How Korean skincare actually works (what EGF, PDRN and NAD+ really do)

Every time I post my routine somebody asks why there are five steps instead of one good cream. It is a fair question. The honest answer is that the five steps are not five versions of the same thing. Each one is carrying a different active, and once you know what that active is supposed to do, you can confidently skip the ones that have nothing to do with your skin.

What do EGF and NAD+ actually do?

EGF stands for epidermal growth factor. It is a signalling protein, so the pitch is that it tells your skin cells to behave like younger ones. NAD+ is a coenzyme involved in how cells make energy. Both are genuinely interesting in a lab.

Here is the part the marketing skips. Both are large, unstable molecules, and how much of either one gets through the top layer of your skin from a bottle is still an open question. I use the EGF NAD firming serum because my skin looks smoother and more bouncy when I stay consistent with it, and I like the texture. I am not going to tell you it is rebuilding anything underneath. Nobody can promise you that from a serum.

What are Volufiline and PDRN?

PDRN is short for polydeoxyribonucleotide, which is fragments of salmon DNA. In Korea it is best known as an injectable that you get in a clinic. The topical versions in serums and eye patches are a much gentler, much weaker relative of that. Same buzzword, very different strength.

Volufiline is a trade name, not an ingredient you will find listed by that word on every label. It is marketed for plumping and volume. It shows up in the pink collagen stick I keep in my bag.

So when a product says PDRN on the front, the useful question is not whether PDRN works. It is how much of it is in there, and whether the format can deliver it. Those are two different things and brands love to blur them.

What order do I use them in?

Collagen toner first, because it is the most watery and it hydrates. Then the EGF NAD firming serum, and I started that one three times a week before going daily, which I would recommend to anyone with reactive skin. The pink collagen stick is my on the go step. Triple collagen cream to moisturise, which is the step people skip and then wonder why nothing is working. Eye patches last to de-puff.

The order matters more than the brand. Thinnest to thickest, every time. You can rebuild this exact routine with products you already own.

Who this is not for

If you are already on prescription retinoids or tretinoin, do not bolt a five step active routine on top of it. Talk to whoever prescribed it first. If your barrier is currently angry, peeling, stinging or tight, none of this is your next step. A plain moisturiser and sunscreen for two weeks is.

And if you are looking for one product to replace all five, this is not that post. I would rather tell you that than sell you a bundle you do not need.

What I actually believe about Korean skincare is boring. It is not that the ingredients are magic. It is that the routines are built in layers, the textures are pleasant enough that you stay consistent, and consistency is the part that actually changes your skin.