Bendable pink gentle remedy masks walked in order that the onerous shell masks might run. Although I can not shut up about how a lot I cherished my expertise with the Shark CryoGlow regardless of its cumbersome, not-bendy-at-all development, it felt essential to return to the roots of pink gentle and take a look at one of many OGs: The CurrentBody masks. In spite of everything, that one and the OmniLux masks have been making its rounds on my TikTok FYP far earlier than the Shark masks ever did.
As a skincare fanatic whose major concern at 31 will not be solely fantastic traces, however pimples that’s 100 occasions worse at 31 than it ever was at 13, it did not take lengthy for me to wonder if pink gentle masks actually work or not. I am down for Botox or microneedling right here and there, however they’re each costly habits to remain on high of — so I made a decision to see how far I might stretch these in-office periods by relying solely on each day LED masks utilization. I used the Shark CryoGlow masks and CurrentBody masks in separate intervals of not less than eight weeks every.
I had an general smoother each day expertise with one of many masks, and my pores and skin made it fairly obvious which masks it wanted as a staple in my routine. Listed here are my ideas on whether or not you can purchase the Shark CryoGlow or CurrentBody LED masks, based mostly alone journey and outcomes.
Observe: This evaluation particularly options the CurrentBody Pores and skin: Collection 2 masks.
Shark CryoGlow vs. CurrentBody: Bulbs and nanometer measurement
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
After listening to that the CurrentBody Pores and skin masks is costlier than the Shark CryoGlow masks (by greater than $100), you’d naturally assume that the CurrentBody is extra highly effective. However you would be off.
Whereas the CurrentBody masks does have extra LED bulbs on paper (237 versus the Shark’s 160), not one of the bulbs within the CurrentBody Pores and skin masks are blue gentle bulbs. They’re pink and close to infrared solely, and never each bulb within the CurrentBody masks can emit each pink and NIR (close to infrared) gentle. There are 110 pink gentle bulbs (633nm) and 110 NIR bulbs (830nm), plus 16 deep NIR bulbs (1,072nm) across the eyes and mouth for additional fantastic line consideration. An improve from the unique model of the CurrentBody masks, the Collection 2 has an added chin strap to increase protection to the jawline and possibly a tiny little bit of the higher neck.
In the meantime, the Shark masks has pink (630nm), close to infrared (830nm), and blue gentle bulbs (415nm), and each single bulb can emit any of these wavelengths on the similar time. That technically totals 480 simultaneous gentle sources contained in the Shark masks, making certain that extra of your face is being hit by any of the wavelengths. The nm (nanometer) quantity is a unit of measurement for every wavelength. Each masks hit the usual pink gentle and NIR nanometer measurement typically thought-about “strong” sufficient to supply any kind of at-home outcomes. The Shark CryoGlow masks would not do deep close to infrared in any respect, however keep in mind that the CurrentBody solely has 16 of these.
So as to add blue gentle to your present CurrentBody routine, you’d have to purchase the $469.99 Anti-Zits masks individually. That is almost $1,000 in comparison with the CryoGlow’s $349.99 price ticket. So, there’s that.
In additional scientific phrases, pink gentle masks are sometimes given an irradiance measurement, or a measurement of energy density on the supply of the LED. All the tri-wick bulbs packed into the CryoGlow convey it to a most irradiance of 128mW/cm², whereas the CurrentBody masks maxes out at 30mW/cm² of the Omnilux.
There may be one space of the face the place the CurrentBody’s protection dominates: the below eyes. The CryoGlow masks would not have any LEDs below the attention holes, as an alternative utilizing the house for cooling pads that mimic a cryotherapy de-puffing impact. They do really feel wonderful once you’re half awake within the morning, however the outcomes solely final for a couple of minutes. The under-eyes are universally one of the cussed spots to deal with with over-the-counter skincare, so an at-home pink gentle masks might very nicely be somebody’s last-ditch effort earlier than paying for a legit process. So whereas the CurrentBody would possibly communicate to you extra in case your major skincare purpose is long-term discount of darkish circles or eye luggage, I feel the Shark’s blue gentle choice and tri-wick bulb state of affairs will get extra to your cash general.
Winner: Shark
Shark CryoGlow vs. CurrentBody: Settings and distant
That is the place Shark actually begins to drag forward of CurrentBody. Should you’re dually involved about fantastic traces and texture in addition to pimples, the CryoGlow is overwhelmingly the higher masks.
Each masks have remotes which are connected to the masks by way of a twine. Nevertheless, I am not precisely certain why CurrentBody did not simply go wi-fi and transfer the distant’s lone “on” button to the masks itself. It is not just like the masks can do anything however merely be on — there’s only a single fastened pink gentle and infrared setting. I perceive that that is most likely within the identify of simplicity, nevertheless it’s painfully fundamental to me.
It virtually feels unfair to check it to the Shark CryoGlow distant, which contains a small LCD display and a wheel to regulate cooling pad temperature and pan between three modes: Higher Getting old (pink and infrared gentle), Blemish Restore (all three wavelengths in various combos), and Pores and skin Maintain (all three wavelengths on the similar time). As soon as you have chosen a setting, the display counts down how a lot time you might have left in your session.

The Shark CryoGlow distant.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The CurrentBody distant.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
That lineup goes to be rather more palatable to anybody who has multiple skincare concern. Personally, I desperately needed to strive an at-home LED masks for its potential mitigation of the pimples that simply randomly began exhibiting up in my late 20s — however my late 20s additionally introduced alongside the onset of fantastic brow and smile traces, and I additionally needed my make-up to cease caking in these. The Shark masks has a solution for each of these, and I like that the distant offers me the liberty to let me select what I wish to goal on any given day. The CurrentBody’s lack of customization is genuinely sort of stunning for the value, and felt like a downgrade after such a premium expertise with the Shark for a number of months earlier than it.
Shark’s settings additionally take barely much less time than CurrentBody’s: The three Shark settings take 4, six, or eight minutes, whereas the one CurrentBody setting takes 10 minutes. It is not an enormous distinction by way of the duties you’ll get executed throughout Masks Time, however once more, it is nonetheless good to have the ability to gauge what number of minutes are left. And whereas the CryoGlow’s battery life is way shorter, you’ll be able to not less than gauge the timing earlier than your subsequent cost with the battery icon on the display. When the CurrentBody masks is lifeless, it merely will not activate.
Winner: Shark
Shark CryoGlow vs. CurrentBody: Design and each day wearability
From the skin, it is only a given that you will look ridiculous whereas carrying any pink gentle masks. The Shark CryoGlow is giving Jason Voorhees, whereas the CurrentBody Pores and skin is extra so embodying Dwight Schrute when he cuts the face off of a CPR dummy. I do not thoughts trying humorous both means so long as a masks is bodily snug to put on. FWIW, neither masks is unbearably heavy in any respect. The Shark CryoGlow is somewhat heavier — a bit over a pound, in comparison with the CurrentBody at lower than a pound.

CurrentBody on the left vs. Shark on the best.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Each masks have adjustable straps, however the Shark masks’s sliding adjusters (just like the again of a baseball cap) are a way more seamless course of. CurrentBody has means too many intersections of velcro, together with The Huge Strap that must be executed and undone on the again of your head every time you put on it. It is simply begging to get caught in your hair, and it made me miss the simplicity of slipping the CryoGlow on and off.
The presence of a shirt/pants clip on each remotes implies that it’s best to be capable of roam the home whereas carrying the masks hands-free. Proper? When you clearly cannot anticipate to see completely out of any LED masks, I discover the Shark CryoGlow to be a lot simpler to put on than the CurrentBody Pores and skin. When the lights are on, the CurrentBody masks is simply… a lot extra in your face when it is in your face. The lights across the eyes are borderline blinding, a lot in order that something you’ll be able to see exterior of the pink glowy haze is tinted blue.

It appears to be like wild, however like, in a enjoyable means.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable

My pupils can’t be severe.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
To be truthful, the CryoGlow masks is not unnoticeable whereas it is on, both. The shell is so thick that I’ve to carry my fingers out annoyingly far in entrance of me to see what I am doing. However I can nonetheless considerably get stuff executed whereas carrying the CryoGlow, like feed the cats or make my mattress, whereas the CurrentBody Pores and skin feels too trippy to do something however sit on my telephone. If you do not have a squirrel mind like I do, you might not thoughts having to zone out for a second — a CurrentBody masks proprietor on Reddit truly talked about that they recognize being compelled to lie down for 10 minutes a day.
The inside of the masks are additionally barely completely different supplies. The within of the Shark is your traditional slippery plastic that may be wiped down tremendous simply for sanitation functions. The within of the CurrentBody masks, which touches your face instantly, has a stickier silicone-y materials that weirds me out. A ton of cat hair and fuzzies get caught to it, too.
Winner: Shark
Shark CryoGlow vs. CurrentBody: Outcomes
In my expertise, the Shark CryoGlow masks works significantly better than the CurrentBody masks.
I acquired my pores and skin into fairly wonderful form after about three months of each day CryoGlow utilization. Earlier than that, I used to be struggling onerous to get my pimples below management — it felt like a brand new pimple was popping up each single day. After I was constantly switching between the Shark masks’s pimples setting and “Better Aging” setting, I used to be going not less than per week and not using a new pimple popping up.

The state of my chin and jaw earlier than beginning my CryoGlow routine.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The state of my chin and jaw after three months of CryoGlow utilization.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
After I switched to testing the CurrentBody Pores and skin masks, I clearly needed to put the CryoGlow on pause to isolate the CurrentBody outcomes. The CryoGlow masks works so nicely on pimples that I used to be terrified to surrender that blue gentle setting — and my worry got here true.
Throughout my CurrentBody Pores and skin testing interval, it felt like I misplaced quite a lot of the skin-clearing progress I made. Take my CryoGlow “after” picture from the best above and use it as my CurrentBody “before” picture. Beneath is the present standing of my chin after two months of strict CurrentBody masks utilization. I’ve one whitehead that is determined to pop, plus pink spots from recently-healed zits.

The state of my chin and jaw after two months of CurrentBody utilization.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
My pores and skin was significantly extra unpredictable after I was utilizing the CurrentBody than it was with the Shark masks, with recent pimples constantly establishing camp on my chin and cheeks a couple of occasions per week. Granted, that is nonetheless much less erratic than my pimples cycle earlier than testing both of the masks.
Because the CurrentBody Pores and skin would not have blue gentle, I knew it wasn’t going to kill pore-clogging micro organism just like the CryoGlow can. However pink gentle can nonetheless be on the protection towards pimples — it is stated to advertise the regeneration of pores and skin cells, support with irritation, and possibly even assist to forestall scarring from present pimples. I am tremendous susceptible to post-inflammatory erythema (pink spots that keep behind the place a pimple was) that lasts for months, and I do not even really feel just like the CurrentBody did a lot to fade or forestall that.
It is not that I feel the CurrentBody Pores and skin masks did completely nothing. My pores and skin held up a constant glow and smooth-enough texture to exit bare-faced throughout my time with the CurrentBody, although the fantastic traces on my brow and round my eyes are undoubtedly nonetheless current. I have never gotten Botox in my brow for months, and I hoped the CurrentBody would make me wish to maintain off on making a touch-up appointment (it did not). And given how stark different folks’s CurrentBody outcomes appear to be on social media, I anticipated my pores and skin to even out rather more than it did.
Winner: Shark
Shark CryoGlow vs. CurrentBody: Portability and packability
I am terrified to go per week with out the CryoGlow’s pimples setting. That is a testomony to how reliably it prevents deep pimples from popping up on my face, but in addition a reminder of how deeply unlucky it’s that the CryoGlow could be ridiculously inconvenient to journey with.

The CurrentBody masks is barely extra travel-friendly than the cumbersome Shark masks.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The inflexible design makes the Shark much less ultimate for journey.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
It is not that the Shark masks weighs that a lot, nevertheless it’s a giant, cumbersome hunk of plastic that does not bend in any respect. It’d simply take up an ungainly quantity of house in a suitcase, particularly if you happen to’re a heavy packer and really want to consolidate for a aircraft trip. The Currentbody’s construct is not almost as unforgiving. It is bodily thinner and versatile sufficient to be packed in with garments with out hogging a ton of cargo house. At any price, each do include a drawstring journey or storage pouch.
The CryoGlow’s quick battery life would additionally make it annoying to tackle a visit. It must be charged each few days if you happen to use it each day, whereas the CurrentBody masks’s battery life barely even must be charged as soon as per week.
Winner: CurrentBody
Shark CryoGlow vs. CurrentBody: Our winner
The Shark CryoGlow masks is irrefutably a extra well-rounded LED masks than the CurrentBody masks, in addition to a greater worth price-wise. Primarily based on how straightforward it has been to include the masks into my each day routine and the outcomes I’ve grown to anticipate from every, I genuinely stay up for carrying the Shark — whereas carrying the CurrentBody typically appears like a chore.
Regardless of being the extra compact masks, the CurrentBody Pores and skin is extra cumbersome to put on. The pink lights glow so uncomfortably shiny close to your eyes that it is onerous to see a lot of something whereas carrying it.
The CurrentBody Pores and skin’s lack of adjustable settings simply feels so fundamental in comparison with the customization made attainable by the CryoGlow distant’s intuitive LCD display. I am certain I am not the one 30-something particular person on the market who’s coping with age-related fantastic traces and grownup pimples — and between these two masks, the Shark CryoGlow is the one one with devoted pink gentle, blue gentle, and close to infrared combos to focus on a number of pores and skin issues. The CurrentBody could attraction to you extra in case your sole purpose is anti-aging across the eyes, however once more, my below eye and crows ft outcomes have been barely noticeable. I am telling somebody to decide on the Shark CryoGlow masks each time.