50ml / 1.7 fl.oz
The formula that launched the brand. A lightweight mattifying moisturizer that rebalances oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin without irritation.
Mattifying
Balancing
Hydrating
Clarifying
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Master mattifier.
Lightweight and quick to absorb, this moisturizer is built for oily, blemish-prone skin. It hydrates the dry areas, dials down the shine where it shows up, and brings the rest back into balance. Customers swear by the hydration that never tips into greasy, and the way it softens the look of breakouts, blackheads, and excess oil. Makeup artists swear by the smooth matte finish, an ideal base for foundation.
Glowing and shiny aren't the same thing. This moisturizer is the line between the two. A formula that's gentle on sensitive skin, while delivering everything combination skin has been asking for.
Thistle Oil is the workhorse here. It's exceptionally rich in linoleic acid, which oily and blemish-prone complexions are typically deficient in. Topping it back up helps recalibrate sebum production and visibly refine pores. What you get is a smooth, matte canvas that makeup glides across effortlessly.
Geranium
Yes, the same plant you probably have growing in your garden. We extract the beautifully-scented oil for its calming fragrance.
Thistle
Omega 6 – which Thistle Oil is packed with – is amazing at two things. First, mattifying skin. Second, reducing the appearance of large pores.
SARAH BROWN
FOUNDER, PAI SKINCARE
What is The Pioneer and who is it best suited for?
How should I use The Pioneer in my skincare routine?
How does The Pioneer work as a base under make-up?
Will The Pioneer clog my pores or cause breakouts?
Is The Pioneer safe to use during pregnancy?
How do Safflower and Borage oils help oily skin without making it greasy?
What does the Jojoba Oil in The Pioneer do?
What certifications does The Pioneer hold?
Overall rating: 4.625 / 5 from 464 reviews.
The Pioneer™ Moisturiser is praised for its ability to hydrate and balance oily skin, providing a healthy and matte look. Customers appreciate its gentle and refreshing feel, soft and delicate texture, and clean, cruelty-free ingredients. The product is also noted for its pleasant scent and for minimizing blemishes and blackheads.
Review topics: ["fragrance","absorbs","smell","issues","results","improvement","weight","fit","quality","feels","ingredients","service","texture","skin","packaging","price","spots","looks","amount","works","bottle","breakouts","oil","delivery","base","hydration","face","lines","balance","formula"].
"I was looking for a light, calming moisturiser and was recommended this product by Pai. It is so light, smells amazing and is ideal for the summer. It’s great for my breakout prone skin and gives it a matt appearance. I’d highly recommend it."
"This moisturizer keeps oil production under control during the hot summer days. I love to add various boosters to it as well depending on my activities for the day. My husband even likes it!"
"Always come back to this whenever my skin gets out of balance"
"I have combination, acne prone skin and have always gone for a gel based cream in the past. I was having problems with breakouts and a friend recommended this as a more hydrating and gentle moisturiser and it has been an absolute game changer! It's a light cream and feels really soothing. It's part of my daily regime, applied after using the middlemist seven cleanser and my skin has never felt or looked so good!"
"Love this lightweight moisturiser. Great for oily prone skin! My sister's are both also hooked! We love it!"
"Light moisturiser but needs an ingredients update in terms of what we know skin needs to function best. For oilier types that would include pre/postbiotics, for example, and I am not sure what benefit geranium has for oilier if breakout prone skin - would not camomile or willow bark be more appropriate? I like that it’s light and alcohol free."
"Great, as always. A product I keep coming back to."
"In humid and sunny Singapore where the offices/buildings have strong air conditioning, and The Pioneer has been my go-to product since 2014! It works very well for my combination/oily/slightly sensitive skin. It provides a good base for my makeup application."
"First of all - the packaging is gorgeous! it stays neat the whole time, that way it's fun and elegant to use to the last drop - which makes it more sustainable in many peoples cases I think. I think some people know the feeling of a bottle of cosmetics getting oily and nasty after a while and you can't read the label anymore. . . you start to not enjoying it that much anymore. that's not the case with pai in my experience so far. I have purchased this moisturizer a couple times now and I simply can not think about getting a different one anymore. It took me some time to decide to try out this brand but it is worth every penny and I am so glad I have found my routine. This moisturizer does exactly what it promises - good moisturizing without the oily feeling, and it stays like that the whole day! With other creams or lotions I used to feel fresh for the first hour, maybe two, and then slowly started to feel oily and sweaty again. The formula is light weight and the application is easy, you only need a very small amount for the whole big face (face, neck, décolleté). The smell is wonderful, very pleasant so that you feel fresh and ready for the day but at the same time it's not too much fragrance, good for sensitive people - my husband also loves the smell of my new pai face care products and he started to use this moisturiser as well, works perfectly for him as well. In the mornings, I wash my face with the cream cleanser and the cloth in the shower, then I spray a mist, after that I use the back to life serum for extra hydration and finish by using this moisturizer. As I said, it feels great on the skin - but after being consistent with using it for several months now, my skin really started to change, it's much more calm and even, breakouts have reduced I would say by at least 70 percent. I never had terrible acne but I always some had dry patches there and blemishes here. . . it's much more balanced now. I am very satisfied and it will probably stay like that! I hope Pai Skincare never change their quality or go out of business!"
"It smells lovely and applies beautifully. It seems to slowly be clearing up areas of concern."
