Why muslin cloths should be an essential part of your skincare regime

Tweet

I get a lot of questions about the benefits of using a muslin cloth in your cleansing routine.

Why are they so good?

1. they have a gentle exfoliating action that leaves skin super clean and smooth.

2. they help to remove any lasting residues of dirt or make-up without scratching the skin.

3. they are re-usable and are made from 100% unbleached organic cotton. This makes them far more environmentally friendly than cotton wool. Just stick them in the washing machine on a cold wash.

4. the cloths prevent bacteria growing - the open weave of the cloth allows them to dry quickly. Regular flannels hold water for longer and can be a breeding ground for bacteria.

We recommend using Pai's organic muslin cloth alongside our Camellia & Rose Natural Cleanser.

After applying the cleansing cream, rinse the cloth in hot water and remove the cream using a gentle circular motion. 

Finish with a splash of cold water to close the pores.

Parabens cause premature ageing - new study

Tweet

It is a little ironic that Parabens, which are widely used in anti-ageing creams, have been linked to premature ageing.

A new Japanese study has demonstrated that when products containing Methyl Paraben are combined with ultra violet light, there is damage to your DNA and skin.

So avoid sun creams with Methyl Paraben or using a moisturiser containing it on a sunny day!

There are lots of manufacturers still backing Parabens (while no doubt frantically reformulating their products!), and where possible citing research showing it is safe.

It is worth pointing out that much current testing (including this study) on the safety of Parabens involve testing on animals.

At Pai, we take the precautionary approach - if there is a doubt about an ingredient's safety, we don't use it.

And we certainly don't condone animal testing of ingredients - all our products contain only natural ingredients and are tested on willing humans!

What is Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate?

Tweet

Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate - it doesn't exactly trip off the tongue!

It is a chemical preservative commonly used in "natural" beauty products to help preserve them from bacterial or fungal growth.

We are meeting more and more people who have extremely strong reactions to products containing this chemical.

One customer used an organic facial moisturiser from a well know 'natural' skincare brand and immediately had an intense burning sensation followed by extreme irritation lasting for several days.

Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate is a skin irritant in high concentrations, and should only used in low levels in products - 0.1%. Although there are products out there using higher concentrations.

It is far more of an irritant than Parabens and it affects more people. Parabens have been used for years and there are few reported cases of Paraben allergies.

But many manufacturers are shifting away from Parabens because of the bad press and instead including less well known chemicals to preserve their products.

Sodium Hydroxmethylglycinate is often described as "organic" or naturally derived from the glycine, an amino acid.

However, there is little that is organic about it - it goes through a rigorous manufacturing process using lots of chemicals. Indeed, one of the particular problems highlighted is that Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate is sometimes contaminated with Formaldehyde, which is used during manufacture.

It is also thought to break down into Formaldehyde in the body - which is a problem if the product you are using is a moisturiser, designed to permeate the skin. It is less of a concern if it is present in a shampoo or cleanser, which is washed off.

Many people come to organic skin care after developing reactions to chemicals in their usual products. Unfortunately, if you purchase a product containing Sodium Hydroxmethylglycinate, there is a chance it will irritate your skin or that you will have an allergy to it.

At Pai Skincare, we only use natural preservatives - no Parabens and certainly no Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate.


Sodium Hydroxymethlyglycinate is also listed as:

GLYCINE, N- (HYDROXYMETHYL) -. MONOSODIUM SALT;
GLYCINE, N- (HYDROXYMETHYL) -, SODIUM SALT;
N- (HYDROXYMETHYL) GLYCINE, SODIUM SALT;
N- (HYDROXYMETHYL) -. MONOSODIUM SALT GLYCINE;
SODIUM SALT GLYCINE, N- (HYDROXYMETHYL) -;
SODIUM SALT N- (HYDROXYMETHYL) GLYCINE;
N- (HYDROXYMETHYL) - SODIUM SALT GLYCINE;
SODIUM HYDROXYMETHYLGLYCINATE;
GLYCINE, N- (HYDROXYMETHYL) -, MONOSODIUM SALT;
HYDROXYMETHYLAMINOACETIC ACID,
SODIUM SALT;
SODIUM N- (HYDROXYMETHYL) GLYCINATE

Anti-Ageing Creams - the ULTIMATE test

Tweet

What is the best test for whether your skin care products are helping to prevent ageing?

Is it lots of pseudo-scientific language on the box?

Is it airbrushed 21 year old models claiming a product works for them?

Or should you spend hundreds of thousands on inconclusive cosmeceutical research projects?

In fact, for the average girl on the wrong side of 30, there is really only one test that matters:

When was the last time you were ID'd for alcohol?

Now we at Pai always say that our creams are good for you and your skin. But how do they shape up when presented with this real life test?

As the founder and longest user of Pai (3 years now), and definitely north of 30 by a few years...my results are:

Asked for ID in the last 3 months: TWICE

OK, but that's only one person I hear you say. Well, no, my best friend - also a faithful Pai user - has been asked for ID even more times than me.

So there you go - proof that Pai products have anti-ageing properties - as tested on real people in real life!