An Honest Ranking Of Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Products

To say that the Rhode beauty products, created by Hailey Rhode Bieber, are a hot commodity would be an understatement. You saw the launch party at Krispy Kreme in Times Square, both Biebers and NYC’s most followed influencers in attendance. Maybe you’re trying to decide whether the hype is real or if it’s that marketing budget and Bieber’s naturally good skin — which, of course, is not exclusively to the credit of a serum — that’s causing the commotion.

Since the launch of Rhode, I’ve been using all the products — the brand-new pineapple cleanser, glazing milk (essence), serum, moisturizer, and every flavor of the Peptide Lip Treatment (both tinted and untinted) — and I’ve gotten a lot of questions about whether or not I like them. Mostly, I’d say that all are very well-designed. Honestly, I like what Bieber did here.

To be candid, I was gifted the full Rhode collection, as a part of my job. However, I attest that the price point is an important factor to start with, because it’s not a barrier to entry: Everything is under $30. After trying the $200 creams, Bieber decided that the mark-up wasn’t worth it. “There’s a lot of PR surrounding skin care that makes you think that when something has a big price tag on it, it’s supposed to do something way more significant than something that’s affordable — in my experience, that just wasn’t true,” Bieber explains. Because the “high-end expensive stuff” wasn’t giving Bieber what she wanted — glowing, clear skin all the time — she started analyzing ingredients. “You can have amazing and effective products that are still affordable, and that’s what I wanted to do with the brand: make amazing formulas with ingredients that I love and that I had seen work for me.”

So, let’s get into the formulas and what’s most worth it.

Rhode Pineapple Refresh Cleanser, $28

Out of everything Rhode has done, I was most skeptical of this cleanser. At first it just seemed boring. Then I thought, why did you have to put pineapple in there? Well, the ingredient callout is actually pineapple enzymes, which serve as a gentle, natural exfoliant in this cleanser, it also lends a very subtle yellow color to the gel, but that’s barely perceptible once you start rubbing it in. I was wrong about it being boring: This cleanser is simple, yes, but extremely effective. I’m usually a double-cleanse girl — Bieber used to be, too — but with this face wash, I’m one and done.

I emulsify the gel between my (dampened) hands before spreading it all over my face (Rhode shared a helpful demo on IG). While I’m usually not into gel cleansers, this is one of the softest I’ve ever used, likely because of the polyglutamic acid in the formula that helps the skin retain moisture. Not for nothing, I really enjoy the process of washing my face with this cleanser. I rub it in for a minute and there’s a lather but it’s not soapy, more a milky emulsion. Most importantly, my skin feels balanced afterwards — soft and clean — I pat dry and go straight into my essence step.

Rhode Glazing Milk, $30

This was my favorite skincare launch of last summer. I prioritize lightweight layers of hydration, making skin milk the first and most enjoyable part of my layering routine. There’s no actual milk in here — just ceramides (fatty acids that help the skin retain moisture), magnesium (to reduce skin inflammation), and beta glucan (a hydrator akin to hyaluronic acid). But it looks and feels milky. The texture is a bit thicker and more substantial than a face mist or water essence, but lighter than a serum.

I shake the bottle upside down and let a few drops of the milk land in my palm. Then I rub my palms together and press them into my face. It’s soothing and my skin drinks it up instantly. I love the ritual almost as much as the results; it leaves my skin super dewy. I’d take the glazing milk over the rhode serum or moisturizer, maybe even the Peptide Lip Treatment, but let’s talk about those.

Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment, $16

Honestly, I was surprised that Bieber launched Rhode with a lip treatment. (I initially assumed it was a simple lip gloss — it’s not.) However, after meeting Bieber in the flesh, I understood. This might be weird to say, but her lips are plump and shiny. Plus, she told me that she “can’t handle dry lips,” and so a lip balm of sorts was important to her.

Out of all three Rhode products, this Peptide Lip Treatment has the most reviews, so far (over 10K). And if I were to recommend one single Rhode skin-care product, this would be it. I use it all the time. I carry it around with me and it keeps my lips hydrated and a little glossy. My recent lip combo has been a lip stain (like Benefit’s Benetint) for color, with a little bit of Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment over the top. It comes in four different flavors: Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Watermelon, and Unscented. Mine and Bieber’s favorite is the Salted Caramel; it smells a little like Cinnabon, so you have to like having a sugar smell on your lips.

It’s thicker than a gloss but more viscous than a Laneige Sleeping Mask, but I prefer this Rhode formula because I can squeeze it from the tube instead of digging my fingernails into a jar. Of course, I assume that’s a big plus for Hailey, too, since people are still talking about Rhode and her manicure with equal enthusiasm.

Rhode Peptide Lip Tint, $16

Then there’s the tinted version. Our Refinery29 beauty team was so excited with this launch — we felt the lack of tint in original formula was a missed opportunity. We loved it so much we awarded it one of the 29 best and most innovative beauty products of 2023. R29 senior affiliate writer Karina Hoshikawa dubbed it the Goldilocks of tinted lip products: “It imparts the perfect kiss of color, and has the same slick, hydrating texture of the clear version.” Personally, I’m partial to the shade Ribbon, a sheer pink, although Raspberry Jelly definitely has more color payoff.

Rhode Peptide Glazing Fluid, $30

The serum is a gel-based formula — kind of like a glaze — so a bit heavier than a watery liquid that would come in a dropper. I do two pumps on my fingers and rub it into my skin. It feels nice and refreshing. You know when you sometimes put on a serum and you feel it tightening your skin? This is not that; it’s super gentle. The formula is made up of peptides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and marula oil — so nothing that would cause an adverse reaction on my dry skin, or anyone else’s, probably.

It was a seamless addition to my simplified summer skin-care routine: I splash my face with cold water, then use the Glazing Milk, Peptide Glazing Fluid, and the Barrier Repair Cream (which we’ll get to). I only use it in the morning, because I’m using actives at night, but I suppose you could use it at night as well.

What makes this serum interesting, in my opinion, is that Bieber uses it after makeup, too. In a TikTok video, she shows how she uses it after makeup — pumps it on the back of her hand and bounces it over her cheeks with a Beautyblender — almost like a liquid highlight, to add an extra dewy finish to her glam. I’ve tried the off-label approach. Midday, I put more Glazing Fluid just on my cheekbones and under my eyes. It worked to refresh my concealer and make my makeup look less makeup-y, but I’d probably only recommend that to someone with dry skin that’s prone to creasing.

I do have one con though, and it’s the bottle. For me, it’s a little big and clunky and not ideal for traveling (though, it’s TSA safe, 50 mL). Also, there’s not a ton of glazing fluid in the bottle. I ran out of serum pretty quickly, in less than three weeks, so I’d recommend a once-a-day application to avoid having to repurchase immediately.

Rhode Barrier Restore Cream, $30

Bieber calls this the “BRC”, but you can think of it as a simple, no-frills, unscented moisturizer. Like the serum, its purpose is to soothe and hydrate. It’s made with peptides, fatty acids, squalane, and more niacinamide.

Why is niacinamide in the Peptide Glazing Fluid and the Barrier Repair Cream? Bieber says that it’s the single ingredient that made the biggest improvement in her skin, in texture and tone, which is why she put it in both. For context, niacinamide is essentially a form of vitamin B3 that can curb excess oil, minimize the appearance of pores, and soothe acne flare ups. The other ingredients mixed in the cream — peptides, fatty acids, squalane — provide hydration and do the barrier repairing.

I use the BRC in the morning, directly after the Glazing Fluid and before my sunscreen. Do I think it’s the best or most hydrating day cream I’ve ever put on my face? Nah, but it does its job at making my skin dewy and keeping it that way through the day. Again, for a simple, lightweight moisturizer, the price is a factor — in this economy, probably pay ballpark $29 at CVS. Also, unlike the Peptide Glazing Fluid, the Barrier Repair Cream is loaded in its tube. After three weeks, I still have a little bit left, which I’m surprised about because its about the size of a hand cream.

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