Weekend Read 20 February 2021

Weekend Read 20 February 2021

It is a given that the pandemic has wrought destruction on a global level, but if we are to trust and if we are to believe in a better tomorrow, then we must have hope.  A collective hope perhaps.  By its very definition, hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one’s life or the world at large.  Truth, as I’ve often written, is an absolute.  So let hope be our truth and let it also be our purpose.

And it is with that absolute purpose that I welcome you to another Weekend Read.  The mission continues, the awareness continues and with our emotions still very much on the line, it is with a pragmatic acceptance of the status quo that we join together each week.  Let us begin:

For any number of given reasons, so many of us are experiencing joint pain and as Shabir states in his article, linked below, our joints and the surrounding soft tissues are often our weakest link.  It is a given that joint pain affects the millions of people who have arthritic symptoms, but joint pain has become rife with our knees, ankles, elbows and wrists being the most commonly affected sites of pain.

There are of course many supplements available that help to counter inflammation of the joints, but we continually recommend Superior Joints as it contains Natural Eggshell Membrane, which has been the core of several studies and peer-reviewed articles.  It is from that extensive research and development that a positive impact on joint health has been shown and in its all-dancing state, it also addresses long-term repairing properties. 

So with that said, Superior Joints becomes the lead treat this week.  And in fact it will be the lead weekend treat because I am taking the price down of Superior Joints from £30 to £25 for two days only, ending tomorrow, Sunday February 21 at midnight GMT, whilst stock lasts.  And when you read Shabir’s article, you will note that he also recommends Krill Oil, so I guess that’s where we are going next.  Being neat.
VH Editorial: Strategies To Promote Healthy & Flexible Joints; Superior Joints £25 for 60 Capsules; Healing Patches £15 For Five Patches (as an adjunct to Superior Joints)

I think it is widely known that the human body cannot manufacture Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids.  It is therefore a fact that we have to obtain these EFA’s from our diet.  Unfortunately vegetarian sources of Omega 3’s are converted poorly by the body into their active components and whilst fish oil supplementation is the most widely used source of Omega 3’s, with a few notable exceptions, they are not without problems.

It is for this, and several other reasons, that Shabir often recommends Neubria’s Krill Oil because sustainably sourced Krill Oil is derived from the pristine deep water seas of the Antarctic Ocean, which is free from heavy metals and other contaminants.  Krill Oil capsules are therefore cleaner, and in many instances are utilised more effectively than fish oil capsules.  Offering numerous protective benefits to the body, for a moment in time, which will be until midnight GMT tomorrow, in line with the Superior Joints caveats, the price of Neubria’s Krill Oil will fall to £22 from £29.99.  And another article from Shabir.  Linked below.
VH Editorial: Is Krill Oil The New Fish Oil; Neubria Krill Oil – For Omega 3 £22 for 60 Capsules

Staying on theme.  Magnesium Oil Spray provides a transdermal magnesium chloride spray.  It is of course for topical use and it has numerous benefits including helping to alleviate sore joints, knee pain and on top of all of that, it encourages restful sleep.  Magnesium is required for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body and it is a fact that most of us are magnesium deficient.  So let me do this.  For today only, Saturday 20 February, I am reducing the price of Magnesium Oil Spray from £12.20 to £10, whilst stock lasts.  Am wondering about the state of Shabir’s equilibrium.  At this point.
Magnesium Oil Original Spray £10 for 100 ml

As I have just written about sleep, it would seem rather a neat moment to talk about sleep rituals, a theme I shall also refer to at the end of this bulletin.  But in the here and now I think most of you know that I have been having a trauma about the Atlantic Seaweed Bath. The source of my angst is that each consignment gets stuck in customs for at least three weeks.  And then we go out of stock.  The repeat pattern. 

I wouldn’t mind, but the wait list was so long and that would of course be because so many of you have discovered its many attributes, which include its therapeutic properties to help you relax and sleep.  It has of course been dubbed as the ‘insomniacs bath’ and it is one of those epic VH products.  Epic because it was first written about in The Sunday Times in 2005 and it has had a strong following ever since that time.   Anyway, after that preamble, I am here to tell you that it is back in stock and the wait list has been demolished.

So a celebration.  And I do this with an element of caution, so I think the best thing I can say here is that this is a Limited Edition treat.  It relates to some words I wrote last week when I recommended that you went to bed with a Spacemask on.  I also said that using the two products together would be the dream.  I think you can guess the rest.  When you buy the Atlantic Seaweed Bath, we will automatically throw in a single Spacemask.  A caveat though.  This offer is for today only.  If, as is likely, we run out of stock, we will still honour the gift, but your order will be delayed for two or three weeks.  Dream the dream.  With me.
Atlantic Seaweed Bath £12 (Including a single Spacemask, whilst stock lasts); Spacemasks £15 For Five Masks 

In mode.  With another celebration.  This time it’s Fulvic Acid Nail Cream.  I think it is now a given that Fulvic Acid Nail Cream is undoubtedly the heroic product that has rescued and resurrected our trashed nails.  But more than that, far more.  This is the product that we have probably had the most feedback about, mainly because so many of you have discovered its ability to treat several different concerns, most of which are well documented.

So here is another one.  And I smiled rather a lot when I read this email.  As I quote: ‘On the bottom of one foot I have an annoying small corn.  This I have removed when it gets a bit painful walking, but it always returns.  Because of lockdown and not getting to a podiatrist, I’ve been putting up with it, but I then started to apply a little of the nail cream to it regularly.  Hey presto!  The corn is gone!’.  Stash time as I take the price of Fulvic Acid Nail Cream down to £10 from £12 for today only, Saturday 20 February.  This offer will end at midnight GMT tonight.  And Shabir, I know you count the number of treats I write about, so for ease, this was the fifth.
Fulvic Acid Nail Cream £10 for 30 ml

A distinct change of tone as Sarah writes about abuse and gaslighting in this week’s Health Notes.  In her article Sarah tells the story of Emma Davey, who was subjected to coercive and controlling behaviour by her partner, and the increasing problem of domestic abuse.   As most of you know, this is a subject that is very close to my heart and although the most usual form of abuse is between partners, it is important to remember that emotional abuse does not always come from an intimate partner.  A narcissistic abuser could also be a parent, family member, boss, colleague, or a so-called friend.  It happened to me.

Not for one minute do I want to make this about me, but I have been abused and I have experienced gaslighting, which enables me to write from experience.  If you are reading Sarah’s article, you may well think that it could never happen to you, but I am here to tell you that it can happen to any of us.  And it does.  Baring my soul, I will also tell you that I was subjected to immense cruelty, and it came from within the beauty industry.  It was designed and calculated to destroy me, and of course VH.  Except they didn’t succeed, but I will say this, I would not have survived without professional help and the support of a few very close friends.  So I implore you not to remain silent.  It may well destroy you. 

It also needs to be said that from 2015, the Serious Crime Act made ‘coercive and controlling abuse’ illegal.  According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, year ending March 2020, an estimated 5.5% of adults aged 16-74 (2.3 million) experienced domestic abuse in the preceding year.  Of course these statistics were published before the pandemic hit in, and the rise in abusive bullying has risen considerably over the past year.  It also needs to be noted that the figures are not separated into emotional versus physical abuse, but I think we all have a deep understanding of the magnitude of deep-rooted mental health issues arising from the cruelty of abuse.

I have just one more thing to add here.  If you are experiencing any form of abuse, there are several contacts on Sarah’s article, which you can use.  However, if you are in an abusive relationship, please be mindful that your computer or phone may well be accessed without your knowledge.  In these instances, please ask somebody close to you to help you find your way.  In safety.
When Love Turns Toxic by Sarah Stacey

I am not too sure where to go after that, so I think what I’m going to do here is to tell you that so many of you were thrilled with the news that the Japanese Cleansing Cloud had emerged from its lockdown status last weekend.  And perhaps a small thing here.  We call it the ‘happy cloud’ and we do so because the Cloud smiles at us.  Of course it is gorgeous to use and I really missed mine when it was gone.  Anything that helps bring a modicum of happiness is good with me.  Let us clone.  Let us share.  And let us smile.  Together.
Japanese Cleansing Cloud £12 

Let’s do some feedback.  After we launched Mini Bloom last weekend, the most wanted product was Knots Be Gone, which doesn’t surprise me one little bit.  I think we all know a thing or two about tangled hair and although this brand has been specifically formulated for babies and children, there are no rules that say we can’t use it too.  If you need to know, I detangle with my Wet Brush, although I do sometimes revert to my beloved Rainbow Volume S Brush.  Another product that makes me smile.  Especially when my hair is dry and I want a Dusty Springfield big hair event.  Back to it, and if you missed last week’s Mini Bloom launch, all three products are listed below.
Knots Be Gone by Mini Bloom £24 for 500 ml; Fresh N’ Clean by Mini Bloom £24 for 500 ml; Hallelujah Nipple Balm £26 for 56 grams; Wet Brush from £7.99; Rainbow Volume S Brush £12 (the original)

As most of you will have seen and read last weekend, Trinny & Shabir did another of their ‘Facebook Lives’.  As I had written the Weekend Read before the actual event, I said I would revert this weekend if I needed to add anything.  So there is something I want to add, and that is that very soon, and if all goes according to plan, you will soon be able to access the entire library of these live events with Trinny & Shabir.  At the moment they are scattered all over the place, but just know from me that with one more day left before Mercury comes out of retrograde, we are holding back, lest our entire site should fall over.

Anyway, in case you missed it, they were talking about supplements for healthy skin.  The link is below and alongside that I will refer you to one of Shabir’s articles, which I feel is relevant too, Hormones Affect Your Skin.  Dancing hormone time.  Once more. 
Trinny & Shabir Live: Supplements For Healthy Skin; VH Editorial: Hormones Affect Your Skin

One more thing before we head into the Saturday only treat.  When we launched Ameliorate, the products were accompanied and supported by Shabir’s article on the treatment of Keratosis Pilaris (Chicken Skin).  The hero product at launch was Transforming Body Lotion, and it has remained the hero product to this day.  It serves as a reminder that new products may come and go, but it is the epic products that stand the test of time. 

Although limited in number, I do have some Transforming Body Lotion in the 30 ml size, and we will automatically drop this into your order if you spend £15 or more on any Ameliorate product.  In order that we can share as many as we can, there will only be one gift per customer, whilst stock lasts.
VH Editorial: Treatment of Keratosis Pilaris – Chicken Skin; Ameliorate

As many of you know, I am a huge Temple Spa fan.  I think their products are inspired, not least Breath of Life, which completely sold out two weeks in a row.  It’s back in stock now, but on from that I want to talk about their Turndown Service products, which are used in hotels and spas all over the world.  It is a given that many of us are having difficulties sleeping, as I have referred to above, so I thought we should do something about it.

There are several products in the Turndown Service range.  Each one is designed to help ease you into a relaxed state and although I am tempted to run these as Saturday only treats concurrently, I can’t do that because there are other things I need to share with you.  So over the next few weeks and months, I will be writing about each of these until you have each received the full collection, at which time, I could well start all over again.  I’ll take your lead on that.

I am going to begin with one of their bestselling products of all time.  And it is Repose – Aromatherapy Resting Cream.  So with every order placed today, Saturday 20 February, for £30 and over (excluding p&p), we will include a 15 ml jar of Repose.  Referred to as a good night’s sleep in a jar, Repose sits in Temple Spa’s Soul Therapy range of products, helping to create a sense of much-needed peace.     
Breath of Life by Temple Spa £12 for 10 ml

As you can imagine, a certain section of this Weekend Read was tremendously difficult to write, but I wrote it from a place of authenticity, which is all I can ever do.  And in some way, although the hurt and pain will always be there, I now look upon that whole experience as a gift, which enables me to do the work I do with increased empathy and understanding.  I also want to thank Sarah for writing such a profound article for each of us.  It was no easy thing either, but her research, as ever, is profound and far-reaching.  And if our campaigning saves just one life, it is a campaign well fought. 

Finally, it is in this space that I have chosen Bridge Over Troubled Water as this week’s song.  Composed by Paul Simon and immaculately performed as a solo by Art Garfunkel, it is all in the words.  It always is.  And those words offer comfort for those who are in need.  Sail on Silver Girl.
Bridge Over Troubled Water (From The Concert In Central Park)

Love always.

Gill x 

 

 

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*Free gifts will only be granted if the items purchased are physical products and your total basket value exceeds the required amount noted.  Saturday only treats are subject to change should the specified gift run out prior to your purchase and are only included in orders placed between 7.45am (GMT) and Midnight (GMT) on the Saturday the Weekend Read is sent.  VH Addicts membership is a digital product and therefore will be excluded from the basket value.  Some gifts are blocked from international shipping due to local limitations imposed based on the country destination.  If this is the case, we will replace the gift with one that is able to be shipped to your destination.