Why Shark Beauty’s New Cooling & LED Light Therapy Mask Is Worth It

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It’s likely that you know Shark Beauty on the basis of its top-tier hair tools — such as the Shark FlexStyle hair styler, which boasts millions upon millions of views on TikTok, loads of rave reviews (including that of our editors), and lack of a learning curve. Now, folks, Shark is going a step above all this by boldly entering the skin care space, with the debut of its CryoGlow Cooling & LED Face Mask.

As part of the global product design and tech company SharkNinja (which is also behind home appliances like air fryers and espresso machines, as well as a line of bestselling robot vacuums), Shark Beauty launched in 2021 and immediately made waves. If the Shark FlexStyle — released in 2022 — is any indication, Shark produces industry-leading offerings in the beauty space and the CryoGlow Cooling & LED Face Mask is just the latest gem in its crown.

What makes this mask so special, you ask, in a world replete with red light therapies and LED face masks? Let us explain: Besides utilizing blue, red, and infrared LEDs to banish fine lines and other signs of aging while firming up skin on the whole, it also immediately firms and de-puffs the eyes with cooling under-eye pads. This latter component operates with three cryotherapy-inspired coolness levels that are adjustable at the mere touch of a button. This can all happen, by the way, at the same time as your light therapy treatments — allowing you to flex your multitasking prowess, especially if you choose to wear Shark’s mask while doing household chores or engaging in a self-care ritual.

In other words, the Shark CryoGlow Cooling & LED Face Mask will grant short-term results in the form of under-eye firmness and also longer-term ones when it comes to reducing acne thanks to blue light’s bacteria-killing properties; stimulating collagen production with deep infrared light; waving goodbye to wrinkles via red light; reducing redness; as well as enhancing skin radiance and plumpness. When three specific light wavelengths are hard at work, after all, magic happens.

As for the Shark CryoGlow Cooling & LED Face Mask’s value, its price is pretty comparable to other LED face mask leaders on the market: including the Omnilux Contour mask (another editor favorite), HigherDose’s Red Light Face Mask, and the Sun Home Saunas Radiant Face Mask. The value element comes in when considering this particular mask’s multifaceted capabilities, not the least of which is the fact that it can spot-treat under your eyes in conjunction with improvements made to the whole complexion. We love a jack-of-all-trades facial tool.

Not convinced yet that it’s the LED face mask for you? We took it upon ourselves to test out the Shark CryoGlow Cooling & LED Face Mask for two weeks to truly get familiarized with its underlying technology and see if it is, indeed, worth the buy. Read on for our honest review.

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How We Tested the Shark LED Face Mask

Shark LED Light Therapy Face Mask Review — Editor Testing Notes

I was coming off of a four-month streak of testing LED light therapy skin care tools when I laid hands on Shark’s CryoGlow Face Mask. “Another one,” I thought to myself, as the truth is that the majority of luxury offerings in the category have similar fit, feel, and function. But when I unboxed Shark’s LED light therapy tool and tried it on for size, I was immediately struck by a few key differences. For one, the mask is in a firm shape versus a malleable silicone one — and unlike similar ones I’ve tried, it actually felt comfortable to wear.

As a general rule of thumb when testing skin care tools, I attempt to get comfortable with the device without the help of a manual or instruction guide to assess how intuitive it is to use. Shark has done something genius with this mask in that the brand looked to the likes of video game headsets and ski goggles when creating the design of the mask. I’m not a skier nor a gamer, but the ergonomics of the mask still made perfect sense to me when I slid it on and adjusted the straps for a secure (not squeezed-in) fit.

Beyond ease of use, Shark’s LED light therapy mask is worth it because of its versatile treatments that solve a slew of major skin concerns with quick, easy treatments. Notably, this is the only LED mask I’ve found with integrated cooling under-eye pads. I know from multiple interviews with dermatologists that the main benefits of LED light therapy come with consistent use, and this cryotherapy-inspired feature encouraged me to reach for the mask on the daily, as it provided me with short-term benefit of less puffiness around my eyes. I found myself so looking forward to that feature that I actually set my alarm 15 minutes early to use the mask on the daily.

The interface of the remote is amazingly easy to operate too. Shark offers themed treatments, which you can toggle between with the attached remote, that simplify the process of choosing between red or blue wavelengths.

There’s a Better Aging option that employs red light to target fine lines and loss of elasticity, a blue light-based Skin Clearing treatment that zaps acne-causing bacteria, and an Under-Eye Revive option that cools the eyes without LED Light Therapy. For maintenance after using the mask regularly for a few weeks (or for a quick pick-me-up), you can opt for the four-minute Skin Sustain treatment.

While I don’t expect to see results from the LED light therapy treatments for a few more weeks of consistent use, I can say with confidence that this is the best red light therapy mask for beginners — or those who crave that immediate satisfaction of a great professional facial or a luxury set of under-eye patches. — WWD Shop Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Commerce Claire Sullivan

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Meet the Author

Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for Footwear News and WWD, where she writes and edits beauty, fashion and lifestyle stories. She has over eight years of experience as a writer and editor for national media outlets including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She keeps her finger on the pulse of all things related to beauty and wellness, as well as the latest shopping trends and clothing brands.

Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska has a history of reporting on trending releases in the skin care space and has covered LED face masks specifically.