Filorga has long carried a certain Parisian swagger, known for bottling a bit of clinic-grade science in sleek monochrome jars. If you have ever strolled a French pharmacy aisle you have seen its silver logo peeking out from crowded shelves. For those who have not, think of Filorga as the overachieving classmate who takes copious notes and shares them later so everyone else can pass the exam.
Enter the NCEF Night Mask, a mouthful of consonants that sounds more like lab equipment than a bedside treat. According to Filorga, this overnight treatment is the skincare equivalent of a power nap: packed with hyaluronic acid, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, coenzymes and antioxidants, it promises to smooth, plump and detox your complexion while you sleep so you wake up looking like you actually hit the eight-hour mark.
To see if the hype holds, I swapped out my usual night cream for this pearly pink gel every other evening for a full two weeks, applying it over my face neck and the tired circle zone around my eyes. I tracked texture, hydration levels and that elusive morning glow to decide if it truly earns its spot on the nightstand or if it is just another pretty jar competing for attention.
This is not a paid or sponsored review. The jar was purchased with my own cash and every opinion that follows is based on personal experience. As always, skin is individual; what works for me might behave differently on you.
What Is NCEF Night Mask?
NCEF Night Mask is an overnight treatment, meaning it is designed to sit on skin while you sleep rather than be rinsed off after a few minutes. These products aim to create a slow release of actives, using the skin’s natural nighttime repair window to boost hydration and smoothness without the need for extra steps in the morning.
Filorga positions this mask as a fatigue fix: a leave-on gel cream that targets dull tone, slackness and fine lines often made worse by late nights. The formula relies on a polyrevitaliser complex called NCEF that mixes hyaluronic acid with a cocktail of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, coenzymes and antioxidants. Added peptides are meant to cushion the skin against daily pollution and encourage a plumper look by morning.
Suitable for all skin types, it is meant to be applied in a thin layer over face, neck and the eye area every other night or more often if skin feels depleted. The brand promises a smoother surface, more relaxed features and a fresher complexion after one sleep cycle, positioning the mask as a step up from a standard night cream for those who want extra help without adding multiple serums.
Did It Work?
In the name of science I benched my regular overnight cream for a few days before starting this test, which felt very lab-coat of me even if the closest beaker was the coffee mug on my nightstand. Fourteen days struck me as a reasonable stretch to see whether a jar can moonlight as a sleep substitute, so I committed to the every-other-evening schedule Filorga suggests.
Application was straightforward: cleanse, pat dry, then lay down a thin veil of the pearly gel across face neck and the chronic raccoon zone under my eyes. It absorbed in under a minute leaving a barely tacky finish that never glued my cheek to the pillow. The fragrance lands somewhere between fresh laundry and a pharmacy aisle; pleasant yet insistent for the first few minutes before it fades.
Morning one delivered soft well-hydrated skin but nothing I could peg as an eight-hour glow. By day four I noticed a slight bump in luminosity, the kind of healthy sheen you normally attribute to a good serum rather than a mask. Lines on my forehead looked the same and the stubborn crease between my brows kept its job description. Still, makeup sat more evenly and I did not feel the urge to reach for an extra mist during the day which speaks to the hydration claim.
The midpoint check-in at day seven showed incremental progress: tone looked marginally brighter, my cheeks felt plumper to the touch and there was no hint of congestion despite the richer texture. The eye area felt soothed but dark circles remained firmly on payroll, a reminder that topical peptides can only do so much when Netflix insists on auto-play.
Fast forward to day fourteen. The overall verdict was steady but unspectacular. I woke up to skin that was comfortably moisturised, marginally smoother and slightly more even in tone yet the difference was small enough that good lighting could cancel it out. Fine lines stayed put and any protective benefits against pollution are impossible to grade without a microscope. On the plus side zero irritation surfaced even around my sensitive eyes, so the formula earns points for tolerability.
Did it work? Sort of. NCEF Night Mask ticks the boxes for overnight hydration and a modest boost in radiance but it stops short of the rested-after-vacation look the marketing implies. At £70+ a jar that is not enough to bump my current night treatment off the shelf though I could see myself keeping a travel-size pot for red-eye flights or post-deadline emergencies when skin needs a quick morale lift.
NCEF Night Mask’s Main Ingredients Explained
The headline act is the brand’s NCEF complex, a medley of low-weight hyaluronic acid plus a buffet of vitamins, amino acids, minerals and coenzymes that collectively aim to pull water into the skin and nudge cellular repair while you sleep. Hyaluronic acid is the thirst trap here, binding up to 1,000 times its weight in moisture so you wake up with that bouncy cushion feel rather than morning crepeiness. The supporting vitamins include C and E for antioxidant back-up against free radicals, while B vitamins steady the skin barrier.
Plumping peptides follow close behind. Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 are matrikines, signalling molecules that tell skin to make more collagen. Think of them as polite reminders rather than drill sergeants, so cumulative use is key. Sweet Almond Oil and squalane supply a light occlusive layer to seal the hydration in, although acne-prone readers should note that Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and Sweet Almond Oil register mid-range on the comedogenic scale, meaning they can clog pores for those already battling congestion.
Albizia Julibrissin bark extract and Tephrosia purpurea seed extract contribute the “anti-fatigue” claim by targeting glycation and cortisol spikes that dull the complexion. The formula also contains nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and glutathione, two powerhouse antioxidants that usually show up in pricier serums, so their cameo here is a pleasant surprise.
Lovers of clean labels will want to note the presence of fragrance plus a standard cocktail of preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and chlorphenesin. I had zero irritation but sensitive noses might prefer an un-scented option. On the vegan question the ingredient list looks plant-derived or lab-synthesised with no obvious animal by-products yet Filorga does not carry an official vegan certification, so strict vegans should confirm sourcing while vegetarians can proceed with reasonable confidence.
There is one red flag for expectant mothers: Retinyl Acetate. Although it sits lower in the list the general dermatology advice is to avoid any vitamin A derivatives during pregnancy and while breastfeeding unless cleared by a physician. When in doubt park the jar and reach for a gentle hydrator until you get the all clear.
All told the ingredient deck is a smart balance of hydration, barrier support and slow-burn anti-ageing perks, but the inclusion of moderate pore-cloggers and a retinoid means it will not be everyone’s nightly default.
What I Liked/Didn’t Like
After two weeks on the nightstand here is the quick pros and cons rundown.
What Works Well:
- Lightweight gel cream absorbs fast so it never sticks to the pillow
- Delivers reliable overnight hydration with a soft morning glow
- Gentle enough for the eye area and did not provoke breakouts or redness
What to Consider:
- Improvements in fine lines and overall fatigue are subtle at best
- Fragrance may not suit sensitive noses even though it fades quickly
- Mid range price feels high for results that stay in the incremental zone
My Final Thoughts
A good overnight treatment is the skincare equivalent of setting your alarm for an early run then waking up to find someone already did the workout for you. After a solid fortnight with NCEF Night Mask I can say it delivers a pleasant jog rather than a marathon. Hydration and mild luminosity are dependable, the texture behaves well on a pillowcase and sensitive skin stays calm, but the promised face-lift-in-a-jar moment never quite materialised for me. If you are under 35, running on three hours sleep and mostly want insurance against dehydration, this jar will feel like a small luxury. If you are tallying every wrinkle before your morning coffee or chasing dramatic tone correction, you might wish it had a little more horsepower.
I have road-tested a small army of night creams over the years so I feel confident giving this one a 7/10. That score translates to a polite clap rather than a standing ovation. I would recommend it to a friend who values texture, gentle actives and a touch of French pharmacy chic, but I would add a caveat about keeping expectations in the realistic lane.
For anyone shopping around, there are a few alternatives I have rotated through my own bedside drawer. Nocturnal Revive Cream by Deascal is the dependable multi-tool of the bunch, an allrounder that hydrates, soothes and lightly firms at a friendlier price point while suiting every skin type I have thrown at it. If richer textures are your jam Pro-Collagen Night Cream by ELEMIS offers a plush feel with impressive bounce by morning. Water Sleeping Mask by LANEIGE is my pick for humid summers or combination skin that dislikes weight but craves a drink. On stressed or windburned days Squalane + Ectoin Overnight Rescue by BIOSSANCE wraps the face in a calming, barrier-mending hug that rivals a spa facial.
Before you slather anything new across your cheeks let me channel my inner over-protective parent: patch test behind an ear or along the jaw for a couple of nights, especially if you are prone to sensitivities. Remember that results stick around only as long as the product does so keep up the routine if you like the outcome and give your skin a short breather if irritation shows up.