What is PDRN Stacking?
The Salmon DNA Australia method
Not layering. Teamwork.
PDRN Stacking: Salmon DNA in every step, working as one, for a barrier that holds. Clearer, smoother, glowing looking skin.
How to use a PDRN Stack, step by step ↓
The definition
PDRN Stacking is the Korean method of building your whole routine around salmon DNA (PDRN), an ingredient around 95% similar to human DNA, so your skin recognises it. Your cleanser, serum, moisturiser, sunscreen, masks, eye patches, peel and skin booster all carry PDRN and work together as one system to keep your skin barrier strong. A strong barrier locks moisture in and keeps everyday stressors out, so skin looks clearer, smoother, plumper and glowing. The term was coined in 2026 by Sam Thompson, founder of Salmon DNA Australia, the official Australian and New Zealand distributor of CureNex and Vitaran.
Layering vs PDRN Stacking
Layering
Piling unrelated products on top of each other. A serum from one brand, a cream from another, a sunscreen that has nothing to do with either. They can clash, cancel each other out or overload your skin.
PDRN Stacking
One ingredient your skin recognises, running through every step. Each product is designed to work with the next, so your routine works as one team for a stronger barrier.
Not mass market K beauty
Korean skincare is everywhere now, and most of what fills the shelves is made for volume. PDRN Stacking is built on something different: professional Korean ranges where purified salmon DNA is the hero of the formula, not a headline on the box. CureNex and Vitaran are formulated in Korea at higher concentrations, made for results you can see and feel, and brought into Australia and New Zealand by their official distributor.
What a strong skin barrier does for your skin
- Locks moisture in, so skin feels less tight and dry.
- Helps keep everyday stressors out: aircon, sun, wind and pollution.
- Smoother, softer texture you can feel.
- A plumper, bouncier look, with fine lines looking softer.
- Clearer, more even looking skin.
- That lit from within glow, because smooth, hydrated skin reflects light.
- Makeup sits better, so you need less of it.
The science, in plain English
Your barrier is built like bricks and mortar. Skin cells are the bricks. Lipids are the mortar, roughly half ceramides, a quarter cholesterol and most of the rest fatty acids, and that mortar is what locks moisture in. When it is strong, less water escapes through your skin, so skin stays hydrated, soft and smooth.
DNA is a water loving molecule. The purified salmon DNA used in skincare is listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database as a skin conditioning ingredient, one that helps maintain skin in good condition. It is also around 95% similar to human DNA, so it is an ingredient your skin recognises.
It is one of the most researched ingredients in Korean skincare. Polynucleotides, the salmon DNA family, are being studied for skin hydration and barrier function in laboratory and human studies.
Explore the published research: the skin barrier and its lipids (Journal of Lipid Research), polynucleotides in esthetic medicine, polynucleotides and skin barrier function and sodium DNA in the EU ingredient database.
How to use a PDRN Stack, step by step
The rule is thinnest to thickest. Water light products go on first, richer creams next, and sunscreen goes on last in the morning. Press PDRN serums into slightly damp skin rather than rubbing, and give each layer 20 to 30 seconds to settle before the next.
Morning
- Cleanse. Hydrating Cleanser, then pat skin almost dry, leaving it a little damp.
- Puri Eyes. Patches under clean eyes for 15 to 20 minutes while you get ready, then pat in what is left. Every day.
- Serum. A few drops of PDRN serum, or Vitaran Azulene Serum, pressed in.
- Cream. Your PDRN cream seals the serum in.
- Sunscreen. SPF50+ last, every morning, even on cloudy days.
Night
- Cleanse. Cleanse twice if you wore sunscreen or makeup.
- Mask nights. Two to three times a week, a sheet mask for 15 to 20 minutes, then pat in the essence. No need to rinse.
- Serum. PDRN serum, or Vitaran PDRN Exosome Night Serum.
- Cream. PDRN cream, or an exosome cream for a richer finish. This is your last step.
The weekly and monthly layer
- Sheet masks: two to three times a week, at night after cleansing.
- Snow Peel: every two to four weeks, at night. Follow straight away with a CureNex mask for 10 to 15 minutes, skip retinol and acids that night, and wear SPF50+ the next day.
- Skin Booster: once a week or once a month as an intensive session on clean skin, then a mask, cream, and sunscreen in the daytime. Not a daily step.
Adding retinol, vitamin C or acids
- Vitamin C: mornings. Cleanse, vitamin C, PDRN serum, cream, sunscreen.
- Retinol: nights, on dry skin. Retinol first, wait five minutes, then PDRN serum and cream. Sensitive skin can sandwich it: PDRN serum, retinol, PDRN serum, cream. New to both? Start your PDRN Stack two weeks before adding retinol.
- Exfoliating acids (AHA, BHA): on a different night to retinol and Snow Peel.
- Niacinamide and hyaluronic acid: no clashes. PDRN serum first, then the hyaluronic acid.
Give it four weeks
Skin usually feels more hydrated within days. Most people notice smoother, more even, glowing looking skin after three to six weeks of using the stack morning and night. Consistency matters more than adding more products.
The daily stack, morning and night
Four steps, every day. Sunscreen in the morning.
CureNex Hydrating Cleanser with PDRN1. Cleanse without stripping$69Add to cartDetails
CureNex Salmon DNA Daily Serum2. The everyday glow serum$49Add to cartDetails
CureNex Salmon DNA PDRN Face Cream3. Lock moisture in$69Add to cartDetails
CureNex Salmon DNA Sheer Sunscreen4. Protect, every morning$67.90Add to cartDetails
Want all four? The CureNex 4 Step Set is the daily stack in one box. $229, or 4 x $57.25 with Afterpay. Save $25.90 on buying them separately.
Add the 4 Step SetGo further: add exosomes
Want a richer finish? Swap step 3 for an exosome cream. Exosomes are tiny carriers that work alongside salmon DNA, an easy upgrade when you want your stack to do a little more.
CureNex Exo Brightening CreamSalmon DNA, exosomes and vitamin C$79Add to cartDetails
Vitaran Exosome PDRN Capsule CreamJelly capsules, a richer night finish$139Add to cartDetails
The top up and booster stack
Add these through the week. Skin Boosters are occasional, not daily. Puri Eyes are every day.
CureNex Salmon DNA Sheet Masks, 5 packFifteen minute top up, two to three times a week$55Add to cartDetails
Puri Eyes Salmon DNA Eye Patches, 80 packUnder eye patches, every day$89Add to cartDetails
CureNex Salmon DNA Snow PeelEvery two to four weeks for smoother, brighter looking skin$179Add to cartDetails
Curenex Intense Glow & Shine PDRN Skin Booster, box of 5Intensive session, once a week or once a month$199Add to cartDetails
Curenex Intense Glow & Shine Skin Booster AmpouleA single session, to try it first$79Add to cartDetails
Vitaran HP Cell Skin Booster54 actives plus salmon DNA, an occasional boost$95Add to cartDetails
The Vitaran stack, morning and night
Vitaran builds the stack around exosomes and salmon DNA in two steps. Morning: Azulene Serum, then Capsule Cream. Night: PDRN Exosome Night Serum, then Capsule Cream. Tiny capsules keep the actives fresh until the moment you smooth them on.
Vitaran Azulene Serum, morningStep 1 every morning$135Add to cartDetails
Vitaran PDRN Exosome Night SerumStep 1 every night$129Add to cartDetails
Vitaran Exosome PDRN Capsule CreamStep 2, morning and night$139Add to cartDetails
All three in one box. The Vitaran 3 Step Set: Azulene Serum, Night Serum and Capsule Cream. $339, save $64 on buying them separately.
Add the 3 Step SetWant the whole Vitaran routine? The Vitaran Full System Kit adds HP Cell, Snow Peel, sheet masks and Puri Eyes. $829 (worth $901), or 4 x $207.25 with Afterpay.
Add the Vitaran KitBundles: the ready made stacks
The full stack in one box.
CureNex Full System KitEvery CureNex step, Skin Booster, Snow Peel, masks and Puri Eyes$729 
Vitaran Full System KitHP Cell, 3 Step Radiance Series, Snow Peel, masks and Puri Eyes$829 
CureNex Salmon DNA 4 Step SetStarter stack: cleanser, serum, cream and SPF50+. 4 x $57.25 with Afterpay$229Add to cartDetails
Vitaran Exosome Salmon DNA 3 Step SetExosome stack: morning serum, night serum, capsule cream$339Add to cartDetails
Complete Vitaran CollectionFull stack: HP Cell plus the 3 Step series$578Add to cartDetails
CureNex Peptides Glow SetSnow Peel plus Skin Booster in one box$349Add to cartDetails
Overnight Peel and Capsule Cream KitOvernight stack: Snow Peel plus Vitaran Capsule Cream$299Add to cartDetails
Glow Salmon DNA Gift SetA gift boxed glow stack, peel to sunscreen$336Add to cartDetails
The Salmon DNA Method
Three ideas from Salmon DNA Australia that work together.
PDRN Stacking
The routine. Salmon DNA in every step, working as one.
The daily habit. Small deposits so skin holds up on the hard days.
The lead up. Six weeks of loading your routine before a big moment.
PDRN Stacking questions
Isn't this just layering?
No. Layering is any mix of products on top of each other. PDRN Stacking means every product shares one ingredient your skin recognises, salmon DNA, and is designed to work with the next step, so the whole routine works as one team.
What does PDRN stand for?
Polydeoxyribonucleotide, a purified form of salmon DNA and the hero ingredient of professional Korean skincare.
Do I need every product to start stacking?
No. Start with a cleanser, serum and cream that all carry salmon DNA, then add sunscreen, masks, eye patches and a peel as your stack grows. The CureNex 4 Step Set is the simplest way to start.
How do I introduce a stack?
Add one new product at a time and patch test each one first. Give a new routine at least four weeks to judge how your skin looks and feels.
Who created PDRN Stacking?
PDRN Stacking was coined by Sam Thompson, founder of Salmon DNA Australia on the Gold Coast, the official Australian and New Zealand distributor of CureNex and Vitaran Korean skincare.
How do I use PDRN Stacking?
Use salmon DNA in every step, thinnest to thickest. Morning: cleanse, Puri Eyes, PDRN serum, PDRN cream, then SPF50+. Night: cleanse, PDRN serum, PDRN cream. Add sheet masks two to three times a week, a Snow Peel every two to four weeks, and a Skin Booster once a week or once a month.
What order do I apply PDRN products?
Thinnest to thickest. Cleanser first, then PDRN serum on slightly damp skin, then PDRN cream, then sunscreen last in the morning. Eye patches and sheet masks go on clean skin before your serum.
How should I layer PDRN cream?
PDRN cream goes after your serum and before sunscreen. Press the serum into damp skin, give it 20 to 30 seconds, then smooth the cream over the top to seal it in. At night the cream is your last step.
Can I use PDRN every day?
Yes. Your PDRN cleanser, serum, cream, sunscreen and Puri Eyes eye patches are made for every day, morning and night. Sheet masks are two to three times a week, the Snow Peel every two to four weeks, and the Skin Booster once a week or once a month.
Can I use PDRN with retinol or vitamin C?
Yes. Use vitamin C in the morning before your PDRN serum. Use retinol at night on dry skin, wait five minutes, then apply your PDRN serum and cream. Keep exfoliating acids for a different night to retinol and your peel.
How long does PDRN Stacking take to work?
Give it four weeks. Skin usually feels more hydrated within days, and most people notice smoother, more even, glowing looking skin after three to six weeks of using the stack morning and night.
All products supplied by Salmon DNA Australia are cosmetics intended to improve the appearance and feel of skin. They are not therapeutic goods. If your skin is irritated or broken, speak with a health professional. Salmon DNA (PDRN) is not suitable for anyone with a fish allergy. Patch test before use. Results vary from person to person.