Looking back at 2021 feels like rewatching a season finale where everything happens at once. For Pai, it was the year we channelled our pandemic learnings into actual launches, survived Brexit shipping chaos, and somehow managed to launch seven new products while documenting the whole thing for the first time.
We couldn't have done any of it without you. So before we get too far into the new year, we wanted to take you behind the scenes of our biggest moments.
Seven launches (and counting)
Years of R&D came together all at once in 2021. First was The Light Fantastic, our feather-light ceramide face oil that strengthens stressed skin without the weight. Then we cracked tinted skincare for organics with The Impossible Glow Bronzing Drops. Real bronzing. Real hyaluronic acid. Real achievement in a category where "natural" usually means "orange."
Summer brought British Summer Time After Sun to join our suncare family. Then Carbon Star arrived: our detoxifying overnight oil that turns black on application (yes, really) before absorbing clear. Charcoal for blemish-prone skin that actually works.
Finally, we introduced the Pai Labs concentrates. Three potent boosters of Vitamin C, Peptides and Prebiotic Inulin. Clinical-level actives you add to your existing skincare. Your routine, supercharged.
Awards that actually mean something
Recognition hits different when it comes from people who really know skincare. This year's wins spanned everything from individual products (After Sun, Light Work Cleansing Oil, The Light Fantastic and Instant Kalmer) to the bigger picture.
The Sunday Times Style Beauty Awards gave us Outstanding Contribution for our pandemic pivot to hand sanitiser. Marie Claire named us Best Organic Brand at their Sustainability Awards. Not just "nice organic brand" or "tries hard organic brand." Best.
As we work towards B Corp certification, wins like these confirm we're building something that matters. A beauty brand that proves you don't have to choose between performance, ethics, and skin that doesn't freak out.
Going live (literally)
When lockdowns kept us from meeting you in stores, Sarah and our skin coach Kate took to the screen. We launched live shopping shows direct from Pai HQ. Real questions, real answers, real behind-the-scenes moments when things went slightly sideways.
We also filmed our first documentary about Pai Labs. No scripts. No polish. Just our chemists explaining why they're obsessed with extraction methods and what actually happens when a formula doesn't work on the fifteenth try. Turns out, people want to see how the sausage is made. Or in our case, how the ceramide serum is formulated.
Mental health support that counts
Between Mind Day Weekend and Cyber Week, we raised over £18.5k for mental health organisations. Real money, real impact.
Black Minds Matter used their share to provide up to 99 weeks of therapy for people who need it most but struggle to access it. Loveland Foundation covered 68 therapy sessions. Mind answered 776 helpline calls.
Every Pai purchase during these campaigns directly funded someone's mental health support. That's the kind of beauty shopping we can get behind.
Opening our doors
For the first time ever, we invited beauty editors and journalists into our London lab. Not a showroom. The actual lab where we make things.
They met our chemists, touched our raw ingredients, and even tried formulating (with supervision, obviously). Watching beauty editors in lab coats trying to emulsify their own face cream? Priceless.
The year ended with Caroline Hirons featuring our entire sensitive skincare range on This Morning. National television. Prime time. No pressure. Just our founder's formulas being recommended to millions by the UK's most trusted beauty expert.
Brexit made shipping interesting. Supply chains tested our patience. But we launched seven products, won awards that matter, raised meaningful money for mental health, and ended up on national TV.
Not bad for a year that started in lockdown. Thank you for being part of all of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What new products did Pai Skincare launch in 2021?
Pai launched seven new products in 2021: The Light Fantastic Ceramide Face Oil, The Impossible Glow Bronzing Drops, British Summer Time After Sun, Carbon Star Detoxifying Overnight Oil, and three Pai Labs Boosters (Stabilised Vitamin C 20%, Peptides 5%, and Prebiotic Inulin). It was a bumper year where years of R&D came to fruition all at once.
What awards did Pai Skincare win in 2021?
Pai won product awards for After Sun, Light Work Cleansing Oil, The Light Fantastic, and Instant Kalmer. The brand also picked up Outstanding Contribution at the Sunday Times Style Beauty Awards and Best Organic Brand at the Marie Claire Sustainability Awards, recognising the company's wider efforts as a conscious beauty business.
What are Pai Labs Boosters and how do they work?
Pai Labs Boosters are concentrated skincare actives designed to be added in 1-2 drops to your existing moisturiser, serum, or face oil. The three launched in 2021 were Stabilised Vitamin C 20% for brightening, Peptides 5% for smoothing fine lines, and Prebiotic Inulin for skin barrier protection. The format lets you personalise your routine with clinical-level actives without overhauling your whole regimen.
What is Carbon Star and what skin type is it designed for?
Carbon Star is a detoxifying overnight face oil formulated for blemish-prone skin. It combines antibacterial Black Cumin Seed Oil, sebum-absorbing vegetable charcoal, and anti-inflammatory Amazonian oils (Copaiba, Andiroba, Acai) to clarify skin while you sleep. It's clinically tested non-comedogenic, so it won't block pores despite being an oil.
How much did Pai raise for mental health charities in 2021?
Pai raised over £18,500 for Mind, Black Minds Matter, and Loveland Foundation through Mind Day Weekend and Cyber Week. That funded up to 99 weeks of therapy through Black Minds Matter, 68 therapy sessions via Loveland Foundation, and 776 Mind helpline enquiries.
