2021 highlights: Pai’s year in review

Just when we thought 2020 was a rollercoaster, along came 2021! For Pai, 2020 was so much about pivoting, firefighting and rallying together in the face of a global pandemic, while this year, it was all about what happens next. It’s the year we picked up the pieces, adjusted to our new normal and battled our way through from Brexit to Black Friday!

That’s not to say it was all strife and struggles – as a brand and business Pai has so much to celebrate this year. And because we couldn’t have done it all without you, we’d love to take you down memory lane with us as we look back on 2021 – a year we’ll never forget.

A year of innovation

Every so often, we have a bumper year of launches. Years of R&D and planning come to fruition, sometimes all at once. And so saw us launch not one but seven new products in 2021.

First there was The Light Fantastic, our feather-light Ceramide face oil to calm, smooth and strengthen stressed skin. Then came our first foray into tinted skincare with The Impossible Glow Hyaluronic Acid & Sea Kelp Bronzing Drops - which we consider a real achievement in the world of organics. At the beginning of summer we added to our beloved suncare collection with British Summer Time After Sun and in June we launched Carbon Star, a detoxifying overnight oil for blemish-prone skin.

Finally, last month we introduced you to three innovative new concentrates from Pai Labs; potent skin boosters of Vitamin C, Peptides and Prebiotic Inulin to add to your existing skincare, on your terms.

A year of gratitude

We’re not saying we love recognition for our hard work – scrap that, that’s exactly what we’re saying. This year’s accolades mean so much to us because we didn’t just win awards for our incredible products (well done to our After Sun, Light Work Cleansing Oil, The Light Fantastic and Instant Kalmer) but for our efforts as a business as a whole, nabbing Outstanding Contribution at the Sunday Times Style Beauty Awards for our Acton Spirit and Best Organic Brand at the Marie Claire Sustainability Awards.

As we work towards becoming a B Corp certified company, it’s recognition like this that lets us know we’re on the right track as a more conscious beauty brand – making a positive impact for our customers, our community and our planet.

A year of streaming

As our founder Sarah and skin coach Kate found themselves grounded due to lockdowns and restrictions, they soon realised how much they missed meeting the Pai community, and our customers missed having those in-store opportunities to quiz our experts. So, they took to the small screen instead!

We launched our live shopping shows on site – with Q&As, guest experts and so many skincare stories – as well as a behind-the-scenes look at Pai with our first ever documentary about Pai Labs. You can view all of our live shopping videos on demand here, and watch our documentary right here too.

A year of giving

We once again partnered with three incredible organisations to help provide mental health support to those that need it most. Between Mind Day Weekend and Cyber Week, we raised over £18.5k for Mind, Black Minds Matter and ​​Loveland Foundation.

In real terms, this enabled Black Minds Matter to provide up to 99 weeks of therapy to those who need it – and struggle to access it – most. It covered the costs of 68 therapy sessions for Loveland Foundation and allowed Mind to answer 776 helpline enquiries. It is because of your thoughtful Pai purchases that we were able to raise this much-needed money, so a huge thank you to you all.

A year of firsts

Press and PR coverage is so important to a brand like ours, helping to tell our story to new audiences and reconnect with our existing ones. This year saw us open the doors to Pai HQ in London for our first ever press visits and in-laboratory workshops – inviting leading editors and journalists to meet the team, get up close and personal with our precious ingredients, and even try their hand at formulating with our chemists.

Ending the year on an absolute high, our skincare hero and favourite no-BS beauty expert Caroline Hirons featured us on This Morning, recommending our entire range for sensitive skin. Excuse us while we beam until the new year!

While 2021 has been a bumpy ride logistically – we’re looking at you Brexit – it's also been an incredible one for us at Pai, and we want to thank you all for being such an important part of it. We couldn’t – and wouldn’t – do it without you.