LED face masks are everywhere these days, but many seem more alike than not. It’s as if we have a Devil Wears Prada blue belt situation on our hands. So, when Shark Beauty unveiled its first foray in the skin tech space, I was intrigued — not only because I’m a fan of the brand, but because this wasn’t just any LED mask.
As the name suggests, the CryoGlow™ Cooling & LED Face Mask offers red and blue light therapy to help brighten, firm, and clear skin. However, it’s also equipped with cooling pads to depuff and wake up tired eyes. If that sounds like some seriously souped-up beauty tech, it’s because it is. Could this be the game-changer my routine needs? I set out to find out.
Shark CryoGlow Under-Eye Cooling+LED Face Mask, $349.99
What is Shark’s CryoGlow mask, and how do you use it?
Per the brand, the CryoGlow face mask was developed with dermatologists and clinical trials to back its claims of reducing the appearance of fine lines and reducing breakouts within weeks. It features something called iQLED Technology™ (aka, derm-developed treatment cycles of red, blue, and deep infrared light) distributed evenly throughout the inside of the mask. But as I hinted at earlier, perhaps the biggest point of differentiation is the Cryo-inspired cooling mechanism, which claims to visibly depuff the under-eye area post-use.
What makes Shark’s CryoGlow mask special?
My CryoGlow mask is a pretty shade of powder blue (it also comes in a muted lilac), with a matching satin pouch for storage. I love that it powers up via a remote control instead of an app. (Call me old school, but I miss the days when we didn’t have an app for everything.) You can cycle through four different treatments for various concerns — acne, fine lines, a four-min express treatment, and one focused on tightening and brightening the under-eye area — which combine infrared light and red and blue LEDs (plus those cooling pads, which feel like heaven for tired, puffy eyes), so you can tailor your session based on what your skin is craving that day.
Is Shark’s CryoGlow mask worth it?
At $350, it’s among the more affordable LED masks I’ve seen — it’s still expensive but solidly less so than other popular ones on the market. (For comparison, Dr. Dennis Gross’ version retails for $455, CurrentBody’s Series 2 is $470, and Therabody’s is $650. Hollywood aesthetician Shani Darden launched an LED mask that retails for a whopping $1900.) The full-face mask feels durable but is shockingly lightweight, making it among the most comfortable ones I’ve tried, too.
I first started testing this mask out as part of my wedding skin prep, and now that I’m six months post-wedding (and almost an entire year into testing this out), I have to say: It’s still one of the most effective steps in my entire beauty routine. My biggest skin goals right now are keeping acne flareups at bay, enhancing my overall glow, and reducing inflammation. In the past, I’ve struggled with consistency in using LED masks, so they didn’t do a whole lot for me. My consensus now is that they can be a great addition to your skincare routine — but only if you commit. (It’s like sunscreen, in that sense: The best one is the one you’ll use everyday.)
Another unexpected benefit of LED masks that I don’t think gets talked about enough has nothing to do with skin. After weeks of carving out time at the end of my day for some LED therapy, I realized that it had become something I genuinely looked forward to, just to get a few minutes of not doing anything else. Sure, sometimes I’d scroll through Instagram while sitting through an eight-minute treatment, but most days, I’d just lay on my couch cuddling my dog (he doesn’t mind one bit that I’m giving Iron Man), or even close my eyes for a little meditative moment. The fact that I have healthier, happier skin to show for it? Simply a (really good) bonus.
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