Between school drop-offs and work deadlines, finding time for self-care often feels like an indulgence that I just can’t prioritise right now. So while facials used to be a non-negotiable for me—and one of the undeniable perks of working as a beauty editor is having had the chance to try so many of the best ones—these days, going for a professional treatment is the reserve of special occasions only. My facial of choice? A Hydrafacial. So when the Shark FacialPro Glow + DePuffi landed on my desk, a skincare tool that has been drawing comparisons to my beloved facial treatment of choice, I had to put it to the test.
Shop the Shark FacialPro Glow + DePuffi
You see, the thing about seeing a professional for a facial is that you typically get to enjoy some proper time out. All I ever needed to do was lie back, and let someone else tend to my tired, spot-prone, stressed-out skin and I’d emerge an hour or so later looking like a woman reborn. How could an at-home tool not only come close to giving the same level of deep cleansing and glow, but also mimic a similar spa-like experience? I decided to give it a go to find out.
First Impressions
Every element of my beauty routine needs to be simple, fast and easy to get to grips with, so when I first unboxed the Shark FacialPro Glow + DePuffi, my first thought was that it looked a little complicated. The device itself comes in two parts, with multiple attachments and two skincare products, so I definitely felt slightly overwhelmed. However, the setup is pleasingly foolproof. Once you’ve charged the device itself, it simply snaps into place, and you can then select your chosen attachment and clip it on intuitively. There is an attachment to use on larger areas of your face and a smaller one for areas in need of precision, like around your nose or across your T-zone. And if you have reactive skin, then there are sensitive nozzles with less suction to minimise irritation.
How It Works
The biggest concern for me was that this would end up being yet another skincare tool left gathering dust next to other gimmicky gadgets that I’ve been sent to test over the years. However, despite my first impressions, this is actually a very easy-to-use device. After cleansing my skin as usual, I applied the Derm Detox exfoliating serum and then filled up the tank with water, ready for exfoliation and extractions. You can adjust the intensity—I started on the lowest of the three settings for my first go—and then glided the tool over my skin.
There’s definitely a feeling of suction as the FacialPro Glow actively works to draw impurities out from your skin, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. I used my free hand to slightly stretch my skin as I moved the tool to prevent any dragging or pulling, and I think this definitely contributed to how easy it was to use. I used the wide tip for the first two minutes, then switched to the narrower one around my nose and my chin, where I do get quite congested.
Once the three minutes were up, the ‘gunk tank’ was filled with murky water and something the brand calls ‘floaties’—a cuter name for what is essentially the dirt from blackheads and dead skin cells. Is it gross? Perhaps to some. To me, it's confirmation that the Shark FacialPro Glow actually does something for my skin. And it’s this grim fascination with seeing what actually comes out of our skin that made the Hydrafacial so viral, too.
The next step is all about locking moisture back into the skin and boosting glow. To do this, you empty the device of all that gunk and water and then fill the tank with the Hydro Infuse serum. You then repeat the same process as before, but this time, that beautifully hydrating serum is being pumped into your skin to boost moisture levels and deeply hydrate. My skin was definitely looking a little red at this point, but again, there was no discomfort caused by the suction, and I could almost immediately see my skin looking more quenched and juicy.
Once that was finished, I applied my usual moisturiser, then popped on the DePuffi attachment and used the InstaChill setting to enjoy a cooling facial massage. This was undeniably my favourite part of the entire treatment—it helped to bring down the slight redness that my skin was experiencing post-exfoliation, but also reduced puffiness and just left my whole face looking a little more lifted and smooth than it would otherwise. (You can also use this on a warm setting for more of a relaxing massage vibe and to help with lymphatic drainage, something which I have loved this week while dealing with a cold and blocked sinuses.) The process in total took about 10 minutes.
Final Thoughts
Before (left) and after (right) completing the weekly glow treatment with the Shark FacialPro Glow + DePuffi.
I’ve had the Shark FacialPro Glow + DePuffi for a couple of weeks now, and I’m truly surprised at how many times I have reached for it. The full facial routine detailed above is suggested as a weekly treatment, meaning that I’ve definitely found it easy to incorporate the 10 minutes needed into a bit of a Sunday night ritual. However, the DePuffi attachment has become something that I’ve reached for almost daily—the cool setting has been incredible at helping to almost sculpt my face on very puffy mornings and reawaken my tired skin, while the warm setting is a beautifully relaxing ritual on winter evenings. Especially in cold and flu season, when I’ve been really suffering with congestion and stuffiness in my face. (The DePuffi will actually be launching as a standalone device soon, which is great news.)
Yes, at nearly £300, this tool does have a hefty price tag. And of course, I can’t say that the results are as impressive as spending an hour with a professional facialist. However, finding a genuinely effective skincare tool—especially as someone who wants a product that can aid with decongestion and clearing blackheads while also boosting radiance—it undoubtedly delivers. After just a couple of the weekly uses, my skin (which was in the aftermath of one of the worst stress-induced breakouts I’ve had in years) looked clearer, less congested and more luminous than it had in months. So while it won’t replace the intensity of a true in-clinic Hydrafacial (nor does it claim to), it’s remarkably close and allows anyone juggling a multitude of commitments to get an impressive glow without the logistics of leaving home for the salon.
