Introduction
Fourth Ray Beauty has a knack for turning skincare trends into wallet friendly staples, so if the brand has slipped past your radar consider this your gentle nudge to pay attention. Its formulas often punch above their price point and the lineup feels tailor made for skin care enthusiasts who want performance without pretense.
Enter Night Dew, an overnight jelly mask whose name sounds like the romantic cousin of morning dew and late night snacks. According to the brand it is all about hydrating while you sleep thanks to a cooling lightweight texture and a spa fresh whisper of cucumber. Hyaluronic acid, mushroom beta glucan and vitamin B5 headline the ingredient list promising both instant plumping and long term softness.
I put Night Dew through a full two week test drive, applying a pea sized swirl every night and rinsing it off with my morning cleanse, to see if it lives up to the bedtime hype and whether it deserves a spot in your routine.
What is Night Dew?
Night Dew is an overnight treatment, which means it stays on while you sleep rather than being rinsed off straight away. The point is to give skin continuous access to hydrating ingredients during the hours when repair is naturally most active. You apply a pea sized layer to clean skin before bed, let it settle in, then wash it off during your morning cleanse.
The formula focuses on hydration and barrier support. Sodium hyaluronate, mushroom derived beta glucan and glycerin attract and hold water, vitamin B5 helps calm irritation and cucumber extract lends a light spa like scent. Because the texture feels more like a thin serum than a heavy cream it can stand alone for oily skin or sit on top of a moisturiser if you are drier.
On paper Night Dew promises to soften dryness and revive a dull complexion by morning without leaving a greasy film. Whether that promise holds up in real life is what we will look at next.
Did it work?
In a display of highly controlled skin science (read: I shelved my usual overnight mask for a few days and felt like a lab technician), I gave Night Dew a full two week run. Fourteen nights feels fair for a formula that claims both instant and lasting hydration, and it let me see how my combination skin reacted through a couple of humid days and a heater blasted weekend.
Night one was all novelty. The jelly glided on, cooled instantly and set to a light, slightly tacky film within a minute. I woke up to skin that felt pleasantly springy, though by midafternoon the usual tightness around my mouth crept back in so the “all day” part of the promise was shaky from the start.
By night four the application had become second nature. I found the sweet spot was truly a pea sized dab; anything more left a gummy residue that made my pillowcase feel like it had opinions. Still, no clogged pores or surprise breakouts surfaced, and the faint cucumber scent actually became a small moment of calm before bed.
At the one week mark I noticed a subtle uptick in surface smoothness. My forehead lines looked a touch softer first thing in the morning, yet the overall glow faded once I washed the mask away. On nights when I paired it with a richer cream my cheeks stayed happier the next day, which told me Night Dew is a team player rather than a solo star for drier zones.
The back half of the trial confirmed that verdict. Nights eight through fourteen delivered consistent but modest hydration. I never experienced the plumped up “wow” that hyaluronic heavy formulas can sometimes give, and my skin tone did not appear noticeably brighter. What I did gain was a reliable hit of lightweight moisture that soothed the faint redness I often get along my jawline.
So did it work? Partially. Night Dew lives up to its cooling, non greasy and gently calming claims, but the long term hydration and dullness fighting promises feel a bit ambitious based on my test drive. I will finish the jar because it is pleasant to use and layers well under thicker creams, yet I will not be swapping it into my permanent rotation. That said, if you are hunting for a budget friendly way to add a quick shot of overnight moisture this little jelly might still earn a spot on your bedside table.
Night Dew’s main ingredients explained
The hydration trio does most of the heavy lifting. Sodium hyaluronate, the salt form of hyaluronic acid, binds water like a sponge and gives that morning bounce we all chase. Mushroom derived beta glucan works in a similar water hugging way but with larger molecules that sit closer to the surface, creating a light film that helps calm redness. Glycerin rounds out the humectant crew, pulling moisture from the air and the deeper layers of skin so everything feels plush rather than parched.
Next comes barrier support. Squalane (plant sourced, so vegan friendly) mimics our skin’s own lipids and slides into the space between cells to limit transepidermal water loss without feeling greasy. Panthenol, better known as vitamin B5, is another multitasker that attracts water, reduces itchiness and encourages repair. Together they keep the formula’s jelly texture from being all flash and no substance.
The soothing angle is handled by cucumber fruit water and extract alongside a whisper of aloe. While the scent is subtle it is worth noting that any fragrance, even from natural extracts, can be problematic if you are extremely sensitive. The colorants Blue 1 and Red 40 are also present purely for looks and add no skin benefit.
A few supportive silicones and lightweight emollients such as caprylic/capric triglyceride and polymethylsilsesquioxane lend slip and lock in moisture. Caprylic/capric triglyceride scores around 2 on the comedogenic scale, which means it has a low to moderate chance of clogging pores in acne prone skin. “Comedogenic” simply refers to any ingredient that can block pores and trigger blackheads or breakouts, so patch testing is smart if you are reactive.
The preservative system relies on phenoxyethanol and a couple of gentle glycols to keep microbes at bay, and the formula is alcohol free which dry skin types will appreciate. No animal derived ingredients appear on the list and Fourth Ray Beauty is a certified cruelty free brand, making Night Dew suitable for both vegans and vegetarians.
Is it pregnancy safe? None of the actives are red flag ingredients like retinoids or high dose salicylic acid, but every pregnancy is different so the safest route is to bring the ingredient list to your healthcare provider before slathering it on. One last note: the water heavy base plus humectants mean sealing the mask in with a richer cream can boost results, especially in dry indoor air.
What I liked/didn’t like
Here is the quick rundown of where Night Dew shines and where it falls a bit short.
What works well:
- Cooling jelly texture absorbs fast and feels weightless, making it easy to layer with serums or richer creams
- Delivers a dependable hit of overnight moisture that calms mild redness without clogging pores
- Budget friendly option for anyone wanting a simple hydration boost
What to consider:
- Hydration boost is modest and the plumped effect tends to fade by midday
- Colorants and cucumber extract may not suit the most sensitive skin
- Works better as a supporting act than a stand alone fix for very dry patches
My final thoughts
Night Dew earns a respectable 7/10 from me. After two weeks it proved itself as a pleasant, lightweight hydrator that takes the edge off evening dryness without tipping oily zones into chaos. The cooling feel and faint cucumber scent make it an easy reach when you want something soothing yet unfussy, but I never quite saw the level of next day radiance the marketing hints at. If your skin is balanced to slightly oily and you are looking for an uncomplicated overnight treatment that plays well with other products then Night Dew fits the bill. If you are battling chronic flakiness or crave a dramatic morning bounce it might leave you wanting more.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, with qualifiers. I would steer my combination-skinned pals its way, especially those building a routine on a budget, but I would nudge very dry or mature skin types toward something richer. I have cycled through a fair share of overnight masks and creams and feel confident that the test was thorough enough to spot both strengths and gaps.
Speaking of alternatives, a few that consistently impress me could be worth exploring if Night Dew sounds almost right but not quite. First up is Deascal’s Nocturnal Revive Cream, an all-rounder that somehow packs barrier support, gentle exfoliation and lasting hydration into one formula at a price that punches above its weight. If you prefer a calming gel texture with a bit more occlusive heft, Q+A’s Cica Calming Overnight Face Mask has never let me down. Pixi’s Overnight Glow Serum leans into gentle acids for those chasing brightness while still offering a cushion of moisture, and when I want a true luxe treat the Diamond Extreme Mask by Natura Bisse leaves my skin pillowy and even toned by sunrise. I have used each of these long enough to vouch for their performance and they cover a range of budgets and skin goals.
Before you dive in a quick reality check. Any overnight treatment, including Night Dew, needs consistent use to maintain results and none of them are a passport to permanently perfect skin. Please patch test first on a small area (sorry for sounding like an over-protective parent) and keep in mind that ingredient lists can change, so double-check if you have sensitivities. Happy sleeping and even happier skin.