Before I decided to set my sights on greener beauty pastures I traditionally used a cream or gel formula to cleanse my face at night. But once I threw myself down the rabbit hole of pure joy and hydration that oil cleansers brought to my skin I haven’t looked back -until now.

Pai Skincare was started by Sarah Brown in 2007 who, after years of struggling with her own skin allergies, wanted to create the “cleanest plant-based skin care on the market, with a range of products formulated for people with very sensitive skin.” Certified organic by the UK Soil Association and the first ever cosmetics company to be SEE accredited (SEE recognizes a company’s social, ethical and environmental credentials), I took the plunge with their Pai Camellia & Rose Cleanser to see if it couldn’t change my mind about the efficacy of cream cleansers.

 scorecard

ingredients: aqua, camellia sinensis seed oil*, castor seed oil*,  sweet almond oil*, cetearyl alcohol, vegetable glycerine*, shea butter*, cetearyl glucoside,  rose otto oil*, geranium oil*, lavender flower oil*, litsea cubeba fruit oil*, may chang oil, mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin e), sodium lauroyl lactylate, sodium anisate, sodium levulinate, lactic acid, glyceryl stearate citrate

*Certified Organic. Soil Association Certified. Suitable for Vegans

performance:  I have to admit that, because of my intense love for oil cleansers, it took almost two weeks for me to feel comfortable with the switch. But once I did I really began to compare the effects of other cream cleansers I’ve used to this one. For one, it was very light in texture and had a wonderfully intoxicating and calming aroma of roses that you could take comfort in knowing it wasn’t synthetic, but rather from the earth.  It didn’t strip my skin or leave it feeling tight or ‘squeaky clean’, but rather cleansed and hydrated it. It easily removed makeup (for heavier eye makeup applications you’ll need to cleanse a couple of times) and some nights when I was feeling especially lazy I didn’t apply my usual night serum as my face felt pretty happy with moisture already.

I was floored that a cream cleanser could do this.

Plus the added bonus was the inclusion of the muslin cloth which was super gentle on my skin and a nice change from the usual cotton face cloths I use.

price: $50 for 100ml (muslin cloth included)

where to buy: online at Fresh Faced

for-the-win? It’s not hard to see why this cleanser has a cult following -it’s gentle, effective and keeps both you and its impact on the earth in mind. As I use up the last bits of this creamy beauty I realize that I’m still Team Oil Cleanser, but should I ever only  have cream cleanser options available to me I would choose this one in a heartbeat.

*sample generously provided, but you know the drill –all opinions blushing or not are my own!

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