I tried the Peptide Lip Treatment from Rhode for a week.

I am a skeptic when it comes to celebrity-owned skincare and cosmetic brands. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I slipped the unscented Peptide Lip Treatment into my bag as I rushed out of my apartment to work in the morning. I quickly put a layer of it on my lips while in the elevator.

What's in a peptide lip treatment? Peptides are a star ingredient for skincare products because these amino acids provide building blocks for proteins the skin needs, for example, collagen and elastin. If you've used a moisturizer that touts peptides as a key ingredient, the product claim would be for firmer and younger-looking skin. Now, take peptides and put it into a lip treatment, and the hope is you end up with plump and soft lips.

Of course, I had to put this to the test, so I tried it for a week to see if it would have any impact on my dry, cracked lips.

I was super busy the first day I tried the lip treatment, and I forgot to refill the humidifier in my office. Without my humidifier, I was sitting in a heated room with little moisture, which tends to dry out my skin and lips, even if I drank a ton of water throughout the day.

However, despite talking extensively in several meetings and drinking water from the morning into the early afternoon, I was surprised that my lips stayed soft and supple. No lines, cracks, or even a tad of discomfort from dryness. Could the lip treatment actually works?

I've tried many other lip treatments and creams, but they were either too sticky or film-like (I guess the texture is perceived to retain moisture better?) or didn't last and prompted multiple reapplications.

I only reapplied it well past 5PM, and even then, my lips were still fine!

Later that evening, I decided that instead of using my other overnight lip treatment, Laneige's lip mask (which is also quite magical because you will wake up with super moisturized, soft lips) I would try the Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment and leave it on overnight to see what happens.

When I woke up the next day, it had all been absorbed, but I was happy to see that my lips weren't dry from the heat in my home. I consistently used the lip treatment for the following six days, and I'm happy to report that my lips look healthier, plumper, and much softer. The only downside was I couldn't really wear it with my matte lip glosses because the treatment has a glossy sheen. Otherwise, I have no complaints about the Rhode lip treatment. The unscented product has worked well for me, so I will try out the watermelon slice flavour since it sounds like the perfect summer scent!

Photography by Florence Leung