Lifestyle

TikTok is going wild for this salmon sperm serum that gives you 'glass' skin

Miley Cyrus shares confusion over salmon sperm facial
Cover Media / VideoElephant

There’s no shortage of whacky skincare trends floating around the internet right now.

Just weeks ago, skincare experts were warning people against taking part in the 'caveman skin' trend (basically just not washing your face...), and byproducts like snail mucin are appearing more and more in the products we buy, promising big benefits.

However, there’s one unusual ingredient that’s making waves in the community right now and it’s very much expert-approved: Salmon sperm.

Ok, so it's not actually straight from the source, but rather DNA fragments from the fish. If you’re familiar with the aesthetics industry, you may already be aware that it was undoubtedly the biggest buzzword of 2024, when polynucleotides skyrocketed in popularity as an injectable option for those looking to increase skin cell turnover, improve fine lines, scarring and add a shot of hydration to their skin.

TikTok is going wild for this salmon sperm serum that gives you 'glass' skin TikTok/iStock

While it may be enough to make any regular person woozy, the idea of using salmon sperm as a regenerative material has actually been around since 1968, when it was used in medicine for tissue repair and wound healing.

And we need to get used to seeing it around because it's started popping up in skincare products too, and there's one going viral right now.

Anua, a much-loved K-beauty brand, has launched its PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum, and if you weren't convinced by putting salmon sperm on your face before, maybe the barage of five-star reviews can persuade you.

In 2025, who could've predicted this is where we'd be?

@nicola.boyle

okkkkk this pdrn 100 serum is juicy @anua_global #kbeauty #koreanskincare #anua #pdrn #hyaluronicacid #serum #glassskin #glowyskin #skintok #salmon



@saffronbarker

In my Korean skincare era ✨@anua_global has just launched in Boots ad 🫣 PDRN #anua #anuapdrnserum #pdrn #Koreanskincare #glassskin #Koreanskincare101 #salmondna #antiaging

@bambidoesbeauty

ad Nearly on my 2nd bottle, because you cannot argue with that glow! I saw PDRN (aka salmon sperm!!) ingredient being hyped by the K beauty gals and let me tell you if you want hydration that actually lasts/glass skin - it is worth all the hype!! @anua_global PDRN hyaluronic acid capsule 100 serum has just launched into @Boots UK 👏🏼 #skintok #koreanskincare #kbeauty

According to Boots, the $28 serum "encapsulates PDRN, Hyaluronic acid and Collagen" and "effectively hydrates the skin".

"I love that serum! the skin is glowing after using it", a user wrote.

"I have been using this serum for a good 2 weeks+ and my skin overall feels more hydrated/plump and I have noticed my redness has also reduced", someone else chimed in with a review.

"Talk about a glow", a third said.

However, others are still a bit weirded out by the concept.

"How do they go about sourcing this?", one person pointed out under a viral video showcasing its effects.

"What I really wanna know is how someone found out this does all this", another person joked.

"I'm not this desperate for good skin", someone else penned.

Jury's out on this one.

Why not read...

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