It’s hard to overstate the buzz surrounding Rhode. In May, Hailey Bieber sold her viral skin-care line to E.l.f. Beauty in a deal reportedly worth $1 billion, following the brand’s meteoric rise in just three years. Last month, Rhode arrived at Sephora. This week, Rhode launched wait-listed Peptide Eye Prep under-eye patches, which Bieber has been teasing on her feed for months.
When I look at the parade of line-free Gen-Z faces proclaiming their love for Rhode (and their glassy, “glazed donut” skin), I ask myself: Am I too old for this stuff? If you’re over 40 (like me) and more concerned with minimizing fine lines and staving off droop than you are with looking like you have mirrored dolphin skin, is Rhode even worth trying?
I put five Rhode products to the test.
Glazing Milk
I’ve been using Glazing Milk underneath my serum and moisturizer, and it feels like it’s adding an extra layer of hydration. It also effectively decreases redness, which I get especially in colder weather. (Apparently, that is due to the ingredient beta-glucan and ceramides, which are fundamental to a healthy skin barrier and become “increasingly important as natural production decreases with age,” says dermatologist Pooja Rambhia, M.D., of New York’s UnionDerm.) My favorite way to use it, though, is to mix it in with foundation — it gives it a soft, reflective quality and helps it to look fresh all day.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Barrier Restore Cream
I tried this for over a month, and I found that this was too lightweight for my skin, mostly because I’m one of those people who cannot get a rich enough moisturizer. It is a nice-feeling formula, though, and would probably be good for those who don’t have dry skin. Los Angeles–based board-certified dermatologist Maryam Safaee says that bisabolol, a derivative of chamomile, is a particularly smart inclusion for mature skin: “It’s calming and helps reduce irritation, which becomes more common as skin gets thinner or more reactive.” But if your current moisturizer makes your skin feel greasy or congested, this could be a gentle upgrade.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Rhode Barrier Restore Cream
Barrier Butter
I tested Rhode’s Barrier Butter on top of my other skin care before bed and loved how it trapped in moisture overnight so that my skin felt plush and glow-y when I woke up. During the day, it felt a little too salve-like, especially under makeup, but I think I will love it in January when my skin gets extra dehydrated. I’ve found that it’s also a win for flaky elbows and heels. “It contains five molecular weights of hyaluronic acid,” says Dr. Rambhia. “Which together hydrate multiple layers of skin.” Dr. Safaee added: “It also has murumuru butter, which is especially helpful for mature skin that’s prone to dryness or irritation.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
Peptide Lip Treatment
I love how thick but non-sticky this stuff is, but I can only handle the unscented version. I do not want my lips to smell like salted caramel or watermelon — maybe that’s an age thing? Plus, the marketing — Pop Art–hued ads with glazed doughnuts, jellied toast, and sugar-covered cherries — makes it look like Juicy Tubes 2.0 for tweens. That’s definitely an age thing. But even if you’re old enough to remember Juicy Tubes, I did find this to be an effective product for my lips, mostly because it made them look plumper and decreased the look of lines. “It’s intensely hydrating, with butters, oils, and lactic acid to smooth texture, plus palmitoyl tripeptide-1 to increase collagen and fullness,” says Safaee.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Peptide Eye Prep
Now for the latest product: Rhode’s new de-puffing eye patches. I got these ahead of the launch and must say they are pleasantly cooling when applied and erase under-eye baggage almost instantaneously, thanks to a hit of caffeine (albeit momentarily). I tried them after a night of poor sleep, and they felt incredibly refreshing — even without refrigeration. They are infused with a tetrapeptide specifically calibrated to improve the look of dark circles. But best of all? They aren’t slimy or gloopy and stay exactly where you put them for the full (recommended) 15 minutes. I find that a lot of under-eye masks slide down to my chin in seconds, so I loved that these stayed on so well.
New! You can now save this product for later.
My key takeaways:
Overall, what I learned is that the “glazed-donut” skin Rhode helped make famous isn’t just a TikTok aesthetic — it’s the visible effect of an optimally hydrated, well-sealed barrier. When the skin’s lipid matrix is intact and water loss is minimized, light reflects evenly off the surface, creating that smooth, glazed finish. This happens almost instantly when you are under 30. But when you are over 40, you need (a lot) of help there. Sigh.
But in my case, I noticed that by using the Rhode products, I was very hydrated and my skin barrier looked noticeably more robust. (Honestly, I usually use Crème de la Mer — a much more pricey and “grown-up” option— for that.) So, for moisture and glow, I would say Rhode’s formulations would be a solid choice for any age skin. Especially given the price point, which is significantly cheaper than La Mer.
But Rhode’s youthful minimalism does have limits. Like its lack of any hardworking anti-aging actives. The big one: retinoids, the gold standard for boosting collagen and smoothing fine lines. Neither retinol nor retinaldehyde appear in any Rhode formula. Also missing is vitamin C, a potent anti-oxidant that brightens and firms skin while repairing sun damage. And, perhaps most important, Rhode doesn’t yet offer a broad-spectrum sunscreen — arguably the single most essential anti-aging product of all. (Linda Watkins, 85, wrote in to say she uses Rhode because it doesn’t include retinoids or vitamin C, which both break her skin out.)
“A retinoid and a stronger anti-oxidant would make the line more attractive to a mature-skin audience,” says Dr. Safaee. “Rhode is an excellent base, but you’ll want to pair it with those actives for a complete routine.” Noted!
Send your questions to AskABeautyEditor@nymag.com. (By emailing, you agree to the terms here.)