Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment has a 4-million-person waitlist. I got mine after two months — and immediately side-eyed my $5 Aquaphor.
The real test? Wearing it through a dry plane ride and a day of talking on camera. One cracked by hour three. The other didn’t.
It’s $16 for 0.35 oz. The brand claims it’s a “treatment,” not a gloss — peptides and shea butter instead of just petrolatum.
Peptide complex
Says it plumps lips over time — not instantly, not dramatically.
Shea + cupuaçu butter
Melts on contact. No greasy slick.
Squalane
Locks moisture in without that filmy Aquaphor shine.
Photo: Poko Skincare / Unsplash
Aquaphor is one ingredient: petrolatum. Rhode has six actives. But more isn’t always better — here’s what’s pulling weight.
- Peptides: Signal skin to hold water — subtle plumping over weeks
- Shea butter: Deep moisture that stays put
- Cupuaçu butter: Thicker than cocoa butter, less sticky
- Squalane: Mimics your skin’s natural oils — absorbs in 10 seconds
Photo: pmv chamara / Unsplash
First swipe: thick, but not tacky. Sits like a balm, feels like a gloss. No sticky hair situation.
Week two: my lips stopped peeling. But I also noticed it wears off faster than Aquaphor — you’ll reapply every 90 minutes vs. every 3 hours.
Photo: Rosa Rafael / Unsplash
My lips were softer by day 4. Less flaking by day 7. But the “plumping” is a slow, barely-there thing — don’t expect filler effects.
Photo: Alexandra Tran / Unsplash
Rhode is better for daily wear. Aquaphor is better for damage control. Keep both in rotation — one’s your day job, the other’s the night shift.