Pai is a cosmetics brand for the conscious consumer. It’s designed to help anyone with skin sensitivity or a sensible desire to use natural products. Over time, it has accumulated various certifications and awards – which means being cruelty-free and vegan is the bare minimum, no?
Pai Skincare is cruelty-free. It doesn’t conduct animal testing on its products, nor does it distribute its cosmetics where animal testing is required by law. Pai is also 100% vegan – it doesn’t use any animal-derived ingredients.
All it takes is one disappointed consumer to disrupt any market – and that’s exactly what Sarah Brown did in the beauty industry.
In 2008, Brown launched her skincare brand named Pai in the UK. Her desire to do something so radical came after a urticaria diagnosis.
If you’re wondering what that is – so were we! Urticaria is a skin condition otherwise known as chronic hives. Yup, we’re talking about painful, red, itchy welts that frequently reoccur over months or years.
Yet Brown couldn’t find a single skincare product that wouldn’t cause a reaction.
“I’d reached a dead-end with a cabinet full of products claiming to be “hypoallergenic” and “organic,” let down by their ingredient lists full of synthetics and irritants.”
Through this struggle, Brown decided to create Pai – a natural and organic skincare made for sensitive skincare. And she must have done something right since the brand’s annual revenue is estimated at just under $5 million.
But before deciding on what to buy, here’s what you need to know about Pai current animal testing policies, vegan ranges, formulation, and sustainability.
Is Pai Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
Pai is 100% Cruelty-Free
It does not:
Pai is thorough with its accreditations, and it doesn’t fail to meet our cruelty-free expectations. The brand is Leaping Bunny certified – which we love because it is the only internationally recognized certification that guarantees a brand is cruelty-free.
Pai also states that it had independent auditors monitoring its suppliers and internal processes to ensure it stays in the Leaping Bunny programme. Talk about going the extra mile!
The brand is also independently owned and it has no known funding ties with any brands associated with animal testing.
This brings us to our next point:
Pai is Vegan
Not only is it vegan – it’s certified! Let’s give Pai a round of applause for being one of the few brands that’s Vegan Society approved.
Pai stresses that this accreditation is hard-earned, and that they go to the highest measures to ensure its kept.
However, it’s worth knowing that Pai is the exception and not the rule.
Most mainstream skincare brands are not 100% vegan. These are certain animal-derived ingredients to look out for in general:
If you're interested in their best vegan products or finding vegan brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: Pai vegan products.
Animal Testing Policy and History
Pai has always been committed to creating clean, effective, and organic skincare that is also cruelty-free. This has been its intention since it was founded.
Cruelty-Free Status in 2022
Here is a screenshot of Pai's official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from their website:
Certification
Pai is Leaping Bunny certified.
While you might know PETA very well – it surprisingly doesn’t hold the strictest cruelty-free regulations. It seems to only require a brand’s written consent that abides by the PETA code of conduct.
Certification from Leaping Bunny is ideal because it holds rigorous standards and does regular audits to ensure they are upheld.
Leaping Bunny certification proves that:
If you see a bunny stamp on the back of your product bottle – that’s an excellent sign. But don’t be fooled by the image itself. A lot of brands are using fake logos to mislead consumers.
Do your homework and see which products are genuinely cruelty-free first. This article will help you: Which Cruelty-Free Logos Can You Trust?
Is Pai Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Pai does not distribute any of its products to China or any country that requires animal testing on cosmetics by law.
China has a shocking track record. It is the country with the most animal testing globally, with over 20 million animals used per year.
However, if you live in China or are concerned about its cruel beauty policies, there are a couple of loopholes. Here’s how to find cruelty-free cosmetics in China: Are Cosmetics Made in China Cruelty-Free?
The Best Vegan Pai Products
Pai has a pretty excellent selection of products, and all of them are vegan… certified!
Although the brand is known for its signature face oils, it has extensive skincare and body products that will leave you in awe.
They’ve also recently dropped a new line of glow drops that we welcome into our beauty regimes. This luminescent tincture could fall under makeup, but it definitely considers your skin’s health too.
To save you some time, here are some of its most popular products:For a complete list of Pai vegan products, you can find everything on their website.
Vegan Alternatives to Pai
Pai has some great vegan options and alternatives that other brands haven’t cared to try yet.
The brand does have strong cruelty-free and environmental advocacy principles – which act strongly in its favor.
We love what Pai represents.
It’s 100% cruelty-free, vegan, and users say it’s effective.
But if the brand is not easily accessible to you, or if you find that its prices are out of your budget, here are some alternatives we recommend.
Is Pai Natural and Organic?
At this stage, it shouldn’t surprise you to know that Pai is not only natural and organic – it’s also certified by The Soil Association.
Not only does The Soil Association require all certified brands to be cruelty-free, but it also ensures:
The Soil Association also does third-party checks, annual inspections, detailed production records, and traceability paperwork.
Clean vs. Natural Ingredients
The term “natural” is not regulated for cosmetics and skincare. In other words, it doesn’t hold one specific meaning.
Usually, it means a product is free of certain more toxic synthetic ingredients, including parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and more. But people also interpret “natural” to mean ingredients of immediate plant origin.
When it comes to Pai – it means both and more.
Here’s the thing: "natural” is not necessarily good. Just because an ingredient is natural (take chili peppers, for example) doesn’t mean you should rub it on your skin.
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas, and Pai is no exception – but it chooses to use better or clean synthetics. Remember each of Pai’s formulations has no more than 2% synthetic ingredients.
If a synthetic ingredient is “clean,” it is safe and non-toxic for us. Its purpose is to preserve the stability of a beauty formulation.
A few naturally-derived Pai uses to enhance its cosmetics include:
Does Pai Use Safe Ingredients?
According to Skin Safe, Pai has a 91% allergen-free ranking for each product.
Pai’s products are free of allergens such as common preservatives, gluten, parabens, topical antibiotic, soy, coconut, nickel, MI/ MCI, Propylene Glycol, and dyes.
All of Pai’s products are hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic, but it’s worth checking to ensure the product you want works for your skin sensitivities before you buy it.
The EU/UK Have Stricter Ingredient Regulations
As a conscientious shopper, you must read up on any brand’s ingredient list before you make a purchase – especially if you live within the United States.
This is because the FDA has only banned or restricted 11 harmful chemicals from cosmetics within the country. Europe and the UK, on the other hand, have banned 1,328!
Given Pai is a UK/EU-based brand with strict ingredient policies – you don’t need to worry too much.
For good measure, here are some of the ingredients you want to avoid with skincare:
Are Cruelty-Free Ingredients Safe?
If you’re worried about how safe it is to use cosmetics not tested on animals – please relax and take a sigh of relief.
There is no reason why cruelty-free products shouldn’t be just as safe as anything tested on an animal.
Not only is it easy to test ingredients without using animals altogether, but there are so many pre-approved ingredients you can use to make cosmetics that there really is no need.
If you’re interested, here’s more on the subject: Are Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Safe?
Is Pai Sustainable and Ethical?
Pai has some strong sustainability and ethical initiatives as it ties in with the company values.
As it stands, the brand:
It’s no secret that the world has a huge waste problem, and cosmetic brands are only making it worse by using unsustainable packaging and harmful ingredients.
Some of the ways Pai is taking strong environmental accountability is by:
Final Thoughts
Pai has made considerable efforts to be a natural and organic skincare brand that works for sensitive skin.
The brand considers various ethical factors, and being cruelty-free is a step towards a more sustainable future in skincare.
We appreciate that it has a transparent supply chain and is open to the public about its testing, purchasing, and distribution policies.
It is also 100% vegan, organic and cruelty-free, certified by the most reputable organizations in the world. We couldn’t ask for more.
It ticks almost every Cruelty Free Soul box – the only thing we’d love to learn more about is the brand’s employment protocols and how they deal with labor issues.
Otherwise, if this premium range is within your budget, it’s a fantastic product to chuck into your shopping cart for your next beauty shopping spree.
