TL;DR
Shark's CryoGlow mask blends LED light therapy with serious cooling tech for your face. It’s a rigid, but practical, hard plastic mask with an open-eye design, letting you multitask while treating your skin. The real star is the rapid cooling under the eyes, which instantly de-puffs and tightens skin – a game-changer for morning puffiness. Over eight weeks, testers saw improved radiance and smaller pores, suggesting the LED’s collagen-boosting effects. While not a professional clinic replacement and with some LED coverage limitations, the CryoGlow offers excellent value as a cost-effective, convenient home treatment for both immediate and long-term skin improvements. Curious to see if this cooling and glowing combo is the skincare upgrade you need? Dive into the full review to find out!
Shark, one half of the merged brand Shark Ninja, has undergone an impressive transformation over the last few years. From being known for affordable vacuum cleaners, they have—via their popular hair stylers (e.g., FlexStyle)—now stepped into the premium segment for skincare technology. Their latest innovation, Shark CryoGlow, promises something that few other LED masks on the market can offer: a combination of advanced light therapy and active, ice-cold cryotherapy for home use.
Our tester at senses has worn the mask during the eight-week test period to see if the technical features actually deliver results or if it is just an ice-cold marketing ploy.
Design and ergonomics
The first thing that strikes you when unboxing the Shark CryoGlow is that it feels like a solid piece of engineering. Unlike the soft silicone masks that have become immensely popular lately (think CurrentBody), Shark has chosen a rigid hard-plastic construction. This provides a fantastic sense of quality, but it also places higher demands on the user’s face shape.
The mask is secured with a sturdy, adjustable strap that ensures a stable fit. A major advantage in the design is the “open-eye” solution. Not having to keep your eyes closed for ten minutes and instead being able to watch TV, read a book, or reply to a text during treatment increases the likelihood that the mask will actually be used in everyday life. However, the mask is quite heavy, which means that after a while, you may want to lean your head back against a pillow.
The technology behind the cold
The major selling point here is Under-Eye Cooling. Beneath the eye area are thermoelectric plates that use the Peltier effect to become truly cold in just a few seconds. It doesn’t just get “cool,” but a distinct cold that immediately constricts the blood vessels. There are three modes for this, and the coldest mode naturally provides the best effect, even if some find it a bit too chilly (we didn’t).
In addition to the cold, the mask offers three main LED light programs:
- Better Aging: A cocktail of red and infrared light (NIR) to stimulate collagen. You should run this daily for 8 weeks for maximum effect.
- Blemish Repair: Blue and purple light targeting bacteria (pimples) and reducing inflammation.
- Skin Sustain: A maintenance program for achieved results that balances skin tone. You run this a couple of times a week after completing the Better Aging treatment.
Shark has solved the energy requirements of the mask by connecting the remote control that manages the programs via a cable. This remote also contains a battery, which you can charge using the included USB-C cable and wall adapter. It is not possible to use the mask while it is charging. The fact that Shark includes both a power adapter and a silk pouch to store everything in is a minor cost that still feels so luxurious and complete, ensuring everything you need is included.
User experience and results
Using the CryoGlow is commendably simple. The wired remote is intuitive, and the preset programs mean you never have to hesitate.
During the test period, the cryo function provided the most immediate satisfaction. For those suffering from morning swelling, puffiness, or dark circles after a bad night’s sleep, the six minutes of cold are a “game changer.” The result is visible immediately: the skin tightens up, and swelling subsides significantly. Regarding the long-term effects of the LED light on fine lines, regular use over 8 weeks is required before seeing full results, but people around the tester could already note after a month that the skin had an improved and more even glow and that pores were noticeably smaller than at the start of the test. A sign that the collagen has actually been activated.
Now, the daylight varies a bit between the times we took the photos, but if you look below at the Before and After eight weeks of treatment, you can see the results we achieved for yourselves:
You should wash your face clean before treatment and then moisturize with cream immediately afterward. This requires some discipline and is best done as a routine, like brushing your teeth. If you miss a day here and there, it’s not a catastrophe, as the effect accumulates over time. We were satisfied with the result—it is naturally not the same effect you get from treatment at a professional beauty clinic or procedures such as Botox, but there, each treatment session can also cost over a thousand kronor, making this home-use mask both much more convenient and highly cost-effective after just a few uses.
What we might miss is that the area under the eyes does not receive any actual light therapy, as this surface is covered by the cooling plates. Similarly, an area around the eyes is “protected” from being dazzled by the LED light, which also means a lack of spot treatment there. Perhaps the next model could offer a mode with light for the entire face, using tanning goggles to protect the eyes? A female tester on the editorial team would also like a mask that treats the neck, even if this is outside the “face mask” niche.
Conclusion Shark CryoGlow
Shark CryoGlow is an ambitious product that succeeds in being both a long-term investment for your facial pores, lines, and glow, and a quick fix for tired morning faces. The price tag of just over 4,000 kronor may feel high at first glance, but considering you get both a competent LED mask and a dedicated device for cryotherapy, the value for money is still quite reasonable for the skincare enthusiast (how many thousands of kronor do you spend on skincare creams in a year?). The rigid fit and missing LED areas are the mask’s only real Achilles’ heel, but otherwise, this is a very pleasant product to have in your home-care arsenal, with a good effect that is clearly visible over time.
Shark sent a review sample for this test. Material providers have no editorial influence on our tests; we always write independently with you, the readers and consumers, in focus.
