Although I am a beauty blogger who tries lots of products, truth be told, I have really sensitive skin. So when I heard about Topix Replenix Retinol Plus Smoothing Serum 3x ($64.00, Amazon.com), with all the benefits of retinol plus skin-soothing green tea polyphenols and hydrating hyaluronic acid, I was delighted.
Ingredients – Really Spectacular
The ingredients in Topix Replenix Retinol Plus Smoothing Serum 3x are top-notch: retinoids are considered by many dermatologists to be the gold-standard of anti-aging, and while retinol is less potent than prescription tretinoin, it is still capable of producing profound results.
What makes this serum truly unique is its inclusion of a high concentration of green tea polyphenols, the active compounds of green tea (the most popular of which is epigallocatechin gallate). The polyphenols in green tea have been found in a 2003 study in Molecular Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention to prevent UVB-induced oxidation of lipids and proteins in mice. In addition, according to Dr. Gary Goldfaden, M.D., “In a recent dermatological comparison study, the use of a lotion containing a tea extract produced a 70% improvement in rosacea compared to use of a lotion containing the base ingredients alone.” Verifying this is a 2003 study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, which reports that green tea reduces UVB-induced inflammation.
Rounding out the ingredients in Topix Replenix Retinol Plus Smoothing Serum 3x is hyaluronic acid, which has been found to bind up to 1000 times its volume in water. The hyaluronic acid hydrates the skin to the extent that it can make it temporarily look more hydrated, fresher, and younger.
Personal Use and Opinions
I was not sent Topix Replenix Retinol Plus Smoothing Serum 3x – I went out and bought it, and I must say, I find it to be a wonderful retinol serum for my sensitive skin. It leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth – not dried out! 
Other ways I have been able to get the benefits of retinol with sensitive skin include Green Cream Level 3 (and later 6, when my skin tolerated it) under hydrating moisturizers, or to a lesser extent with the Kinerase line, which has efficacy somewhere between 0.02% and 0.04% tretinoin.
Overall, I’m a huge fan! Great product!
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I recently started using Retrinal since my sensitive skin can’t handle normal retinoids. I think many people could benefit from this product, and I would love to see you do a review of the entire product line.
would you reocmmend the X10? it comes in different strengths – X2, 3, 6 and 10. not sure which one would suit what skin type.
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for the tip! I will put it on my list!
Hi Minkpink,
I am still only a student, so I cannot give recommendations. As a blogger, however, I will tell you that I personally started with low-strength retinoids every other day, then graduated to every day over the course of two months. Then I started with a higher level every other day, then graduated to every day over the course of two months.
Hope that this helps!
Sincerely,
Nicki
Thanks so much for the review, FD! I’m going to watch how my MdSkincare performs over the next month and half or so (sufficient time?) and store this golden nugget away for future reference
1. What % retinol does the Replenix have?
2. The Green Tea is really interesting. It has produced some great results in studies, particularly unique was enhanced survival and protection of epidermal cells. Problematically, it’s also very unstable if I recall correctly, so I wonder how they stabilized it …
3. I have read over and over that tretinoin is more “potent” than active retinol, but I have my doubts. I’ll have to find it, but a power point presentation by Sewon Kang of UMichigan I found online showed roughly equivalent activation of relevant genes with a 10:1 ratio of active retinol to tretinoin, which are about the proportions utilized. so I wonder if it’s a matter of perception regarding prescription vs. non …
I use the same product, but the 10X version. It is my favorite retinoid product I have ever used! Green Cream contains high amounts of alcohol, which irritates my skin. I love it!! Thanks for a great post!