I Tested Shark’s CryoGlow LED Face Mask for a Month

You can’t throw a rock in the beauty world these days without hitting an LED mask. It’s easy to see why: LED masks can help tackle just about any skin concern from fighting breakouts to reducing fine lines and wrinkles. I use my trusty CurrentBody mask at least five days a week (sometimes more), and over time it has absolutely helped my skin look clearer and more radiant. But with so many masks on the market, it can be tricky to figure out exactly which is worth the money. A more recent addition is Shark’s CryoGlow Face Mask, which has been a popular pick since launching earlier this year. To see how it stacks up to other face masks, I gave it a test-drive for four weeks.

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The Shark CryoGlow mask is a pretty serious multitasker. Unlike some other face masks that emit solely red light, the Shark utilizes red, blue, and infrared light. I was most impressed with the remote, which features an actual screen so you can easily toggle between the different treatments: Better Aging, Skin Clearing, Skin Sustain, and Under-Eye Revive. Better Aging takes six minutes and uses red and infrared; Blemish Repair takes eight minutes and uses blue, red, and infrared; and Skin Sustain also uses blue, red, and infrared but for a quicker four-minute treatment. Personally, I would prefer an option to use the mask without a preset program — call me bossy, but I like to be in charge of my own beauty rituals — but I admit the presets keep things simple and user friendly.

The remote is super-easy to use, and I loved that it counts down the time remaining in each treatment so you know exactly how much longer you have to sit under the light. I tend to get restless with my other face mask — ten minutes can stretch on forever under the haze of the red light — so I usually set my own timer on my phone. The remote will also keep track of how many treatments you’ve done to keep you honest about your consistency.

This mask’s other claim to fame is its InstaChill under-eye cooling pads. They can be dialed on during a light session or used on their own. You can also choose the intensity of the cryotherapy by toggling between three levels. Let me just say right off the bat: These under-eye pads get cold. Even the first level is downright chilly, and I was pretty happy sticking with the second intensity level for most of my treatments. It felt super-soothing, and I did think my under-eye area looked smoother and less puffy afterward. One note is that the pads obviously block the light itself, something to keep in mind for those who specifically want to target crow’s-feet or fine lines under the eyes. And all that powerful cold comes at a price; the cooling fans are loud.

Like the Dr. Dennis Gross and Therabody masks, the CryoGlow has a hard shell. I just prefer a flexible mask. It’s more comfortable to wear, fits more face shapes, and is lighter and easier to pack for traveling. I do have to give points to the CryoGlow for at least being large enough to fit me — no small feat since I was blessed with a big head and round face. However, it’s quite bulky and I found the under-eye pads and forehead areas almost dig into the skin, making it more uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time compared with flexible face masks.

The Shark is FDA cleared, which means it meets the set of quality standards the agency holds for a class-II medical device. The company also went to the trouble of doing a clinical trial. Both give it major bonus points in my book. Now, because I’ve consistently used a red-light device for years, I didn’t have any major before-and-after results from the Shark CryoGlow that someone using red light for the first time would, but I did feel that my skin remained even and happy while testing it. I was most interested to see how the blue light would work since my usual mask is red-light only. I noticed that I didn’t have any active acne breakouts during the testing period. Nor did I have any rosacea flare-ups — unusual for me at this time of year when the colder temperatures and indoor heating usually cause a lot more redness on my face — which I think was thanks to the blue light.

Overall, while I won’t be replacing my beloved CurrentBody mask any time soon, I think strapping on the Shark for a few skin-clearing blue-light sessions once or twice a week will nicely augment my LED-mask routine. And if, like me, you’re tackling a few skin-care concerns at once, the versatility of the Shark is probably worth the drawbacks.

The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.