Is PDRN Vegetarian? Salmon DNA, Vegan PDRN and Animal-Derived Skincare Ingredients, Listed

PDRN is usually not vegetarian or vegan: most of it is purified from the sperm DNA (milt) of salmon or trout. Versions made from plants or microbes now exist, and some are sold as "vegan PDRN". But they can carry the same name on an ingredient list, Sodium DNA, so the label alone cannot tell you which kind a product contains. If it matters to you, ask the brand.

Here is our own answer, so you do not have to ask. The PDRN in our PDRN Repair Cream comes from salmon DNA, and the cream also contains hydrolysed collagen, so it is not vegetarian or vegan. Below: where PDRN comes from, why "Sodium DNA" hides the source, what vegan PDRN is, and a sourced list of animal-derived skincare ingredients with the names they go by on a label. If you are new to the ingredient, start with What is PDRN?

Is PDRN vegetarian? Where it comes from

PDRN, short for polydeoxyribonucleotide, is a purified mix of DNA fragments. A 2017 review in Frontiers in Pharmacology describes it as derived from the sperm DNA of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) or chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), purified so that no active proteins or peptides remain. A 2021 review in Marine Drugs says it is "mainly extracted from the sperm cells of salmon trout or chum salmon". Suppliers describe the same thing: HTL Biotechnology says its Sodium DNA, a raw material for cosmetics, is "produced from wild salmon milt, sustainably extracted as a salmon by-product".

The other animal sources are no more vegetarian. A 2026 review in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery (JCAS) names Chinese sturgeon as another fish source, and notes that PDRN has also been made from human placenta. PN (polynucleotides), PDRN's larger relative, comes from the same fish: the review says PN is taken from salmon gonads more broadly, and PDRN from sperm cells. It also notes: "Ethical concerns of using fish as a source of the PNs cannot be ignored."

Why "Sodium DNA" on a label does not tell you the source

On an ingredient list, PDRN usually appears as Sodium DNA. Ingredient lists use INCI names, the standard names for cosmetic ingredients, and DNA ingredients are named by their chemical form: Sodium DNA, Hydrolyzed DNA or Hydrolyzed Sodium DNA. None of these names says where the DNA came from. COSMILE Europe, an ingredient database from Cosmetics Europe, the European cosmetics trade association, lists the possible origins of Sodium DNA as animal, synthetic or plant.

Products and raw materials on sale show the problem:

• From salmon: our cream lists Sodium DNA, and its PDRN comes from salmon.
• From soybeans: the ingredient supplier Grand Ingredients sells a Jeju Blue Soybean PDRN, which it calls "a vegan alternative to animal-derived PDRN". Its listed INCI: Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycine Max (Soybean) Extract, Sodium DNA.
• From microbes: The Ordinary calls the Lacto-PDRN in its Lacto-PDRN 4% + B9 Eye Cream "a microbial-derived vegan alternative to salmon-PDRN", and its ingredient list includes "Lactobacillus Ferment, Sodium DNA" (checked 12 October 2026).
• From engineered microbes: a promoted article on Cosmetics Business (September 2026), about the supplier Uniproma's recombinant PDRN, made by microbial fermentation, states: "Both salmon-derived and recombinant PDRN can be identified as Sodium DNA."
• Sold in India: Dot & Key's Dragon Fruit Bounce Jelly Moisturizer With Plant PDRN lists "Rosa Damascena Flower Extract (and) Sodium DNA" among its ingredients (checked 12 October 2026).

So the same name can sit on DNA from salmon, soybeans or microbes. A plant extract listed next to Sodium DNA is a clue, not proof. Only the brand, through its supplier, can tell you for certain. Our comparison of PDRN products sold in India sets out what each listing says about where its PDRN comes from, salmon or plant, next to concentration and price per ml. Those are the brands' own statements, so if the source matters to you, confirm it with the brand.

Vegan PDRN vs salmon PDRN: what it is and what the evidence shows

Animal-free PDRN is made from plants (sometimes called phyto PDRN) or from microbes. Sources described in research include:

• Ginseng: roots of Korean ginseng grown in culture (Lee et al., Molecules, 2023).
• Red algae: Porphyra seaweed, according to the JCAS review.
• Bacteria: Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Chae et al., Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 2025).
• Other plants: the Marine Drugs review notes that "several companies are trying to extract PDRN from plants such as roses, aloe, and broccoli."

The evidence for these is early. The ginseng study tested its PDRN on skin cells and a lab-grown skin model, with no human volunteers; the bacterial study was done in cells and test tubes only. Both teams included company researchers. The JCAS review says plant-sourced PDRN has "been found to have similar pharmacologic effects", but it also lists, among PDRN's limitations, that alternate sources such as plants "lack evidence-based studies".

They are also not identical materials. In the bacterial study, the DNA fragments were under 100 base pairs long, against 200 to 800 for salmon PDRN, so results for one kind do not automatically carry over to another. And the human evidence for PDRN so far comes mostly from injections, skin procedures and wound care: none of the seven randomised trials in a 2026 systematic review tested a cream on intact skin. We explain what that means for creams in What is PDRN? If you avoid animal products, plant or microbial PDRN is the only kind that fits. Just do not read it as a proven upgrade, or a proven downgrade.

Fish allergy and salmon-derived PDRN

PDRN is purified to remove active proteins and peptides that could trigger immune reactions, according to the Frontiers review. Even so, the JCAS review advises that people with hypersensitivity to fish or fish products "should be cautious" with PN and PDRN, while noting that "not all patients with fish allergy develop reactions". It recommends a patch test for anyone with a history of fish hypersensitivity. If you are allergic to fish, talk to your doctor before using any salmon-derived PDRN product, ours included.

Vegetarian or vegan skincare: where the line falls

This question matters to a lot of shoppers in India. In a Pew Research Center survey of nearly 30,000 Indian adults, published in 2021, 39% described themselves as vegetarian. Pew noted that there are many ways to define "vegetarian" in India, and left the definition to each respondent.

For products, a clear reference point is the Vegetarian Society's certification criteria. A product with its vegetarian mark contains nothing made from any part of the body of a living or dead animal, including fish and insects, and no animal carcass fats or by-products of slaughter; royal jelly and shellac are excluded too. Its vegan mark also rules out dairy, eggs, honey, beeswax and lanolin.

By those criteria, fish-derived PDRN, collagen from animal tissue, carmine (made from an insect), guanine (from fish scales), tallow and royal jelly are not vegetarian. Milk, free-range eggs, honey, beeswax and lanolin can be vegetarian, but are not vegan. Your own line may sit somewhere else; the tables below give you what you need to apply it.

Animal-derived skincare ingredients, listed

The tables below cover animal-derived ingredients you may find in skincare. "Names on the label" are INCI names, so you can match them against an ingredient list. Ingredients in our own range are explained in our ingredient dictionary.

Ingredients that come from animals

Ingredients that may or may not come from animals

For these, the name on the label is the same whatever the source, so the only way to know is to ask the brand.

Names that sound animal-derived, but are not listed as such

A few ingredient names sound animal-derived. COSMILE lists no animal origin for these:

• Urea: synthetic.
• Allantoin: synthetic or plant. It does occur in the urine of mammals, but also in many plants.
• Lactic Acid: plant, biotechnology or synthetic.
• Lactobacillus Ferment: made using lactic acid bacteria; origin listed as biotechnology.

How to check a product before you buy

1. Read the full ingredient list, not the front of the pack. Match it against the tables above. In India, the Cosmetics Rules, 2020 (rule 34(7)) let packs of 60 ml or less of liquid, or 30 g or less of solids and semi-solids, leave the ingredient list off, so for small packs check the brand's website.
2. Look for a certification mark, not just a word. The Vegan Society's Vegan Trademark standard says the making of a product and its ingredients "must not involve or have involved, the use of any animal product, by-product or derivative", and rules out animal testing. The Vegetarian Society certifies to the criteria above. A cruelty-free logo is a different promise: Leaping Bunny, for example, certifies claims about animal testing, and says its list "does not provide information about the composition of ingredients".
3. Ask about anything ambiguous. Write to the brand: what is the source of the Sodium DNA (or collagen, squalane or hyaluronic acid) in this product, and has the supplier confirmed it? Ask before you order: our own refund policy, for example, does not cover change-of-mind returns, for hygiene reasons.
4. If you have a fish allergy, ask specifically about fish-derived ingredients, and talk to your doctor before using salmon-derived PDRN.

Which KoreCare products contain animal-derived ingredients

• PDRN Repair Cream: PDRN from salmon DNA, listed as Sodium DNA at 1,200 ppm, plus hydrolysed collagen. Not vegetarian or vegan.
• Collagen Night Wrapping Mask: its main active is a collagen extract. Collagen has traditionally come from animals (see the table above), so we do not describe the mask as vegetarian; if its source matters to you, ask us before you order. What collagen in a mask can and cannot do is covered in Do collagen masks actually work?
• S-Zinc Zero-Fit Ultra Thin Blemish Spot Patch: contains propolis extract, a bee product. Not vegan.

For any other product, or if the exact source of an ingredient matters to you, write to us at korecare.in@gmail.com before you order.

Frequently asked questions

Is PDRN vegetarian or vegan?

Not when it comes from fish, which is where most PDRN comes from. Plant-based versions are sold as vegan PDRN, and microbial ones exist too, but they can share the label name Sodium DNA, so ask the brand which kind it uses.

Is PDRN made from salmon sperm?

Usually, yes: it is DNA purified from the sperm (milt) of salmon or trout. Other reported sources include sturgeon, human placenta, plants, algae and bacteria.

Is Sodium DNA vegetarian or vegan?

It depends on the source, and the name does not reveal it. COSMILE Europe lists its possible origins as animal, synthetic or plant, and salmon, soybean and microbial PDRN have all been sold under it.

Is plant PDRN as effective as salmon PDRN?

We found no study that compares them in people. The plant and bacterial PDRN studies we found were done on cells and lab-grown skin models, and the JCAS review lists the lack of evidence-based studies for alternate sources such as plants among PDRN's limitations.

Is hyaluronic acid vegan?

It can be. It was long extracted from rooster combs, and bacterial fermentation is now increasingly used instead. The label name is the same either way, so ask the brand.

Is the KoreCare PDRN Repair Cream vegetarian?

No. Its PDRN comes from salmon DNA and it contains hydrolysed collagen, so it is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. If you are allergic to fish, check with your doctor before using it.

About our PDRN Repair Cream

The KoreCare PDRN Repair Cream is a gel-type night cream made in South Korea, with PDRN (Sodium DNA, from salmon) at 1,200 ppm printed on the label, alongside niacinamide and panthenol. It contains fragrance, so patch test first. It costs ₹1,149 for 20 ml, or ₹999 together with the 75 ml Collagen Night Wrapping Mask in The Duo, with the discount applied automatically in the cart (prices as of 12 October 2026). The cream is not vegetarian, and we do not describe the mask as vegetarian either. Cash on Delivery is available on every order, with free shipping across India.