A spinoff of Shark, known for vacuums and other home technology, Shark Beauty debuted hair tools in 2021 and has since expanded its product assortment at a steady clip. Now, it’s entering the skin-care category via the Shark CryoGlow mask. The device combines LED and deep-penetrating infrared light with a unique under-eye cooling treatment.
According to Danielle Lessing, svp of global product development at parent company SharkNinja, the CryoGlow mask was in development for about 18 months. It launched in Mexico and the U.K. in October while awaiting FDA clearance. Of the decision to enter the skin-care space, Lessing said Shark is always guided by its consumers, who it is in constant communication with via consumer surveys, in-home interviews and social listening. “We’re always looking for the next consumer problem to solve, and we let the consumer guide the innovation and the technological needs that our product developers and global engineers focus on.”
Shark Beauty wanted to take an “inclusive” approach to a skin-care product, Lessing said. “We realized that existing skin-care solutions were single-minded and narrow in what they did — they were gender-exclusive or age-exclusive. But [with this mask, we’re] solving for firming and tightening, as well as for acne clearing.”
The brand also wanted to marry traditional skin care with wellness. As such, the mask features cryo-inspired InstaChill technology, which also serves to deliver results consumers can see immediately, including tightened and awakened eyes. In a 12-week clinical study of 59 subjects using the mask’s Skin Clearing treatment mode once a day, acne and skin smoothness were improved in four weeks. In a 12-week clinical study of 60 subjects using the mask’s Better Aging treatment mode, users saw 34% more radiant skin after eight weeks, 20% firmer skin in eight weeks and a 23% reduction in redness in eight weeks. Results from LED can be observed over a number of weeks with daily use.
Shark Beauty introduced the product on Tuesday at CES. The mask will launch on its e-commerce site at the end of the month before entering retail in March through Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Amazon and Best Buy. At $349, Shark is offering a competitive price point — Therabody’s LED Mask, which also provides a vibrating facial massage feature, is $599. The version by Dr. Dennis Gross, which sold one of the first popular at-home options, is $455. CurrentBody just released a second version of its LED mask, which is particularly popular with the skinfluencer crowd — the improved device is $469.
According to Circana, facial devices sold in prestige outlets in 2024 saw $76.9 million in sales through November — a 21% decline compared to 2023. Yet, interestingly, the device category saw growth in the laser/LED and light therapy category, which accounted for the largest portion of facial device sales, at $19.5 million: It grew by 50% based on dollar sales and by double digits based on units sold.
To market the device, Shark will experiment with Reddit for the first time, hosting AMAs with the engineers who worked on the product and the dermatologist partners, including Dr. Joyce Park (@teawithmd; 715,000 TikTok followers), who helped develop its mask.
“One of the biggest hurdles we have to overcome is all the [consumer confusion],” said Amy Pellicane, vp of global marketing at Shark Beauty. Consumers don’t understand what makes an LED mask good or trustworthy, she said. “And there’s an enormous amount of not just skin-care conversation, but also LED conversation on Reddit.”
Jolie De Feis, licensed esthetician and author of the skin-care Substack Hotline Skin, said, “Different wavelengths of LED light have the capability to stimulate different things in the skin: Red LED is able to stimulate collagen and elastin production, as well as reduce inflammation, while blue light specifically kills acne-causing bacteria.”
De Feis recommends the use of an LED, or a light-emitting diode, to clients for many reasons. “It’s a noninvasive option, and anyone can use it at home really safely and easily to help stimulate collagen and elastin production, and to tighten, firm and calm the skin. … It’s great for pretty much all skin types and tones, and you can’t overdo it. It can be used throughout your entire life, and it addresses the most common skin-care concerns: wrinkles, sagging, redness, irritation and breakouts.”
Furthermore, Pellicane said, when it comes to the brand’s approach to product seeding, it will look beyond “skin-care girls” to include men, for example.
