Index / Paula's Choice / Pro-Collagen Peptide Gloss Balm
Paula's Choice

Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Gloss Balm.

About this product

A glossy lip balm with peptides, shea butter and castor seed oil, designed to hydrate lips and give them a plumped, shiny look.

Full ingredients

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polybutene, Diisostearyl Malate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Glyceryl Behenate, Synthetic Beeswax, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Tridecapeptide-1, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract, Portulaca Pilosa Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Aqua/​Water/​Eau, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Lactic Acid, Tocopherol, Sucrose Cocoate, Vanillin, Red 7 Lake

More from Paula's Choice 49 products · Guru Score 89% →

Guru Score

91%

Yay

3 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

Plumpness shows up within minutes, according to a few gurus, and the gloss leaves lips soft and shiny without feeling sticky. Some find it works well at night, since it sinks in while you sleep, and a little goes a long way. Watch the scent, as a light vanilla note comes through for some, and price is a sticking point for a couple who call it expensive.
Synthesized from 3 expert reviews · most recent take September 2026

What they liked

  • Plumps lips within minutes
  • Shine without stickiness
  • Very hydrating texture

What they flagged

  • Expensive for a lip balm
  • Light vanilla fragrance
  • Less shine than some rivals

Type

Key actives

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Opens a store search. We may earn from these links.

Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
✓Yay
"This is probably my third tube of it and I have two more tubes as backup. [...] A friend was asking me about it when she was getting [...] fine lines around her mouth, and I told her to try this one. She'd been using Carmex [...] her entire life, and once she switched from Carmex to something with good ingredients in there, it really made a huge difference. She's sold more people on this lip balm than I have, and the fact that she loves it says something because she's kind of picky."
Top Pick: lip balm
All 16 takes from No BS Beauty
Evening Firming & Anti-Aging Skincare Routine🌙🌜 Dry Sensitive Skin
"I love this one. It's really nice for your lips. It feels so plumping. It has no real taste to it and it gives you a nice glossy finish. So I love this one for morning routine and evening routine."
Lip Balms for Anti-Aging & Plump More Youthful Lips 👄 The Best Moisturizing Balms for Dry Lips!
"Peptides are great for so many different things. They may help with anti-aging, so if you notice fine lines around your mouth, peptides certainly aren't a bad thing. I'd probably also go with retinoids around your mouth area, because that can never hurt. Copper peptides are great, too. [...] I'll give you a look at the plum shade too. They have a set where I can get both of them. Here is the plum shade, [...] which is just a really nice color. I'll put it on, since my lips are dry anyway."
Empties - August Skincare & Beauty Products I've Finished This Month
"Next up, Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Gloss Balm. I like this one. This is what I finished. [...] This is the one I use at night."
CYBER MONDAY 2025 Skincare and Beauty Deals and Recommendations
"I actually really like this lip balm. I love this one. They have a deal on a set of two, one clear and one with a light pink tint. You can pick the set up for, I think, 28 bucks, so not too bad. I've ended up liking the clear one a little bit better, [...] really nice. The light pink version is very light. [...] It gives you a little bit of color, but not too much."
Peptide Lip Balm Favorites - Can Lip Products Be Beneficial for Anti-Aging?
"I believe this is a vegan lip treatment. It doesn't necessarily specifically say so, but it might be vegan. I'm going to put it on because it's a new one. It has a glossy finish. It's not terribly sticky, but it does give lips a bit of a shine. There's no flavor, and it gives a nice shine for daytime or nighttime use. I would say this one is more geared towards gentlemen, because it's not as shiny or glossy looking."
Peptide Rich Skincare Routine for Day & Evening - Anti-Aging Ingredient Focused Routine
"Paula's Choice has one. This one contains shea butter, castor seed oil, and two different peptides. I resisted buying this one because it was so expensive."
Anti-Aging Morning Routine - New Skincare from Numbuzin, Nano Recipe! Body Care Hydrating Products
"I wonder if there'll ever be a mascara that I'll find that I like more than this, actually. It's probably going to be very impossible to find, because I really stopped trying new ones, but maybe I should try some new ones. And then, last but not least, for lips I'm just going with a little bit of the Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Lip Balm Lip Gloss Balm. It has a light vanilla scent."
Evening Skincare Routine - Lux Products - Over the Top Dry, Sensitive "Bougie" Routine
"I guess I'm going to go with it, because I've been using a lot of the Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Gloss Balm. It's pretty nice. Nowadays this brand probably does qualify as bougie, because they're freaking expensive."
Best New Skincare Products of 2025 💕💗 My Favorite New Skin Care of the Year
"It was a surprise. At first I saw it release and I thought, "Oh, it's kind of expensive." But it's actually on sale right now if you check the link below. [...] It's normally 23 bucks, I think, but right now it's on sale for a little bit less. Or they have a set with this shade, which is plum I think, Pro-Collagen Deep Plum, so they have one where there's a set, too. I like it because there's no taste to it. I apply it before bed, and it kind of sinks in while I'm sleeping."
Quick Morning Skin, Hair, and Makeup Routine - My Speedy Skincare Routine for Spring
"Just going with the [Paula's Choice] Proeptide Pro Collagen Peptide Lip Gloss Balm"
My Top 13 Current Skincare Product Favorites 💪 Best for Firming, Plumping, & Fighting Fine Lines
"It's just a really nice lip balm. It has no taste to it, and it leaves lips feeling nice and hydrated. [...] I always put it on in the morning and before bed. Sometimes if I have a water, I'll drink a little bit of that water throughout the night, and I'll have a little bit of lip balm on the bottle, and it'll refresh my lips. So I don't have to keep one on the nightstand, but this one's really nice. I love peptides in any form, in any product. It's absolutely wonderful."
June EMPTIES!!!
"I absolutely love this lip balm. I'm a big Summer Fridays lip balm fan, but this stuff almost blew it out of the water, it's just so lightweight. I've already got my backup of it, this is my second or third tube of it. It has a light vanilla taste that goes away almost immediately, and it leaves my lips feeling nice and soft, especially after I go to the dentist when my lips get super dry. This stuff was great, highly recommend it. However expensive it is, it was worth every penny."
July Empties - Skincare & Beauty Products I've Finished This Month
"I absolutely love this stuff, I cannot travel without it. It really feels nice on my lips. I'm prone to getting cracks, especially after I get my teeth cleaned, [...] I think they call it angular cheilitis, [...] and this stuff soothes it, heals it, and calms it almost instantly. [...] If I had to do my top [...] five favorite lip balms right now, this would probably be number one at the moment."
New Cosrx, I'm From, Peach Slices, Wishtrend Skincare Routine & First Impressions Trial
"This is the Paula's Choice Pro Collagen Peptide Gloss Balm and I love this stuff. It's a winner. It just makes my lips feel so hydrated and soft, with no taste, nothing like that. I love it, it's so nice."
Testing My First Sun Water SPF 50 🆕 New Skincare From CeraVe, Iunik, TirTir & More Morning Skincare
"I'm using the Paula's Choice Pro Collagen Peptide Lip Balm. I love this stuff. I just love how it has no taste at all. It gives lips a really nice kind of glossy finish that just looks natural."
Monthly Skincare & Beauty Favorites 🤩 What Products I've Used Most This Month
"This is probably my third tube of it and I have two more tubes as backup. [...] A friend was asking me about it when she was getting [...] fine lines around her mouth, and I told her to try this one. She'd been using Carmex [...] her entire life, and once she switched from Carmex to something with good ingredients in there, it really made a huge difference. She's sold more people on this lip balm than I have, and the fact that she loves it says something because she's kind of picky."
✓Yay
"A lip peptide I absolutely swear by is from Paula's Choice. It has the right kind of peptides in it, unlike a lot of lip peptide products, especially for lips, that use junk peptides, this is not junk. It's 30% off, the cheapest you'll find it all year from any website, an actual great deal. [...] If you put this on your lips before bed several nights in a row, you'll fix damaged lips and they'll become soft and supple. I swear by this stuff."
✓Yay
"It's just clear, basically. I like to apply this several times throughout the day, and I also like to apply it before bed. It's a nice product to use on top of lipsticks and lip liners too, and it just gives that nice juicy, plump look. Within a couple of minutes you do feel that little plumpness on your lips. It doesn't have a sensation, like no tingling or anything, but all the ingredients just mesh well together, and it plumps up the skin on your lips. I absolutely love it."
All 4 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash
MY NIGHTTIME ANTI-AGING SKINCARE ROUTINE - SKINCARE OVER 30 (WINTER/SPRING SKINCARE ROUTINE)
"It's just clear, basically. I like to apply this several times throughout the day, and I also like to apply it before bed. It's a nice product to use on top of lipsticks and lip liners too, and it just gives that nice juicy, plump look. Within a couple of minutes you do feel that little plumpness on your lips. It doesn't have a sensation, like no tingling or anything, but all the ingredients just mesh well together, and it plumps up the skin on your lips. I absolutely love it."
BENEFITS OF PRO-COLLAGEN PEPTIDES | BOOST COLLAGEN AND COMBAT SIGNS OF AGING WITH PAULA'S CHOICE
"After one use your lips do look more full, they do look more juicy, and it's very hydrating. If you do have dry lips currently, I do find that this does help to correct that damaged skin barrier. It helps to heal your lips and it also helps to prevent dry lips as well. [...] It has that thickness to it, it's not that sticky. [...] It's very moisturizing and it does give that nice fullness and juiciness to the lips. A little goes a long way."
MY MORNING ANTI-AGING SKINCARE ROUTINE - SKINCARE OVER 30 (WINTER/SPRING SKINCARE ROUTINE)
"This is very nourishing, and it does help to plump up your lips as well. You can pair it with tinted lip products if you want. If you pair it on top of a lip liner, there is a very, very sheer tint. Honestly, I don't see anything on my lips when I use this, it is so sheer, but I love how moisturizing it is. It stays on your lips for a long period of time, which I really like. If you're someone that drinks and talks a lot, or you're eating, I don't find it comes off."
NEW YEAR🎉 NEW SKINCARE & MAKEUP FAVORITES | I AM OBSESSED WITH THESE PRODUCTS!
"But this is going to address lip lines and lip wrinkles. It's going to plump, and it's going to hydrate and nourish the lips, and it does a very, very good job. It also gives that shine, that juicy look to your lips. I like to use this before going to bed, and sometimes during the day if I don't feel like wearing anything tinted. But you can even put this on top of a matte lipstick or a lip liner, and it's really nice. The more consistent you are with this, I find, the better."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the bonds holding dead cells at the surface. The evidence supports smoother texture and more even tone over time, and they can leave skin more sensitive to sun.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Peptides

Peptides are short protein fragments meant to signal repair. The evidence for them is thinner than for retinoids or vitamin C, and it varies a lot by the specific peptide, so the category is more promising than proven.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Gloss Balm?

A glossy lip balm with peptides, shea butter and castor seed oil, designed to hydrate lips and give them a plumped, shiny look.

Is Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Gloss Balm worth it?

Yes. All 3 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 91%.

What is Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Gloss Balm's Guru Score?

Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Gloss Balm holds a Guru Score of 91%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 3 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Cheaper alternatives the gurus rate.

Lower-priced lip products the gurus still rate highly, versus this mid-range pick.

See how they stack up →

Similar products worth a look.

Other products the same gurus have weighed in on, plus more from this brand and category.

Compare side by side →

Spotted something on this page that doesn't look right? Let us know.

Share this score

Add this badge to your blog or website. It links back to this page and updates itself when the experts change their minds. Free, no sign-up.

Then paste it into your site's HTML or embed block.

This week's top beauty news, in your inbox.

A weekly read of the takes worth catching up on: the raves, the splits, the ones the gurus won't shut up about. Free, no spam, unsubscribe whenever.

Subscribe to the digest