I tried Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skin – the lotion saved my sunburned face from peeling but the lip balm had a weird issue
I NEVER thought I’d say this, but Hailey Bieber saved me — specifically my skin.
I tried the A-lister’s Rhode Skin for a week, and my whole face would have shed like a snake from sun poisoning if it wasn’t for her $29 Barrier Restore Cream.
Between the June 2022 launch of the 26-year-old’s skincare brand and the recent “feud narrative” with her husband’s ex, Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber’s name has been everywhere — her face too.
When she isn’t posting up-close pictures of her fluffed eyebrows on Instagram, Hailey’s glazing her face under the Los Angeles sun with the products from her line.
The creative entrepreneur sold out all six of her skin essentials within an hour after her first few drops.
Fans craved her glossy glow, and Rhode Skin was their golden ticket to Hailey’s coveted bright and dewy look.
Though Allure’s Best of Beauty list confirmed the brand’s brilliance, I continued questioning the products’ worth and their effect on sensitive skin.
Plus, I’m not one to believe anything until I see it.
Luckily, the prices were right, and the website was stocked, so I “Rhode” the wave, and thank god I did.
I bought the $29 Barrier Restore Cream, the $29 Peptide Glazing Fluid, and the $16 Unscented Lip Treatment.
Unfortunately, the unscented treatment was the only one available.
If I had known how much the taste mattered, I would have waited until the salted caramel or watermelon was back, as I unintentionally ate some with every squirt.
Unlike Jeffree Star, I adored the smooth gray packaging. The products looked plain but naturally chic — an ode to Hailey’s style.
On its own, my skincare regimen is simple. I keep it clean and easy to ensure my face doesn’t react or result in a rash.
In the morning, I use The Ordinary’s $6 Niacinamide Serum, the $18 CeraVe face lotion, and the $48 Supergoop Glowscreen.
At night, I solely slather my face in Paula’s Choice $34 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant.
I was apprehensive about adding to my clean regimen, so I eased the products in slowly, swapping the CeraVe lotion for the Rhode cream at night.
Before rubbing in any of Hailey’s products, my skin was relatively clear, with no breakouts or major redness.
I was pale, but we can thank the long, cold winter for that.
The first product to hit my face was the Peptide Glazing Fluid. I took one pump and mixed it with my sunscreen.
A subtle sheerness washed over my complexion, leaving the high points of my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose glistening.
The smell was “unscented,” but the “no scent” reminded me of a berry hand soap.
In the beginning, I wasn’t sure whether the glazing fluid was meant to go on top of the moisturizer or underneath it.
I realized by the end of the first week that if I wanted the dewiness to last, it should be placed on top of the thick cream.
The glazing fluid looked the best underneath light concealer and cream blush.
My skin would shine almost like I had been sweating all day, without the smell or splotches.
I’ve tried a lot of different squirt lip glosses, lip balms, and chapsticks, but I’ve never liked one better than my trusty Aquaphor.
Anytime I feel the burn of dryness biting at the top of my lips, I pull out my Aquaphor, soothing them immediately.
With that being said, I scoffed at the idea that the Rhode Lip Treatment could be better, and it wasn’t.
The consistency wasn’t as thin or watery as I had assumed. My lips felt hydrated, and the slight stickiness would last for 45 minutes.
But I never felt the urge to pull it out and reapply as I do with Aquaphor.
The formula was hydrating. It was the applicator that turned me off.
Every time I’d lightly squeeze the tube, a wad of treatment would shoot out and curl into my mouth.
I may have liked how it felt, but I wasn’t a fan of the constant unforeseen “treat” on my tongue.
Halfway through the week, the condition of my skin drastically changed.
I landed in Punta Cana to start a long weekend vacation, and within the first hour of laying in the sun, I got sun poisoning all over my face.
I lit up like a ripe tomato, and it burned badly. I couldn’t sleep with my face on the pillow.
Hot flashes ran through my cheeks and made them plump up as if I had horrible injections. The pain was subdued by only Advil and aloe.
Until then, I had only been using the Barrier Restore Cream at night before bed because I thought it was too thick to wear during the day.
Too much on top of my skin would usually result in a breakout.
However, after I was burned, I needed all the moisture I could get.
Wednesday through Sunday, the Barrier Restore Cream was the only skincare product I used, aside from my cleanser and the occasional pump of the glazing fluid.
The thick consistency I was so afraid of ended up healing my sunburn and preventing the peeling.
My face didn’t flake until Saturday morning, and even then, it was light.
As soon as I noticed a dryness form on the crease of my nose and my temples, I put the cream all over.
Any rising flakes would get locked under the lotion instantly, leaving my skin smooth and hydrated.
If I had never saturated my skin in Mrs. Hailey Bieber’s lotion, I’m not sure my redness would have turned into the light bronze it is now.
I don’t think I’d spend the money on the lip treatment again, but I’ll be back for my new holy grail cream-fluid duo.
