I tried the Shark CryoGlow Under-Eye Cooling & LED Mask

Light therapy masks are the tech skin care must-have of the moment. If you’ve had any kind of exposure on social media, you’ve seen influencers donning one of these strange-looking devices as part of their skincare routine.

And if you’ve been tempted to buy one, you’ll find yourself in a world of similarly outlandish prices and unfamiliar brand names.

So far, that’s because Shark has launched its own light therapy mask as part of its beauty tech line, which includes the brilliant FlexStyle styler (Shark’s answer to the Dyson Airwrap) and the SpeedStyle.

It is available in the UK from today. You can buy it from Shark, John Lewis, Boots, ArgosAmazon and other retailers for £269.99. When you buy from Shark you have the option to choose between the original Blue Frost colorway (which you see in the photos of this article) or a new Lilac Chill option.

for £299.99 you can buy it in a bundle from Shark with a charging stand, but it is not a necessary addition.

The CryoGlow has skin care settings that use red light therapy to soften the signs of aging and blue light therapy to treat blemishes.

It also has a clever addition: “Insta-Chill” under-eye cooling pads to depuff and revive your eyes. If you regularly buy disposable under-eye patches and can switch to the CryoGlow instead, you will pay for yourself somewhat.

I am currently testing the CryoGlow and have been using it for over three weeks. Since you have to use the light therapy settings for four to eight weeks to see results, I can’t give my opinion on its effectiveness – although I’m starting to feel like it’s making a positive difference to the health of my skin. What I can talk about is what the CryoGlow does, what features it has and how comfortable it is to use.

The design and functions of the CryoGlow mask

The mask is attractively packaged, with fully recyclable card inserts that house the accessories, including a white satin dust bag, charging plug and cable, and two snap-on cooling pads. The chill pads can be placed over the pads in the mask to give you a better fit. There’s even a pocket in the dust bag where you can store the chill pads and charger.

I found the mask more comfortable without the extra pads, but the CryoGlow fit my partner better, so you may need to experiment. The mask comes with a user manual that allows you to properly adjust the fit.

The CryoGlow is durable and well made. I wouldn’t recommend dropping it, but it’s not a flimsy device. It has a rigid construction, rather than a flexible construction like some masks do.

Light therapy masks are generally creepy, but the CryoGlow has a cheerful appearance that softens this somewhat. However, I’ve had mixed reactions to photos I’ve sent to friends (“it’s SO creepy”, “that face will haunt my dreams” on the one hand, and “those masks are meant to be brilliant!” on the other). .

The mask is connected by a cable to a remote control, which has a color screen that you navigate using two buttons and a dial. The intuitive menu lets you choose between routines and track your progress.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

If you share the mask with another family member, the progress feature will not be accurate for you as you cannot add individual profiles. You just have to remember to use it every day.

The remote’s best feature, however, is an easy-to-read countdown timer, which lets you know exactly how long a session has left. This feature is not available on most light therapy masks.

There’s also a clip on the back of the remote so you can attach it to your belt and move it around while you’re using it.

You can also see the remaining battery life in the corner of the remote control screen. I estimate you’ll need to charge it about every four days if you use it daily with under-eye cooling, although you can get up to a week of use depending on the setting you use most often. Charging takes about three hours.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

The mask itself weighs 530 grams (excluding cable and remote control), which is a little more than one and a half cans of cola. Inside are 160 tri-wick LEDs, designed to cover every part of your face. They sit under a layer of clear plastic, making the inside of the mask perfectly smooth.

There is a soft, smooth filling around the eyes and over the forehead. Not only does this make the mask more comfortable, but it also helps keep it the right distance from your skin so the LEDs can be effective.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

There are hard, metal pads under the eyes for cooling under the eyes. I’ll explain a bit more about this feature later, but keep in mind that this means the light from the LEDs can’t reach the under-eye area, so there’s no benefit to it.

The mask attaches to your head with wide, adjustable straps that go over the top of your head and down the sides.

I found it comfortable to use when sitting upright, and not too heavy. I found it less comfortable to lean back because the under-eye pads pressed too hard on the bone under my eyes. But the routines don’t last long and you can sit and read or relax while using it.

CryoGlow routines

There are four routines to choose from:

• Revive under eyes (5-15 minutes)
• Blemish Repair (8 minutes) – for textured, uneven skin and blemishes
• Aging Better (6 minutes) – to plump skin and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Skin maintenance (4 minutes) – a maintenance routine

Using the mask is not painful or uncomfortable, but you may want to close your eyes when using the better aging routine as the red LEDs bright. If you take off your face mask while using it, the lights on the inside dim so that you are not temporarily blinded, which is very nice.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

After wearing the mask I had some mild pressure marks on my forehead, but these disappeared within a few minutes. When you are done with the mask, all you need to do is wipe the inside with a damp cloth and store it safely in the dust bag.

The under-eye revival routine

I will continue to use the CryoGlow daily and report any changes in my skin condition. But in the meantime, there’s one setting I can totally review: the under-eye revival routine. It works just like cooling gel pads that you can put in the refrigerator.

This setting is not offered by most competing masks. You can use it alone, or while using one of the other routines. The under-eye pads always feel cold to the touch, but as soon as you turn on the setting, they cool down immediately. Shark achieved this rapid cooling by using a mix of the Peltier effect (which uses electrical current to cool the metal pad) and fans. There are three cooling settings and they are really and surprisingly cold, but I didn’t find even the strongest setting uncomfortable.

Please note that using this setting will cause the fans to start up – along with the fan noise – meaning the CryoGlow will not be silent during use, as it would be when using only one of the light therapy settings.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

I tend to use under-eye patches in the morning as a sort of facial wake-up and I’ve really enjoyed the under-eye cooling.

When you remove the mask, the softening effect under the eyes is immediately noticeable. I will definitely use it instead of stocking up on patches under the eyes. The only problem is the temptation to overuse it. Shark says you should only use the CryoGlow one session per day.

Where can you buy the Shark CryoGlow?

As of today, the CryoGlow is available in the UK, but not yet in the US. The price is £269.99, which makes it an expensive purchase – but light therapy masks are generally expensive devices and the CryoGlow is a reasonable purchase given its high-quality construction and feature set.

You can get one from Shark, John Lewis, Boots, ArgosAmazon and other retailers.

Should you go for it?

I can’t tell you yet how well the CryoGlow works. But I can say that it is a very well-made, durable beauty device, with easy-to-use settings and thoughtful features. It’s sure to be on many Christmas gift lists this year, and for good reason. If you want to give a light therapy mask a try, this is the way to do it.