This organic, natural cream cleanser by Pai Skincare landed on my doorstep recently. I've never been keen on cream cleaners but after watching their video, I was pumped to try it for myself. Natalie Portman uses it and if it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me! 

PAI SKINCARE: CAMELLIA & ROSE GENTLE HYDRATING CLEANSER, $50

PROS

• Organic, fragrance free, cruelty-free, vegan skincare! (Leaping bunny approved!)
• Very gentle on the skin. Safe for dry, sensitive skin.
• Alcohol and detergent-free formula leaves skin balanced.
• Leaves skin well hydrated and silky smooth after washing.
• The cleanser comes with a muslin cloth to help clean and gently exfoliate skin. (This cloth is my new fave! You can wash it to keep it germ-free or purchase a two-pack here.)
• Eye makeup came off beautifully using a cotton pad, just as the video promised. 

CONS

• Perhaps this is just an indication of how much makeup I wear, but I found that it didn't take all of my makeup off. After washing I would run a toner soaked cotton pad over my face and makeup was still coming off. Unless you use minimal makeup or don't wear any, I would recommend using makeup remover before hand. 
• This is just a preferential thing, but I'm not convinced cream cleansers are for me. I miss the suds! 

You can shop UK skincare brand Pai online or at Whole Foods around Toronto. (More stockists here.) 

Q&A
Sarah Brown, creator of Pai, was kind enough to do a Q&A for this post. Have a read to educate yourself on skincare and find out why makeup wipes are bad, how to prevent milia and what causes it. And if you like what you read, you can keep up with Sarah's blog for more skincare, health and lifestyle tips. 

Nathalie: Why are makeup wipes bad?

Sarah Brown: Picture this - if you poured water into a tissue box and left it alone you’d be horrified at what you saw after a few weeks but a packet of damp make-up wipes can sit on a shelf for up to three years! Cleansing wipes are saturated in alcohol and harsh preservatives to keep the layers of moist tissue mould and bacteria-free. As a result, they can be very irritating and leave the skin imbalanced.

Why do we need an oil and a cream in the winter time?

SB: An Oil can’t hydrate the skin. They are brilliant for nourishing, conditioning and repairing the skin but for healthy, hydrated skin you need to be using a Cream as well. A Cream is a mixture or ‘emulsion’ of fats, water and actives that are able to hydrate skin thanks to their high water content, which is around 60-80%. A Cream drives moisture into the skin while fatty oils and ingredients like glycerine prevent the water from evaporating. This hydration boost means that skin cells retain moisture - keeping skin supple during the drying Winter months.

How often should we be exfoliating our skin?

SB: It really depends on your skin type. Typically for dry or sensitive skin once a week is enough and for more oily combination types 1-2 times per week. Exfoliating is such an important step for keeping skin healthy and clear, but the wrong exfoliator can actually do more harm than good. I always recommend steering clear of any product containing crushed seeds, crushed shell or sugar – all of these grains have irregular edges, which tear skin cells and cause a lot of damage. Our Kukui & Jojoba Bead Skin Brightening Exfoliator has perfect circular wax spheres which gently polish the skin rather than scrub it to destruction! 

How does not taking off our makeup before we go to bed age us quicker?

SB: A build-up of make-up on the skin can enlarge and block pores, which can lead to breakouts as well as lackluster skin. Dull skin looks older than it is. Bedtime is the best time to apply your hardworking products that replenish and repair the skin, as they can work uninterrupted without having to protect the skin from pollution, free radicals and daily impurities. The few minutes it takes to properly cleanse in the evening is a really important  skin investment. 

What is the benefit of using a toner?

SB: For most people traditional alcohol-based toners conjure memories of tight, tingling skin! Our toners are very different, for a start we call them “Tonics” as they serve a very different skin nutrition function. They contain the living water from the Rice shoot and Lotus root; this is the vitamin, amino acid and mineral rich liquid that circulates within these plants and have a host of skin benefits. As well as removing remaining cream residues post cleansing, our Tonics actively feed the skin and balance pH. I don’t like to restrict using my Tonic to my cleansing routine – I also spritz it over the top of make-up throughout the day. It’s also a life-changing travel companion – especially on long haul flights when air humidity is very low.  

Are eye creams necessary?

SB: Short answer – yes, but it’s all about how you apply it. The skin around the eyes is the thinnest on the body, so you need a gentle touch and a nourishing Cream to effectively treat this area. Our Echium & Argan Gentle Eye Cream is packed with one of my all-time favourite ingredients, Echium. It’s one of the best sources of Omgea-rich Gamma Linolenic and Stearadonic Acid – something you definitely want in your beauty arsenal!

Sarah's Tip to prevent milia: When it comes to applying your Eye Cream, the trick is to pat it in much lower down that you’d expect. Stick to the top of your orbital bone (it starts at the top of your cheekbone) using your ring fingers, in an anticlockwise direction. Now for the clever part – as the eye area doesn’t have any sebaceous glands, it ‘draws’ the Cream from lower down, taking in the amount of hydration it needs. Avoid applying your Eye Cream to the fleshy under-eye area – it can lead to puffy eyes and even milia if you have oily or combination skin.

Thank you to Sarah Brown, Founder of Pai Skincare for the interview and to rock-it promotions. 

PR Sample. View disclaimer here.