00:00Whether you have fine lines, rosacea, acne or puffy under eyes,
00:08Shark's Cryo Glow can address a wide range of skincare concerns.
00:11It combines LED face mask technology with Peltier Effect cooling pads,
00:15which could replace your weekly trips to the salon.
00:17The Cryo Glow is my first foray into light therapy technology,
00:20and while I'm eager to see further studies into the long-term benefits and potential risks,
00:24I must say I've been impressed with Shark's first skincare device.
00:27Of course, it's not fully effortless.
00:29I spent over seven hours strapped into the Cryo Glow in my two months of testing,
00:34using one of its three settings almost every night to put it through its paces.
00:37I travel a fair amount too, spending half my time at my partner's home and half at mine.
00:41Plus, I go on a lot of international press trips, and unfortunately,
00:45Cryo Glow is both bulky and inflexible, so it's not exactly primed for effective packing.
00:50Nor can it be put in your checked bag because of its lithium-ion battery.
00:54Battery life might prove to be irritating in general,
00:57especially over time if you're following the advised daily use routine.
01:00One thing's for sure though, it's certainly a whole lot more convenient and cost-effective
01:04in the long run than weekly trips to the salon to receive the same treatment.
01:08But are the results worth it? Let's find out.
01:13The Shark Cryo Glow is available for $349 or £299.
01:17In the UK, it's worth noting that's a small increase in price following the first few months
01:21after launch because it originally cost £249.
01:24Out of the box, the Cryo Glow comes with a travel bag, an extra set of Instachill Peltier
01:29FX plates and the mask itself, as well as the attached remote.
01:32You can buy a charging stand for the mask for $49 or pounds,
01:35which also gives the mask a more tidy home than traipses across your vanity much like I have here.
01:40In terms of value for money, the Cryo Glow may be a bit pricey,
01:43but it stands to benefit your beauty budget in the long run.
01:46Its biggest competition in home treatment comes from the likes of Current Body, which costs $469
01:51or £399 for its latest Series 2 model.
01:54Regular trips to the salon, where treatments can range anything from $25 to $200 or £25 to £200
02:00each trip, which adds up quickly if you want to sustain the results.
02:06Unlike many of its competitors, Shark's Cryo Glow is a rigid, hard-shelled light therapy mask,
02:11with added cushioning for comfort around the eyes and on the forehead.
02:15While it's a little heavy and inflexible for my liking when it comes to travel,
02:18it's still pretty comfortable in use, owing to these adjustable straps,
02:21which go across the top and sides of the head and spread the mask's weight,
02:24as well as the holes for the eyes, mouth and nose.
02:27While these cutouts are pretty comfortable,
02:29I'd argue against using the mask while doing anything other than relaxation,
02:33or maybe some light doom scrolling.
02:35The remote is wired into the mask itself, and features a small LCD screen,
02:39on which you can track and select your skincare routines, and the time remaining during a treatment.
02:44As well as the dial for selecting options.
02:46The mask charges via a USB-C connector in the remote.
02:49Under the hood, Cryo Glow features 160 tri-wick LEDs,
02:53which translates to 480 light sources across the three light therapy programs,
02:58red, blue and deep infrared light.
03:00Beneath the eye holes are the insta-chill cooling pads,
03:02which use the Peltier effect, a thermoelectric phenomenon which creates a cooling effect on the
03:06skin side of the cooling pads when powered,
03:08as well as fan technology to deliver under-eye bag busting cooling.
03:12Clever stuff.
03:12By default, the mask features just one set of these cooling pads,
03:15but if you find it more comfortable, you can add an included second pair to bring the cooling
03:19closer to your face.
03:20I personally found that to be a lot more comfortable.
03:22It's worth highlighting that a vast majority of competitor products feature a more flexible form
03:27factor, which might be more accommodating for different face shapes and sizes.
03:30However, from what I've found so far in my own testing, consumer reviews and opinions of my
03:36friends and family who've tried the Shark Mask, the hard-shell one-size-all approach seems to be
03:41fairly liked. Plus, you benefit from the under-mask fans, which keep everything cool and refreshing in use.
03:49Shark's Cryo Glow comes with three preset light therapy routines that address different skincare
03:54goals. Better Ageing Treatment Mode, Blemish Repair Treatment Mode and Skin Sustain Treatment Mode.
03:59Each mode uses different LED cycles to penetrate the skin.
04:02Better Ageing uses red LEDs and infrared over a six-minute cycle to reduce fine lines and firm
04:07skin, with a recommended eight-week course to see the results. Blemish Repair Mode adds blue LEDs to
04:12the mix across an eight-minute routine to improve blemishes, smooth skin, and improve the appearance
04:18of pores after a four-week course, which is the main reason I was excited for Shark Cryo Glow as a near
04:23lifelong acne sufferer. Once you've completed a full cycle of one of these two treatments, Skin Sustain Mode
04:27combines all three light treatments into one four-minute cycle designed to maintain the results.
04:33The idea is that you keep doing this for as long as you can after the cycle, and for me,
04:38that's been a little bit hard of a commitment. Using the remote, you can also opt to add under-eye
04:43cooling with one of three intensity settings, or you can use the fourth treatment option in the remote,
04:47which is under-eye revive mode, and that de-puffs your eyes for up to 15 minutes without using the LEDs.
04:52However, if you're buying it just for that, I would recommend going to your local drugstore and just
04:56getting some under-eye masks instead. I tried the Blemish Repair and better ageing treatments
05:03in my time with the masks, starting with Blemish Repair Mode for the full recommended four-week
05:07cycle. Though my quest for a fully-affected adult acne blasting solution continues, I did at least
05:13notice a reduction in my acne. With consistent daily use, my pimples reduced in size, severity,
05:18and with less redness. I have very large pores, and they were at least somewhat tightened and
05:23smoothed by the treatment. Overall, my acne was quicker to heal as well, however that could be
05:27due to the amount of fans under the mask. For me though, that's worth it. I've found few solutions
05:32that are at all effective in making my acne better to live with. However, it's still a big investment
05:36for a fairly moderate result, and I can only anecdotally say that it had a noticeable effect on my skin.
05:42I'll be continuing to use the Cryo Glow for as long as I can to see if the improvements continue,
05:46but my search for my acne silver bullet continues, and so might yours.
05:49Following Blemish Repair Mode, I took a two-week test break to see how lasting the results are,
05:54and found my skin slowly returned to form by the end of that break. That's when I picked up the mask
05:58again to try better ageing mode. As of right now, I'm just over halfway through that treatment,
06:02and I've seen some positive early results when it comes to fine-line reduction. However,
06:06these aren't yet too much of a problem for me, not to brag. However, I do struggle with skin puffiness,
06:12especially when I'm run down, and the red light therapy proved effective in soothing my inflammation.
06:16Easily the most effective part for me, however, has been the insta-chill under-eye cooling. No
06:21longer do my puffy eyelids and under-eye bags betray my terrible sleep schedule, though you might not
06:25believe that to look at me right now. However, I do feel much more refreshed and relaxed for my daily
06:29cooling treatment. I've been using single-use eye masks for about a year now, and Cryo Glow is both
06:34more effective and less wasteful, a double whammy of cosmetic coolness. The cycles of the Cryo Glow treatments are
06:40relatively short, meaning it doesn't feel too large of a commitment, but the short battery life means
06:44you only see three or four treatments through, and if you're regularly on the move, you might find it
06:49a little bit frustrating to tow around in the long term. Overall, I've been really impressed with the
06:56Shark Cryo Glow, but as with all beauty tech, I'll hazard that the results may vary. Mine were noticeable
07:01to a degree, but it's a big daily commitment to ongoing skincare at a fairly high cost. That being said,
07:08it's also encouraged me to have better skincare all around, and it's more affordable in the long run
07:12than salon treatments, single eye masks, and a whole lot of pimping patches. While pricey,
07:17the Shark Cryo Glow offers a unique twist on the LED face mask beauty craze, in that its peltier effect
07:23to insta-chill pads work to reduce your under-eye puffiness. Does this alone justify the lofty price
07:28tag? Let us know what you think in the comments below, like and subscribe to our YouTube channel,
07:32and check out techradar.com for my full review.
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