When more than a dozen of you message me about the same thing in ONE week, I know it’s time to drop everything and write about it 🙌🏼
This week, it’s PDRN, which is blowing up all over social media and you all want to know whether it’s the new retinol…
What actually is PDRN?
So firstly, let me break down what the heck PDRN actually is. Because although it feels like the internet’s latest obsession, the ingredient itself isn’t new. PDRN has been studied in medicine for its healing and regenerative properties since the 90s, but gained attention in skincare when it became popular as an injectable treatment in South Korea.
You may have heard this called the famous ‘salmon sperm facial’ (🤢😂) because PDRN is genuinely derived from salmon or trout reproductive cells. And I think it’s fair to say that a name that shocking has helped create a LOT of hype.
Does PDRN work as well as Retinol?
Naturally, skincare brands have run with it and PDRN is now appearing in creams and serums, promising to regenerate the skin, plump lines and wrinkles and generally turn back the hands of time… Much like retinol.
However, this is where I hit my first stumbling block. Although PDRN has interesting research behind its medical uses, evidence for getting those same impressive results by simply applying it topically is still extremely limited.
Retinoids, on the other hand, are some of the most studied ingredients in skincare, with decades of research showing their ability to increase collagen, accelerate skin renewal and visibly improve lines, wrinkles, pigmentation and texture.
PDRN or Retinol: Which would I choose?
So when it comes to choosing between the latest skincare obsession and something proven time and time again, retinol wins hands down for me.
The other tricky thing is that traditional PDRN comes from fish, so it isn’t vegan. And while that might not be a priority for everyone, there are also questions around how to regulate and ethically source it. So currently, it doesn’t align with how I want to formulate at BASE.
Retinol, on the other hand, can be made in a lab. So you get all those brilliant benefits, backed by decades of research, without any animals involved.
Why is Retinol in The 5 Minute Kit?
And ultimately, that’s why I use it in The 5 Minute Kit. I want you to have the BEST ingredients that are scientifically proven to work and are as kind to the world as they are to your skin.
So, if you’ve been bombarded with salmon sperm skincare and wondering whether your skin is missing out, I can quietly reassure you that I always have my eyes on the research. And right now, the hype is running much faster than the evidence 😉
