Pai Skincare and how it saved my skin -Current Skincare Regime

Long time readers of my blog may know that my skin is troublesome, to say the least. For new readers, let me give you the lowdown.

I have extremely sensitive and reactive combination skin mixed with a nice dose of rosacea. I suffer with large, congested pores on my nose and chin and some less noticeable ones on my cheeks and forehead. I get oily in the t-zone and my cheeks are where the rosacea affects most. I am also certain my skin is dehydrated.

I struggle to find skincare that treats all of the issues I have... skincare marketed at oily, combination skin is often too harsh on my skin and causes the rosacea to flare up. The moisturisers are never moisturising enough.
Products aimed at sensitive skins, are still often chemical laden and full of detergents and alcohol.
I often go for natural or organic brands, which whilst mild enough not to cause a reaction do nothing to treat the oiliness and congested pores I suffer with.

Whilst reading through two of my favourite blogs - ModestyBrown.com & LondonMakeUpGirl.com - I read several posts mentioned Pai skincare and my interest was piqued. Now I trust these ladies implicitly when it comes to cosmetics - they really know what they are talking about and I find their recommendations work for me most of the time, so off to the Pai website I went. 

The brand appealed to me straight away - their website claims to be 'Organic Skincare Solutions for Sensitive Skin' - EXACTLY what I had been looking for. I prefer organic and natural brands because they typically contain less chemicals, no harsh detergents and therefore do not cause reactions in my skin. Pai promise to be free of parabens, alcohol, skin irritants, harmful detergents and heavy, pore blocking ingredients.

Pai Skincare also have fabulous customer care - brands could learn a LOT from Pai. I have spoken to them both on Twitter and via email- their response was unbelievably fast and their knowledge and expertise is excellent. This is a brand that really care about their customers and are proud of and confident in their products.

They took into account a description of my skin and pointed me in the right direction of products suitable for me.

Another massive bonus and something I really appreciate in a brand is the opportunity to try samples of their products before committing to a full size purchase.
With such sensitive and reactive skin, I rarely commit to purchasing full sizes of products before I am certain they will not cause a reaction and be rendered a waste of money.

For just £1 (+ £3.50 post & packaging) you can order a lovely little trial pack from the Pai website here. The trial pack contains

x2 4ml Trial Size Moisturisers (choose from a selection of four);

x2 4ml Trial Size Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser.

The website states each sample should last 2-3 days. I typically know from the first use if a product will be suitable so this is an ideal little sample set for me.

Here is what I received:

I love the little pots they come in-so much easier than the typical sample sachets. These are re-usable and really handy for travel also. 

I received the items mentioned above but also received an additional sample of the exfoliator.

For the first time in a long, long time I have entirely used up ALL of the samples AND purchased full sizes of some of the products. Just from around 4-5 days of use of the samples my skin was totally turned around. I am still quite amazed at just how effective these products are.

Camellia & Rose Hydrating Cleanser

This cleanser is a luxurious yet light textured cream cleanser. Deliciously (yet naturally) scented, it really is a pleasure to use. I typically NEVER use my cleanser to remove make up, so I cannot attest to this cleanser as a make up remover. I always use Bioderma to remove make up and then cleanse by massaging this over the skin and removing with a warm flannel, a la Mrs Hirons (viva la flannel!)

This leaves my skin feeling cleansed, refreshed and never tight or uncomfortable. This causes no redness in my skin and leaves my face feeling soft.

Lotus & Orange Blossom BioAffinity Toner

Not received as part of the sample kit, this was a seperate purchase I made. This is BEAUTIFUL! I usually view toner as a staple, necessary item...not necessarily a luxury. But this toner is pure luxury. This toner also gets 10 out of 10 for packaging...I can't resist a spray/pump bottle. I spritz this on to my cleansed skin (and also further spritzes throughout the day to refresh) and it leaves my skin feeling hydrated. The smell is divine and so uplifiting.

Kukui & Jojoba Bead Skin Brightening Exfoliator
I received this as part of my trial kit, however when you go to the website it is no longer offered - I just thought I'd mention that.
As a rule, exfoliators are a big no-no for me. Anything with beads, particles, grains etc causes extreme reaction in my skin, much to my upset. I LOVE a good exfoliator. Sloughing away at my chops used to be a favourite pasttime of mine, but I am no longer able to do this without damaging my skin and causing pain.
I was tentative when it came to trialling this, I'll be honest. I did consider not using it at all, but given how gentle and effective the rest of the range was, I bit the bullet and tried it. This gel like substance contains 'micro spheres' that gently exfoliate and polish the skin. The gel itself turns milky on the skin and washes away to leave my skin feeling gorgeous. Don't expect your usual 'exfoliating' sensation with this product, it won't feel scratchy, or like it is buffing away the dead skin cells - this is subtle and almost unnoticeable sensation on the skin, yet leaves me glowing.

Chamomile & Rosehip Sensitive Skin Moisturiser (PM)
This item is the real winner for me and the star product of the line up. This is confirmed by the full size now adorning my dressing table!
This is intensely hydrating without every feeling greasy or heavy. The consistency is quite light and the (natural) scent is beautiful. It feels soothing and calming on my skin and always provides long lasting hydration. I use this as my night moisturiser although it does also work well through the day, under make up.

Geranium & Thistle Combination Sensitive Skin Moisturiser (AM)
Another star product - it is rare to find products aimed at combination skin that aren't harsh and often drying. This manages to provide moisture, leave my skin feeling soft, supple and looking bright and stop any breakouts. It claims to have a mild antibacterial formula that stops breakouts and I can confirm it really works. My skin has never looked better. I usually use this in the morning and it is a fabulous base for make up. This even stopped any hormonal breakouts this month, which is almost unheard of for my skin.


This post has been incredibly long and rambly, so I do hope to look at each individual product in closer detail in seperate blog posts. However, for real 'proof' that these products really work, I present to you a frightening naked face photo:

This is a late evening, post cleansing iPhone photo. I apologise for the sheer horror that is my hair/face but please, just focus on the blemish free, redness free, positively glowing skin!

I urge you to go and have a good read through Pai's website - the product information, ingredient listings, even their blog is oozing with a wealth of knowledge and helpful information from brand creator, Sarah Brown . Their ideas just make sense to me.
Try their sample kit and I dare you not to fall in love.
The very ethos of this brand is one that appeals to me and the fact that their products are amazing and have turned my skin in around in less than a week makes them holy grail material for me - I cannot wait to try more from the range.