I Tried 8 Peptide Lip Treatments — & The Cheapest Was The Winner

Take a closer look at some of today's hottest beauty products, and you’ll likely find peptides front and center in the ingredients list. These buzzy amino acids — which promote hydration and collagen production — have been making their way into everything from lightweight moisturizers to viral cream blushes, but their most exciting role might be in lip treatments.

“The skin on your lips is very thin and delicate and can be prone to dehydration,” says consultant dermatologist Dr. Milena Al Mansuri. “Peptides are therefore great for lips because they help to strengthen the barrier, which in turn helps to lock moisture in; they can also help protect your lips from damaging environmental factors such as the sun and wind,” she explains. (Adding a top layer of sun protection is still essential for your lips, as UV rays can break down collagen.)

But here’s the catch: Peptide lip products can be pricy due to the advanced research and technologies behind their formulations. Most cost between $15 and $30, which is quite steep considering you can buy a drugstore lip balm for around $5.

Intrigued — and in the name of providing fair and honest reviews — I decided to put eight of the most popular peptide lip treatments to the test to see which ones truly deliver on their promises. Spoiler alert: one contender totally blew me away — and it’s only $8.

Described as a “nourishing lip layer” by founder Hailey Bieber, this TikTok-viral bestseller arguably kicked off the peptide lip product craze when it launched in 2022. I’m a late bloomer when it comes to embracing the Rhode hype, but this treatment made a great first impression. It adds a shiny, non-sticky glaze that sits atop my lips for hours. The consistency is my second-favorite among all the products I’ve tried. Besides the titular ingredient, the formula also features cupuaçu (a type of cacao fruit that maintains skin elasticity) and babassu (an antioxidant that also hydrates the skin).

Some of my initial enthusiasm faded with repeated use. The vanilla scent was very yummy at first, but I got tired of it after using it for a couple of weeks, as it reminded me of artificial sweeteners. (There is an unscented version of the treatment, and all the Rhode Lip Tints are unscented.) While the texture feels soft and conditioning when I apply it, I don’t find that it moisturizes my lips that much in the long term; I can still feel my lips craving moisture a few hours later, and it does little to heal gritty, flaky skin. I think it’s a bit overhyped, but it’d be a good fit for someone already blessed with well-hydrated lips who wants a coat of long-lasting shine and a side of dessert-inspired fragrance.

Paula’s Choice is aiming for a piece of that peptide hype with its two new launches: The Pro-Collagen Peptide Moisturizer (which I enjoyed) and this gloss balm. Out of all the squeezy tube lip products I tested for this story, I liked the applicator on this one the most. It has a slightly curved tip that hugs the contours of the lips, making it easier to disperse just the right amount of product I need. It has a faint, sweet aroma that reminds me of cakes.

A lot of science has gone into the formula, namely three types of peptides — tridecapeptide-1, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, and palmitoyl tripeptide-38. I asked Dr. Emma Cunningham, medical director at Dr. Emma Clinics, to explain their benefits: “Tripeptide has three amino acids [the building blocks of proteins] and is great for general skin repair, improving hydration and strengthening the skin barrier,” she says. “It’s smaller, so it absorbs quickly and works quickly.” I can confirm that it works well, as I wake up with softer and more hydrated lips when I’ve slathered this treatment on before bed. My only gripe? It is quite expensive, and I fear I might go through the whole rube rather quickly.

I have Suni Lee to thank for discovering this gem. The Olympic gold medalist shouted out the product as part of her go-to lip combo last summer, and it has since sold out many times over. I tried the citrus flavor and loved the subtle shimmer it imparts. In addition to peptides, it’s enriched with kokum butter and mango seed butter, which add moisture to the lips. This is the most instantly hydrating treatment out of the bunch, but the texture is a bit too sticky for my liking. The brand says this can be applied over lip color to add extra shine, but it already feels like wearing a heavy coat on its own. I will likely save this one for when it’s brutally cold and my lips are very dry.

I had high hopes for this product, given how much our beauty director Jacqueline Kilikita loves The Inkey List. It’s formulated with a 6% tripeptide complex, which promises to smooth out fine lines on the lips, along with plumping and softening benefits. The product has a similar texture to a lip oil and doesn’t irritate when I glide it across the cracked parts of my lips. I do notice my lips looking a bit fuller and more defined after a week, but I likely won’t finish the whole tube for one reason alone: it left a bitter, medicinal aftertaste. The product transferred easily, and I can always taste it as it seeps into the corners of my mouth.

This product is compared to Laneige’s viral Lip Sleeping Mask a lot, and after trying both, I would say that they are pretty much neck-and-neck, but thanks to the peptides, this lip smoothie leaves my lips feeling more pillowy soft the next morning. I’ll say that the moisturizing benefits aren’t all that noticeable on their own, but it does dial up the efficacy of a lip serum or lip mask when you layer it on top (my favorite pairing has been Chanel’s Hydra Beauty Lip Serum). It seals in all the goodness, and I love the apple scent and barely-there texture. However, at this price point, it hasn't impressed me enough, and I have to layer it with another product to get the best results. Its airy, whipped texture is a better fit for summer, especially since it contains vitamin C, an antioxidant that enhances sun protection.

This one is a sleeper hit that should be TikTok-viral, especially given the affordable price. I tried Ice, a clear color that adds a subtle pearly luster to my lips. It’s like wearing a Y2K-inspired shiny lip gloss without any of the stickiness. My lips feel instantly softer, with a moisturizing top layer that lingers long after I wipe the product off. I attribute this to squalane, an emollient that draws moisture to the skin, alongside nourishing peptides, vitamin E, and avocado oil. It has been my go-to product for prepping my lips before makeup, as it does a remarkable job at smoothing over the cracks, and I’m so drawn to the light grapefruit scent. This one gets an A+ from me: I simply don’t get sick of this product and can’t wait to try the tinted versions.

This is the perfect SOS treatment for when your lips are raw and irritated. Packed with ceramides, an ingredient I always look for in my moisturizer, it creates a protective barrier on the lips while working overtime to repair the cracks underneath. The bright yellow color comes from sea buckthorn oil, an antioxidant that helps reduce hyperpigmentation and inflammation. I have this next to me when I work from home, and I love the feeling of the cushiony balm over my lips. It proved its worth when my partner recently came home from a ski trip with severely chapped and scaly lips. He popped on this lip balm, and the flakiness disappeared overnight.

Given how often I use peptides, squalane, and hyaluronic acid in my skincare, I had high hopes for this one, which contains all three ingredients. The texture appears semi-coagulated, making it a bit too chunky to squeeze out of the tube, but it melts into a nourishing oil once on my lips. I did some research on the product’s Sephora page, and the hard texture seems to be a common complaint after a recent reformulation; some even find the product gritty once applied on the lips, but I didn’t feel any clumps. The product does a good job at making my lips bouncier and softer, but the ointment-like texture means that you really feel it weighing on your lips for hours on end.