I'm Gillian, a Scotland based home & lifestyle blogger. Follow along as I navigate this new journey sharing my life from home.
Our Shark CryoGlow has been used 407 times. I know the exact number, because it tells you on it’s little screen.
I’ve now lived with two LED masks, the Shark and the Nanoleaf, and only one of them became part of the routine in this house. This is my Shark CryoGlow review, and it’s a slightly different one from the usual. You’ll find plenty of reviews that focus on skin results and before and after photos. I wanted to write about what it’s actually like to own. How it fits, how it feels, what the noise situation is, whether you can move about in it, and whether you’ll still be bothering with it in month six.
Because the best LED face mask is the one that ends up on your head. A mask that lives in a drawer does nothing, however clever the technology is.
Short version: I think it’s far better than the Nanoleaf in every way except one, and I’ll tell you what that one is. Longer version is below, including the bit that mildly irritates me.
407 sessions, in numbers
I like a bit of data, so here’s how our 407 sessions break down, as of October 2026.
| Mode | Sessions | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Better Ageing | 174 | 6 minutes |
| Blemish Repair | 233 | 8 minutes |
| Skin Sustain | 0 | 4 minutes |
That’s a little over 48 hours of light in total, which is a faintly ridiculous number when you say it out loud.
Better Ageing uses red and deep infrared light, so it’s the one you’d think of as the classic red light therapy mask routine. Blemish Repair is the blue light mask mode. It runs in phases, blue and deep infrared first, then finishing on red.
And then there’s Skin Sustain. Zero sessions. I honestly couldn’t tell you why. It’s the shortest one, it’s described as the maintenance setting, and on paper it should be the easy option on a tired night. I’ve just never picked it. The other two claimed their spots early and Skin Sustain never got a look in.
How it fits (and why that matters more than you’d think)
This is the part I’d want someone to tell me before buying an LED light therapy mask, so I’ll start here.
The Shark is a hard shell mask with adjustable straps. That sounds like it should be uncomfortable, and it isn’t. It fits my head nicely. It fits my partner’s head nicely too, which matters in a house where two people want to use one mask. You adjust the straps, put it on, and it sits.
It sits tightly, actually. That’s the thing I notice most. It doesn’t slide down your nose or wobble when you turn your head.
Which brings me to my favourite thing about it.
You can wear it and get on with your life
You can use the Shark CryoGlow as a proper little self care moment. Lights low, something playing, ten minutes where nobody needs anything from you. That’s lovely and I do that.
But because it stays put, you can also move about in it. You can tidy the kitchen. You can empty the dishwasher. You can, and I have, do the vacuuming in it. It looks ridiculous, a bit like a very tidy sci-fi villain doing housework, but it works, and it means the session doesn’t have to compete with everything else on your list.
That might sound like a small thing. It really isn’t. The reason a LED face mask gets used 407 times rather than 40 is that it fits into the bits of the day you already have, rather than needing a whole separate block of time cleared for it. Six minutes of Better Ageing while you do the hoovering is six minutes you didn’t have to find.
There’s also a sensor in the mask that dims the lights automatically when it’s taken off your face, so if the doorbell goes halfway through you’re not stood there with a beam of red LED light heading for someone’s eyes. Small detail, but a good one.
The cooling eye patches, my love hate relationship
The Shark CryoGlow does something no other LED mask I’ve used does. It has clip-on cooling patches for the under-eye area. There’s a dedicated Under-Eye Revive mode that runs for 5 to 15 minutes with three chill levels, and you can use it on its own or alongside the LED modes.
I love how they feel. Properly love it. A cool, steady chill under your eyes while the mask does its thing is a genuinely nice little treat, and it’s the part that makes the Shark feel more like a spa moment and less like a gadget.
Now the but.
When you turn the cooling on, the mask whirrs. It’s a fan type noise, a gentle mechanical hum, and it isn’t a particularly bad one. I’m not saying it’s loud. It’s just that without the eye patches on, the mask is completely silent. So you notice the difference immediately, and I’m someone who notices.
If you’ve got a podcast on, or the telly in the background, you’ll probably tune it out. If you want your ten minutes of quiet to actually be quiet, you’ll find yourself deciding between the nice cold feeling and the silence. I haven’t solved that one. It’s the only thing about the mask that makes me hesitate.
Shark vs Nanoleaf: my honest take
I’ve used both (see the Nanoleaf write up here), so I’ll say it plainly. For me, the Shark is better in every way apart from one.
I’m not going to pretend I’ve got a lab report of differences. What I’ve got is two masks and a lot of daily use. The Shark is the one I reach for. The fit is better, it stays on better, and I can move about in it. It also has the under-eye cooling, which, as far as I know, nothing else in this category offers. That’s the usability story, and usability is what decides whether you use something.
The one thing the Nanoleaf wins is travel. It’s the easier one to pack. The Shark comes with a storage bag, but it’s a hard shell mask, so it takes up proper room in a suitcase. If you’re away every other week and you want your light therapy mask with you, the Nanoleaf makes more sense.
If you’re mostly at home, which is rather the point of this blog, the Shark is the one I’d choose.
If you’re comparing a few options before you buy a LED mask, the questions I’d actually ask are these. How does it fit? Will it stay on while you do something else? Can two people in the house use it comfortably? Will you tolerate the noise or the weight? Those are the things that decide whether you’re still using it in six months, and they’re where the Shark does well.
What I don’t love
Every product has something, so here’s my list.
The eye patches whirr. I’ve covered this, but it’s the main one.
It isn’t a travel mask. Hard shell, takes up space. Don’t buy it if portability is your priority (although my partner did take it away with us to Craigendarroch)
It’s not cheap. The Shark CryoGlow has an RRP of around £299.99 in the UK and $349.99 in the US, and it’s often discounted, so keep an eye out. That’s squarely in the premium LED mask range, though still well below some of the big name masks in the category.
The modes are presets. You get the set programmes and their set timings. For me that’s a good thing because there’s nothing to think about, but if you like tinkering you may find it limiting.
And Skin Sustain is a mode I’ve never touched, but that’s down to me, not the mask.
Questions people ask about the Shark CryoGlow
Four. Three LED programmes, which are Better Ageing, Blemish Repair and Skin Sustain, plus the Under-Eye Revive cooling mode. The cooling mode can run on its own or alongside the LED programmes.
Better Ageing is six minutes. Blemish Repair is eight minutes. Skin Sustain is four. Under-Eye Revive runs for 5 to 15 minutes depending on how long you set it for.
The mask is silent on its own. When you switch on the cooling eye patches, the mask whirrs. It’s not an unpleasant noise, but you will notice it if you’re sitting in a quiet room.
Yes, that’s one of the best things about it. It sits tightly and stays on, so you can tidy, cook or even vacuum with it on. We do.
Yes. It fits both my head and my partner’s, and the straps adjust, so it works well in a shared household.
Shark says the CryoGlow was developed and tested on all skin types and colours, and that it’s for adults aged 18 and over. As with any skincare device, if you have a medical skin condition or you’re unsure, it’s worth checking with your doctor or dermatologist first.
Follow the guidance that comes with your mask, as it varies by device. Reviewers of LED masks generally agree that regular, consistent use matters more than occasional long sessions, and that results fade if you stop. In our house that has mostly meant using it every time it’s easy to, and the fit is a big part of why that’s so often.
I can only speak for the two I’ve used. The Shark was the one that fitted into daily life, and that’s what made it worth the money to me. If you’re not going to use it, no price is a good price, so think honestly about whether the fit and comfort will make you reach for it.
No, and this is where the Nanoleaf wins. It’s a hard shell mask, so it takes up real space. It comes with a storage bag, but you’ll still be giving it a decent chunk of your luggage.
The verdict, after 407 sessions
The Shark CryoGlow is the best LED face mask I’ve used, which admittedly is a field of two. But I’d happily say it’s the best one for living with.
It fits both of our heads. It stays put. You can do the vacuuming in it. The cooling eye patches feel wonderful, even if the whirring is a minor irritation. It’s the one that actually gets used, and in the end that’s all that matters.
If you’re mostly at home and want an LED mask you’ll still be wearing next year, this is the one I’d buy.
You can check out more tech reviews and beauty on the blog.
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If you like the sort of recommendation that still holds up six months later, leave your email below and I'll write to you on Sunday.
Most Sundays, once the house has gone quiet and it's edging towards nine, a letter goes out. It's the one I'd write to a friend with good taste and not nearly enough time: one thing worth reading, one thing worth buying, and one thing to skip. No noise, no pressure to spend, just the considered version of what I've actually been using, loving, or quietly sending back.
