Shark CryoGlow

Verdict

The Shark CryoGlow is an ideal beauty appliance for anyone wanting to improve their appearance subtly and over time without the need for more invasive treatments or costly ongoing salon sessions. If your goal is smoother skin and brighter, less puffy eyes, I highly recommend it.

Introduction

There’s a lot of hype around LED light therapy masks. With the promise of more youthful-looking skin, all from the comfort of your own home and without the need for more invasive, costly treatments, these masks, such as the Shark CryoGlow, are likely to be on many Christmas wish lists this December.

I witnessed the hype first-hand on a recent birthday trip for one of my friends. Sat in the oversized hot tub at a swish hotel, the assembled group, ranging in age from late thirties to early fifties, were all not a little envious when they found out I had the Shark CryoGlow waiting for me to test out when I arrived back home. Everyone wanted to be kept appraised of the results.

Part of this interest is down to the rapid rise of beauty influencers, but for me it’s also part of the post-Covid fallout. Pre-Covid, I’d never have dreamt of leaving the house – or even answering the front door – without at least a light layer of BB cream, a dash of under-eye concealer and a dusting of powder. But as we were all forced to stay home for so many months, I got used to going make-up free. As a result, the idea of having to apply some slap just to pop to the shops, go to the cinema or visit family now seems a little extravagant.  

But this means I’ve become more aware of my skin and noticed minor and major imperfections. As someone who has always suffered from dark circles under the eye, has some uneven patches and a few wrinkles around the eye area – but is squeamish about the idea of any facial treatments involving needles and doesn’t have the patience or bank balance for long courses of facials – I was very keen to try out the Shark CryoGlow to see if it could give me a more even skintone and radiant appearance.

Design and Features

• Easy to use
• Sturdy and well-designed
• Flexible fit
• Four different routines

The Shark CryoGlow is an LED light therapy mask with under-eye cooling technology. It can be used with every skin type and skin tone. The best results come from daily use over a specific period. It’s designed to give you smoother skin and brighter eyes.

This is thanks to its 480 different coloured LEDs, which emit different wavelengths to penetrate the skin in different ways. Blue 415 nanometer LEDs target your epidermis skin layer, and are aimed at keeping skin clean and bright. Red and infrared LEDs of between 630 – 830 nanometers target the dermis level and are designed to improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles. 

The mask also features two under-eye chill pads, which use the ‘Peltier Effect’. This is the movement of heat-producing electricity through both sides of a surface, making one side feel cool and the other warm. Combining this effect with fans means excess heat is pushed outwards and the eye area is cooled. If the default ones aren’t comfortable, there are two extra pads that attach magnetically.

The CryoGlow mask comes pre-assembled with a remote control attached via a wire. In the box, there’s a USB-C charging cable, which plugs into the bottom of the remote, and plug, optional clip-on chill pads for the eyes, and a storage bag for the mask with an internal pouch for the remote.

The mask has an adjustable Velcro strap on the top, along with elastic straps along the back that can be made looser or tighter with two attached clips. The forehead section is padded so it’s comfortable to wear, and there are silicone eye shields to protect the area from LED lights, as well as attached under-eye pads to soothe and depuff the eye area.

The mask charges fully in around three hours. You turn on the mask with a long press of the circular button on the remote. You can then scroll the different modes by turning the circular dial, and they’re displayed on the remote’s screen. Click when you’ve got to the routine you want. There’s also a back button and a chill button depicted with a snowflake, which lets you choose the setting for your eye pads.

There are four different routines to choose from, Better Ageing, Blemish Repair, Skin Sustain and Under-eye Revive. Each is designed for a specific purpose.

Better Ageing is a six-minute routine that uses a mix of red and infrared LEDs, designed to give you a more radiant, even appearance through smoothing wrinkles and balancing texture.

Blemish Repair is an eight-minute routine that uses a mix of blue, red and infrared LEDs, designed to reduce the appearance of uneven skin and blemishes for smooth, glowing skin.

Shark recommends picking one of those routines when you first get the mask and then using it every day for eight weeks. At the end of eight weeks, there’s the four-minute Skin sustain routine, which uses a mix of blue, red and infrared LEDs and should be used daily to maintain your complexion and boost brightness.

With each of these three routines, you can choose from four under-eye settings – Off or Level 1, 2 or 3, where 3 is the coldest setting.

Separately, you can run eye cooling only with the Under-Eye Revive routine. This doesn’t use the LEDs, and is just for reviving under your eyes, for either five, 10 or 15 minutes, again at either of the three temperature levels.

You should use the mask with a clean face. Once you’ve completed your routine, moisturise your face and wipe down the mask with a clean damp cloth before storing.

The CryoGlow records how many sessions of Better Ageing and Blemish Repair you’ve completed, so it’s easy to track improvements over time, and make sure you’ve completed the recommended number of sessions.

Performance

• Removes blemishes
• Improves under-eye appearance
• Battery can cut-out part way through a routine

I’ve been using the CryoGlow mask for 19 days, and I’m a complete convert. I’ve chosen the Blemish repair program, and have done eight minutes per day with under-eye cooling.

So far, there are patches on my skin that had small blemishes that have been reduced. You can see a comparison in the images below with the before image on the left, and the after on the right.

The dark circles under my eyes have reduced in colour and size, and look much more even and blend more into the skin around them. My eyelids and undereyes are also less puffy. Comparing the before (left) and after (right) images below, you can see the difference.

These are the visible results after three weeks, so I’ll definitely be completing the eight-week course to see the full benefits to my skin. I then plan to do the anti-ageing course, and will continue to use it for ongoing skin maintenance and under-eye cooling, assuming I carry on seeing similar improvements to those I’ve already experienced.

The under-eye cooling feels very cold at first. For my first few days of using the mask, I kept it set to level 1. I then moved to level 2 for a few days and I’ve now moved up to level 3. I now don’t notice the coldness as much, and I love its cooling sensation.

I’ve also used the cooling-only mode before going out for the evening, and it gives an immediate boost to my eye area, with visibly less puffiness and brighter eyes with more subtle dark circles.

As a long-term migraine sufferer, I also found the mask helpful for post-headache recovery. I used the mask at the tail end of an attack, and the cooling mode really soothed my head, helped me feel refreshed and reduced the puffiness around my eyes that I always get with a migraine. Just to note, Shark makes no claims about the mask’s effect on headaches/illnesses, this was just a personal finding.

I found the mask easy to put on and adjust. It felt a little heavy at first, but I soon got used to it. I now use it every morning before my shower, and take the time to read a bit of a book, so it’s like an extra pampering treat to start each day.

I’ve also managed to walk up and down stairs with the mask on, but be very careful if you’re trying that – I needed my daughter to help guide me. I also wore it in the dark one evening in an attempt to scare my niece and nephew, but that backfired when I ended up not being able to see my way to the house. So, it is best to find a well-lit, comfortable place indoors to complete your session.

The battery needs recharging every four or five days, and be warned your session will be cut off partway through if the battery dies – you won’t get a warning to charge it pre-session, so keep an eye on the battery indicator on the top-right of the remote display screen, and as soon as it’s getting low, charge the mask.

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