Shark purple gentle masks overview: 10 months later, it is nonetheless a staple in my skincare routine

Desk of Contents

I’ve had a Solawave purple gentle remedy wand in considered one of my toilet organizers for most likely two years now. I actually needed to like it, but it surely 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 purple 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, but it surely is not costly in comparison with the opposite high purple gentle masks available on the market. The worth feels a lot fairer when the CryoGlow has a couple 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 scientific trials, and buyer suggestions about different purple gentle gadgets available on the market. I discovered all about its lore at SharkBeauty’s launch occasion for the masks in January 2025, then introduced one residence to check for myself.

What does the Shark CryoGlow masks do?

The Shark face masks targets positive strains, pimples, darkish circles, and usually uneven pores and skin texture. These are the principle advantages of purple 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 somewhat 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 purple 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 implies 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 may 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 colour 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 purple gentle with 830nm infrared to journey to the deeper, mobile layer of pores and skin.

So, what is the distinction between purple gentle and blue gentle? All you actually need to find out is the skincare concern you need to focus on, then scroll by means of the CryoGlow distant’s settings to decide on one. Shark designed the 2 essential settings for use for an preliminary eight-week session with day by day use.

Higher Growing old mode: This mode stimulates collagen manufacturing and promotes plumping beneath the pores and skin, making it the perfect setting for concentrating on positive strains and wrinkles. Right here, the masks administers a mixture of purple 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 purple gentle collectively for a couple of minutes, then purple 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 day by day increase of brightness after your preliminary eight-week cycle is over. Pores and skin Maintain administers blue gentle, purple 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 classes you have accomplished.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Every cycle’s timing was calculated primarily based on the wavelength mixture of that setting — it is a way more exact method than Googling “how lengthy you must use purple gentle remedy for.” Throughout the science a part of the dialogue on the launch occasion, it clicked for me: The momentary swipe of a purple gentle wand with a one-inch floor is a actually small quantity of true LED publicity. This cleared up lots of my confusion about my lack of Solawave wand outcomes when it labored properly for different individuals.

The Shark masks is not overly chill to put on, but it surely’s fast

I doubt there’s anybody on the market researching the perfect purple 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 undoubtedly is not the chicest or slimmest masks I’ve seen. It is not foldable like another fashions, and can also be somewhat clunky on the subject 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 have been wi-fi, but it surely does have a pants clip.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable

My cat is not afraid of the masks. I form of am.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable

There’s undoubtedly no answering the door like this, however you understand what? The horror fanatic in me doesn’t thoughts casually strolling across the condominium 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 does not essentially really feel heavy in the event you’re simply scrolling in your cellphone whereas sporting it. However it does begin to really feel somewhat cumbersome in the event you’re performing an actual process that requires wanting down. I stored attempting to feed my cats throughout morning CryoGlow classes and needed to pressure my neck to precisely scoop the moist meals into the bowls on the counter.

The masks itself is rechargeable and does not should be plugged into the wall whereas getting used; as a substitute, it must be charged about each three days. Although the distant and its twine largely keep out of the best way, it could be sick if it have been cordless.

The CryoGlow takes a couple 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, but it surely’s not so loud which you can’t hear a dialog or watch TV. Truthfully, the toughest a part of sporting 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 complete face off.

Shark CryoGlow outcomes: First three months, then a 10-month replace

I form 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 after 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 am going to offer you 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 cellphone case — I TOLD YOU I used to be a Michael Myers girlie.)
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable

I promise my pores and skin is easy 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 pimples?

Each little child desires of rising up, having a psychological breakdown about grownup pimples at age 30, and publishing a close-up picture of it in an internet article for work. However I’ve to showcase the total transformation to point out that sure, the Shark CryoGlow masks actually does hold pimples 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 outdated and by no means actually struggled with pimples… 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 residing in concern of waking up with a brand new pimple cooking after I had simply gotten the final one to simmer down. Mine have 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 couple of microneedling appointments, my final of which was three months earlier than I began testing the Shark masks. Whereas I do consider my non secular Tretinoin use has improved the feel of my pores and skin, it was outnumbered by hellbent pimples. 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 virtually each day to possibly one or two each two weeks.

(The one different adjustments I lately made have been spritzes of hypochlorous acid after waking up or going outdoors, and taking a Zinc complement after TikTok urged that might assist with pimples.)

The CryoGlow is superb at preventing micro organism that causes pimples and decreasing redness of those that do exist, it does not actually cut back pimples scars or deep leftover purple spots — and does not declare to. These simply appear to be cussed little marks that most likely require an in-office facial remedy.

Does the Shark masks work on positive strains?

Sure, the Shark masks made the positive strains in some areas of my face much less noticeable.

The needlelike presence of my brow wrinkles had change into more and more distinguished 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 couple of hours. I lastly began getting occasional brow Botox about two years in the past, and let me inform you: Botox is that lady. However the child wrinkles quickly creep again in, and maintaining with it will get costly.

I am absolutely satisfied that the Shark CryoGlow masks was key in mellowing out my brow strains 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 have been mixing extra seamlessly than they beforehand did after I was overdue. There’s nothing like that post-Botox brow plumpness, however the CryoGlow offered the following neatest thing for me — a smoothness that no serums in focused Instagram advertisements are going to realize.

Sadly, the CryoGlow did not have the identical blurring impact round my crow’s toes. God forbid you are somebody who LAUGHS.

Does the Shark masks work on beneath eyes?

I undoubtedly suppose I look much less like a corpse on the times after 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 may decrease irritation of the tissue utilizing focused low temperatures. The nippiness 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 — take into account that that is extra of an elevated ice curler routine every morning than a heavy-duty under-eye remedy. You possibly can’t anticipate hollowness to completely fill out, however I can vouch for the brightening impact. At any fee, the cool steel plates really feel wonderful while you’re a zombie within the morning. If this sounds engaging to you however not engaging sufficient to spend $349.99, hold a watch out for when Shark releases the heating and cooling DePuffi system by itself in early 2026.

After virtually a yr, the Shark masks continues to be the mom of all skincare gadgets to me

Quick ahead from Might (when this overview initially revealed) to December, I’ve since examined one other high purple gentle masks (the CurrentBody Pores and skin Sequence 2 masks) in addition to Shark’s latest skincare system, 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 purple gentle remedy. I believe the FacialPro Glow is a good present thought for a teenage lady, although.

When it comes to which purple gentle masks is the perfect, my resounding suggestion is the Shark masks over the CurrentBody masks. Whereas the CurrentBody masks will get a couple of factors for its versatile, extra transportable construct, it is rather more primary than the Shark masks.

A have a look at the LED bulb scenario between the CurrentBody and Shark face masks.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The CurrentBody Pores and skin Sequence 2 does not supply blue gentle in any respect, so some pimples popped up after I paused CryoGlow utilization to check the CurrentBody. There is not any customizing primarily based in your present pores and skin concern with the CurrentBody masks both — it does not have settings (simply on and off), and there is not any display screen on the distant to supply a countdown timer. It is simply an total much less luxurious expertise that prices $120 extra than the CryoGlow.

When researching different individuals’s ideas on each of those masks, the commonest CryoGlow masks drawback I’ve seen is the shortage of purple lights across the eye (as a substitute, the cooling pads are there). If positive strains across the eye are a a lot greater concern for you than pimples, then sure, you’d completely be higher off going the CurrentBody route. I personally discovered the CurrentBody’s eye-centric purple lights blinding, to the purpose the place I did not wish to put on the masks each day.

Is the Shark CryoGlow Masks value it?

Shark’s face masks continues to show its value in my skincare routine, and I would suggest it to only about anybody.

The best way my pimples cleared up throughout the eight-week interval was simply probably the most palpable consequence, and near-daily Shark masks utilization has labored wonders on my pores and skin’s total texture (and look with out make-up) for nearly a yr now. I am not saying you may by no means get a pimple whereas utilizing the masks, however I do suppose the CryoGlow’s purple, blue, and infrared concoction is extraordinarily efficient at mitigating the quantity of pimples 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 software for dulling positive strains than any retinols or retinoids I’ve tried. With less-dead beneath eyes within the morning because the cherry on high, I’m glowier and extra snug bare-faced now than I used to be pre-mask.

The Shark CryoGlow masks might or might not be capable of accomplish these actual outcomes for everybody from scratch. It most likely is dependent 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 certainly a slight monetary funding up entrance, however most individuals deep in skincare mode know that no path to glass pores and skin is affordable. Plus, common CryoGlow use might find yourself saving you cash over time.