PDRN Cream and Serum in India Compared (2026): Concentration, Source and Price

There is no single best PDRN cream or serum in India; compare the PDRN amount each listing states, the format and the price per ml. That is harder than it sounds. Of the seven PDRN products we checked, most recently on 12 October 2026, one stated a PDRN amount in ppm, one gave a single percentage for copper peptide and PDRN named together, and five stated no amount at all. Prices worked out to about ₹7 to ₹66 per ml.

Below is what each listing says about format, PDRN concentration, pack size and price, so you can compare like with like, followed by what each says about where its PDRN comes from. Our own PDRN Repair Cream, which prints 1,200 ppm on its label, is in the table too, marked as ours and held to the same columns. We have not picked a winner. If you are new to the ingredient, start with What is PDRN?

PDRN cream and serum prices in India, side by side

Each product name links to the listing we checked. "Not disclosed" means we could not find a PDRN amount on that listing; a brand may publish one elsewhere, such as on the pack. "Price shown" is what the product page displayed on 12 October 2026.

Salmon or plant PDRN: what each listing says

Whether a PDRN product is vegetarian depends on where its PDRN comes from, and the ingredient list will not tell you: The Face Shop's serum, which its listing calls salmon-derived, and Dot & Key's "Plant PDRN" moisturiser both list it as Sodium DNA. Here is what each listing linked in the table said on 12 October 2026. We have not verified these statements with the brands.

• Salmon: The Face Shop's listing calls its PDRN "salmon-derived", and Anua's Myntra listing says "PDRN (Salmon DNA)".
• Plant or animal-free: Dot & Key's product name says "Plant PDRN". Foxtale's listing describes "Vegan PDRN" and calls PDRN "a new alternative from plants". VT's listing says the cream works "without animal-derived ingredients".
• Not stated: Minimalist's and Dr. Sheth's product pages do not say where their PDRN comes from. Dr. Sheth's page carries a general "Vegan" line about the brand.
• Ours: the PDRN in our cream comes from salmon DNA, and the cream also contains hydrolysed collagen, which is animal-derived. It is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

If the source matters to you, ask the brand before you buy. Why the label cannot tell you, and which other skincare ingredients come from animals, is in Is PDRN vegetarian?

How to choose the best PDRN cream or serum

Why a stated concentration matters

PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide) is a mixture of DNA fragments. On an ingredient list it appears as Sodium DNA. When brands state an amount, it is often in ppm (parts per million) or as a percentage. 10,000 ppm is 1%, so 1,200 ppm is 0.12% and 100,000 ppm is 10%.

A stated figure does two jobs. It puts products on the same scale, and it gives you something to hold the brand to. Without one, two products that both say "with PDRN" could contain very different amounts, and nothing on the listing would tell you.

A figure does not tell you that more is better. We have not found an agreed standard for how much PDRN a cream or serum should contain. Even the clinical research is not standardised: a 2026 systematic review of PDRN and polynucleotide trials noted that "the absence of standardized PN and PDRN preparations represents a major challenge for evidence synthesis". If a number matters to your decision, ask the brand what it measures: the pure ingredient, or a raw material that contains it.

"Contains PDRN" can mean a trace amount

Under India's Cosmetics Rules, 2020 (rule 34(7)), ingredients above 1% must be listed in descending order of weight or volume, and those at 1% or less may follow in any order. The list does not mark where the 1% line falls, so the position of Sodium DNA cannot tell you whether a product holds close to 1% or only a trace. The same rule lets packs of 60 ml or less of liquid, or 30 g or less of a solid or semi-solid, leave the ingredient list off, so check the brand's website if your pack does not carry one.

Two more things to watch for:

• Purity is not concentration. A line such as "97% pure PDRN" describes the ingredient before it goes into the formula, not how much of it is in your bottle.
• A number in a name needs a label. A number in a product's name is a PDRN amount only if the brand says what it measures. A single percentage for two ingredients named together does not tell you how much of each is inside.

To look up the other names on a label, use our ingredient dictionary.

Cream or serum for Indian weather

In the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) guide to picking a moisturiser, a dermatologist suggests a gel for oily skin, because it is lighter than other types, and a cream for dry skin, because it preserves more water than a lotion. In a humid summer or during the monsoon, that points oily skin towards a serum or a gel-cream. For combination skin, the same guide suggests moisturising the dry areas and skipping the oily ones. In a dry winter, a richer cream may feel better.

A serum is a step, not a full routine. Serum listings such as The Face Shop's tell you to follow with a cream, so the real cost of a serum routine includes the moisturiser you put on top. A cream can be your last step at night on its own.

Price per ml, once you know the size

Divide the price by the millilitres. In the table (prices shown on 12 October 2026), a 10 ml serum at ₹664 works out to about ₹66 per ml, while a 30 ml serum at ₹699 works out to about ₹23. Pack sizes here run from 10 ml to 60 ml, so the sticker price alone can mislead in either direction.

Price per ml tells you what the bottle costs, not what the PDRN costs. Where a brand states its PDRN amount, you can weigh both. Where it does not, you are paying for the whole formula and cannot separate the PDRN from the rest. Our own figure: ₹1,149 for 20 ml (12 October 2026), about ₹57 per ml.

How we checked

Prices and claims as listed on the date checked, October 2026. We read every product page on 2 October 2026 and again on 12 October 2026: on the brand's Indian website where there was one, and on Myntra for Anua. "Price shown" is the price the product page displayed on 12 October, including any discount the page applied automatically. MRP is in brackets where the page showed one, and multi-buy offers are left out. Per-ml figures are rounded to the nearest rupee.

We could not open Nykaa, Tira or Amazon.in product pages for checking on 2 October, so products we could only find there are not included, and this is not a complete list of PDRN products sold in India. We did not test any product; this compares published facts only. Prices change often. If anything here is wrong or out of date, write to korecare.in@gmail.com and we will correct it.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best PDRN cream in India?

There is no single best, and we have not named one. Ask three questions of any product: does the listing state how much PDRN is inside, does the format suit your skin and the season, and what does it cost per ml? The table answers all three for the products we checked.

How much PDRN should a cream or serum contain?

We have not found an agreed figure. What you can do is compare stated amounts on one scale, remembering that 10,000 ppm is 1%. A product that states no amount cannot be placed on that scale.

Is a PDRN cream the same as a PDRN skin booster injection?

No. An injection is a medical procedure done in a clinic. In the 2026 systematic review mentioned above, every skin-rejuvenation trial delivered PDRN or polynucleotides by injection or together with microneedling. A cream is a cosmetic you apply to the surface of your skin. Do not expect it to do what an injection does.

How do I find PDRN on an ingredient list?

Look for Sodium DNA. On every full ingredient list we could read for this comparison, including ours, that is the name PDRN appears under.

Is there a vegan PDRN cream or serum in India?

Some listings say so. On 12 October 2026, Dot & Key and Foxtale described their PDRN as plant or vegan, and VT said its cream works without animal-derived ingredients; we have not verified those statements. Ours is not vegan: its PDRN comes from salmon DNA.

Is a PDRN serum or cream better for oily skin in humid weather?

A lighter texture is usually the easier choice. The AAD guide suggests a gel for oily skin, and a serum or gel-cream fits that in humid months. If your skin is dry, or in winter, a cream holds more water.

About our PDRN Repair Cream

The KoreCare PDRN Repair Cream is a gel-type night cream made in South Korea, with PDRN (Sodium DNA) at 1,200 ppm printed on the label, alongside niacinamide for a more even-looking tone and panthenol. It absorbs without tack and can be used in the morning too. It contains fragrance, so patch test first. Its PDRN comes from salmon DNA, so it is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. If you are allergic to fish, check with your doctor before using it: a 2026 dermatology review advises caution with salmon-derived PDRN for people sensitive to fish. It costs ₹1,149 for 20 ml (price checked 12 October 2026), with Cash on Delivery on all orders and free shipping across India. It is also part of The Duo with our Collagen Night Wrapping Mask, at ₹999 for both (the 20 ml cream and the 75 ml mask; price checked 12 October 2026), with the discount applied automatically in the cart. How that mask works is covered in Do collagen masks actually work?