The beauty tech market has boomed in the past few years, with countless brands launching products that promise clinic-quality results from home. After its LED face mask, the Cryoglow, made every beauty lover’s 2025 wishlist, Shark’s latest beauty launch, the FacialPro Glow, promises access to the sort of hydrofacial tech previously reserved for professional facialists.
If you’re familiar with hydrofacials (AKA hydradermabrasion), then you’ll be aware that they have impressive pore cleansing and hydrating powers when performed in a clinic by a trained facialist. However, I was intrigued to see whether a portable device could be powerful enough to rival a facial that costs more than £100 – and concerned it would be unwise to put such power in the hands of non-professionals.
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How I tested
I’m a beauty writer who has tested a huge range of skincare products, but testing the FacialPro Glowwas on another level, involving layered skincare serums alongside physical exfoliation and temperature therapies with which I’m less familiar. So, as well as testing the device over the course of a month to see if it actually does what it promises, I also sought the expert opinions of cosmetic dermatologist Dr Nora Jaafar and Debbie Thomas, skin specialist and founder of D.Thomas Clinic, who does regular in-clinic hydrofacials, which gave me the background knowledge I needed to safely test the device.
Testing the Shark FacialPro Glow over several weeks gave me plenty of time to get to grips with the device’s features, strengths and any drawbacks. For each of the weekly treatments I completed, I followed the device’s instructions to the letter and noted down any changes in the texture and appearance of my skin.
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What you need to know
View at Shark View at John LewisThis two-in-one device aims to achieve a hydration-boosting, sculpting facial in just nine minutes. When used correctly, Shark claims the FacialPro Glow can clear dead skin cells, minimise pores, support skin-barrier repair, brighten the complexion, boost hydration and depuff the skin. Lofty claims indeed.
The hydrofacial exfoliation attachment has two water tanks: one to fill with clean water or infuse liquid, and another to collect the dirt and oil extracted from the skin. You get four treatment tips in the set – two for normal skin, two for sensitive skin. These slide on to the front of the device and provide light suction and a gentle jet of liquid to exfoliate and cleanse. The exfoliation attachment should only be used once a week because any more will over-exfoliate the skin. The tips and water tanks need thorough cleaning after each use.
The DePuffi attachment uses hot and cold therapy that’s supposed to enhance lymphatic drainage, depuff the undereye area, calm the skin and contour. It can be used daily. The attachment itself comprises one smooth, gently curved metal surface, which either cools down or heats up, depending on the effects you’re hoping to achieve.
“Contrast therapy is a lovely way to calm inflammation, reduce puffiness and stimulate microcirculation,” says Jaafar. “Cooling and warming cycles can temporarily boost lymphatic drainage and reduce fluid retention, which can make the skin appear more toned and refreshed. It isn’t permanent contouring, but it’s a great quick fix for puffiness or tired skin.”
Each facial attachment clips into a base power hub, which has enough juice in it to last for roughly a week of treatments, including one exfoliation and seven daily temperature therapy sessions. This hub is also home to the device’s controls; there’s a power button and a temperature level or suction power button. The three indicator LEDs make it clear which setting is selected.
The kit also comes with two skincare products: a 20ml exfoliating AHA/BHA “detox” gel and an 80ml BHA “infuse” hydrator. These have been designed to use alongside the FacialPro Glow, and instructions on how to use them are included with the device. Replacements cost £39.99 for the pair (although they’re currently discounted to £29.99).
“AHA- and BHA-based gels can help prepare the skin by loosening dead cells and allowing active ingredients to penetrate more effectively,” says Jaafar. “However, pairing them with exfoliating devices should be done mindfully. Listening to your skin’s response is really important.” I didn’t experience any negative side effects in my tests, but always watch out for stinging, burning, peeling or itching.
Furthermore, you’ll need to replace these serums often. The device uses 10ml of the infuse hydrator in every exfoliation treatment, which means you’ll have to repurchase these serums every eight uses. If you do treatments weekly as recommended, these refills will cost you £260 a year at full price.
And that isn’t the only ongoing cost. The exfoliation attachment comes with replaceable treatment tips that Shark recommends refreshing as soon as performance changes. Replacement tips cost £15.99 for a pair and should last up to nine months.
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Specifications
Price: £299.99 RRP (currently £242.99)
Running costs: skincare, £39.99 RRP (currently £29.99) every eight uses; replacement tips, £15.99 every nine months
Recommended usage: Exfoliation once weekly, DePuffi daily
Settings: three hot, three cold, three suction levels
Treatment time: four minutes (DePuffi) or nine minutes (Exfoliation)
Suitable for: all skin types
Battery life: one week of use (1 x weekly Facial Glow Routine and 5 x daily depuffing routines)
Charging time: four hours
Waterproof: Power hub and Exfoliation Attachment are IPX5 rated
Contents: Power hub, DePuffi Attachment, Exfoliation Attachment, Derm Detox AHA + BHA Exfoliating Gel (20ml), Hydro Infuse BHA Hydrator (80ml), Normal Wide Tip, Normal T-Zone Tip, Gentle Wide Tip, Gentle T-Zone Tip, Storage Case, USB-C cable, Self-Rinse Cap, Cleaning Brush
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What we love
The FacialPro Glow is straightforward to use. It took a little time for me to get to grips with the many steps, but the instructions were clear, and the controls were simple. By my third time using the device, I was familiar enough to use it without instructions.
There are various steps involved with the facial itself, starting with applying the AHA/BHA Detox gel. To my surprise, a pea-sized amount of gel sank into my skin quickly without any irritation, stinging or burning. It’s rare for my tantrum-prone, sensitive skin to have such a mild reaction to a chemical exfoliant, so this was a strong start.
After three minutes, it was time to do the first pass of the hydrofacial, using 10ml of water. This three-minute step decongests the impurities that had been loosened by the gel. As recommended, I used the wide tip for most of my face and switched to the thinner tip for my T-zone. The tip provided just enough suction with the water jet for me to feel like it was exfoliating my skin, without being overpowering. It felt gentle and lightly ticklish, but never uncomfortable. The next step was to repeat this using the Infuse BHA toner in the water tank.
As both exfoliations took place, the “gunk” tank filled with murky water. This was water from the clean tank mixed with the excess oil, sebum and dead skin cells extracted during exfoliation. I also noticed a few specks in the dirty tank – which Shark refers to as “floaties” – a sure-fire sign it was cleansing more from my skin than my usual cleanser.
I noticed my skin getting a little red during this step, which was alarming but short-lived. My experience aligns with Debbie Thomas’s hydrofacials in clinic: “A little pinkness is common and should settle within a few hours; very sensitive skin can take up to 72 hours.”
Immediately after the facial, I applied a barrier-repairing moisturiser. The bumps on my forehead felt smoothed, while the rest of my face had a supple, healthy glow – impressive, considering my lack of professional training and my typically sensitive skin.
It’s clear that Shark has considered different skin types, both with the interchangeable tips and the adjustable intensity settings. As per the experts’ recommendations, I started using the gentle tips and lowest suction. By my final treatment, I was able to tentatively progress to the second intensity setting, since my skin wasn’t showing any signs of damage (sensitivity, peeling or bruising).
It was easy to switch between the exfoliating attachment and the DePuffi by pressing the button on the back of the power hub. During my daily tests, I found the DePuffi’s curved surface fitted comfortably into the contours of my face. I didn’t notice a huge improvement in facial contouring over a normal gua sha routine, but I liked the facial massage. The cool settings were perfect to revive my skin in the mornings, and the warm setting was a dreamy addition to an evening wind-down.
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What we don’t love
One of the biggest pitfalls of the FacialPro Glow is a fundamental part of its design – the suction. “Moving too slow or using too high a setting can bruise, irritate, disrupt the barrier or break superficial blood vessels (telangiectasia),” warns Thomas. To avoid user error, “start low, keep the head moving smoothly, and hold skin taut for better glide”.
Thomas was also unsure about some of the product’s pore-shrinking marketing claims. “You can temporarily make pores look smaller by clearing and hydrating, but you can’t permanently change their genetic size. That’s tricky to do even with professional treatments,” she said.
One of my main gripes was the timer function. This automatically stops the exfoliation attachment after three minutes, indicating it’s time for the user to refill the tank with the Infuse toner. When you get used to how quickly you need to move the tool over your face, the timer works well, but I found it tricky to keep up in the first few tries. A countdown timer would have made this far easier.
Furthermore, every time you switch on the exfoliation device, it defaults to the highest intensity setting. I wish there were a memory function to remember your preferred settings for next time.
The (tiny) 10ml tank was tricky to fill without getting the device wet, and the tank would leak if I overfilled it even slightly. This isn’t a major problem, since the power hub and exfoliating attachment are waterproof (IPX5), but having the gunky Infuse tank leak on my face was an experience I’d rather not relive.
I liked using the DePuffi attachment, but I found that it dragged on the skin if I didn’t use a facial oil or a thick cream to give my skin some slip. This wasn’t mentioned in the device’s instruction manual, but Jaafar confirmed that: “The undereye area is delicate, so using a lightweight eye gel or serum before treatment will help the device glide smoothly.”
My final frustration is with the case. It’s brilliant for keeping the device clean and neatly packed away, but it’s not big enough to fit the accompanying skincare products, which means they ended up clogging up my vanity table. I also wish the skincare came in refillable containers to cut down on plastic waste. If consumers must buy repeats every eight weeks, the absence of refills feels like an oversight.
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Warranty and repairs
There are the aforementioned extra costs associated with the FacialPro Glow, including replacing the tips and repurchasing the skincare. At £15.99 and £39.99 respectively, this is certainly not cheap.
You may be tempted to use other toners in the device, but this isn’t recommended by Shark, which claims it will not give the same results and may break the device – it also invalidates its warranty.
The device itself is guaranteed for a year without registration, or five if you register your device online within 28 days. If you have problems with your device, you can contact Shark’s customer service helpline (0800 862 0453) or try the Shark support website.
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Should I buy the Shark FacialPro Glow?
The FacialPro Glow is an effective at-home facial device that you shouldn’t be afraid to try if you follow the instructions carefully. Jaafar suggests people “use [the exfoliation] as a treat rather than a daily ritual. […] Consistency and care will give the best long-term results.”
In my experience, it made my skin feel smoother and more glowy than it has in a long time, especially after four weeks of treatments. One exfoliation can’t match the smoothing results of a professional hydrofacial, but four weeks of treatments got me most of the way there, from the comfort of my sofa.
As expected, I didn’t notice my pores shrinking, but my complexion was brightened, hydration was boosted, and the cooling attachment was brilliant at depuffing the skin and bringing down redness. And, if the contents of my gunk tank were anything to go by, it did a good job of clearing dirt and impurities from my skin, too.
But as much as I liked using the FacialPro Glow, it didn’t feel like a necessary addition to my skincare routine. That might be true of many beauty products, but it feels particularly salient here.
“Less space-age routines can still be as, if not more, effective. BHA [beta-hydroxy acids for exfoliation, such as salicylic acid], retinoid and sunscreen are still the gold standard for long-term clarity and refined texture,” says Thomas. While I like that the hydrofacial attachment can extract impurities and add a dose of hydration, I’m not convinced my results were significantly more impressive than anything I’d get from a good exfoliating and hydrating skincare routine.
I’d definitely keep the DePuffi attachment in my nightly routine – its temperature therapy was a solid upgrade to my existing wind-down. The exfoliation is impressive, so I’d love to continue using the FacialPro Glow before big occasions, but I don’t think I could justify the cost of the skincare every week.
View at John Lewis View at AmazonFor more:
• The best LED face masks
• The best anti-ageing creams, serums and treatments
• The best eye creams for banishing bags, puffiness and fine lines
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Sarah Matthews is a consumer journalist who specialises in giving health and beauty recommendations. She’s tested her way through more makeup, skincare and hair care than you can shake a stick at. Thanks to her stubborn hormonal acne, concealer is always a staple in her makeup bag
