From salmon DNA to a bottle of skincare: The technology behind REJURAN Cosmetics

impact behind the brand

From salmon DNA to a bottle of skincare: The technology behind REJURAN Cosmetics

2026.10.14

17min

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REJURAN Cosmetics grew from PharmaResearch’s research into salmon-derived DNA, applying its patented DOT™ technology and c-PDRN to skincare developed from medical expertise. Since entering OLIVE YOUNG in 2022, the brand has expanded its customer base, used customer insights to develop aftercare products such as REJUDEX, and reached a broader global audience.

A woman reads a REJURAN skincare brochure beside several products at a sunlit table. — Behind every K-beauty and K-wellness brand is a story of where it began, what it stands for, and the people who believed in an idea and saw it through. '**behind the brand**,' an original series by '**editorial by OLIVE YOUNG**,' takes a closer look at the stories behind brands that have grown alongside OLIVE YOUNG and are now reaching customers around the world. From the idea that sparked a brand to the vision behind its products, the series explores the founders’ perspectives, challenges, and innovations that shaped each brand along the way.

Black REJURAN COSMETICS logo with a registered trademark symbol.

From ampoules and creams to masks, PDRN has become a familiar name in skincare. To trace its origins, however, we need to go back to PharmaResearch. Simply put, PDRN is a purified ingredient derived from salmon DNA. Originally used in the medical field to support skin recovery and improve skin condition, it has increasingly found its way into everyday skincare.

PharmaResearch, the company behind REJURAN, has spent years developing technologies around salmon-derived DNA. Building on this expertise, the company first introduced REJURAN as a skin booster used in clinics and hospitals before expanding into cosmetics.

So how did a brand that began in medical clinics eventually make its way onto our bathroom shelves? We sat down with Jinyoung Bae, Head of REJURAN Cosmetics, to explore the technology, philosophy and customer insights behind the brand.

The technology behind REJURAN, rooted in salmon DNA

REJURAN Cosmetics grew out of PharmaResearch’s longstanding expertise in medical devices and pharmaceuticals, particularly its research into salmon-derived DNA. The company first brought this technology to market through REJURAN, a skin booster commonly known as a “REJURAN injection.” Its key ingredient, PN (polynucleotide), is derived from purified salmon DNA and is used in medical devices that are administered directly into the skin.

“PharmaResearch has been researching salmon DNA technology for a long time,” Bae explains. “REJURAN was the first product where we applied that technology to a skin booster, and cosmetics came naturally from the question of what comes next.”

The answer was everyday skincare. While professional treatments can play an important role in skin care, maintaining healthy skin also requires consistent care at home. The brand initially developed cosmetics for use alongside treatments in clinics before gradually expanding into products designed for everyday routines.

For its cosmetic products, PharmaResearch uses c-PDRN (cosmetic PDRN), a cosmetic ingredient developed from its medical aesthetics technology. Designed to support the skin barrier, hydration and elasticity, c-PDRN has become a key ingredient in REJURAN Cosmetics, with the goal of helping skin recover and maintain a healthy condition.

At the heart of this process is PharmaResearch’s patented DOT™ (DNA Optimizing Technology). The technology enables the company to refine salmon DNA into different forms suited to specific applications across medical devices, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food, while maintaining consistent quality.

PharmaResearch’s approach to salmon DNA is also closely connected to where the company began. Founded in Gangneung, the company operates near the Namdaecheon River, where salmon return to spawn.

The company recognized the potential of salmon-derived DNA in this unique local environment and began researching how it could be developed into PDRN and PN technologies. Through its research into the life cycle of salmon and the potential of salmon-derived materials, PharmaResearch developed its own technology for extracting and purifying active ingredients from salmon byproducts.

“Salmon return from the sea to the rivers where they were born to spawn,” says Bae. “We looked at that natural cycle and the potential of the materials generated at the end of it, and developed our own technology to extract and purify the useful components.”

Salmon are anadromous fish that grow in the ocean before returning to the rivers where they were born to spawn. After spawning, they naturally reach the end of their life cycle, and the resulting byproducts can be used as a source of PDRN and PN.

To secure a stable supply of these raw materials, PharmaResearch has partnered with the Yangyang Branch of the Korea Water Resources Management Corporation through an MOU, sourcing naturally returning salmon for use in its PDRN and PN production.

The company also operates manufacturing facilities in Gangneung, allowing it to manage the entire process in-house, from sourcing and extracting the raw material to purification, R&D and finished product manufacturing.

“That means we can oversee the entire journey, from the raw material stage to the final product,” Bae says. “It is important to us that we can control the quality throughout that process.

In other words, the journey from salmon DNA to a bottle of skincare can be traced from beginning to end within the company.

REJURAN skincare bottles are displayed in colorful boxes on a glass stand.

Browse REJURAN products (Global)Browse REJURAN products (US)

“We look at purity, not just concentration”

This approach is closely tied to REJURAN’s emphasis on the purity of PDRN. For PharmaResearch, it is not simply about how much PDRN a product contains, but about how precisely and consistently that PDRN can be produced at a high level of quality.

“We look at purity as much as we look at concentration,” says Bae. “It is not simply about putting in more PDRN. What matters is how precisely and consistently we can produce PDRN of the quality we want.”

That level of control is possible because the company manages its raw materials from the beginning and has accumulated extensive expertise in the purification and processing of PDRN and PN through their use in medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

The company’s approach can be seen in one of its flagship products, the REJURAN Dual Effect Ampoule. The c-PDRN™ used in the formula is purified using PharmaResearch’s proprietary DOT™ technology and undergoes multiple purification processes, resulting in its clear appearance, an indication of the purity of the raw material.

“Ultimately, it is not about how much of an ingredient you put into a product,” Bae says. “It is about having a purified, stable raw material and being able to deliver it consistently in the finished product.”

For Bae, this is where REJURAN’s real strength lies.

“What we are confident in is not simply PDRN as an ingredient,” she says. “It is the technology and experience we have built around sourcing high-quality raw materials, producing PDRN to the quality we want and turning it into a finished product.”

But technology alone is not enough. For REJURAN, it ultimately has to translate into a difference that customers can actually experience. “Ultimately, the most important question is whether the product actually helps the skin,” Bae says.

One of the aspects people appreciate about REJURAN treatments is the natural-looking glow they see in their skin. REJURAN Cosmetics pursues the same goal: maintaining the skin’s natural condition so that healthy-looking elasticity and radiance emerge naturally.

“The skin we want to create through our cosmetics is not about an artificial or temporary effect,” Bae explains. “We want to help maintain the skin’s natural condition, so that elasticity and radiance can come through naturally.”

The REJURAN Healer Turnover Ampoule Dual Effect, for example, was designed with a balance between efficacy and usability in mind. Despite being a high-performance product, it is designed for comfortable everyday use, with customers responding positively to its moisturizing and hydrating feel. The product has consequently seen strong customer satisfaction and repeat purchases.

That difference is not evaluated through sensory experience alone. From the earliest stages of product development, the team identifies the specific skin concerns a product is intended to address and conducts human application tests to measure changes after use.

For the Dual Effect Ampoule, for instance, testing examined improvements in elastic recovery after a single use as well as visible improvements in skin radiance immediately after application. The goal is to translate the changes customers experience into measurable results.

“We don't want to talk about efficacy only in abstract terms,” says Bae. “We want to identify what changes customers can actually experience and verify those changes through testing.”

From the clinic to OLIVE YOUNG: REJURAN Cosmetics enters a new chapter

REJURAN’s entry into OLIVE YOUNG in 2022 marked an important turning point for the brand. At the time, REJURAN was still strongly associated with medical clinics, and its treatment customers tended to be older than they are today. This led to questions internally about whether OLIVE YOUNG was the right channel for the brand and whether it could successfully reach customers in their 20s.

“We definitely had concerns at first,” Bae recalls. “REJURAN had such a strong association with clinics and professional treatments that we wondered whether OLIVE YOUNG would be the right place for us, and whether younger customers would respond to the brand.”

At the same time, customers who had already tried REJURAN Cosmetics showed high satisfaction and strong repeat purchase rates. The brand’s own online store saw purchase rates increase by more than 30%, demonstrating the potential for product experience to lead to continued purchases.

“We knew we had products that customers were satisfied with,” says Bae. “The challenge was finding a way for more people to experience them. OLIVE YOUNG became that point of connection.”

After entering OLIVE YOUNG, the brand’s customer base expanded faster than expected. REJURAN even received an OLIVE YOUNG Awards recognition in its first year.

More importantly, the way customers first encountered REJURAN began to change. In the past, many customers discovered REJURAN through a professional treatment and then sought out its cosmetics. Now, teenagers and customers in their 20s can encounter the brand for the first time through its skincare products at OLIVE YOUNG.

“Before, the journey was often treatment first, then cosmetics,” Bae says. “Now we are also seeing the opposite. Customers discover REJURAN through cosmetics at OLIVE YOUNG and then become interested in the brand’s treatments.”

The customer journey has expanded in both directions: from treatments to cosmetics, but also from cosmetics to an interest in REJURAN treatments.

REJURAN’s recently launched REJUDEX is another example of how customer insights from OLIVE YOUNG have shaped the brand.

A person in a white shirt holds a Rejudex cream tube among boxes and ampoules on a table.

Browse REJUDEX products (Global)

As dermatological treatments have become increasingly common as part of everyday skincare routines, more customers have been looking for ways to care for their skin after treatment. At OLIVE YOUNG stores, customers—particularly at locations in areas with a high concentration of dermatology clinics, such as Gangnam—were increasingly asking what products they could use after a procedure and how to care for sensitized skin.

“We started hearing very specific questions from customers,” says Bae. “They would ask what they should use after a treatment, or how they could take care of skin that had become sensitive. Those needs were especially visible in stores around Gangnam.”

PharmaResearch already had REJUVENEX Cream, an over-the-counter drug that had become known online as an option for post-treatment home care. Seeing growing demand for aftercare products at OLIVE YOUNG led the company to consider developing a cosmetic line specifically for this purpose. The result was REJUDEX Derma Repairing Cream, designed to provide convenient everyday aftercare for skin that has become sensitive following a professional treatment.

“REJUDEX was born from the idea that we could take what we had learned from medical and pharmaceutical products and create something specifically designed for everyday aftercare,” Bae explains.

First launched in April this year, the product received a positive response, prompting the brand to quickly expand the line with a mist, mask and ampoule. The line represents a meeting point between REJURAN’s experience accumulated through clinics and pharmacies and the real customer needs observed at OLIVE YOUNG.

From dermatology clinics to OLIVE YOUNG: A new journey for K-derma

The synergy with OLIVE YOUNG is also becoming increasingly apparent in global markets.

“In Myeongdong, it is almost becoming a natural route for international visitors to go to a dermatology clinic and then visit OLIVE YOUNG,” Bae says. “You can even see international customers carrying OLIVE YOUNG shopping bags at the airport.”

REJURAN already has international recognition as a skin booster, but OLIVE YOUNG has helped REJURAN Cosmetics reach an even broader global audience.

International partners are also paying close attention to the brand’s performance at OLIVE YOUNG. As PharmaResearch prepares to enter markets such as Taiwan, partners are closely watching how REJURAN Cosmetics is performing at OLIVE YOUNG. REJUDEx, despite being a relatively new launch, is also receiving inquiries from overseas markets.

“Overseas partners also see OLIVE YOUNG as an important indicator,” Bae says. “They are interested in how REJURAN Cosmetics is performing there, and we are already seeing interest in REJUDEx from overseas markets as well.”

The customer journey is once again moving in both directions. Some customers discover REJURAN through a professional treatment before experiencing its cosmetics, while others first encounter the brand through its skincare products at OLIVE YOUNG and subsequently become interested in REJURAN treatments.

In this way, the brand’s medical devices and cosmetics are creating a virtuous cycle, with each expanding the other’s customer touchpoints. As consumers in global markets become increasingly interested in the ingredients, efficacy and technology behind K-beauty, Bae sees a growing opportunity for K-derma.

“Consumers are looking more closely at what is behind K-beauty, including its ingredients, efficacy and technology,” she says. “I think that creates an even greater opportunity for K-derma to grow globally.”

REJURAN has spent years extending technology originally developed for medical devices and pharmaceuticals into cosmetics. Going forward, the brand aims to continue drawing on that expertise and experience to create products whose benefits customers can genuinely experience.

“Our goal is to keep creating products that allow customers to experience the benefits of the technology for themselves,” says Bae.

For REJURAN Cosmetics, that means continuing to bridge the gap between medical expertise and everyday skincare, turning years of research and technology into products that people can incorporate into their daily routines.

And as interest in K-derma continues to grow around the world, the journey that began with salmon DNA is moving into its next chapter: building a brand trusted not only for the technology behind its products, but for the difference customers can see and feel in their own skin.

Behind every K-beauty and K-wellness brand is a story of where it began, what it stands for, and the people who believed in an idea and saw it through. 'behind the brand,' an original series by 'editorial by OLIVE YOUNG,' takes a closer look at the stories behind brands that have grown alongside OLIVE YOUNG and are now reaching customers around the world. From the idea that sparked a brand to the vision behind its products, the series explores the founders’ perspectives, challenges, and innovations that shaped each brand along the way. From ampoules and creams to masks, PDRN has become a familiar name in skincare. To trace its origins, however, we need to go back to PharmaResearch. Simply put, PDRN is a purified ingredient derived from salmon DNA. Originally used in the medical field to support skin recovery and improve skin condition, it has increasingly found its way into everyday skincare. PharmaResearch, the company behind REJURAN, has spent years developing technologies around salmon-derived DNA. Building on this expertise, the company first introduced REJURAN as a skin booster used in clinics and hospitals before expanding into cosmetics. So how did a brand that began in medical clinics eventually make its way onto our bathroom shelves? We sat down with Jinyoung Bae, Head of REJURAN Cosmetics, to explore the technology, philosophy and customer insights behind the brand. The technology behind REJURAN, rooted in salmon DNA REJURAN Cosmetics grew out of PharmaResearch’s longstanding expertise in medical devices and pharmaceuticals, particularly its research into salmon-derived DNA. The company first brought this technology to market through REJURAN, a skin booster commonly known as a “REJURAN injection.” Its key ingredient, PN (polynucleotide), is derived from purified salmon DNA and is used in medical devices that are administered directly into the skin. “PharmaResearch has been researching salmon DNA technology for a long time,” Bae explains. “REJURAN was the first product where we applied that technology to a skin booster, and cosmetics came naturally from the question of what comes next.” The answer was everyday skincare. While professional treatments can play an important role in skin care, maintaining healthy skin also requires consistent care at home. The brand initially developed cosmetics for use alongside treatments in clinics before gradually expanding into products designed for everyday routines. For its cosmetic products, PharmaResearch uses c-PDRN (cosmetic PDRN), a cosmetic ingredient developed from its medical aesthetics technology. Designed to support the skin barrier, hydration and elasticity, c-PDRN has become a key ingredient in REJURAN Cosmetics, with the goal of helping skin recover and maintain a healthy condition. At the heart of this process is PharmaResearch’s patented DOT™ (DNA Optimizing Technology). The technology enables the company to refine salmon DNA into different forms suited to specific applications across medical devices, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food, while maintaining consistent quality. PharmaResearch’s approach to salmon DNA is also closely connected to where the company began. Founded in Gangneung, the company operates near the Namdaecheon River, where salmon return to spawn. The company recognized the potential of salmon-derived DNA in this unique local environment and began researching how it could be developed into PDRN and PN technologies. Through its research into the life cycle of salmon and the potential of salmon-derived materials, PharmaResearch developed its own technology for extracting and purifying active ingredients from salmon byproducts. “Salmon return from the sea to the rivers where they were born to spawn,” says Bae. “We looked at that natural cycle and the potential of the materials generated at the end of it, and developed our own technology to extract and purify the useful components.” Salmon are anadromous fish that grow in the ocean before returning to the rivers where they were born to spawn. After spawning, they naturally reach the end of their life cycle, and the resulting byproducts can be used as a source of PDRN and PN. To secure a stable supply of these raw materials, PharmaResearch has partnered with the Yangyang Branch of the Korea Water Resources Management Corporation through an MOU, sourcing naturally returning salmon for use in its PDRN and PN production. The company also operates manufacturing facilities in Gangneung, allowing it to manage the entire process in-house, from sourcing and extracting the raw material to purification, R&D and finished product manufacturing. “That means we can oversee the entire journey, from the raw material stage to the final product,” Bae says. “It is important to us that we can control the quality throughout that process. In other words, the journey from salmon DNA to a bottle of skincare can be traced from beginning to end within the company. Browse REJURAN products (Global)Browse REJURAN products (US) “We look at purity, not just concentration” This approach is closely tied to REJURAN’s emphasis on the purity of PDRN. For PharmaResearch, it is not simply about how much PDRN a product contains, but about how precisely and consistently that PDRN can be produced at a high level of quality. “We look at purity as much as we look at concentration,” says Bae. “It is not simply about putting in more PDRN. What matters is how precisely and consistently we can produce PDRN of the quality we want.” That level of control is possible because the company manages its raw materials from the beginning and has accumulated extensive expertise in the purification and processing of PDRN and PN through their use in medical devices and pharmaceuticals. The company’s approach can be seen in one of its flagship products, the REJURAN Dual Effect Ampoule. The c-PDRN™ used in the formula is purified using PharmaResearch’s proprietary DOT™ technology and undergoes multiple purification processes, resulting in its clear appearance, an indication of the purity of the raw material. “Ultimately, it is not about how much of an ingredient you put into a product,” Bae says. “It is about having a purified, stable raw material and being able to deliver it consistently in the finished product.” For Bae, this is where REJURAN’s real strength lies. “What we are confident in is not simply PDRN as an ingredient,” she says. “It is the technology and experience we have built around sourcing high-quality raw materials, producing PDRN to the quality we want and turning it into a finished product.” But technology alone is not enough. For REJURAN, it ultimately has to translate into a difference that customers can actually experience. “Ultimately, the most important question is whether the product actually helps the skin,” Bae says. One of the aspects people appreciate about REJURAN treatments is the natural-looking glow they see in their skin. REJURAN Cosmetics pursues the same goal: maintaining the skin’s natural condition so that healthy-looking elasticity and radiance emerge naturally. “The skin we want to create through our cosmetics is not about an artificial or temporary effect,” Bae explains. “We want to help maintain the skin’s natural condition, so that elasticity and radiance can come through naturally.” The REJURAN Healer Turnover Ampoule Dual Effect, for example, was designed with a balance between efficacy and usability in mind. Despite being a high-performance product, it is designed for comfortable everyday use, with customers responding positively to its moisturizing and hydrating feel. The product has consequently seen strong customer satisfaction and repeat purchases. That difference is not evaluated through sensory experience alone. From the earliest stages of product development, the team identifies the specific skin concerns a product is intended to address and conducts human application tests to measure changes after use. For the Dual Effect Ampoule, for instance, testing examined improvements in elastic recovery after a single use as well as visible improvements in skin radiance immediately after application. The goal is to translate the changes customers experience into measurable results. “We don't want to talk about efficacy only in abstract terms,” says Bae. “We want to identify what changes customers can actually experience and verify those changes through testing.” From the clinic to OLIVE YOUNG: REJURAN Cosmetics enters a new chapter REJURAN’s entry into OLIVE YOUNG in 2022 marked an important turning point for the brand. At the time, REJURAN was still strongly associated with medical clinics, and its treatment customers tended to be older than they are today. This led to questions internally about whether OLIVE YOUNG was the right channel for the brand and whether it could successfully reach customers in their 20s. “We definitely had concerns at first,” Bae recalls. “REJURAN had such a strong association with clinics and professional treatments that we wondered whether OLIVE YOUNG would be the right place for us, and whether younger customers would respond to the brand.” At the same time, customers who had already tried REJURAN Cosmetics showed high satisfaction and strong repeat purchase rates. The brand’s own online store saw purchase rates increase by more than 30%, demonstrating the potential for product experience to lead to continued purchases. “We knew we had products that customers were satisfied with,” says Bae. “The challenge was finding a way for more people to experience them. OLIVE YOUNG became that point of connection.” After entering OLIVE YOUNG, the brand’s customer base expanded faster than expected. REJURAN even received an OLIVE YOUNG Awards recognition in its first year. More importantly, the way customers first encountered REJURAN began to change. In the past, many customers discovered REJURAN through a professional treatment and then sought out its cosmetics. Now, teenagers and customers in their 20s can encounter the brand for the first time through its skincare products at OLIVE YOUNG. “Before, the journey was often treatment first, then cosmetics,” Bae says. “Now we are also seeing the opposite. Customers discover REJURAN through cosmetics at OLIVE YOUNG and then become interested in the brand’s treatments.” The customer journey has expanded in both directions: from treatments to cosmetics, but also from cosmetics to an interest in REJURAN treatments. REJURAN’s recently launched REJUDEX is another example of how customer insights from OLIVE YOUNG have shaped the brand. Browse REJUDEX products (Global) As dermatological treatments have become increasingly common as part of everyday skincare routines, more customers have been looking for ways to care for their skin after treatment. At OLIVE YOUNG stores, customers—particularly at locations in areas with a high concentration of dermatology clinics, such as Gangnam—were increasingly asking what products they could use after a procedure and how to care for sensitized skin. “We started hearing very specific questions from customers,” says Bae. “They would ask what they should use after a treatment, or how they could take care of skin that had become sensitive. Those needs were especially visible in stores around Gangnam.” PharmaResearch already had REJUVENEX Cream, an over-the-counter drug that had become known online as an option for post-treatment home care. Seeing growing demand for aftercare products at OLIVE YOUNG led the company to consider developing a cosmetic line specifically for this purpose. The result was REJUDEX Derma Repairing Cream, designed to provide convenient everyday aftercare for skin that has become sensitive following a professional treatment. “REJUDEX was born from the idea that we could take what we had learned from medical and pharmaceutical products and create something specifically designed for everyday aftercare,” Bae explains. First launched in April this year, the product received a positive response, prompting the brand to quickly expand the line with a mist, mask and ampoule. The line represents a meeting point between REJURAN’s experience accumulated through clinics and pharmacies and the real customer needs observed at OLIVE YOUNG. From dermatology clinics to OLIVE YOUNG: A new journey for K-derma The synergy with OLIVE YOUNG is also becoming increasingly apparent in global markets. “In Myeongdong, it is almost becoming a natural route for international visitors to go to a dermatology clinic and then visit OLIVE YOUNG,” Bae says. “You can even see international customers carrying OLIVE YOUNG shopping bags at the airport.” REJURAN already has international recognition as a skin booster, but OLIVE YOUNG has helped REJURAN Cosmetics reach an even broader global audience. International partners are also paying close attention to the brand’s performance at OLIVE YOUNG. As PharmaResearch prepares to enter markets such as Taiwan, partners are closely watching how REJURAN Cosmetics is performing at OLIVE YOUNG. REJUDEx, despite being a relatively new launch, is also receiving inquiries from overseas markets. “Overseas partners also see OLIVE YOUNG as an important indicator,” Bae says. “They are interested in how REJURAN Cosmetics is performing there, and we are already seeing interest in REJUDEx from overseas markets as well.” The customer journey is once again moving in both directions. Some customers discover REJURAN through a professional treatment before experiencing its cosmetics, while others first encounter the brand through its skincare products at OLIVE YOUNG and subsequently become interested in REJURAN treatments. In this way, the brand’s medical devices and cosmetics are creating a virtuous cycle, with each expanding the other’s customer touchpoints. As consumers in global markets become increasingly interested in the ingredients, efficacy and technology behind K-beauty, Bae sees a growing opportunity for K-derma. “Consumers are looking more closely at what is behind K-beauty, including its ingredients, efficacy and technology,” she says. “I think that creates an even greater opportunity for K-derma to grow globally.” REJURAN has spent years extending technology originally developed for medical devices and pharmaceuticals into cosmetics. Going forward, the brand aims to continue drawing on that expertise and experience to create products whose benefits customers can genuinely experience. “Our goal is to keep creating products that allow customers to experience the benefits of the technology for themselves,” says Bae. For REJURAN Cosmetics, that means continuing to bridge the gap between medical expertise and everyday skincare, turning years of research and technology into products that people can incorporate into their daily routines. And as interest in K-derma continues to grow around the world, the journey that began with salmon DNA is moving into its next chapter: building a brand trusted not only for the technology behind its products, but for the difference customers can see and feel in their own skin.