As a beauty editor, I'm lucky enough to get a sneak peek at new products before they hit the shelves. Last year, Shark Beauty gave me a heads up about its latest launch: the CryoGlow LED Face Mask, priced at £299.99. Marking the brand's first foray into the UK skincare market and tapping into the growing trend for at-home beauty treatments that promise salon-quality results, the CryoGlow is the UK’s first LED light therapy mask that combines LED routines with cooling technology.
Its 'instachill' feature can help reduce puffiness under the eyes in just 5 minutes. Plus, with 160 tri-wick LEDs covering your entire face, it targets fine lines and wrinkles, promising smoother, younger-looking skin in as little as eight weeks. It all sounds amazing, right? But with a price tag that hefty, what everyone really wants to know is, whether the results warrant the cost.
Zoe shares her thoughts below after testing it for over three months, but first, a bit about the mask itself that makes the price justified...
The mask modes:
Blemish Repair mode: This 8-minute session combines blue, red & Infrared light to help reduce the appearance of textured, uneven skin and blemishes for smooth, glowing skin with an automated 3-phase routine.
Better Aging mode: A 6-minute session utilising red & infrared technology, aimed at helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Skin Sustain mode: A 4-minute session of red, blue and infrared LEDs to help enhance skin radiance and maintain skin condition, used after an 8-week course of either Skin Brightening or Better Ageing.
Under-eye Revive mode: With CryoGlow you can de-puff under eyes while targeting your skin concern. Adjustable 5-15 minutes under-eye cold therapy mode. It is the UK’s only mask that offers 'instachill' cold technology to help firm, tighten, soothe and brighten under-eyes.
READ MORE: Best LED face masks to buy in 2025, as recommended by beauty experts
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Zoe Cripps/ Shark)Positives
Easy to set up and use: You just need to charge the battery up to 100%
Combines a cryo element: An 'Instachill' mode lets you de-puff under-eyes while targeting your skin concern, with three different temperature settings to choose from depending on how cool you want to go. You can also use the chill setting without any LED, if you prefer.
It's very manoeuvrable: It's attached to a battery-powered remote control, so you don't have to be near a plug for it to work. You can even carry on with your daily tasks or watch telly while wearing it.
It offers a variety of modes: You can choose targeted treatments for blemishes, anti-ageing or overall skin health. Once the timed session is done, the mask will automatically end the treatment and give you the option to turn it off.
The sessions are quick: They only last four, six or eight minutes in total, so you don't need to wear it for ages to see the benefits of the LED therapy.
Neutrals
Battery life: While it's great that there's no need to sit near a power source, the battery doesn't last long – around three or four uses, so I find myself charging it quite a bit.
The fit: While I love how the mask tightens (it's very user-friendly), I struggle to get the cryo pads under my eyes to sit properly. Maybe my face is just a bit too small for the mask.
Zoe's results
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Zoe Cripps)I'm the perfect person to review an LED mask, having tried nearly every single one on the market—from the budget-friendly Magnitone mask (£75) to the high-end CELLRETURN Platinum LED Mask (almost £2k). I've experienced varying levels of success, with the Cellreturn mask delivering the best results. However, its hefty price tag makes it inaccessible for many. So, after returning it post my three-month trial, I was on the hunt for a more affordable alternative that delivers similar results.
After three months of using Shark's CryoGlow Mask at least five times per week – I've been very diligent – I'm really happy to report I've seen some great changes to my skin. A combination of using both the anti-ageing red light and the blemish-reducing blue light has meant my skin looks much more even, less blotchy and has become less prone to breakouts and red marks. It's also helped reduce the redness from the frequent bouts of rosacea I'm prone to on my cheeks.
I used the mask most days for 6-8 minutes on either the red or the blue light settings (I alternated between them each day) and with the under-eye cooling setting on max. I noticed within a few weeks that the redness and puffiness around my eye area in the mornings were starting to improve. Then came the skin texture and tone improvements at around the two-month mark.
The Shark CryoGlow mask has become a calming evening ritual that I look forward to, and even my boyfriend wants a piece of the action (he's a fan of the blue light setting!). Plus, I think my results fully justify its £299 price tag.
English (US) ·