I've not bothered to book a facial in three months – a record for a beauty editor. There's been no need. I was introduced to Medik8's Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ serum back in December 2025 when an unmarked sample landed on my desk and the promise of a major 2026 skincare launch slid into my emails with the words ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ emblazoned across the subject line in capital letters.
Since then, I've been one of the first beauty journalists to put the PDRN serum through its paces, using it twice daily underneath my regular vitamin C serum by day and the brand's Liquid Peptides Advanced MP by night. In both scenarios, the glass-like glow has been off the scale. That alone is an unusual occurrence for me given the serum is free from exfoliating acids and I was initially testing it during the coldest months of the year when my face persistently suffers from dry patches and dullness. Now it's coaxing out my best summer skin.
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What is PDRN?
We've seen echoes of PDRN technology everywhere recently. The influx of K-Beauty brands – and Korean influencers showing off toddler-plump skin – first introduced us to this powerful ingredient, otherwise known as polydeoxyribonucleotide or salmon sperm, which is made up of DNA fragments typically derived from the sperm cells of salmon or trout.
PDRNs have a long history of use in medicine due to their wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties. More recently, PDRN gained cult status in the cosmetic treatments space with polynucleotides, an injectable treatment used to stimulate your own skin to produce cells responsible for elastin and collagen – the springs and stuffing of our skin – and to repair tissue. I tried polynucleotides last year and was impressed with how much firmer the skin on the lower part of my face felt and how the tops of my cheeks had less redness.
Now, PDRN has made its way into topical skincare.
What makes Medik8's Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ serum different?
Last week I was lucky enough to travel to Paris for the official global unveiling of the Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ serum, which is out now, and to learn about the credible science that underpins it.
The first thing to note is that PDRN is a big molecule – which is why it has typically been injected into the skin. The second is that it's negatively charged, so it can bounce off the skin's surface rather than squeezing into the layers underneath.
Medik8 has addressed both of these issues by making its star PDRN ingredient not just vegan but prismatic in shape. In other words, this isn't a standard-issue PDRN molecule and, if that sounds complicated, it's because it is. Chains of PDRN have essentially been folded together to create 3D prism-shaped structures so that the molecules can penetrate through the skin more easily. “Think of them as being a little like an arrowhead,” says Daniel Isaacs, a chemist and Medik8's co-founder.
This shape also makes the PDRN much smaller and “its angled corners have no charge on them, giving them an entry point into the skin and from there they can infuse down into the lower levels,” he adds. In fact, prismatic PDRN was shown to absorb twice as well as traditional versions of PDRN, with 60% deeper penetration.
Daniel also theorises that you need to give your skin cells instructions for how to use PDRN for the best results. For this reason, the Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ formula also features up to 151 billion exosomes – ingredients that “send signals from one cell to another, telling them what to do” – per bottle. Growth factor mini proteins play a part too, because they improve the appearance of the skin's structure over time and boost hyaluronic acid levels for more hydration.
In other words, there's a lot of chat going on in the skin when you slather this serum on, whether that's to help strengthen the skin barrier or to nudge our collagen production into a higher gear for improved firmness and softer looking wrinkles.
My verdict on Medik8's Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ serum
Taking all this into account, in my opinion, Medik8's Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ serum has taken the PDRN story line and the science up a notch, making it even more cutting edge for at-home results. Yes, this is reflected in the price, which at £79 is considerably more expensive than, say, Medicube's PDRN Pink Peptide Serum, which is TikTok's current darling.
Having used both, I'd say that both Medicube and Medik8 hydrated and calmed my skin, but it was the skin-brightening effects of the Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ serum after just one week of use that really sold it for me. After three months my skin texture also looked smoother.
But its real pull comes down to the finish, which isn't sticky and yet seems to draw other hardworking ingredients deeper into the skin while also imparting a silky afterglow. And I'd really encourage you to layer this serum with other actives – including vitamin C and peptides – to boost their results.
