It was a Tuesday night, three weeks before my friend's hen do in Barcelona, and I was standing in my bathroom under harsh overhead lighting absolutely horrified by what I saw. Not the wrinkles, I've made peace with those. It was the greyness. That particular kind of dull, flat, dehydrated skin that makes you look like you've been sleeping on an aeroplane for a week even when you haven't left the house. I had an event packed month ahead, multiple events, photos I'd actually want to look back on, and my skin was giving nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I'd been neglecting my routine. Work had been relentless, I'd been surviving on four to five hours of sleep most nights, and my idea of skincare had collapsed into a face wipe and a prayer. I needed something that could do a lot of heavy lifting without asking much of me in return, something I could actually sustain through a chaotic few weeks without a full rebuild of my regime.

I was already on Lookfantastic looking for something else entirely when the Anua PDRN 100 Hyaluronic Acid Glow Pad caught my eye. I'd seen it floating around on social media but had filed it under "probably overhyped." That night though, running out of patience and time, I added it to my basket. What happened over the next two weeks genuinely surprised me.

Let's Talk About PDRN, Because It's Worth Understanding

Before I get into what these pads actually did to my skin, I want to talk about PDRN because when I first saw it on the ingredient list I had no idea what it was, and I suspect a lot of people are in the same boat.

PDRN stands for Polydeoxyribonucleotide. Sounds terrifying. It's not. In the simplest terms, it's a fragment of DNA, specifically derived from salmon, that has been used in medical aesthetics for years. It was originally developed for wound healing and tissue repair, and if you've ever had a PDRN injection at a skin clinic (they're sometimes called "salmon DNA injections" or "skin boosters"), this is the same active ingredient. What it does is essentially signal to your skin to repair and regenerate. It helps boost collagen production, improve skin elasticity, and accelerate cellular renewal. Clinics charge quite a lot for injectable treatments containing PDRN, so finding it in a topical pad format felt genuinely exciting.

Now, there's always the argument about topical delivery versus injectable, and yes, an injection gets the ingredient deeper into the dermis. But the research on topical PDRN is actually encouraging, particularly when it comes to surface hydration, brightness, and strengthening the skin barrier. At the concentration Anua uses in these pads, I've seen a real, visible difference in my skin. That's not marketing. That's what I saw in my mirror.

And the Hyaluronic Acid, What's It Actually Doing Here?

Hyaluronic acid is one of those ingredients that's everywhere, and rightfully so, but it's worth understanding what it's doing in these pads specifically. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring molecule in the skin that can hold up to a thousand times its weight in water. It's essentially a moisture magnet, drawing water into the skin and keeping it there. As we get older (and when we're stressed, sleep deprived, or just not drinking enough water, guilty on all three counts), my skin's natural hyaluronic acid levels drop and that's when you get that flat, papery texture that no amount of concealer fixes.

What's clever about the formulation in these pads is that it contains multiple molecular weights of hyaluronic acid. The smaller molecules penetrate deeper into the skin to hydrate at a cellular level, while the larger molecules sit at the surface and form a protective, moisture retaining film. You get immediate plumpness from the surface work, and cumulative improvement over time from the deeper hydration. It's why the results feel both instant and lasting. And layered in alongside PDRN, peptides, and collagen, the hyaluronic acid has a much more supportive environment to work in.

The Pad Itself, How It Works and Why the Design Is Clever

Each pad is about 7cm across, which is bigger than I expected when mine arrived. One side is a smooth gel texture, slippy, almost like a thin hydrogel sheet, and the other side is a soft, slightly textured fabric. They feel substantial, not flimsy. The packaging is a resealable tub (mine came with 60 pads) and the liquid they're soaked in is properly generously applied. These are not dry, skimpy pads. They're saturated.

The dual sided design isn't just a gimmick. The gel side is for pressing and holding, you place it on areas that need the most hydration (my cheeks and forehead, always) and let the actives absorb. Ten seconds on each area feels like barely anything but you can genuinely feel the skin drinking it in, that cool, almost immediate settling sensation. Then you flip to the fabric side to sweep the rest of your face, your neck (always the neck, this is the thing people forget), and even your décolletage if you're being thorough. The fabric side gives the gentlest possible exfoliation, not chemical, just physical buffing that lifts away any dry texture so everything else you apply afterwards sits better. It's not a replacement for your weekly exfoliant. It's more like a soft reset for the surface.

Zero residue when it dries. That's important to me because I cannot function with a sticky face, it makes me feel like I'm walking through a spider web all day. These dry down to a beautifully dewy, almost imperceptible finish. Makeup glides over them. SPF applies perfectly on top. It genuinely does not interfere with anything.

My Morning Routine With These Pads

I'm going to be honest, some mornings I skip the cleanser entirely when I'm using these. If I've cleansed and moisturised properly the night before, my skin in the morning doesn't need stripping again. What it needs is rehydrating. So my rushed morning routine now looks like this: I pull one pad out of the tub, press the gel side against my cheeks for ten seconds on each side, then hold it against my forehead for another ten. I flip to the fabric side and sweep across my nose, chin, neck, and down to my collarbone. That's it. I follow with SPF, always SPF, every single day, no exceptions, this is non negotiable, and then I'm either done or I go into foundation.

Start to finish: about sixty seconds. On a genuinely hectic morning that has been enough to make my skin look like I've had a full eight hours and a green juice. It's not magic. It's just very good ingredients in a format that's impossible to skip.

You can pick these up with 20% off using my code LFTFNICOLAL at Lookfantastic, and the code works across most other products on the site too, so it's well worth stocking up on a few other bits while you're browsing. I also love checking the Sephora UK deals page when I'm shopping for K beauty skincare, there's consistently good value there with my code NICOLASPH for 15% off.

My Five Day Diary, What Actually Happened

I kept notes on my phone because I wanted to be specific rather than vague and glowing about the whole thing. Here's what I actually recorded.

Day One. First use was a Monday morning after a Sunday evening of doing very little skincare and quite a lot of wine at a friend's birthday dinner. My skin was congested, a bit tight, with that post alcohol flatness I know too well. I pressed the gel side on my cheeks and held it longer than the instructions suggested, about thirty seconds each side, and the cooling sensation was immediate and genuinely satisfying. Like drinking cold water when you're parched but for your face. I swept the fabric side down my neck and could feel the slight resistance where my skin was dry and texturised. By the time I'd done my SPF and sat down to reply to emails, my skin had this quiet, settled plumpness that I couldn't quite explain. Not dramatic. Just better.

Day Two. Evening use after the gym. This was the one I hadn't expected to love. Post workout my skin is always a bit reactive, I have rosacea prone patches across my nose and inner cheeks that flush easily, and exercise absolutely sets them off. I used the pad as soon as I got in before jumping in the shower, thinking it would just be a quick swipe. The redness visibly calmed within minutes. I don't know whether that was the cooling effect, the PDRN, or some combination, but I noticed it enough to text my friend about it immediately. She has rosacea too and I told her she needed to try these.

Day Three. Pre makeup test. I had a lunch that day with someone I hadn't seen in a couple of years and I wanted my makeup to actually look good rather than sitting in patches on dry skin. The pad first, then a thin layer of my usual moisturiser, then SPF, then foundation. The foundation went on like I'd just primed with a professional primer. That silky, even coverage that you usually only get when your skin is having a really good day. I wore minimal makeup and felt genuinely confident. That's the goal with all of this, isn't it, confidence without having to cake it on.

Day Four. Travel. I had a day trip to visit my mum, which meant a very early start, a two hour train journey, and a late return. I packed three pads in a small zip lock bag (they travel beautifully, no leaks, no fuss) and used one on the train on the way up before my mum could see my tired face and immediately start worrying. Used another on the return journey when I could feel my skin getting that awful train air dryness. Both times I felt like I'd done something genuinely restorative for my skin even in the middle of a busy day. My mum did not comment on my skin looking tired, for the record. She commented on my hair instead, which is her usual focus, so I'll take it as a win.

Day Five. The selfie check. I took a photo in natural light with no filter and compared it to a photo I'd taken the previous Monday. The difference wasn't dramatic in the way that before and after photos usually try to be. It was subtler than that. My skin looked like skin rather than a surface. There was an evenness to the tone, a plumpness in my cheeks, and the texture under my nose (always my problem area) was visibly smoother. I sent the photos to my friend and asked if she could see a difference. She could. That was enough for me.

How It Compares to Other Glow Pads

I've tried a few. The Ordinary's Glucoside Foaming Cleanser pads are acidic and designed for exfoliation, they're good but they're a completely different job. If you want to resurface your skin, use those. If you want to hydrate and repair, use the Anua. They're not really comparable because they're not trying to do the same thing.

The COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence is probably the closest direct competitor I've used. It's also a dual sided pad, also focused on hydration, and it's excellent. The difference is the PDRN content. COSRX uses snail mucin (which is brilliant for healing and hydration but different in mechanism), whereas Anua's PDRN works more directly on cellular repair and regeneration. I now use both, the COSRX in the evening for its healing properties, the Anua in the morning for its immediate glow. They sit well together.

Some people swear by the Beplain Cicaterol Moisturiser for sensitive skin, and I'd agree those are gentler. But they don't give you the same glow. If sensitivity is your primary concern, the Beplain is the safer bet. If you want brightness and you're reasonably confident your skin can handle actives, Anua is the better choice.

Who These Pads Are For (and Who They're Not For)

These are genuinely brilliant for: anyone with dry or dehydrated skin, anyone who travels frequently and needs low maintenance skincare on the go, anyone whose skin gets reactive or flushed easily, K beauty beginners who want results without complexity, and anyone who's tried glass skin chasing routines and found them unsustainable. The 60 pad tub lasts a long time if you're using one pad daily, which is another thing I appreciate. It's not a product that disappears in a fortnight.

These are probably not the right choice for: anyone dealing with active acne breakouts (the pads won't address that and some of the ingredients could potentially irritate already inflamed skin), anyone who specifically needs a chemical exfoliant in their routine (these don't provide that, you'd need something else for that job), or anyone who is vegan and strict about animal derived ingredients (PDRN is salmon derived, so worth checking if that matters to you).

The Honest Pros and Cons

What I love: the format, the results, the fact that it's nearly impossible to do wrong, the calming effect on reactive skin, the way makeup sits on top, and the travel friendliness. The ingredient list is genuinely impressive and the PDRN content puts it in a different category from most of the hydrating pads on the market.

What I don't love: the tub packaging is slightly less hygienic than I'd like, you're dipping your fingers in to pull out the pads each time, which means product contamination is possible over time. I use a small spatula to fish them out now, which helps. And the results, while real, do require consistency. If you use these once a week you won't see much. Daily use is where the difference becomes obvious.

I also want to be honest about the clinical claims on the packaging. The "125% hydration boost" and "86% improved radiance" statistics come from the brand's own clinical tests, which is standard practice but worth contextualising. My results were real. Whether they map precisely onto those numbers, I genuinely can't say. What I can say is that my skin looks and feels measurably better after consistent use, and that's what matters to me in practice.

If you want to try them alongside something brilliant for skin barrier repair, I've been pairing these lately with a few drops of Elemis face oil afterwards, the combination is incredibly good for anyone whose skin barrier has taken a battering. And for a full luxury skincare routine, Charlotte Tilbury has some brilliant follow on products that layer beautifully with a well hydrated base.

Anua PDRN 100 Hyaluronic Acid Glow Pad FAQ

How often should I use the Anua PDRN Glow Pads?

Daily, ideally. Once in the morning is my preference. Some people use them morning and evening but I find once a day is sufficient for maintaining that consistent glow without over using the product.

Can I use these on sensitive skin?

Yes, in my experience these are well tolerated by sensitive skin. My skin has rosacea prone areas and I've had zero irritation. That said, everyone's skin is different, if you're very reactive I'd suggest patch testing on your inner arm first.

Are the Anua pads vegan?

No. PDRN is derived from salmon DNA, so these pads are not vegan. If that's a concern for you, you'd want to look at a hyaluronic acid pad without the PDRN component.

Do these replace a toner?

Effectively yes. The pads deliver hydration in a way that replaces both a toner and an essence step. They don't deep cleanse (you still need a proper cleanser) but as a prep and hydration step they're doing multiple jobs at once.

How long does a tub last?

There are 60 pads in a tub. At one pad per day that's two months. I find I get slightly more if I use a pad and then use the remaining liquid on the pad on my neck and chest rather than pulling out a second pad for those areas.

Can I use these with retinol?

Yes. I use retinol in my evening routine and these pads in my morning routine without any issue. If you're using a particularly strong retinol and your skin is in an adjustment phase, I'd check with a dermatologist before adding new actives, but for most people these sit perfectly alongside a retinol regime.

What's the difference between the gel side and the fabric side?

The gel side is for pressing and holding on areas that need concentrated hydration, your cheeks, forehead, wherever your skin tends to feel tightest. The fabric side is for sweeping across your face and gives a very gentle surface exfoliation as you go. Always gel first, fabric second.

Do they work for oily skin?

I have combination skin so I can only speak to that. The hydration actually helps regulate oiliness in my T zone, when my skin is dehydrated it tends to overproduce oil as a compensatory mechanism, and keeping it consistently hydrated with these pads has calmed that pattern down. Oily skin types might want to use just one pad and skip the second pass over very oily areas.

My Verdict

I came to these pads sceptical and desperate in equal measure, and they delivered. They are not a miracle product, no skincare product is, but they are a genuinely well formulated, cleverly designed daily treatment that does exactly what it says. My skin looks visibly brighter, plumper, and more even after consistent use. The format makes them almost effortless to use. And for anyone who has been curious about PDRN but doesn't want to book a clinic appointment, this is a very good way to see what the ingredient can do for your skin.

I've repurchased once already. I'll repurchase again. They've earned a permanent place in my routine.

Save 20% with my code LFTFNICOLAL at Lookfantastic.

If you want to save even more on your next order, I've put together a guide to Lookfantastic discount codes worth bookmarking.

Kisses, Nicola xxx