New year, same me, but there is one new selfcare practice I’ve been dedicating myself too which has become a daily ritual: LED face mask sessions.
If you are a skincare obsessive, these masks are a main character on your FYP, and they are not-so-secret beauty weapon for celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham, Chrissy Teigen, Madonna and Kate Hudson. Considered the ultimate at-home skin tech, LED masks promise to deliver the ultimate glo up by calming, firming and clearing your skin. They emit different shades of light to treat specific issues. Red diodes work to stimulate your skin cells to produced collagen which promotes skin plumpness and smoothness; blue diodes kill bacteria that leads to acne.
I have experienced red light therapy as part of a spa facial treatment, but until last month, had never tried at-home technology. In early December, I began daily turns with the Shark Cryoglow Cooling + LED Face Mask ($499, sharkninja.ca) and can confirm I’m officially obsessed with it.
This mask has been one of the most buzzed about beauty innovations in recent years (influencer Alix Earle is a fan and even has pink bejeweled Cryoglow), which people love not just for its LED benefits, but for the groundbreaking cooling technology designed to specifically treat under eyes. The mask comes with build in InstaChill Cold Technology pads which act like a tiny refrigeration unit for the undereye area. When I say an eye cycle with this mask completely obliterate puffiness, I mean it! The long, weary, dreary days of winter always show up in my eyes, but this year, thanks to this technology, I’ve been looking incredibly rested and revived instead of sad and mad.
@alixearle My all time go to @Shark Beauty CryoGlow #sponsoredbysharkbeauty #sharkcryoglow ♬ original sound – Alix Earle
With the Cryoglow mask you can choose an exclusive eye-targeted treatment cycle for five, 10 or 15 minutes and have a choice of three levels of chill to ice things down. You can even boost the cooling factor with additional pads that clip on to the existing ones which deliver a positively polar level of cryo coolness.
On the note of mask modes, there are four in total which target skin concerns from fine lines to, acne and radiance. In addition to eye-cooling sessions, I have been rotating between the six-minute Better Aging Cycle which uses red and infrared light to firm skin, and the eight-minute Skin Clearing Treatment which combines blue, infrared and red light to clear up breakouts and help resolve redness.
I have been extremely loyal to my new beauty bestie, using it every day for six weeks and counting. What have I noticed? My skin has more bounce, more brightness, and way less redness which is always an issue for me as I have mild rosacea. I do my skin sessions at night after I have cleansed and moisturized, masking up right before I tuck into my latest binge watch. It’s a quick and easy moment of selfcare which I find relaxing (and my cat finds the flashing of red, blue and orange lights endlessly entertaining).
While yes, LED masks come with a high price tag, but if you are committed to investing in you, and you want to take your home skincare to the next level, this skin tech is one thousand percent worth it.
More LED Masks To Love
Here are three additional devices worthy of your investment…
Therabody TheraFace Mask Glo
$499, therabody.ca
This LED mask has 504 red, infrared and blue LED lights and sessions last 12-minutes. Use daily for a minimum of eight weeks to see best results. Kendall Jenner is a brand ambassador, so you know this one definitely delivers a camera-ready complexion.
Kala Red Light Face Mask
$449, kaylaredlight.ca
This Canadian brand is an Official Wellness Recovery Partner of the 2026 Canadian Olympic Team and have just launched a limited red Olympic edition its best-selling LED mask. We love this one not just for its glow enhancing qualities but for its lightweight design made of silicon.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro
$615, sephora.com
One of the OG LED face masks on the market it remains one of the best. Created by dermatologist, cancer researcher and innovative skincare product formulator Dr. Gross, mask sessions last just three minutes and the mix of red and blue lights work in tandem to addresses both aging and acne.
