Pai Lotus & Orange Blossom Bioaffinity Toner review

I don't routinely use a toner in my skin care routine. I pick cleansers that rinse away with water, and I leave my skin slightly damp from the water before applying my serum or moisturiser. A toner is just an extra step that I don't often bother with (to the extent that when I was writing this post, I found I didn't actually have a post label for 'toner'). I find many organic toners still contain alcohol (and even organic grain alcohol manages to dry out my skin and make my t-zone oilier at the same time), or a lot of essential oils which can be irritating to sensitive skin.

I was interested though when Pai launched their two Bioaffinity Toners (one for dry skin and one for combination skin, both suitable for sensitive skin).  Pai is a brand I have a lot of time and respect for: they don't make outrageous claims for their products, the formulations are simple (to avoid irritating sensitive skins) but use effective natural ingredients. I've had (consumer) samples of the cleansers and moisturisers before, and liked them a lot.

The Lotus & Orange Blossom Bioaffinity Toner comes in a 50ml spray bottle, which sprays a fine mist without wasting the toner on cotton pads (which is a good thing - it's £30 for 50ml so you don't want to waste it). It doesn't contain alcohol, and the orange blossom and lotus waters are, according to Pai, living waters extracted directly from the plant. It also contains aloe, vegetable glycerin and two plant extracts (the ingredients list is at the bottom of this post). It smells lightly of the orange blossom; a subtle honeyed orange scent.

My skin is in generally good condition, and I use a vitamin C serum from Skinceuticals and a moisturiser with sun protection every morning. In the evening, I use a cleanser and moisturiser (currently both from Stem Organics). I'm not using any other serum or treatment in the evening. I've added a spray of the Pai over my face and neck after cleansing in the morning and evening, before moisturiser (pm) and serum (am) and have been using for a bit over a month.

My skin has been less reactive to sudden changes in temperature (going from cold air outside to warmer air inside, or vice versa) and I've noticed that I haven't had any dry flaky skin on the sides of my nose either. I do think the Pai Lotus & Orange Blossom toner has provided additional hydration to my skin and is more effective than splashing my face with tap water.

This would be an excellent product for skin too sensitive to tolerate most serums, or skin that needs additional hydration but that experiences congestion using oils or serums underneath a moisturiser. Although my skin is generally good anyway it has converted me to the use of toner (as long as it's this one) and I will repurchase when I use this PR sample up. I'm interested in the Rice Plant and Rosemary Toner for next summer too, when my skin can be a little more combination than dry.

Pai products are available from www.paiskincare.com as well as a number of other retailers, including www.beingcontent.com and www.BeautyBay.com.

Disclosure: PR sample. Links, as always, are not affiliate links.