Replenix Plus: There is such a thing as TOO good

I would consider myself the perfect candidate for retinol products. I have minimal fine lines, mostly on my forehead, and I am still prone to acne as I age (which I consider entirely unfair btw). My skin tends to be pretty tolerant of  the expansive number of products I try, and I rarely have problems with sensitivity to ingredients. A retinol product would seem like the perfect thing to treat my blemish prone skin and reduce those fine lines.

Enter Replenix Retinol Plus smoothing serum. I received mine in the 10x formula and was instantly impressed. There are a number of things that make Replenix different from other retinol treatments, and I like them all.  The first thing is the high concentration of green tea polyphenols. Polyphenols became popular a while back when people realized their powerful anti oxidant properties. They help to minimize sun and free radical damage, and are very soothing to the skin. Caffeine is also included in this formula and serves as a mild vasoconstrictor, which can help with the appearance of rosacea. Also included is my old favorite Hyaluronic Acid, and Retinol in varying amounts according to which formula you choose. The only thing that leaves me puzzled is a healthy dose of Dimethicone. Since this is a product meant to be used at night, I don’t see a need for the smoothing and priming that dimethicone offers. I suppose you could argue that the “wall” dimethicone creates over your skin helps to keep the effective products in, but I’m just not sold on its necessity.

True to its word, this product feels soft,soothing and not at all harsh. I used it every night per the instructions, remembering that retinol products make your skin sensitive to the sun and should not be used during the day. It only took about 5 days before I noticed a difference. At first I thought I wasn’t getting enough sleep, then I thought my new cleanser was messing with me, but finally I realized that my skin was starting to flake all over in a most unappealing way. I started cutting one night at a time until I finally settled on 3 nights a week as my magic number where I could see benefits without the irritation and flaking. It seems that the 10x is just too much for even my skin to handle.

We have a tendency to try out the strongest product first, thinking that more means better results. But as I saw with the 10x as opposed to a less concentrated formula, more can also mean a substantial chance of doing damage to our skin or overly irritating it.  With a 2x, 3x, and 5x formula available as well, there are Replenix options for all skin types. I’m impressed by the relatively short ingredient list that is packed with ingredients which perfectly supplement the Retinol. Err on the side of caution when trying this reasonably priced retinol product and use the least concentrated formula you feel you need, because flaky irritated skin isn’t a solution to wrinkles and blemishes!