The best thing about our skin consultation service is that the Pai team gets to speak to our customers all day, every day. And a great bonus is that when our skin coaches meet with our Founder and NPD team, they get to relay all the questions they get asked most. Including all the products Pai customers wish existed to help with their skin goals.
An all-natural dark spot solution for sensitive skin didn’t exist. So like all of our product launches (and indeed Pai itself), we made it. And that’s how Fade Forward came to being.
“Hyperpigmentation is one of the top skin issues we get asked for help with,” says Sarah, our Founder. “But one that historically has been hard to improve using topical products alone. So many people resort to quite intrusive and intensive laser treatments instead.”
What we needed to create was a product that yes – fades dark spots – but also tackles the root of discolouration deep in the skin. After all, quick fixes have never been our style.
“Most products in the market provide an aesthetic but temporary improvement to the appearance of the skin, whereas our product – Fade Forward – offers both an aesthetic and functional solution with potentially permanent results if used correctly,” explains John, our Head of R&D.
“We always strive to work in a way that doesn’t solve one problem only to leave behind a different one,” adds Sarah. “So we have made a product that works in a multidimensional way.
"It’s an exceptionally conceived formulation that doesn’t use acids or bleaching agents to fade pigmentation – it works uniquely at a healthier, more cellular level.”
A name inspired by innovation
Our new serum is a product that works hard. On historic dark spots and future ones. It fades – but pays it forward for sensitive skin too.
And with that mission in mind, we found a fitting name.
“We always seek to tackle the root cause of a problem so our formulas are more complete and long-serving remedies. With Fade Forward, we wanted to convey the core benefit of fading dark spots while communicating a positive, forward-looking future for skin prone to pigmentation,” explains Sarah.
A game-changing ingredient
The star of Fade Forward is Marine Algae, which comes from the mineral-rich sea water from the Pink Granite Coast of Brittany. Rich in phlorotannins, this brilliant extract helps the skin reactivate the proteins that control skin pigmentation.
“It was very exciting to find an ingredient that not only addressed hyperpigmentation but also tackled the cause of hyperpigmentation. Something other products in the market do not do,” says John.
While there was excellent existing data on Marine Algae, there was still work for our research and development team to do to make sure the ingredient could hold its own in our 100% natural formulation.
John explains, “As with most natural ingredients, stability can be tricky and the colour can vary and change over time. Careful selection of emulsifiers, preservatives, and antioxidants ensured the product would be safe to use and fit for purpose.”
And fit for purpose it is, and more. We put John’s formula through its paces in independent clinical and consumer trials – and the results have been better than anything we could have imagined.
Fade Forward has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of dark spots**, with 82% agreeing it visibly reduced the appearance of dark spots*, 87% agreeing it left skin visibly healthier with a radiant glow* and 83% agreeing it helped balance the appearance of uneven pigmentation*.
Results powered by nature
As well as Marine Algae, our dark spot serum contains naturally derived Hyaluronic Acid, Organic Vitamin E and Vitamin C to help leave skin hydrated, brighter and more radiant.
“You might be able to tell we love this Vitamin C a lot. It’s in our Stabilised Vitamin C 20% Brightening Booster and C-2 Believe Vitamin C Brightening Moisturiser,” says Izzy Taylor, our NPD Manager.
“Just because you have sensitive skin it shouldn’t mean you can’t find beautiful, efficacious and targeted products that work for you. It's what I love most about Pai - proving natural ingredients are just as powerful!”
Ready to fade dark spots and balance uneven skin tone without the use of exfoliating acids? Discover our clinically-proven, kind-to-sensitive-skin dark spot serum now.
**Clinical study on 20 subjects with dark spots over nine weeks
*Eight week independent consumer trial on 101 women
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Fade Forward treat dark spots differently from acid-based products?
Rather than using exfoliating acids or bleaching agents to strip pigmented cells from the surface, Fade Forward's Marine Algae extract works at a cellular level to reactivate the proteins that control skin pigmentation. This targets the root cause of hyperpigmentation, not just the visible symptom, which is why the Pai team describes it as offering both an aesthetic and functional solution with potentially permanent results when used correctly.
What is the Marine Algae in Fade Forward and where does it come from?
The star ingredient is an extract of Himanthalia elongata, a brown macroalga sourced from the mineral-rich waters of the Pink Granite Coast of Brittany, France. It's rich in phlorotannins, a class of polyphenolic compounds unique to brown macroalgae, which help restore the SDF-1 signalling pathway between fibroblasts and melanocytes. Peer-reviewed research showed the extract increased SDF-1 expression by up to 38% and reduced skin pigmentation by up to 26% in human skin models.
What results did Fade Forward achieve in clinical and consumer trials?
A clinical study on 20 subjects over 9 weeks proved it reduces the appearance of dark spots. In a separate 8-week independent consumer trial of 101 women, 82% agreed it visibly reduced the appearance of dark spots, 87% said it left skin visibly healthier with a radiant glow, and 83% agreed it helped balance the appearance of uneven pigmentation.
Why does Fade Forward use oil-soluble Vitamin C instead of regular Vitamin C?
Fade Forward contains Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, the same oil-soluble stabilised Vitamin C found in Pai's Stabilised Vitamin C 20% Brightening Booster and C-2 Believe Moisturiser. This form passes through the skin's lipid barrier without needing the low, acidic pH that makes conventional L-ascorbic acid so irritating, and skin cells absorb approximately 10 times the concentration compared to standard Vitamin C. It complements the Marine Algae by inhibiting tyrosinase and helping already-pigmented surface cells turn over faster.
Is Fade Forward safe for sensitive skin and all skin tones?
Yes. It contains no exfoliating acids, no bleaching agents, and has been 96-hour patch tested on volunteers with reactive skin. Because it restores the skin's own pigmentation control rather than chemically suppressing melanin, it's safe for all skin tones, including darker complexions, and won't affect freckles or interfere with natural tanning.
