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I’ve had a Solawave pink gentle remedy wand in one in all my toilet organizers for in all probability two years now. I actually wished to adore it, however it simply did not present noticeable sufficient outcomes for me to recollect to make use of it. So it ought to say one thing that I by no means forgot to make use of the Shark CryoGlow pink gentle masks within the few months that I used to be testing it — and past.
The Shark CryoGlow masks’s $349.99 price ticket is not precisely low cost, however it is not costly in comparison with the opposite prime pink gentle masks in the marketplace. The value feels a lot fairer when the CryoGlow has a number of distinctive flexes that separate it from well-liked rivals just like the $395 Omnilux masks and $349 Solawave masks.
Shark hair instruments just like the FlexStyle have cemented themselves as formidable fixtures within the hair care world for years now. However the CryoGlow is Shark’s first try at esthetics — one fastidiously designed over time after enter from dermatologists, proof from medical trials, and buyer suggestions about different pink gentle gadgets in the marketplace. I realized all about its lore at SharkBeauty’s launch occasion for the masks in January 2025, then introduced one house to check for myself.
What does the Shark CryoGlow masks do?
The Shark face masks targets positive traces, zits, darkish circles, and customarily uneven pores and skin texture. These are the principle advantages of pink gentle remedy (and blue gentle and infrared gentle), usually yearned for when even probably the most religious skincare routines aren’t doing sufficient.
The CryoMask is lined with 160 interlocking tri-wick LED bulbs, spanning all corners of the face and even a bit of beneath the jaw. Everybody calls it an LED masks, however if you wish to get fancy, it is technically iQLED.
The Shark CryoGlow masks weighs round 1.5 kilos.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
The pink glow is achieved when blue and pink gentle are shining concurrently.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
That 160 beats the 132 LEDs of the Omnilux masks or the 14 LEDs of the Solawave wand, in order that’s noteworthy by itself — however the “tri-wick” factor is essential, too. Tri-wick signifies that each single a type of bulbs can emit every wavelength, so that you’re getting full-face gentle protection whatever the setting. Scientifically, this could be clocked when it comes to irradiance: a measurement of energy density on the supply of the LED. The Shark CryoGlow hits a most radiance of 128mW/cm² in comparison with the 30mW/cm² of the Omnilux.
(The bulbs in a number of competing masks cannot all illuminate concurrently as a result of they’re both single-wick or bi-wick, that means half flip off when their designated coloration is not getting used.)
The nanometer measurement of every wavelength performs an enormous function in pores and skin penetration. The Shark CryoGlow makes use of a 415nm blue gentle concentrating on the pores and skin’s floor layer and 630nm pink gentle with 830nm infrared to journey to the deeper, mobile layer of pores and skin.
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So, what is the distinction between pink gentle and blue gentle? All you actually need to find out is the skincare concern you want to focus on, then scroll by the CryoGlow distant’s settings to decide on one. Shark designed the 2 fundamental settings for use for an preliminary eight-week session with each day use.
Higher Growing older mode: This mode stimulates collagen manufacturing and promotes plumping beneath the pores and skin, making it the perfect setting for concentrating on positive traces and wrinkles. Right here, the masks administers a mix of pink and infrared gentle concurrently for six minutes.
Blemish Restore mode: That is used to kill acne-causing micro organism and enhance pores and skin readability and texture on the highest layer of the pores and skin. Right here, the masks administers a consecutive concoction of blue gentle with infrared for a couple of minutes, then blue and pink gentle collectively for a couple of minutes, then pink gentle + infrared for a couple of minutes. It takes eight minutes complete.
Pores and skin Maintain mode: That is used to take care of your outcomes and get a each day increase of brightness after your preliminary eight-week cycle is over. Pores and skin Maintain administers blue gentle, pink gentle, and infrared gentle concurrently for a complete of 4 minutes.
After every session is accomplished, the Shark masks turns off by itself.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
The distant retains observe of what number of periods you have accomplished.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Every cycle’s timing was calculated based mostly on the wavelength mixture of that setting — it is a way more exact strategy than Googling “how lengthy it is best to use pink gentle remedy for.” Through the science a part of the dialogue on the launch occasion, it clicked for me: The momentary swipe of a pink gentle wand with a one-inch floor is a actually small quantity of true LED publicity. This cleared up a number of my confusion about my lack of Solawave wand outcomes when it labored nicely for different folks.
The Shark masks is not overly chill to put on, however it’s fast
I doubt there’s anybody on the market researching the perfect pink gentle masks to purchase and anticipating to not appear to be Dwight in that episode of The Workplace the place he cuts off the CPR dummy’s face. It is simply a part of the sport.
Nonetheless, the Shark masks positively is not the chicest or slimmest masks I’ve seen. It is not foldable like another fashions, and can also be a bit of clunky in the case of storage. The heavy packer in me couldn’t take this factor in a suitcase, despite the fact that it comes with a carrying pouch.
I want the distant had been wi-fi, however it does have a pants clip.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
My cat is not terrified of the masks. I type of am.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
There’s positively no answering the door like this, however you recognize what? The horror fanatic in me doesn’t thoughts casually strolling across the residence wanting like Jason Voorhees for a couple of minutes (although I’m a proud Michael Myers girlie at coronary heart — argue with your self).
The CryoGlow would not essentially really feel heavy in case you’re simply scrolling in your telephone whereas carrying it. Nevertheless it does begin to really feel a bit of cumbersome in case you’re performing an actual job that requires wanting down. I saved attempting to feed my cats throughout morning CryoGlow periods and needed to pressure my neck to precisely scoop the moist meals into the bowls on the counter.
The masks itself is rechargeable and would not must be plugged into the wall whereas getting used; as a substitute, it must be charged about each three days. Although the distant and its wire principally keep out of the best way, it might be sick if it had been cordless.
The CryoGlow takes a number of hours to totally recharge.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
The factor is, no Shark CryoGlow session lasts longer than eight minutes. You are probably not being inconvenienced for lengthy. The followers are whooshing proper in your ear, however it’s not so loud which you could’t hear a dialog or watch TV. Truthfully, the toughest a part of carrying it’s sitting there with air-dried pores and skin with out one thing moisturizing on it — Shark recommends a clear, dry face for gentle to finest penetrate, however the itchy feeling post-cleansing makes me wish to tear my entire face off.
Shark CryoGlow outcomes: First three months, then a 10-month replace
I type of stopped giving a shit about how I look with out make-up after my frontal lobe developed. However the CryoGlow marks a time in my life once I genuinely really feel cute bare-faced. I really really feel like there’s extra of an inherent glow and evenness to my pores and skin after my full CryoGlow session than I’ve ever had earlier than.
However I do know everyone seems to be most within the full transformation, so positive, I will provide you with a “earlier than” image. However earlier than I expose myself like that, I am entitled to point out the “after” image first.
My pores and skin after finishing the total CryoGlow session. (Peep the sticker within the telephone case — I TOLD YOU I used to be a Michael Myers girlie.)
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
I promise my pores and skin is clean on this picture — the one leftover “spots” are discoloration from earlier large pimples. I’ve accepted the truth that I must pay for extra microneedling to uproot these.
Does the Shark masks work on zits?
Each little child goals of rising up, having a psychological breakdown about grownup zits at age 30, and publishing a close-up picture of it in a web-based article for work. However I’ve to showcase the total transformation to point out that sure, the Shark CryoGlow masks actually does hold zits formation at bay.
Earlier than: No concealer/basis combo was hiding these.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
After: No make-up, simply morning skincare!
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
For context, I am 30 years previous and by no means actually struggled with zits… up till about 4 years in the past. It has been a battle to maintain my chin, jawline, and cheeks clear since then. I used to be dwelling in worry of waking up with a brand new pimple cooking after I had simply gotten the final one to simmer down. Mine had been in areas sometimes related to fluctuating hormones.
All of that was occurring whereas by no means skipping my nighttime skincare routine and attending a number of microneedling appointments, my final of which was three months earlier than I began testing the Shark masks. Whereas I do imagine my non secular Tretinoin use has improved the feel of my pores and skin, it was outnumbered by hellbent zits. The one true slowdown of pimples I skilled began a month into utilizing the CryoGlow. I went from a brand new painful crater popping up nearly day by day to possibly one or two each two weeks.
(The one different modifications I lately made had been spritzes of hypochlorous acid after waking up or going exterior, and taking a Zinc complement after TikTok urged that might assist with zits.)
The CryoGlow is great at preventing micro organism that causes zits and decreasing redness of those that do exist, it would not actually cut back zits scars or deep leftover pink spots — and would not declare to. These simply appear to be cussed little marks that in all probability require an in-office facial therapy.
Does the Shark masks work on positive traces?
Sure, the Shark masks made the positive traces in some areas of my face much less noticeable.
The needlelike presence of my brow wrinkles had turn out to be more and more outstanding in the previous couple of years of my 20s. Make-up was making the feel much more noticeable, particularly when it started creasing after a number of hours. I lastly began getting occasional brow Botox about two years in the past, and let me let you know: Botox is that lady. However the child wrinkles quickly creep again in, and maintaining with it will get costly.
I am totally satisfied that the Shark CryoGlow masks was key in mellowing out my brow traces sufficient to maintain me out of the Botox chair for months longer than I am “supposed” to. (For context: My final Botox appointment was 5 months earlier than testing the Shark CryoGlow, and I didn’t get any Botox therapies whereas testing the masks.)
Concealer and powder had been mixing extra seamlessly than they beforehand did once I was overdue. There’s nothing like that post-Botox brow plumpness, however the CryoGlow supplied the subsequent neatest thing for me — a smoothness that no serums in focused Instagram adverts are going to realize.
Sadly, the CryoGlow did not have the identical blurring impact round my crow’s ft. God forbid you are somebody who LAUGHS.
Does the Shark masks work on beneath eyes?
I positively suppose I look much less like a corpse on the times once I use the CryoGlow’s under-eye chill pads. That is the place the “Cryo” a part of the title is available in: the masks is mimics cryotherapy, which might decrease irritation of the tissue utilizing focused low temperatures. The coolness pads can cool at three totally different ranges of chilly throughout an LED session, or can be utilized with out lights.
The CryoGlow’s de-puffing results do not feel tremendous long-lasting — remember that that is extra of an elevated ice curler routine every morning than a heavy-duty under-eye therapy. You’ll be able to’t anticipate hollowness to completely fill out, however I can vouch for the brightening impact. At any price, the cool steel plates really feel superb while you’re a zombie within the morning. If this sounds engaging to you however not engaging sufficient to spend $349.99, hold an eye fixed out for when Shark releases the heating and cooling DePuffi machine by itself in early 2026.
After nearly a yr, the Shark masks remains to be the mom of all skincare gadgets to me
Quick ahead from Might (when this assessment initially revealed) to December, I’ve since examined one other prime pink gentle masks (the CurrentBody Pores and skin Collection 2 masks) in addition to Shark’s latest skincare machine, the Shark FacialPro Glow. The FacialPro Glow is not a direct comparability, because it targets clogged pores, useless pores and skin, and sebaceous filaments, which are not actually on the radar of pink gentle remedy. I believe the FacialPro Glow is a nice reward concept for a teenage lady, although.
By way of which pink gentle masks is the perfect, my resounding suggestion is the Shark masks over the CurrentBody masks. Whereas the CurrentBody masks will get a number of factors for its versatile, extra moveable construct, it is far more primary than the Shark masks.
A take a look at the LED bulb state of affairs between the CurrentBody and Shark face masks.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
The CurrentBody Pores and skin Collection 2 would not supply blue gentle in any respect, so some pimples popped up once I paused CryoGlow utilization to check the CurrentBody. There is not any customizing based mostly in your present pores and skin concern with the CurrentBody masks both — it would not have settings (simply on and off), and there isn’t any display screen on the distant to offer a countdown timer. It is simply an general much less luxurious expertise that prices $120 extra than the CryoGlow.
When researching different folks’s ideas on each of those masks, the commonest CryoGlow masks drawback I’ve seen is the shortage of pink lights across the eye (as a substitute, the cooling pads are there). If positive traces across the eye are a a lot greater concern for you than zits, then sure, you’d completely be higher off going the CurrentBody route. I personally discovered the CurrentBody’s eye-centric pink lights blinding, to the purpose the place I did not wish to put on the masks day by day.
Is the Shark CryoGlow Masks value it?
Shark’s face masks continues to show its value in my skincare routine, and I might suggest it to simply about anybody.
The way in which my zits cleared up in the course of the eight-week interval was simply probably the most palpable end result, and near-daily Shark masks utilization has labored wonders on my pores and skin’s general texture (and look with out make-up) for nearly a yr now. I am not saying you will by no means get a pimple whereas utilizing the masks, however I do suppose the CryoGlow’s pink, blue, and infrared concoction is extraordinarily efficient at mitigating the quantity of zits popping up. Equally, as a result of its wavelengths can dig additional into the pores and skin than topical skincare, it is a extra highly effective instrument for dulling positive traces than any retinols or retinoids I’ve tried. With less-dead beneath eyes within the morning because the cherry on prime, I’m glowier and extra comfy bare-faced now than I used to be pre-mask.
The Shark CryoGlow masks could or could not be capable of accomplish these precise outcomes for everybody from scratch. It in all probability depends upon the pores and skin you are working with to start out, and the consistency of the remainder of your skincare routine. The CryoGlow is unquestionably a slight monetary funding up entrance, however most individuals deep in skincare mode know that no path to glass pores and skin is reasonable. Plus, common CryoGlow use might find yourself saving you cash over time.
