Erin Lukas
In our series Trial Run, TZR editors and writers put the buzziest new beauty products to the test and share their honest reviews. This week, deputy beauty editor Erin Lukas is testing the buzzy Rhode Barrier Butter.
Unbothered. Moisturized. Happy. In my lane. Focused. Flourishing. I fully embodied this popular social media catchphrase until approximately 10 days ago when the weather in New York finally switched over to fall. The cooler temps and drier air quickly made my balanced, hydrated complexion flaky and dull. Yes, my seasonal allergies are getting the best of me, and even my skin is feeling the effects. It turns out, even if you’ve gone viral for your extremely dewy “glazed donut skin” your complexion needs an extra-strength moisturizing treatment every now and then. This is exactly why I imagine Hailey Bieber is launching Rhode’s Balm Butter mid-fall.
The latest addition to the brand’s skin care lineup — which also includes a cleanser, essence, serum, moisturizer, and lip balm — is intended to serve as the final moisturizing layer in your routine. It’s packed with a blend of ingredients that provides instant hydration, seals in moisture, and strengthens the skin barrier. Theoretically, it’s exactly what I need in my routine to rebalance my skin right now. So I swapped my moisturizer for Barrier Butter for four days ahead of its launch.
Below, you’ll discover how Bieber’s new product fared against my weather-worn skin. Plus, get an in-depth breakdown of the formula.
Barrier Butter
Rhode
Make this rich balm the last step of your routine to lock in moisture and strengthen the skin barrier for a softer, smoother complexion.
Fast Facts
Price: $38Size: 5 fl oz/150 mLClean/Cruelty-Free: YesBest For: Those with chronically dry skin or seasonal dryness Ingredient Highlights: Hyaluronic acid complex, polyglutamic acid, murumuru butter, ceramide NPWhat We Like: Softens skin overnight; doesn’t feel greasyWhat We Don’t Like: So far, so goodRating: 5/5How TZR Keeps Score: 1/5: Making a return; 2/5: Keeping as a backup; 3/5: Finishing to the last drop; 4/5: Recommending to my group texts; 5/5: Already on auto-replenish
The Formula
Bieber’s signature “glazed donut skin” has become the cornerstone of Rhode’s product formulas — the entire line is designed to nourish and moisturize your skin, with any additional benefits serving as a bonus. However, sometimes your complexion needs a little extra reinforcement, which is why Barrier Butter has been added into the mix. The decadent balm instantly hydrates while simultaneously locking in moisture and strengthening the skin barrier to improve texture and softness over time. Its all-star lineup of ingredients includes a complex of five weights of hyaluronic acid to hydrate both on and below the surface of the skin, polyglutamic acid (PHA) to plump and help retain moisture, murumuru butter to seal in said moisture and prevent transepidermal water loss, and finally, ceramide NP, a skin-identical lipid that aids in reinforcing the barrier. Barrier Butter is dermatologist-tested, non-comedogenic, and has the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance, so it’s safe for all skin types.
Rhode recommends using Barrier Butter at night as the last step in your skin care routine. It also recommends using it wherever you need it beyond your face, whether that’s your elbows, hands, cuticles…you get the idea.
Courtesy of Casey Zhang/Rhode
My Typical Nighttime Skin Care Routine
While I don’t have year-long dry skin, I find many gel cleansers to be too stripping because they make my face feel tight. So I’ll use a cream-based formula like Tatcha’s The Rice Wash. Three nights out of the week I’ll exfoliate with Biologqiue Recherche’s P50 PIGM 400. The gentler version of the cult-favorite super-charged toner still balances your skin’s pH level, regulates oil production, and declogs pores, but also works to treat dark spots and uneven tone. Aside from preventing fine lines and wrinkles, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from the occasional hormonal breakouts I experience is my main skin concern. The other four nights I’m not exfoliating, I’ll use Shani Darden’s Retinol Reform. This vitamin A serum is effective for tackling signs of aging without any of the ingredient’s infamous side effects. Next, I’ll finish things off with a rich, brightening eye cream — I currently love Skinmedica’s Instant Bright Eye Cream — and a cream-based moisturizer packed with plumping peptides.
My Experience & Results
My skin has been going through it this past week. With fall in full gear, my seasonal allergies are acting up which, in addition to congested sinuses and burning eyes, has caused me to wake up with dry patches on my face, specifically around my eyes and nose. I typically deal with these symptoms with each season change. So in addition to taking Zyrtec with my morning supplements, I make some tweaks to my skin care routine. At the first sign of dryness, I stop using my exfoliating toner and retinol serum and switch my moisturizer to a rich, occlusive one. And this is where Barrier Butter comes in.
After cleansing, I’ve been slathering this rich moisturizer all over, applying a little extra to where my skin is flaking. The thick balm-like texture blends in nicely and, despite its name, doesn’t make my face feel like it’s layered in heavy grease. When I woke up after the first night of using it as the sole product in my routine, I was surprised to see the flaking around my eyes was completely gone. I also noticed my skin felt softer overall. I still had a bit of dryness around my nose, but on the second morning it had vanished. By my fourth application of Butter Balm, my face looked restored to its original state.
My skin before. | Courtesy of Erin LukasMy skin after three applications of Barrier Butter. | Courtesy of Erin Lukas
In addition to applying this balm at night, it also served as daytime moisturizer a couple of times. I only did this when I knew I wasn’t going to be wearing any makeup, as the thick texture might cause some products to pill.
Is Rhode’s Barrier Butter Worth It?
My skin went from chaotic to moisturized and unbothered in a mere few days when I added Butter Balm to my routine, which makes it a win in my books. So whether you have year-round dry skin or suffer from it during the colder weather, this product would be an excellent swap when you’re in need of extra moisture. Plus, the stacked ingredient list, elegant texture, and size of the bottle make it worth the $38 price point alone.
