five named peptides layer onto the Salmon PDRN base in one jar.
• Multiple hyaluronic acid molecular weights hydrate at different skin depths.
• Lightweight, non-sticky finish suited to daily use under makeup or sunscreen.

• medicube sells several similarly named PDRN Pink Peptide items, cream, eye cream, and ampoule, so matching the exact SKU to the exact ingredient panel takes a second look.

Selvien (셀비엔) PDRN Recovery Ampoule

Selvien (셀비엔) PDRN Recovery Ampoule sits inside CELLBN's PDRN layering line, sold as a 30ml serum-ampoule format through the brand's own site.

Format

CELLBN positions its PDRN line around skin recovery and hydration rather than exfoliation, the same framing that has carried PDRN out of injectable use and into ampoules, creams, and sheet masks across the wider Korean market.

Fit

If the deciding axis is a compact, ampoule-strength PDRN step to layer under a moisturizer rather than a full-face cream, Selvien (셀비엔) PDRN Recovery Ampoule is the pick, since its serum-ampoule format concentrates the ingredient into a targeted layer instead of spreading it across an all-over formula.

• Ampoule format concentrates PDRN for targeted layering under a moisturizer.
• Fits into a routine already built around a separate barrier cream or cleanser.

• The ampoule is a smaller-volume, single-step format next to the sheet-mask and cream formats other PDRN brands sell alongside it.

Sources: Anua's Azelaic Acid 10 Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum product page, Beauty of Joseon's Red Bean PDRN + Peptide serum page, medicube's PDRN Pink Peptide Cream page, and CELLBN's official site, all checked 2026-09-14.