A Slice of Pai

I have wonderful friends. They are thoughtful and caring and good at keeping in touch (important as they live all over the world). One such friend (who thankfully does not live all over the world) recently bought me a beautiful present to say thank you for a small favour I did, and I was thus introduced to skin care brand “Pai” via a beautifully packaged bath and body oil set. The box of locally produced, sustainably sourced materials opens like a flower to reveal two golden vials of liquid aromatherapy. A light citrus floral smell wafts up as the contents of the first vial drizzle into the bath, honey flowing into the warm water. Skin is newly soft as the bather steps out of the water, and the oil from vial number two glides on, moisturizing and soaking in to any winter-worn areas in need of extra attention. Tranquillity is the name of the collection; it provides tranquillity, bliss and so much more.

The slogan on the package is “Be a natural beauty, with Pai”, which led me to look at the ingredients. I have been duped many times by “natural”, “organic”, etc, etc, only to find that the product that bills itself as “healthy” and “free from chemicals”, actually has many hidden nasties. It was with great surprise and excitement that I read the ingredients of this set and discovered (with a little help from EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database) that they appear to be as natural as the packaging claims:

Ingredient List (Jasmine and May Chang Relaxing Bath Oil)	Hazard Score* (0-10)
Glycerin	0
Helianthus Annuss Oil (Sunflower Oil)	0
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba Seed Oil)	0
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Sweet Almond Oil)	0
Sucrose Laurate (mix of sucrose esters of lauric acid – acts a a skin conditioning agent)	0
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Water (Orange Flower Water)	0
Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil (from the Moriche Palm Tree)	0
Litsea Cubeba Oil (May Chang Oil)	1
Jasminum Grandiflorum Oil (Jasmine Oil)	0
Prunus Amygdalus Amara Oil (Bitter Almond Kernel Oil)	0
Citrus Reticulata Oil (Mandarin Orange Oil)	0
Natural Mixed Tocopherols (basically Vitamin E)	0-1

*For more information, please see the EWG Skin DeepCosmetics Database website 

As I have recently been on a quest to eat, live and (I daresay) even breathe more naturally, it was with great excitement that I explored the rest of the website and learned about this company. Started in 2007 by Sarah Brown (not the one married to Gordon!), her aim was “to create the cleanest plant-based skin care on the market, with a range of products formulated for people with very sensitive skin.”

As a long time sufferer of Rosacea, I was particularly excited when I discovered the section of skin care for Rosacea sufferers. After eight years of redness and seemingly uncontrollable "spots", a recent trip to the dermatologist suggested that my only course of action was to either spend three months on low-dose antibiotics or to completely avoid hot weather, cold weather, alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods, dairy products, vigorous exercise and of course, stress. Neither of these options felt quite right; I worry about the short and long term side effects of being on antibiotics for that long (“No side-effects!” proclaims the dermatologist to a dubious me), and completely avoiding everything on that list is neither fun or realistic – no more occasional red curry, never again a glass of wine, and forgoing all future beach holidays? No way! My philosophy is to try a bit of everything ... in moderation of course - life is for living, after all! Sidenote – when I asked the dermatologist if there were any particular skincare products that she recommended, she suggested the Garnier line (and despite the lime coloured branding and leafy logos, these products are neither glamorous nor green – EWG lists the brand with a hazard score of 2-7 – that’s a pass from me, thanks!).

So as I mentioned, it was with great excitement that I read about the natural anti-inflammatory, azulene (which not only cools and calms skin flushing, but is “packed full of essential skin nutrients including omega 3 and 6). The other interesting fact I learned is that ethyl alcohols and some synthetic chemicals can also trigger Rosacea; I’d given up red wine when perhaps all it took was giving up ethyl alcohol instead?

But enough about my condition ... do the products work? I purchased the trial size sample pack which includes 5mls each of four different creams, a cleanser and a facial scrub and used them for almost a week (a little goes a long way). The results were incredible. A patch of rosacea above my eyebrow which had happily (and stubbornly) existed for the better part of three weeks despite twice daily application of dermatologist recommended antibiotic cream, was gone in about two days. Several glasses of red wine over Christmas were not enough to create a reaction. A spicy red curry was enjoyed with no ill after-effects displayed on my face. And not only that, my skin looked incredible! I can’t remember when it was last so smooth, bright and clear of redness. I felt like a natural beauty indeed. And I haven’t even mentioned the smell. Roses ... lemons ... happiness ... heaven! The creams and cleansers smell clean and feminine, yet natural and gentle. The fragrance is subtle, not overpowering. And although the products are competitively priced, they smell expensive; green meets glamour in a tiny pot of bliss.

After a few days of these amazing effects, I was sold - I went online to buy the larger size version of my tiny pots of heaven. I debated for a couple of days, because although I was thoroughly impressed with the initial results, most cosmetic gurus will tell you that it takes about 4-6 weeks for skin to adapt to any product and for you to see all of the benefits/detriments. I ended up purchasing from Pai with confidence because of Pai’s 30 day guarantee - if you are not happy within 30 days of using the product, they will refund your money, including any shipping costs, no questions asked.

Really.

This takes the guess-work out of buying skincare products, because unlike that well-cut Armani blazer, you can’t tell if skin cream will work after one try. Lucky for us, they are so confident in their products (and after trying them, I can see why), that you can safely try without worrying about wasting money on one more cosmetic product that doesn’t work.

I am very excited about discovering this amazing company, and hope that I can do a part to help it continue to grow. It takes time and a bit of hard work to find products that are both natural and effective, and I am excited to have found a company that takes the guesswork out of natural skin care, and proves that you don’t have to be dreadlocked and hemp-clad to be green! Glamour and green are not mutually exclusive. I am anxiously awaiting my delivery and looking forward to being more natural, more green, and more glamorously me! Join me in being “a natural beauty, with Pai”.

GG Rating - Good for Spelt Supporters

The Next Bright Idea ...

How many eco-enthusiasts does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, if it’s energy efficient! And the “bright side” of changing that ordinary bulb is that you won’t have to hear any more jokes, because the new light bulbs last for what seems like forever. 

We switched ours a few years ago, and I’ve never looked back. They’re brighter, produce a cooler colour light (no one wants to have a jaundiced yellow tinge anyway), and they seem to rarely need changing. On top of that, according to the US Department of Energy, “Rapid adoption of LED lighting in the US over the next 20 years could:

   

                     Deliver energy savings of about $265 billion.

                     Avoid the need to build 40 new power plants. 

                                          Reduce electricity demand for lighting by 33% in 2027."

On top of those awesome facts, energy efficient lighting typically uses 25%-80% less energy and can last 3-25 times longer. Not only can you reduce your carbon footprint, you can reduce your actual footprint by shopping less. So here’s a bright idea ... if you haven’t already done so, swap your lights as the old ones burn out ... your wallet, your children and the world will thank you – one bulb at a time.

For more info, click here.

GG Rating: Good for Spelt Supporters.