The Summer Edition III: how Pai Skincare is channeling the ‘magic powers’ of nature

The Summer Edition III: how Pai Skincare is channeling the ‘magic powers’ of nature.

One of the best things about the long and (if you’re lucky) languorous summer days is that it affords you more time to read. While we’re all for indulging in an occasional trashy romance novel from the safety of our Kindles, we also think of summer as the perfect time to embrace new ideas and ways of thinking. With that in mind, we’re thrilled to present some words of wisdom from a trio of our eternally-inspiring friends. You can find parts 1 and 2 here and here.

All-natural skincare brand Pai have been blazing a trail for those with sensitive skin since 2006. Taking the Maori word for ‘goodness’ as their name, the brand is built on three overarching commitments: to be good to their customers, to only source good, pure ingredients and to be good to the world around us. Pledges that, I think it’s safe to say, we can all get behind! We felt very lucky then to sit down with Pai’s founder, Sarah Brown, for some insider knowledge on caring for sensitive skin over the summer months.

1. What made you want to create an all-natural beauty brand?

I created Pai for people like me, with unpredictable, challenging skin.

In my mid-twenties, I developed a condition called chronic urticaria. I turned to natural products to help calm my hyper-reactive skin, but found that most weren't as natural as they claimed (if at all!).

I wanted to create a range of truly organic products that was backed up by certification but, most of all, was
brilliant for sensitive skin.

2. What are the main benefits of Rosehip oil?

It has magical powers! It’s packed full of Omegas (3, 6, 7 and 9) and carotenoids, which make it great for skin
repair and general conditioning.

We’re unique in blending both the rosehip fruit and seed – so its concentration, which is (reflected in its bright orange colour,) makes it super- charged.

3. Can any skin type use your Rosehip Bio Regenerate Oil?

Yes. Its healing properties mean it can help with lots of different skin issues: from scarring to blemishes, after-sun repair and to baby’s cradle cap. It’s one of those products everyone needs in their bathroom
cabinet.

It might seem counterintuitive to put an oil on combination or acne-prone skin, but it is a topical, dry oil that helps to shift persistent blemishes and acne scarring. Personally, I use it as a facial oil, every night.

4. You are clearly passionate about using the best quality ingredients in your skin care products, does this translate into your diet too?

When you know about the farming standards and safeguards of organic certification it’s impossible not to buy into the benefits of these ingredients in your diet. I’m a huge advocate of organic produce.

I have a busy life so my diet is far from perfect.I like takeaways and red wine as much as the next person. However, in my grocery shopping I’d say roughly 75% of what I buy is organic. I prioritise the
ingredients that I know tend to be most sprayed with (pesticides), so things like such as broccoli and blueberries.

5. Can you give us a little insight into what your typical day looks like?

My kids are my morning alarm clock, and we have a rushed and chaotic breakfast together. I have a great granola recipe with all the good seeds (pumpkin, sunflower and sesame). It's really quick and healthy and I'll have it with fruit and natural yoghurt.

After nursery drop-off, I’m in work for 9am and my day kicks off religiously with a cup of Earl Grey tea.

We are a vertically integrated business at Pai – which basically which translated means we create, manufacture and distribute our products from our London HQ.

We’re all under one roof which has always been important to me. It means I can very easily go from an NPD
[New Product Development] meeting with one of our chemists, to another with our post production team on the factory floor, to another with our social media team.

I always do childcare pick-ups and then get back to the laptop once the kids are in bed.

It’s a busy life but that’s running a business for you! You have to make a really conscious effort to turn off your
devices and switch off. I don’t do it nearly enough.

6. What's your own beauty regime?

In the morning I keep it very simple. I rinse my face with water and then apply our Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream. It provides the perfect level of moisture for my skin whilst being a great non-greasy base for make-up. It gets used on loads of film sets for this reason.

In the evening I invest more time. I cleanse with our Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser. It’s a really
therapeutic experience and the aroma is divine and bookmarks the end of the day for me.

I then spritz with our Lotus &Orange Blossom Tonic and finish with a few drops of Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil.
I’ll mix it up with our serums and eye cream when the mood takes me or I can see my skin needs more.

For make-up, I use Lily Lolo mineral powder, Kjaer Weiss cream blush and Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes mascara.

7. Finally, any top tips on having blemish-free skin this summer?

The single most important thing is to get your cleansing right. Using a gentle, detergent free cleanser will help to remove the dirt and impurities of the day, but won't strip your skin of its natural oils at the same time.

Happy skin is all about keeping it in balance. So many cleansers tip the skin out of balance from an oil production or pH standpoint. Detergents wreak havoc in both respects and are usually the source of most people’s skin issues. When we fix this step in their regime everything else falls into place.

My best Summer skin tip: Wear a hat!

Our 10-day ‘Summer Set’ packageincludes the ‘magic’ orange elixir that is Pai’s Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil. If you fancy giving your body a real summer holiday, you can head over here to find out more about the meals and other special gifts included.

The package also includes a special gift from real-food supplement pioneers The Nue Co. Their founder, Jules, also contributed some summer reading on the importance of a healthy gut. Take a look
here!