Shark cryoglow under eye cooling and LED face mask
- Settings: Four
- Treatment time: Between for to 15 minutes
- Why we love it
- Multiple settings
- Portable
- Makes a huge difference to skin texture, elasticity and redness
- Take note
- Short battery life
- Heavy
Shark’s sleek cryoglow LED face mask comes in two finishes: a baby blue and a pastel-toned lilac. Complete with a handy satin pouch for storage and portability, the mask also comes with a USB cable and plug for charging the remote control. The remote is attached to the mask but the cord is long enough to pop it in your pocket, so you can wear the mask hands-free around the house or while WFH.
As for the mask’s design, there’s forehead and temple padding, as well as adjustable straps to customise the fit. Plus, there are silicone eye shields for LED light blocking and extra comfort. Thanks to the straps and the eye shields, the mask feels secure and comfortable to wear but, be warned, it is quite heavy. This isn’t an issue when lounging around or lying down but it can be a strain if you’re sitting upright or moving around. If you’re using the mask for longer than 10 minutes with different treatments, expect to see red marks on your forehead and nose after removing it.
Battery life isn’t great. If you’re doing two consecutive treatments, the mask’s battery depletes by nearly half. And if you’re using one treatment daily, expect to charge it every three days or so, depending on the treatment length you opt for. Note that the cooling undereye mode uses up far less battery, as it doesn’t require LEDs. The upside is that it charges quickly (around three hours), so you don’t have to wait too long until you use it again.
Read more: Best vitamin C serums, reviewed
The Shark mask has four settings: better ageing (six minutes), blemish repair (eight minutes), skin sustain (four minutes) and under-eye revive (five to 10 minutes). The former uses red LEDs and infrared combined, with a daily six-minute session helping to reduce the appearance of lines over time. Two months on, some smiling lines around my mouth are considerably less obvious. As I’m 26 years old, lines aren’t a major concern for me yet but I can see the appeal of using the Shark LED mask for preventative purposes.
‘Blemish repair’ is my favourite setting. The eight-minute automated three-phase routine combines blue LEDs and infrared, before finishing with red LEDs. Continued use has made a noticeable difference to my skin texture and complexion. My face feels far softer and smoother, while the redness around my nose looks diminished. While I’ve still been prone to the odd spot around my chin and forehead, the mask has certainly reduced their appearance and redness.
Read more: Best sheet masks to soothe and hydrate
The ‘skin sustain’ mode is just four minutes long and it’s the perfect pick-me-up for dull skin. Using blue and red LEDs and infrared combined, this setting helps boost brightness and sustain the results of an eight-week cycle of using the ‘better ageing’ and ‘blemish repair’ modes.
A real selling point of the mask is the under-eye-cooling mode. There are two active points of cooling sent out through the silicone eye pads, to help firm, tighten, soothe and de-puff the under-eye area. The results are instant, with the area looking brightened and tighter. The cooling function also offers nice relief the morning after a night out, earning the Shark mask extra kudos.