As we continue to try and hold it all together, I welcome you to the last Weekend Read of the year.  I really don’t want to do an entire overview of the year here, because I more or less did that with the VH awards last weekend, but I will not ignore the fact that this year has been challenging, to say the least.  And somehow we are still standing, although I really don’t know how given so many issues, but that is of course true for so many of us.

So, if I may, I have a few things to share with you.  And the first thing to say is that the devastating effect of the pandemic has of course touched every single one of us, and continues to do so, but as we rolled into 2021 this was compounded by Brexit regulations, which very few understood.  I am talking on a business level here and without doing chapter and verse, it became abundantly clear that the implementation of new regulations detrimentally affected international orders to a huge extent.  Not only our orders of course, it affected all businesses, but it was most especially felt by small businesses, many of whom are now unable to trade in the international market because of the cost of doing so.

Inevitably this has led to the demise of so many small businesses, across all industries, which upsets me considerably as the gap widens between big and small business by virtue of the above.  It was at this point that we made representations to the Cabinet Office and HMRC, led by Dame Teresa Graham, in an attempt to try and close that gap. So although it was obvious that we were unable to lobby any change in legislation, we are now holding out hope that further scheduled legislation, which would make it impossible for small businesses to continue trading internationally, will be taken off the legislative agenda.  Otherwise it’s all over.

I think it is always best to explain the background for any decision that we make, therefore as a consequence of ongoing difficulties with our international orders, together with border control issues, we are now working with one of the largest cross-border solutions organisations to help resolve these difficulties.  This means several different things, which include seamless international ordering together with the ability to pay in your chosen local currency, which will take into account local tax and duty levies, unless noted. These do of course differ from our UK orders.  It's all territorial.

I could have written about this last Saturday, but having only just put this live after three months of testing, I wasn’t prepared to take the risk that the site would collapse.  And it didn’t.  It fell over on the Friday evening instead.  A joyous moment. 

Onto the products we go and I’m going to begin with a treat, created by Shabir.  He wanted to do a Fulvic Discovery Kit just in case there was anybody left in the world who had yet to try some of our Fulvic products.  I suppose we could also have called it the Fulvic Weekender for those who may be travelling, but I’m going to stand back on this one and just say that Shabir’s chosen products are the Travel Trio, which would be the 60 ml sizes of Fulvic Shampoo, Fulvic Conditioner and Fulvic Mist, plus Fulvic Face Cream (30 ml) and Fulvic Elixir (120 ml).  The retail cost, if put together, would be £47.50, except it’s not going to be £47.50, it’s going to be £25.  And it’s limited.
Fulvic Discovery Kit £25

And now something seasonal.  Please don’t get over-excited because I’m not going to talk about anything glamorous, far from it, we are going to talk about stuffy noses and congestion.  But I’m not talking about this subject, Shabir is because I asked him what his top three products would be to help ease these annoying issues, so here he comes with his recommendations.  And we’ll keep it pretty short and sweet. 

So Sinol-D is an all-natural nasal decongestant spray for daily usage and it will help relieve congestion, headaches and sinus pain quite rapidly.  Plantago Tincture is also used for the treatment of sinus congestions, but it is also used as a remedy for middle ear infections as it is one of a few herbs that is able to penetrate the middle and inner ear canal, so good for all ear infections, which are so common at this time of year. 

Finally, one for the bathroom and I know this might sound pretty weird because Shabir doesn’t normally go overboard on certain products, but he is totally and utterly besotted with Temple Spa’s Breath of Life.  A few drops on the floor of your shower and this brilliant inhalation essence delivers antibacterial and anti-viral benefits to help ward off germs.  It also will help clear your sinuses, so there we are, Shabir’s three recommended products as I drop the price of Sinol-D to £12 from £14.95 and Plantago Tincture from £10.85 to £9.  Let us breathe.
Sinol-D All-Natural Nasal Spray Decongestant £12 for 15 ml; Plantago Tincture by A. Vogel £9 for 50 ml; Breath of Life Aromatherapy Inhalation Essence by Temple Spa £12 for 10 ml (also recommended for long and short-haul flights)

Irrespective of the time of year, health concerns continue and I would just like to talk about allergies for a moment or two.  Probably one of the most common allergies is hay fever, but there are so many different allergies which can sometimes appear overnight, and I’m an expert on this subject.  I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been on a drip in A&E because something has triggered me.  So let me tell you that Triple Allergy Defense will help provide multi-symptom allergy relief from sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, headache and fatigue.  And in case you think the name of the product sounds familiar, it would do because it comes from the same family as Triple Flu Defense+.

Aller-DMG sits alongside Triple Allergy Defense and as our bestselling supplement for allergies, its targeted nutrients also help regulate histamine levels, which can help improve respiratory function, as well as skin irritation due to food and environmental pollutants.  And that’s a big subject which I’m saving for next year, but for now I’m just going to announce that I am taking the price of Triple Allergy Defense down from £25 to £22 and Aller-DMG drops from £20 to £17.  And staying neat, let’s keep it in the family, the Dr Nenninger family, by doing the same as I did last week, by dropping the price of Triple Flu Defense+ from £27 to £24.   
Triple Allergy Defense by Dr Nenninger £22 for 55 ml; Aller-DMG by Divinci Laboratories of Vermont £17 for 60 Tablets; Triple Flu Defense+ (2021-2022) by Dr Nenninger £24 for 30 ml (drops from £27)

I have a story.  And I’ve specifically saved this story for today for so many reasons, but ultimately because I felt that I wanted to end this year with something lovely.  As so many of you know we launched the Japanese Cleansing Cloud for and on behalf of Jane Cunningham, aka British Beauty Blogger.  It all began with the original green Cloud, which Jane created for two reasons.  The first was to celebrate Japanese ingredients and the second was to try and put a smile on so many faces in the early days of the pandemic, when none of us were really smiling.  So the Cloud arrived with a great big smile on his face, in love, support and recognition of life’s difficulties, which are, very clearly, continuing.

We always knew that the Clouds were conceived for a specific moment of time, they were never intended as an ever-more product.  And because of that, we are bringing the Cloud chapter to a close.  But of course, it’s not quite the end because we want to say goodbye in style.  So please allow me to introduce you to the final Cloud, the Festive Japanese Cleansing Cloud, whose purity is reflected in the colour white. He is loaded with Yuzu, Bergamot and White Tea, he can be used anywhere and his message is one of upliftment.  I invite you to welcome the very last Japanese Cleansing Cloud into your life.  And perhaps the lives of others too.  With the gift of a smile.  Thank you.
The Festive Japanese Cleansing Cloud £8; The Japanese Cleansing Cloud (Original) £8 (Limited Editions)

Jumping back to health, Sarah offers tips and advice, nine of them actually, if you suffer from Cystitis.  The name means inflammation of the bladder and it is usually caused by an infection in urine.  Coming under the umbrella category of urinary tract infections (UTI), symptoms can include discomfort in your abdomen and generally feeling unwell and tired.  A respected medical blog (Medical News Today) recently commented that it’s worthwhile seeing if you can get over an episode of Cystitis with non-drug remedies, so do read Sarah’s views on that too, together with product recommendations from Shabir.
Home Remedies For Cystitis by Sarah Stacey

I now feel like doing a few beauty treats, so that’s exactly what I’m going to, so let’s begin with an Aurelia treat.  And it’s their Balance & Purify Citrus Cleanser, which is enriched with Marula and Baobab oils.  However, and most specifically, this is a salicylic acid cleanser which not only helps future breakouts, but will help keep your skin in check and balanced.  Because this is for a specific skin type, I am hoping that this treat lasts longer than an hour, as I take the price of Balance & Purify Cleanser down from £26 to £16.  But it may not happen because we have a limited volume of stock.  Please don’t shout at me if it all goes pear-shaped.  Shout at Shabir instead.  Thanks.
Balance & Purify Citrus Cleanser by Aurelia London £16 for 120 ml

I felt bad for C-Deep last weekend.  It only got a mention by virtue of the fact that Vitamin C 23% + Ferulic Acid had knocked it out of contention by winning the Bestselling Beauty Product of the Year Award.  So in an attempt to gain some form of equilibrium, C-Deep Vitamin C Serum now arrives onto this newsletter in the oversize version, meaning you get 45 ml of serum for the price of 30 ml.  This is the C Serum that penetrates deeper than most and because it is non-irritating, this is the C Serum that I choose to use because my skin can’t tolerate most Vitamin C products.  Added to that, it is 100% stable, which is quite a big thing in the Vitamin C world.
VH Editorial: Is Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate The Best Vitamin C Serum; C-Deep Vitamin C Serum by Garden of Wisdom for VH £18 for 45 ml (Limited Availability)

At the time of writing, it is unknown as to what level travel restrictions will be implemented, so if you are hoping to spend time in the sun, this one is for you. It’s from Green People and it’s their Organic Children Sun Lotion SPF 30, which is scent-free, soothing and non-greasy.  Absorbing in seconds, you may wish to throw a tube of this into your suitcase, all helped along by the fact that I’m taking the price of this down from £12.50 to £6.  Actually you may want to throw a few tubes into your suitcase, accompanied perhaps by Beach Powder, which I’ll also take down from £9.99 to £7.99.  And if, as you read this, it has become abundantly clear that travel plans are off the agenda, just ignore everything I've just written.  And go to bed.  Perhaps.
Organic Children Sun Lotion SPF 30 by Green People £6 for 50 ml; Beach Powder £7.99 for 100 grams; Beach Powder Shimmer £7.99 for 85 grams

One more health concern and it’s constipation.  I’m always writing about constipation because it affects so many of us, most especially when, or if, we are on holiday, which is both annoying and uncomfortable.  So whether or not you are going away over the next couple of weeks, I am linking Shabir’s article on helping to alleviate constipation below and I’ll price drop each of the products mentioned in his article.  So those would be Complete Fibre Cleanse, Effervescent Vitamin C Magnesium Crystals and Yarrow Complex Drops.  If I was travelling, I would probably choose Yarrow Complex Drops.  For ease.
VH Editorial: How To Alleviate Constipation Naturally; Complete Fibre Cleanse £18 for 168 grams (drops from £21); Effervescent Vitamin C Magnesium Crystals by Life Extension £12 for 180 grams (drops from £15); Yarrow Complex Drops by A. Vogel £9 for 50 ml (drops from £10.85)

Not much more left to write, but we might as well do some feedback from last weekend, where we only received a third of our delivery of Everything Cleanser, as once again two thirds of the delivery got lost at Heathrow.  I don’t even know what to say anymore, so I won’t say anything.  And in the YOS bottle stakes, pink overtook green by the slightest of margins.  If you missed what I wrote about the bottles last week, then do check them out because Lara has just declared the YOS bottle to be her outstanding product of the year.  And she probably made that declaration because I forgot to ask her if she wanted to choose an award last week.  Never mind.
Everything Cleanser by Non Gender Specific £25 for 237 ml; YOS Bottle Pink £13.95; YOS Bottle Green £13.95

And in one final fling of the year, we head into the Saturday only treat where the VH team have opened up our gift cupboard and found an entire array of treats to send to you with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p.  Once again I honestly don’t know what you will be sent, although of course I do know what some of these gifts are because we bought them.  I love gifting, so I hope you enjoy whatever it is you receive because it comes with love from us.  Always with love.

So after thousands of words, this is the last Weekend Read of the year.  We have been through so very much together, yet through the many tears, I hope that we have been able to make each of our lives a little better.  I think it can be very easy to get swamped by our own emotions, I know that one very well, but through it all we have to try to believe that we can overcome some of our most traumatic moments with understanding and love, which is why it is so important to share experiences in order to help those who are struggling so enormously at this time.

There is so much to say, and yet when it comes to it, I think the only words left are those of gratitude for your extraordinary loyalty and friendship throughout this year.  We have cried together, we have laughed together, we have come up against adversity over and over again, but we are still here, standing in our own truth.  Because there truly is no other way for us.  None of us know what next year will bring, so I think it best if we take each day as it comes, but we do so singing this song together.  Loudly.
The Show Must Go On by Queen; The VH Playlist

Together with Shabir, Lara and the entire VH Team, I wish each of you a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year.

Take time to rest, please be safe, and I will be back with the first Weekend Read of the Year on Saturday 8 January 2022.

With love

Gill x

 

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Prices and products advertised at times of sending and publishing are subject to change and availability. 

*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.