Filorga has long sat comfortably on the top shelf of French pharmacy prestige, the kind of brand seasoned skincare fans cite when they want clinical know-how bundled in a chic jar. If it has slipped past your radar, consider this your nudge to pay attention because its science-leaning formulas rarely miss the mark.
Enter Sleep & Peel, a name that sounds equal parts lullaby and dermatologist’s prescription. Filorga promises that this micro-peeling night cream works while you log your eight hours, leveraging a 4.5 percent blend of AHA and BHA plus soothing brown algae to lift dullness, soften fine lines and deliver a come-morning glow that nearly nine in ten test subjects reportedly noticed after the very first application. The treatment is meant to be used over a month, feels plush even on sensitive skin and moonlights as a gentle lip smoother every other night.
I spent a solid two weeks slathering it across face, neck and chest, watching for any proof that beauty sleep can indeed be bottled. My goal was simple: figure out if Sleep & Peel justifies its price tag and the real estate it would occupy on an already crowded bedside table.
Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored or paid review. The jar was purchased with personal funds, all observations are my own and as with any skincare product individual results may vary.
What Is Sleep & Peel?
Sleep & Peel sits in the overnight treatment category, meaning you put it on before bed and let it work uninterrupted until morning. Unlike a wash-off mask or a quick serum, an overnight product uses the skin’s natural repair cycle during sleep to deliver active ingredients over several hours, a format that suits people who want results without extra daytime steps.
At its core this is a micro-peeling cream featuring a 4.5 percent blend of alpha and beta hydroxy acids. AHAs focus on loosening the bonds between dead cells at the surface while BHAs can travel a bit deeper into pores where oil collects. The formula is buffered with brown algae and other soothing agents so that even skin unaccustomed to acids should tolerate the month-long course.
Filorga recommends applying a thin layer across face neck and chest nightly, steering clear of the eye area and pairing it with sunscreen the next day. Used consistently it aims to refine texture, soften fine lines and boost overall radiance, essentially giving you a mild chemical peel in gradual nightly doses rather than a single intense session.
Did It Work?
In the spirit of hard hitting investigative journalism, I benched my usual overnight retinol cream for three nights before starting Sleep & Peel and felt very scientific while doing so. Fourteen days felt like a reasonable testing window: long enough to see cellular turnover kick in, short enough to bail out if my face staged a rebellion.
Application was a pleasure. The texture sits somewhere between a gel and a whipped cream so one fingertip covered face neck and chest without the heavy film some acid creams leave behind. I applied it around 10 p.m., let it absorb during a podcast recap, then headed to bed. Night one delivered a faint tingle that disappeared within five minutes. By morning my skin felt velvety yet not at all tight. The promised “new skin” glow showed up but in a low wattage kind of way—more like I had slept well rather than booked an in-office peel.
Days three to seven brought the most noticeable shift. Makeup glided on with fewer cakey patches around my nostrils and the fine crisscross lines on my forehead looked marginally softened. Friends remarked I looked “rested,” which I credit partly to the acids quietly lifting dead cells and partly to the fact that I was scrutinizing my face each morning and therefore actually sticking to bedtime routines.
By the end of week two results plateaued. Texture stayed smooth but no additional brightening strides appeared and a tiny dry patch popped up on my chin after a late night use followed by zero moisturiser. Sensitivity remained low though I did see a hint of redness around my nostrils if I skipped my usual hydrating serum underneath. For context my skin is combination and moderately accustomed to acids so truly sensitive types might need more supportive layers.
So did Sleep & Peel make good on its claims? Partly. It definitely refined surface texture and lent a gentle radiance but the transformation never reached the “wow” territory implied by the marketing copy. At a solid 7 out of 10 it performs but does not outshine the lineup already crowding my shelf. I will finish the jar happily yet I am not likely to repurchase or grant it permanent residency in my nightly rotation.
Main Ingredients Explained
The headliners are the hydroxy acids: glycolic, lactic, malic and tartaric for the AHA team plus salicylic acid handling BHA duties. At 4.5 percent they sit in the sweet spot where you feel a mild tingle but should not peel like a lizard. AHAs loosen the glue between dull surface cells while salicylic slips into pores to dislodge oil so together they give that next-morning smoothness. Filorga buffers the mix with sodium hydroxide and a handful of humectants to keep the formula at a skin-friendly pH so the acids work without biting.
Brown algae extract (Laminaria ochroleuca) shows up next to calm any irritation the acids might spark. It teams up with aloe juice, vitamin E and a modest roster of amino acids and peptides that aim to support barrier repair. None of these are miracle workers on their own but they help explain why I never experienced stinging beyond night one.
Texture-wise the cream leans on cetearyl alcohol, glyceryl linoleate and caprylic/capric triglyceride for that plush feel. These fatty alcohols and esters can be mildly comedogenic, meaning they might clog pores for acne-prone users. If your skin throws tantrums at richer creams you may want to patch test or reserve this for every-other-night use.
On the topic of lifestyle boxes, the ingredient list reads free of obvious animal derivatives yet Filorga does not market the product as vegan or even vegetarian friendly. Manufacturing processes for peptides and vitamin B12 can involve animal enzymes so strict plant-based users should approach with caution.
Pregnancy deserves an extra note. The formula contains salicylic acid plus retinyl acetate, both of which dermatologists often ask expectant parents to avoid. If you are pregnant or nursing get your doctor’s sign-off before introducing any exfoliating night cream.
Fragrance sits mid-deck in the list so sensitive noses might notice the light floral scent, though it fades fast. Filorga also slips in niacinamide, azelaic acid and hyaluronic acid in trace amounts which is nice but unlikely to drive dramatic results at those positions. In short the ingredient deck is thoughtfully balanced, just not category-shattering.
What I Liked/Didn’t Like
Here is the quick breakdown after two weeks of nightly use.
- What Works Well:
- Silky lightweight texture spreads easily so a small amount covers face neck and chest
- Noticeable overnight smoothing that helps makeup sit better without extra primer steps
- Balanced acid level delivers gentle exfoliation with minimal redness making it beginner friendly
- Compatible with most hydrating serums and creams so slotting it into an existing routine is simple
- What to Consider:
- Results plateau after the first week so seasoned acid users may crave a stronger percentage
- Rich emollients could feel heavy for very oily or acne prone skin
- Contains fragrance which may not suit highly sensitive noses or those avoiding scented skincare
My Final Thoughts
Sleep & Peel lives up to its name in the sense that it gently coaches dull skin toward something smoother while you are dreaming of emails you forgot to send. After two weeks of dutiful use I can confirm it is a solid performer, not a showstopper. A 7/10 feels right: enough visible payoff to justify finishing the jar, yet not quite dazzling enough to dethrone my ride-or-die resurfacing formulas. I would suggest it to anyone who wants an entry-level acid cream that will not leave the face looking like raw salmon the next morning. If you already flirt with stronger peels or prescription actives you may find the glow ceiling a touch low. Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, provided that friend is after a gentle overnight nudge rather than a full-on skin reboot.
If you like the idea of a nightly multitasker but need different bells and whistles, a few other jars have impressed me over the years. Nocturnal Revive Cream by Deascal is my favourite no-brainer all-rounder: hydrating, barrier-friendly and surprisingly affordable for the ingredient list. For deeper overnight hydration the Water Sleeping Mask by LANEIGE locks in moisture without clogging pores. Texture junkies who crave a plush, bougie finish should look at the Pro-Collagen Night Cream by ELEMIS which plumps nicely and smells like a spa visit. Finally, if you are chasing retinol’s proven wrinkle-softening power, the Resurgence Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream by Murad walks the line between results and minimal irritation better than most.
Before you slather anything new on your face, remember the boring but crucial stuff: patch test on a small area, pair acids with daily SPF and respect your skin’s signals. Sorry to sound like the overprotective parent of your skincare shelf, but consistent use and patience are the only way any of these pots will keep delivering the goods once the honeymoon glow fades.