This New Skincare Device Unclogged My Pores and Gave Me Glass-Like Skin in One Treatment

I've tested many, many facial tools over the course of my decade as a beauty journalist. And if I'm being honest, I've become a bit jaded from each one claiming to be the next big thing. Don't get me wrong: many devices, such as LED masks and microcurrent devices, genuinely do work when used regularly. However, others feel more gimmicky and quickly gather dust in a bedroom drawer when they're ineffective.

So, when I heard that Shark, the pioneers behind hair tools such as the Flexstyle hair multistyler, was launching a skincare device, my interest was piqued, but I was sceptical. I attended a secret preview of the Shark FacialPro Glow + Depuffi (£299) prior to the launch, and, hand on heart, I don't think I've been this excited about a facial tool in a long time. This 2-in-1 device acts as a pore vacuum and a cryotherapy/warming gua sha-inspired tool all in one.

Needless to say, I had to give it a try for myself—and my clogged pores were so ready. Now, I don't know how I got by without it in my skincare routine. Scroll on ahead for my honest review after testing for a whole month.

Shark FacialPro Glow + DePuffi

How Does It Work?

If you've ever had a Hydrafacial treatment, then you can think of this as the at-home equivalent of the decongesting facial.

When you fill it with water, it uses a dual-pump system that creates a gentle suction to draw out clogged pores, dead skin and excess oil from the skin (and yes, you can see exactly what it has drawn out in the tank, in case you were curious). But it can also be used to infuse hydration into the skin, too.

The kit includes skincare that you can use with your treatment, including the Derm Detox (designed to be applied prior to your exfoliation treatment to help dislodge clogged pores) and the Hydro Infuse, a milky serum that you can apply directly into the device to infuse your skin with hydration after de-clogging the skin.

Included in the kit are four different treatment heads. One for larger areas like the cheeks, and a narrower tip that allows you to reach smaller areas around the T-zone. Alongside the standard nozzles, there is also one of each in a sensitive version, which delivers less suction on sensitive skin or areas around the face.

The attachment can then be switched out to the Depuffi tool, a gua sha-inspired massage tool that you can use cold to depuff, cool and sculpt the skin, or use with the warming setting to massage away tension.

The Experience

The device is really easy to use, and the treatment takes hardly any time at all. As the first step, you apply the Derm Detox serum, and then fill the clean tank with water and go in with the pore suction device. There are three different speed/intensity settings to choose from, so you can tailor your treatment to your skin. It creates a gentle suction, helping to draw out impurities as you glide it over your skin, which get deposited into a separate 'gunk tank'. I get congested around my chin and lower jawline, so I focused there and then switched to the narrower nozzle to use around my nose. I have skin that flushes easily, so I was red for a couple of minutes after, but it soon subsided.

Once complete, you can open up the tank and see exactly what the device has pulled out. Without grossing you out, I could notice small debris and blackheads. But it's satisfying to see, as you really know it's working!

Then, after emptying the tank, you can apply the Hydro Infuse serum into the clean tank and repeat the process again. But this time, the serum gets flushed into your skin, helping to hydrate and plump the skin.

As a final step, I switched the attachment to the Depuffi and used the cooling setting to soothe my skin post-treatment. It gets satisfyingly cold (much like the cooling eye patches of the Shark Cryoglow LED Mask), and it really helped to take any redness out of my skin while simultaneously depuffing and sculpting (it's lovely for reducing jaw tension, too). The large surface area and ergonomic shape of this attachment mean you can cover a lot of ground and help sculpt the jawline and cheekbones.

By the end of the treatment, my skin not only felt incredibly clean, but it had a noticeable glow that resembled the glass-like look you'd get post-facial.

My Verdict

As a beauty editor with oily skin who is prone to clogged pores, I really loved using the device. I'm a picker, so when blackheads or clogged pores crop up on my skin, I often can't help myself and try to extract them myself (to any facialists and dermatologists reading this: I'm sorry!), which often leaves behind scarring.

Since I've used this device, it's helped me to break the cycle while still removing most of the congestion from my skin. Of course, it won't work on closed comedones or cystic acne, but it will help to eliminate any gunk lurking in your pores that could cause future breakouts. As a result, my skin has been looking smoother and less congested, even when I'm prone to getting hormonal breakouts. Of course, as with most skincare devices or skincare, it's important not to overuse it or let the nozzle sit on one area for too long, so you avoid disrupting your skin barrier or causing broken blood vessels. Shark recommends using it as a weekly treatment rather than daily.

However, you can safely use the depuffing attachment more often to cool and sculpt the skin. I really love that this is included in the kit. After a long day, or on those days when I'm looking puffy, this really helps to soothe the skin and make me look more chiselled. The cryotherapy setting is my favourite for cooling and depuffing, but the warming setting is also brilliant for melting away tension around the face, neck and shoulders too.

I could go on and on about how much I like it, but I'll leave it here: this is a skincare tool that I'll continue to use—it's earned a permanent spot in my skincare routine.

Shop Shark FacialPro Glow + DePuffi