While I write extensively on all aspects of beauty, health, fitness and wellbeing, my specialist subjects, without a shadow of a doubt, are red light therapy and retinol. There are few topics I am more well-versed in discussing, and discuss them I do, in great length and great detail to anyone who will listen. When something works, I simply cannot gatekeep. Which is why I am happy to finally be able to share about the Shark Beauty CryoGlow Clinic, the LED face mask that I have been quietly trialling and is finally available.
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To say I am a fan of Shark Beauty is an understatement. I use the FlexStyle religiously, wax lyrical on the FacialPro Glow hydradermabrasion skincare tool, and before the Clinic entered my life, you would catch me daily with the Shark CryoGlow LED face mask cycling through its blemish-busting blue light or anti-ageing collagen-boosting red light programs. But if I had to play favourites, CryoGlow Clinic would be in the top spot.
Where this device stands out when compared to its predecessor is greater power and thus faster results, the addition of heat to the cooling eye pads for contrast therapy and most excitingly of all, the brand’s first foray into a neck LED mask. But this is no ordinary LED neck mask. This is a multitasking LED mini panel that doubles up as an LED hand mask, and after over a decade of gel manicures, I am thrilled to add this to my red light therapy routine. Yes, I have a red light therapy routine.
Below, I deep dive into the Shark CryoGlow Clinic mask, detailing the new features, if it works, if it’s worth the upgrade from the brand’s previous LED mask and my verdict after a month of use.
First and foremost, the Shark CryoGlow Clinic is more powerful than the original CryoGlow. The face mask alone has 510 LED bulbs (versus the previous 480), and these are tactically placed around the crow’s feet and nasolabial folds, which are common areas of concern. In the same well-fitting hardshell design, the brand has layered the LEDs so that there is seamless coverage across the face (which is not always possible with a silicone mask). The brand says there is higher radiance too, which delivers faster results. Importantly, the wavelengths remain the same, as they are clinically proven.
The panel is affixed with 510 LEDs too and a soft strap modelled on a sleeping eye mask so it doesn’t feel constricting or suffocating when it’s in use. In fact, it is surprisingly comfortable.
Dual-Temp Restore is a new addition too, and like the FacialPro Glow, it brings a warming element into the mix. While Shark CryoGlow has InstaChill Technology on under-eye patches fitted internally to the mask to treat the eyes to a reviving cooling, there is the option to pair this with heat on the Shark CryoGlow Clinic for contrast therapy, and I love this feature in the evening after looking at screens all day.
The controller has also been redesigned. It is bigger, and the new masks require being affixed to it via USB. This means you can charge up just the controller and use one mask at a time if you wish. That being said, I like to plug them both in for a simultaneous face and neck treatment. Once that is complete, I unplug the face and unstrap the neck mask and prop up the sides to use it as a hand treatment. While these are the official uses of the panel, it can really be used anywhere on the body, including the back.
CryoGlow Clinic Face + Body
Shark has teamed up with an army of dermatologists and skin scientists to create a gadget that is designed to minimise visible signs of ageing, firm the skin, stimulate collagen production, boost elasticity and combat sagging. Clinical testing from the brand has reported an improvement in the appearance of fine lines on the forehead, lips, neck, chest and hands, as well as crow’s feet and frown lines – and all this through just one device.
There are three programs: Wrinkle Repair, Balance & Clear and Skin Sustain, which are offered on both masks. Wrinkle Repair is a six-minute treatment that harnesses red and infrared light and is designed to be used daily for eight weeks. Balance & Clear is the spot-fighting option with blue light as the star and, according to the brand, can help clear blemishes in just a month of usage. Skin Sustain is to keep up the results of the previous treatments. These can be paired with either Under-Eye Revive, which, much like the original CryoGlow, uses soothing InstaChill Technology to depuff or the Dual-Temp Restore contrast technology mentioned above. You can mix and match any of the above treatments; for example, I use Balance and Clear on my face but Wrinkle Repair on the neck at the same time. Helpfully, everything is controlled via the remote, so there is no need for any storage-filling companion apps.
I was impressed the moment I affixed the Shark CryoGlow Clinic face mask. While the brand said that they kept the face design similar, I found it fit far more securely than the previous model, which gives me greater flexibility to do other tasks while I’m wearing it around the house, and so keeping up with a routine is very easy. What really impresses me is the ability to do different programs simultaneously and that it detects which device is plugged in. You detail if it is neck or hands, and for the latter, when one hand is done, it tells you to switch to the next.
Shark also says that the battery life has improved, but the remote prompts you to charge it after each treatment. I find that after I have done my Blemish Repair, neck and both hands, it is nearly depleted and needs to be charged if I want to repeat the following evening, but the brand has made this far easier by making the controller wireless and allowing it to just be popped onto a USB-C cable. They have included a remote dock too but I don’t really need to use this.
It is worth noting that the results on the body will take longer. The brand claims you will notice an impact in eight to 12 weeks when compared to results for the face, which they detail should only be four to six weeks. I have noticed in just over a month of usage that my skin is far dewier and when blemishes have arisen, they heal far quicker.