It’s absolutely no exaggeration to say that the Shark Cryoglow LED face mask changed my life.

Having spent most of my early adult years and almost all of my teenage ones struggling with my acne-prone skin, it’s also no exaggeration to say that, apart from perhaps the extremes of vampire facials (a.k.a. using your own blood), I’ve tried everything there is in the world of skin care. From prescription creams to serums, facials, and even amending my diet and supplements, I was the perfect candidate for anyone trying to market something as an acne treatment. But nothing had worked. In my early twenties, I was still majorly struggling with it, and as most people who’ve experienced acne before will know, it majorly knocks your confidence. LED masks changed that completely.

Initially, I didn’t even realize that this was the kind of thing that could help with acne. A few years ago, a friend had told me that red light therapy would help prevent wrinkles and aging, and that there were a few other benefits of the other colored lights that she couldn’t remember. And out of pure curiosity, I started borrowing hers to just see what she was on about. Lo and behold, my skin cleared up for the first time in maybe ten years.

This isn’t the case for everyone, and it’s definitely not an instant fix kind of thing, but when Shark released its own LED face mask, I knew the time had come to finally get on board and get one for myself. I’ve been consistently using LED light therapy now for a few years, but this mask has gotten my skin into its best condition, perhaps ever.

Keeping It Cool

The great thing about the Shark Cryoglow mask is that while some only have one LED color, and a remote that does nothing more than turn said light on and off, this one is actually built with integrated programs that let you move through different LED colors. From my understanding, the different colors have different wavelengths, and can therefore target different skin conditions—red being for aging and increasing collagen production and blue for acne and eliminating acne-causing bacteria. Each of the Shark’s four programs are designed to help target specific conditions, with an allocated time amount of each light type. For the past month, I’ve been using the Blemish Repair mode, but you can move between Under-Eye Revive, Better Aging, and Skin Sustain, depending on your own skin.

Given that it’s what Shark is shouting out about in the name, it’s the cryo/cooling components of this face mask that also make it unique. The mask comes with two metal under-eye plates that you can make as cold as you want. The general theory is that this helps de-puff your under-eyes, reducing the appearance of fatigue, all while you use the light system to clear your skin. While the coldest setting does make you feel a bit like you’re experiencing a major brain freeze, we have to say this is an absolute godsend if you’re trying to look somewhat alive on a hangover.

Verdict: Is the Shark Cryoglow Mask Worth It?

I could honestly go on for days about how much LED light therapy has repaired my skin and restored my confidence in it, and I by no means needed this mask to convince me of that. It has, however, kept my skin feeling clear by using it regularly and giving me programs to work with, and I have noticed that any acne scarring I’ve had has started to fade with consistent use.

My main takeaway here, though, is that I’d easily recommend this over most other LED masks I’ve tried before. While some are quite flexible and flimsy and break quite easily, the structured design of the Shark means you can store it more easily. The programs and the way the remote control is set up simplify the whole experience, especially if you’re someone who doesn’t have the time to read into how to use LED lights, while the cooling under-eye pads are by no means a necessity, but a nice perk.

This story originally appeared on British GQ.