PRODUCT REVIEW: REPLENIX VITAMIN C PRO COLLAGEN SERUM - BEST VITAMIN C SERUM, BEST BRIGHTENING SERUM FOR DRY SKIN
REPLENIX | VITAMIN C PRO COLLAGEN SERUM
This product review was originally part of my blog article titled, My Top Vitamin C Picks FW21: New Vitamin C Serums I’m Crushing on from Algenist, Naturium, Goop Glow and More. You can catch the full piece here.
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There are two ingredients that I wish everyone on Earth who’s serious about their skin health would incorporate into their own skincare routines — Vitamin C and Vitamin B3, or Niacinamide. Both are indispensable antioxidants — and much, much more. In the case of a good Vitamin C treatment, it can be one of the best anti-aging serums in your arsenal.
Yes, like sunscreen, antioxidants are anti-aging. And you can’t get enough of them in your skincare and in your skin.
Back in my time working at Kiehl’s as the company’s first-ever copywriter, the marketers didn’t understand the value of antioxidants. In fact, no one really did. Antioxidants like Vitamin C were considered “preventable”; that is, they prevented signs of aging. They were marketed to young women in their 20s. As if everyone at every age isn’t interested in preventing signs of aging. We all know it can get worse!
What Are Antioxidants and What Do Antioxidants Do for Skin?
Antioxidants possess numerous benefits for the skin, including preventing skin damage and multiple signs of aging. There’s an excellent article from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, How Antioxidants Fight the Signs of Aging that you can catch here. This is what I found most insightful:
Antioxidants for Skin Benefits
Antioxidants play a unique role when it comes to diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Years of environmental damage (including unprotected sun exposure—one more reason to apply that broad-spectrum sunscreen!) slowly chip away at skin’s natural ability to look and feel healthy. As this damage builds up, skin gradually loses its ability to recover and bounce back as it once did. It’s not an exaggeration to say that after years of damage, skin becomes overwhelmed, and its “look young systems” begin to slow down.
Antioxidants in skin care step in to help shield skin’s surface from further deterioration by calming stressed skin and defending against the visible effects of pollution —something all of us encounter on a daily basis.
What happens as a result of applying antioxidants to your face is truly impressive: Skin’s appearance begins to turn around! It regains a firmer feel and more even skin tone—and those wrinkles you’re probably not fond of will visibly soften.
The Best Vitamin C Serums and Face Creams
Until very recently, Vitamin C was perhaps the most under-appreciated of all skincare ingredients. Mainly because it seemed to be old news. And marketers don’t push what’s old; they spend their marketing dollars on what’s new, fresh, sexy and innovative — whether it works or not. Their job is to make you believe what they’re pushing does.
Not so long ago, antioxidant Vitamin C was really tough to formulate with. It’s been nearly impossible to keep high levels of Vitamin C stable in a skincare formula. The truly effective levels weren’t possible. Until you get to ten percent or more, you don’t really get the power-brightening, collagen-building benefits that Vitamin C has to offer.
Right at the start of summer, I published my first article of the year on my favorite Vitamin C serums of 2021 in a piece titled, Collab with Antonio Jefferson Studio: New Vitamin C Serums I’m Crushing on from Wander Beauty, Glossier, Kat Burki and More – which you can catch here. It was a collection of the latest and greatest Vitamin C serums, brightening face oils, anti-aging lotions and I’d say, the best dark spot treatments out there.
COLLAB WITH ANTONIO JEFFERSON STUDIO: NEW VITAMIN C SERUMS I’M CRUSHING ON FROM WANDER BEAUTY, GLOSSIER, KAT BURKI & MORE
Among my top picks were some of my favorite brightening Vitamin C serums to this day, the turmeric-infused Beautycounter Counter+ All Bright C Serum, the Wander Beauty Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate and Glossier Super Glow Vitamin C + Magnesium Serum — one of the best Vitamin C serums for oily skin.
Also in the mix were the Kat Burki Retin-C Treatment Complex and Algenist Blue Algae Vitamin C Dark Spot Correcting Peel — a really wonderful brightening peel that’s perfect for reinvigorating your complexion on #selfcaresunday.
What Does Vitamin C Do for Skin?
There’s an excellent article on the remarkable benefits of Vitamin C for the skin from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, What is Vitamin C and How Does it Benefit Skin?
Vitamin C is one of the most exciting, research-proven ingredients you can apply to skin. This water-soluble antioxidant is a natural component of healthy skin. When we’re young, vitamin C levels in skin’s outermost two layers (epidermis and dermis) are abundant, but as we age, these levels naturally deplete. Unprotected sun exposure (UV damage) and pollution can accelerate this decline, leading to skin looking and feeling dull, uneven, and less firm than it once was.
Luckily, there are topical skin care solutions that can help mitigate this damage, so skin looks and feels healthier and younger longer.
Vitamin C Benefits for Skin
Vitamin C’s benefits for skin are vast, including its ability to even out skin tone and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. While this powerhouse ingredient is well-known for its skin-brightening benefits, research also shows it can shield skin from the visible impacts of environmental stressors, including free radical damage. This synergy of mitigating problems both before and after they occur makes vitamin C a force to be reckoned with.
When and How to Use Vitamin C in Your Skin Care Routine
All forms of vitamin C mix well and layer with other skin care ingredients, including exfoliating acids and other vitamins and antioxidants, such as retinol and niacinamide (11, 12).
Vitamin C can be used twice daily, both morning and night. After cleansing, toning and exfoliating, apply the rest of your products in order from thinnest to thickest texture (commonly: serum, moisturizer, treatments). During the day, always finish with a moisturizer with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or greater.
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MY SS21 VITAMIN C PICKS + THE BEST VITAMIN C SERUMS TO BRIGHTEN UP THE COMPLEXION!
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With the understanding that Vitamin C can be a real game changer for your skin health (and your complexion!), let’s take a look at five of the best Vitamin C serums that I’ve been crushing on over the last several months.
Meet one of my top picks of Vitamin C serums for FW21…
Replenix | Vitamin C Pro Collagen Serum
About five years ago, I discovered a skincare hack that I continue to use every single day. If you’ve been following my skincare journey for a while you know that I use a Glycolic Acid treatment of some kind — either an acid-based treatment toner or an acid-infused pad — as my daily deodorant. If you’re curious about how and why it works, check out my original blog article here.
What you may not know is that one of the very first Glycolic Acid treatments I ever began using as a deodorant is the Replenix Gly/Sal 5-2 Pads! One of the drawbacks to using Glycolic Acid in place of a deodorant is that these products are hacks — they’re not developed for use as a deodorant, let along in your armpits. For a lot of people, the idea of pouring a liquid toner into their palms then massaging that into their underarm area is just too weird. And of course, they’re certainly not priced like a daily deodorant.
SKINCARE HACKS: GLYCOLIC ACID IS THE NATURAL DEODORANT THAT WORKS! THE INKEY LIST, REPLENIX AND MORE
I was on the hunt for something more convenient than a toner and the Replenix Gly/Sal 5-2 Pads were the perfect option. In fact, as I recall, they were the only legit Glycolic Acid pads on the market at the time. They’re convenient, affordable, and they really get the job done!
So I’ve been a real fan of Replenix for quite a while now. Over the last five years or so the brand has really taken off. Based on serious dermatological science, Replenix has introduced many powerful, pro-skin health products.
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SKINCARE HACKS: GLYCOLIC ACID IS THE NATURAL DEODORANT THAT WORKS!
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Among these is the Replenix Vitamin C Pro Collagen Serum. It’s a high-potency, Vitamin C-infused dry oil and a win for dry skin. With a 20% concentration of three forms of Vitamin C, it rivals the brightening and antioxidant potency of the goop beauty GOOPGLOW 20% Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Glow Serum which I reviewed earlier.
In the case of the Replenix Vitamin C Pro Collagen Serum, the 20% is achieved through a combination of three forms of Vitamin C: Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, and Ascorbic Acid — the purest form of Vitamin C.
With all that brightening power comes the ability to fade dark spots and unify an uneven skin tone. But Replenix didn’t stop there. The Vitamin C Pro Collagen Serum also contains Alpha-Arbutin and Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract — both known to brighten and even out the complexion.
The ideal complement for Vitamin C, Alpha-Arbutin in particular has been gaining in popularity, appearing in more and more skincare products intended to brighten and even out skin tone. You may be familiar with perhaps the most popular Alpha Arbutin serum on the market, The Ordinary’s Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA Hyperpigmentation Serum. It’s not exactly The Ordinary’s most popular product, but it’s quite a good brightening serum.
Extracted from the bearberry plant or made synthetically in the lab, Arbutin is a powerful antioxidant with the ability to even out skin tone and fade skin discolorations.
What is Alpha-Arbutin and What Does Alpha Arbutin Do to the Skin?
There’s a rather in-depth run-down on Alpha Arbutin by the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team. Here’s what they have to say about thew active’s unique benefits for dull, uneven skin.
Arbutin at a Glance
Antioxidant backed by research for fading discolorations and evening out tone
Can be derived naturally from plants (typically bearberry) or made synthetically
The pure natural form of arbutin is referred to as beta-arbutin
Synthetic versions (known as alpha-arbutin and deoxyarbutin) have been shown to be more effective
Colorless to faint yellow powder (as a raw material)
Arbutin Description
Arbutin is antioxidant that may be derived from plants (most commonly the bearberry plant) or made in a lab. The plant-derived form is known as beta-arbutin and the synthetic forms are alpha-arbutin and deoxyarbutin. Each is backed by research for addressing hyperpigmentation issues (i.e. fading dark spots and other discolorations), as well as improving skin’s overall radiance.
Arbutin’s main benefit comes from the fact that it naturally breaks down into hydroquinone (which is known to inhibit excess melanin). This allows it to even out skin tone and minimize blotchy/patchy spots that are caused by factors such as unprotected sun exposure.
Studies have shown the synthetic derivatives alpha-arbutin and deoxyarbutin are more effective in this regard than the pure natural form of beta-arbutin due to having better stability, longer efficacy, and no risk of sensitivity when exposed to human skin cells.
As a raw material, arbutin comes in powder form, with a colorless to faint yellow appearance.
The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety recognizes up to a 2% concentration of alpha-arbutin and 7% concentration of beta-arbutin as safe in facial skin care products.
Arbutin References
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, March 2021, ePublication
Phytotherapy Research, March 2021, ePublication
Molecules, September 2019, pages 1-9
PLoS One, May 2017, pages 1-19
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, February 2016, Pages 75-76
Phytochemistry Letters, September 2015, pages 35-40
BMC Biochemistry, October 2014, pages 15-23
Dermatologica Sinica, July 2014, pages 205-210
Applied Microbiol Biotechnology, 2012, pages 1,417–1,425
Archives of Pharmacal Research, March 2009, pages 1,308-1,309
Experimental Dermatology, August 2005, pages 601-608
With its silky dry oil texture and trifecta if skin brighteners — Vitamin C, Emblica and Alpha-Arbutin, the Replenix Vitamin C Pro Collagen Serum is a superb facial oil for treating numerous skin concerns, including dullness, uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation, dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles.
And, of course, as the name asserts, the high concentration of Vitamin C will, over time, help to stimulate skin’s production of collagen to plump skin and restore a youthful, cushiony quality.
What I like about it: The Replenix Vitamin C Pro Collagen Serum is an excellent brightening serum and perhaps one of the best anti-aging facial oils I’ve come across. It has the power to address a multitude of skin aging concerns.
What I don’t like about it: At $119, it’s quite expensive. That puts it out of reach of most skincare consumers. Is it worth it? That’s not for me to say. But I can say that at least you’re getting a well-formulated, pro-skin health anti-aging serum. In fact, it’s a much better product than the popular SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic — which at this point is a rather dated formula.
Who it’s for: All skin types, but especially dry or very dry skins.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Replenix Vitamin C Pro Collagen Serum for $119 here.
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The Ingredient List of the Algenist Blue Algae Vitamin C Skinclarity Brightening Serum:
sii|h 0 0, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, Ascorbic Acid aox|sb|buff, Triheptanoin emo, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract 
so|h, C13-15 Alkane solv|emo, Parachlorella Beijerinckii Exopolysaccharides, Biosaccharide Gum-1 so|h, Bakuchiol cci|aox|amic, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract aox|h, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch h|vc, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract emo, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil emo 0 0-2, Curcuma Longa Root Extract aox|so|sb|perf, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Salicylic Acid exf|aacne|so|pres, Tocopherol aox 0-3 0-3, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate vc, Sodium Citrate chel|buff, Phycocyanin aox, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil 
amic|perf, Tanacetum Vulgare Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate chel, Potassium Sorbate pres, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Phenoxyethanol pres, Sodium Salicylate pres, Linalool perf, Limonene perf|solvThe Ingredient List of the Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum:
sii|h 0 0, Propanediol solv|h, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate aox|aacne, Ascorbic Acid aox|sb|buff, Glutathione, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract so|h, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract aox|sb, Pleiogynium Timoriense Fruit Extract, Podocarpus Elatus Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice so|h, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Carbomer vc 0 1, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Phenoxyethanol pres, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Citric Acid buff, Hydroxyethylcellulose vc, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Beta-Glucan so|h, Potassium Sorbate pres, Hexylene Glycol solv|emu|perf|surf 0-1 0-2, Sorbitol h 0 0, Xanthan Gum vc, Algin vc 4 4, Benzoic Acid pres, Sorbic Acid pres, 1,2-Hexanediol solv, Sodium Benzoate pres, Disodium Phosphate buff, Gold col, Polysorbate 60 emu|surf, Sodium Phosphate buffThe Ingredient List of the goop beauty GOOPGLOW 20% Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Glow Serum:
aox|sb|buff, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Dimethyl Isosorbide solv|vc, Pentylene Glycol solv|h, Propanediol solv|h, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract aox|sb, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Ferulic Acid aox|amic, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract perf, Ziziphus Jujuba Seed Extract, Levan, Decyl Glucoside surf, Galactoarabinan aox, Sodium Citrate chel|buff, Xylitol h, Caprylic Acid surf|emu|perf 3 1, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Citric Acid buff, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Potassium Sorbate pres, Caprylyl Glycol h|emoThe Ingredient List of the Replenix Vitamin C Pro Collagen Serum:
aox|sb, Cyclopentasiloxane emo|solv, Trimethylsiloxysilicate emo, Ascorbyl Glucoside aox|sb, Ascorbic Acid aox|sb|buff, Alpha-Arbutin aox|sb, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract h, Ascorbic Acid/Orange/Citrus Limon/Citrus Aurantifolia Polypeptides, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi (Bearberry) Leaf Extract aox|sb, Ascorbyl Palmitate aox 0 2, Purified Water solv, Orange Terpenes, Phospholipids sii|emo, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Retinyl Palmitate cci 1-3 1-3, Superoxide Dismutase aox, Ubiquinone (Coq-10) aox, Phenoxyethanol presThe Ingredient List of the ALPHA-H Vitamin C With Grape Seed Serum:
h, Ethyl Ascorbic Acid aox|sb, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract aox|amic, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Sodium Citrate chel|buff, Citric Acid buff, Phenoxyethanol pres, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 vc, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract so|sb, Sodium Bisulfite aox|pres
