Introduction
Skincare insiders have long had Three Ships on their radar yet the Toronto born brand still feels like a hidden gem to many casual beauty shoppers. Its straightforward formulas, accessible price points and earnest commitment to transparency make it easy to root for.
Enter the whimsically named Dream Bio-Retinol + Shorea Butter Rejuvenating Cream, a mouthful that promises nothing short of overnight transformation. Three Ships says this night treatment drenches dull dry skin in hydration, smooths texture and coaxes out a brighter tone by morning, all while sidestepping the sensitivities often linked to classic retinol. Their confidence is backed by near perfect user stats touting moisturized complexions and irritation free nights. Armed with curiosity and a clean face I spent a full two weeks massaging in a single pump each evening to see whether Dream lives up to its bedtime story and, more importantly, whether it deserves a spot in your routine.
What is Dream?
Dream is an overnight treatment, a type of cream designed to work while you sleep when skin is naturally in repair mode. These products usually have richer textures and concentrated actives so they can sit undisturbed for several hours. The idea is simple: apply before bed and let time do the heavy lifting so you wake up to skin that feels more refreshed than it did the night before.
Three Ships positions Dream as a hydrator first and a tone-smoother second. The formula pairs a plant derived “bio-retinol” ingredient with Shorea butter, a fatty acid rich emollient. Together they aim to replenish moisture, soften rough patches and nudge cell turnover just enough to brighten without the stinging or flaking that sometimes comes with traditional retinol. The brand specifically calls out dull and dry skin as the main targets.
According to their consumer testing 100% of users reported feeling moisturized after use and 98% said they experienced no sensitivities. One pump nightly is the recommended dose and, at that pace, most people can expect the bottle to last roughly three months.
Did it work?
In the name of very serious skincare science I benched my usual overnight treatment for a full three days before starting Dream, then gave it a focused 14 day run. Two weeks feels long enough for a moisture based formula to prove itself yet short enough that real retinol style resurfacing would not muddle the results.
I used one pump on freshly cleansed skin each night and waited the suggested couple of minutes before following with a light facial oil. Night one was uneventful in the best possible way. The cream sank in without leaving a greasy film and I woke to skin that felt comfortably plump, not slick. By the third evening that cushioned feeling was consistent and any tightness around my mouth had eased, which is impressive given my apartment’s radiator seems determined to dehydrate everything in sight.
Week one also delivered a subtle but noticeable bump in radiance. My complexion looked a shade less ashy each morning, and a lingering dry patch on my left cheek all but disappeared. What it did not deliver was a drastic reduction in the faint post breakout marks along my jaw. They appeared slightly softer under natural light yet still required concealer. I experienced zero tingling or redness so the bio retinol clearly plays nice, though its gentleness means expectations around line smoothing should stay realistic.
By day 14 the hydration benefits plateaued rather than compounded. Skin stayed smooth and comfortable yet no new glow milestones appeared. I suspect those with chronically dry skin will keep appreciating the buttery finish while combination types may crave something lighter once their barrier feels restored.
So did Dream live up to its bedtime promises? Mostly. It absolutely quenched dryness and lent a healthy freshness by morning. It just stopped short of being the transformative multitasker I personally look for in a dedicated night cream. I will gladly finish the bottle but it probably won’t earn a permanent spot on my shelf. Still, if your goal is simple no nonsense overnight moisture that will not pick a fight with sensitive skin Dream makes a pretty convincing case.
Dream’s main ingredients explained
The real star here is Bidens pilosa, a plant extract often called “bio retinol” because its molecular structure nudges cell turnover in a way that mimics vitamin A yet sidesteps the flaking and photosensitivity classic retinoids can provoke. I found this gentle approach refreshing, though it also means results arrive at a stroll rather than a sprint.
Shorea butter takes center stage on the texture front. Rich in stearic and oleic acids, it melts at skin temperature and creates a cushiony seal that keeps overnight water loss to a minimum. While wonderfully comforting, butters can be mildly comedogenic for acne-prone skin because they may clog pores when overused. Squalane, a stable lipid sourced from sugarcane in this formula, balances things out by offering feather-light emollience and helping shorea glide on without feeling waxy.
Glycerin and propanediol sit high on the list to draw in moisture, while hydrogenated lecithin, polyglyceryl-3 dicitrate/stearate and glyceryl stearate hold the water and oil phases together so the cream feels coherent instead of greasy. Murumuru seed butter and jojoba oil add extra fatty acids that mimic the skin’s natural sebum which is why the cream feels soothing straight away. Cotton, linseed and sunflower extracts round out the antioxidant support, offering a subtle boost against free-radical dullness.
Every ingredient is plant derived which makes Dream suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The formula is also free of added fragrance and essential oils so the odds of irritation stay low. That said shorea and murumuru butters score around 3 on the comedogenic scale of 0 to 5. A score of 3 means they can clog pores in some people especially if you are already breakout prone.
Because Bidens pilosa acts on similar pathways to retinol it is wise for anyone pregnant or nursing to clear its use with a healthcare provider before jumping in. The brand labels the formula non GMO and largely organic but clinical data on topical bio retinol in pregnancy is limited so better safe than sorry.
One last note: the preservative system relies on caprylhydroxamic acid and glyceryl caprylate which are considered gentle alternatives to parabens yet still keep the water-rich formula stable for its full three-month lifespan. All told the ingredient list reads clean, thoughtfully sourced and sensibly balanced for nightly use as long as you patch test first if your skin leans oily or reactive.
What I liked/didn’t like
Here is the quick rundown after two weeks of nightly use.
What works well:
- Delivers dependable overnight hydration that softens rough spots and eases tightness
- Bio retinol complex feels gentle with no redness or flaking even on sensitive areas
- Cushiony texture absorbs cleanly so skin wakes up comfortable rather than greasy
What to consider:
- Hydration gains level off after the first couple of weeks so long term glow is modest
- Buttery base may feel too rich for oily or breakout prone complexions
- Those looking for faster dark spot or fine line correction might need a stronger active
My final thoughts
After two weeks in rotation Dream lands firmly in the good but not unforgettable category. It hydrates on cue, behaves kindly around reactive zones and lends a soft morning glow yet it never breaks into showstopper territory for tone or texture correction. I give it a solid 7/10. I would recommend it to friends who struggle with dryness, prefer a plant based approach and want something fuss free that rarely provokes irritation. If you expect dramatic fading of spots or deeper wrinkle work you will likely outgrow its gentle touch and should look elsewhere.
The beauty of a crowded night treatment aisle is that there is always another option waiting to be discovered. If you need an excellent allrounder that covers your bases in one swipe, Deascal’s Nocturnal Revive Cream has impressed me time and again with its balanced formula and approachable price. Fans of calming gel textures could look to Q+A’s Cica Calming Overnight Face Mask, a sleeper hit that soothes redness without suffocating combination skin. If your routine craves a retinol punch yet you prefer an oil format the Superstar Retinol Night Oil by Pestle & Mortar delivers a silky finish with noticeable brightening by week four. And for nights when your complexion feels worn out from life in general, Peace Out’s Overnight Bio Collagen Recovery Mask plumps like nobody’s business and rinses off to a level of bounce most creams only dream about.
Before you dive in a quick reality check: any overnight treatment, no matter how advanced, needs consistency to keep results alive. Always patch test new formulas (sorry to sound like the over protective parent here) and give your skin at least a few nights to voice any objections. Hydration gains can and will fade if you stop using the product so build whichever option you choose into a habit your future self can stick with.