Weekend Read 22 October 2022

Weekend Read 22 October 2022

It’s Saturday morning, afternoon or evening, dependent on where you are in the world, so let us come together once again as we continue to talk about our health and wellbeing.  As ever, I will take your lead on the things that are most important to you, but we will do so with an optimistic and pragmatic approach to life.  I am so very aware of the compounding issues that so many of us face, so all I want to do here is to offer the support that is so needed on many different levels.

I cannot, and will not, ignore the anxiety and fear that is so prevalent in our messy world, so of course I want to begin by talking about the products that help support us at this time.  Not for one moment will I tell you that any given supplement will totally eradicate low mood, anxiety or depression, most especially the latter, but I do know that targeted supplementation can help enormously in addressing low mood and anxiety, and I think that’s important.  Actually, I know that’s important.

I make no apology for consistently writing about the cutting-edge products that will help make a positive difference, so once again I am going to recommend our bestselling product for helping to lessen stress, anxiety and low mood, Magnolia Rhodiola Complex.  If I honestly believed that there was a superior product to recommend, I would of course do so, but as much as I love telling you about new products, efficacy is the single most important thing here, and it will always be that way.  There is no other way.

So, Magnolia Rhodiola Complex it is and with Shabir’s lead article, How To Combat Stress Effectively linked below, he has written six other articles about Magnolia Rhodiola Complex, which you can find on the product page.  I completely understand if you don’t have the time to read all of these articles, but they are there to help you make a considered choice, and that too is important.  Anyway, back to it and I am dropping the price of Magnolia Rhodiola Complex from £28 to £23 across the weekend, but please know that this is not an overnight fix, it was never intended to be, so please allow at least 28 days for it to kick in.
VH Editorial: How To Combat Stress Effectively; Magnolia Rhodiola Complex £23 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 23 October)

Notwithstanding the above, if you are taking prescribed anti-depressants, then please do not take Magnolia Rhodiola Complex as it will contra-indicate.  But if you are taking prescribed medication and you feel you need some extra support, then please do look at Florassist Mood Improve.  I am completely open-minded about the need to take prescribed medication, there is no shame, yet the stigma surrounding our emotional health and wellbeing continues and I find that totally appalling.  I write about this subject often, but I’ll leave it there as I refer you to another article from Shabir, linked below, and drop the price of Florassist Mood Improve from £26 to £23.
VH Editorial: A Probiotic Supplement To Relieve Anxiety; Florassist Mood Improve by Life Extension £23 for 30 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 23 October)

I now want to talk about some of the products that may help to calm our very being as an adjunct to supplementation, so I’ll begin with Calm Patches from Ross J Barr.  Calm Patches were created to help ease tension, and although they can help calm headaches and migraines, they were primarily formulated to target stress.  As you will read on the product page, these patches do have a strong scent when they are first applied, but this is deliberate as the combined natural ingredients were selected to elicit deep relaxation.  And because I believe in supporting each other as best we can, I am dropping the price of Calm Patches from £15 to £12.
Calm Patches by Ross J. Barr £12 for Ten Patches (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 23 October)

We are most definitely in the evening bathing season, so let us pay tribute to long, warm evening bathing and we will do so with two treats.  The first comes from Weleda and it is their Lavender Relaxing Bath Milk, which was specifically formulated to be used in times of stress.  Weleda say it will help calm and balance the nervous system, and I will happily endorse that because I have always believed in the benefits of ritualistic bathing.  So as we bathe with intent, I am dropping the price of Lavender Relaxing Bath Milk from £15.75 to £13, whilst stock lasts.
Lavender Relaxing Bath Milk by Weleda £13 for 200 ml (whilst stock lasts)

Candles have, and always will be, an integral element of ritualistic bathing, but that aside candles create a warming and calming atmosphere in any space.  So with that said, NEOM have released two new travel candles to their collection and I think they are wonderful.  The first, Cosy Nights Scented Candle, takes its inspiration from the aromas of blazing embers and smoky firewood, which evoke memories of snuggling by an open fire on a cosy, winter night.  Loaded with Sandalwood, Frankincense and Nutmeg, it has a twenty-hour burn time and if there was a song to accompany this candle, it would be ‘Light My Fire’ by The Doors.  Come on baby, light my fire.

The second candle is the Christmas Wish Scented Candle.  I know, I know, we are still in October, but as this is a limited-edition candle, as is Cosy Nights, I thought I would tell you about it now because I am unsure of its ongoing availability.  Actually, I really love the thought of making a wish upon a candle at any time of year, so I will just tell you that this candle is blended with several essential oils, including Mandarin, Cinnamon and Tonka Bean, and it is a nod to the traditional natural fragrance of the festive season.  And now the bit you are waiting for, I am lowering the price of both travel candles from £18 to £15, whilst stock lasts.
Cosy Nights Scented Candle by NEOM Organics £15 (20-hour burn time); Christmas Wish Scented Candle by NEOM Organics £15 (20-hour burn time)

Onwards we go, and I will now return to supplementation.  And as I return to supplementation, I do so by saying that I feel a bit sad for Bamboo Extract.  Bamboo Extract is a brilliant supplement, it always has been and it always will be, but because its headline attributes are for strengthening hair, skin and nails, it has been over-shadowed somewhat because of the Fulvic range.  I absolutely know that I have steered you in that direction because of the unquestionable efficacy of each of the Fulvic products, but Bamboo Extract has a much wider role to play, as Shabir explains in his article linked below. 

Essentially, the bottom line here is Bamboo Extract provides Silica, a relatively unknown mineral, to our bodies.  Also known as Silicon Dioxide, Silica is a combination of Silicon and Oxygen, and is considered essential for bone growth and as Calcium requires Vitamin D3 for its absorption, it also requires Silica for the utilisation of Calcium.  A Calcium deficiency is invariably associated with a deficiency in Silica and several studies have shown that broken bones heal far quicker when Silica levels are optimum.  Additionally, Silica helps the balance between Calcium and Magnesium, which in turn helps with hormonal balance, which is of vital importance.

It is also equally important to say that Bamboo Extract can be taken as an adjunct with the Fulvic products, if you feel the need, and once again that is a considered choice.  It can also be taken as an adjunct to Superior Hair if you are concerned about hair loss, which so many of you are.  So to help you address those concerns, I am taking the price of Bamboo Extract down from £20 to £16 and I will continue on by taking the price of Superior Hair down from £30 to £26.  A caveat here, if you are under 40, then there is no need to supplement with Silica supplementation, for the rest of us our levels are declining.  I’m so thrilled.
VH Editorial: Silica Supplements For Hair, Skin and Nails; Bamboo Extract £16 for 60 VegiCaps; Superior Hair £26 for 90 Capsules (offers end at midnight BST, Friday 28 October)

Having just written about the importance of Calcium, I will end this section by recommending a Calcium supplement.  In fact, it is Shabir’s recommendation and it’s Bone Restore with Vitamin K2.  Bone Restore provides the most complete, bioavailable Calcium complex together with the active form of Vitamin K2, which is vital for building healthy bone tissue.  The words on the product packaging state ‘Superior Calcium Formulation’ and because we believe it is such, I will link another of Shabir’s articles, this time on Osteopenia, and in keeping with the above, I will do a price drop from £25 to £22.
VH Editorial: Osteopenia; Bone Restore with Vitamin K2 by Life Extension £22 for 120 Capsules (offers end at midnight BST, Friday 28 October)

Aligning ourselves with seasonal health issues, let’s take a look at sinus congestion.  I know this health concern is prevalent all year round, but there is a case for talking about blocked sinuses right now, so that’s what we are going to do. Taking a natural approach, Shabir writes about the causes and symptoms of blocked sinuses, as below, and recommends Horseradish & Garlic capsules, which have a history of usage for sinus and respiratory issues.  Horseradish & Garlic Capsules are joined by Plantago Tincture and Sinol-D Decongestant Nasal Spray, in Shabir’s solution-based regimen and all I need to do is drop the price of all three products and tell you that Sinol-D is non-habit forming, it doesn’t contra-indicate with prescribed medication and it will help clear congestion rather rapidly.
VH Editorial: How To Relieve Blocked Sinuses; Horseradish & Garlic Capsules by Viridian Nutrition £22 for 90 Capsules (drops from £25.85); Plantago Tincture by A. Vogel £9 for 50 ml (drops from £10.85); Sinol-D Decongestant Nasal Spray £12.95 for 15 ml (drops from £14.95)

Many of you will remember when we launched the Heated Eye Wand, for and on behalf of Peep Club, so I have further news for you on that front.  The Heated Eye Wand has now been upgraded and, as such, it is clinically proven to help improve dry eyes after just one use.  The Heated Eye Wand PRO works to restore and rejuvenate the entire eye area in a matter of minutes and following two years of research and development, this new version now comes with a fourth mode, a heat-only mode, as well as the three existing modes which are available on the original device.

The ‘PRO’ comes with a custom organic cotton travel case and bringing all four modes together it addresses not only dry eyes themselves, but it will also help recondition the delicate skin around the eyes.  The heat-only mode works like a hot-compress to relieve any blocked oil glands in your upper and lower eyelids, one of the major causes of dry or tired eyes.  This oil is critical for the quality of your tears, to keep your eyes naturally hydrated.  The heat-mode can also be combined with the red LED light mode for the fine skin under your eyes, or for crows feet.  And that’s the lowdown.

For those of you who have got the original Heated Eye Wand, it remains brilliant, in my humble opinion.  Not for one moment am I suggesting that you need to upgrade to the PRO, but all I am doing here is giving you an update and for those who may wish to experience the benefits of the Heated Eye Wand, you now have a choice and I’m listing both below.  In both instances we recommend using with Soothing Coconut Eye Balm or Instant Relief Eye Spray to give the wand slip for easy glide.  And on Instant Relief Eye Spray, this is such an amazing product, so do check it out because it is clinically proven to help relieve dry eye symptoms, which is such a common concern.
Heated Eye Wand Pro £75; Heated Eye Wand (original) £60; Soothing Coconut Eye Balm £20 for 120 ml; Instant Relief Eye Spray £15 for 17 ml

Another announcement and this time it is from Color Wow as I tell you about another new launch, and it’s called Curl Wow.  Imagine perfectly bundled, bouncy, glossy curls that look and feel like nothing is on your hair.  That is a statement from Color Wow, and they call their proprietary Profaxil-18 Complex ‘Naked Technology’.  As such there are five new products in the range and each will help moisturise, defrizz and define curls with new mico-dispersion technology.  Translated that means there is no weight, no greasy feel, no crunch and no rigid cast.  So, with all information on the individual product pages, I will drop the price of each of these products by 15% for launch.
Snag-Free Pre-Shampoo Detangler; Hooked 100% Clean Shampoo With Root-Locking Technology; Coco-Motion Lubricating Conditioner; Flo-Etry Vital Natural Serum; Shook Mix + Fix Bundling Spray (offers end at midnight BST, Friday 28 October)

Look who is swinging back into our lives, after a bit of an absence.  It’s KateMoth.  Actually it’s the KateMoth Sachet and the story here is that the demand for swinging Kate was quite extraordinary and took all of us by surprise, not least because many of you decided to order in bulk, which rather amused me.  But then the entire KateMoth concept amuses me, so as I tell you that this fragranced sachet is a subtle way of deterring fabric-eating moths from damaging your garments, I will also say that I’m about to put Kate in the Christmas Gift category alongside the KateMoth Moth Deterrent Drawer Liners, although I’m not sure how long they will remain in residence.
KateMoth Moth Deterrent by Roadscents £11 For One Sachet; KateMoth Moth Deterrent Drawer Liners by Roadscents £18 For Six Drawer Liners

Right, before we take another look at Christmas gifts, I have an update to do.  And it’s an update on two products, Repose by Temple Spa and PURE Overnight Hand Mask by Margaret Dabbs, both of which I wrote about last weekend.  I think you know what I’m going to say before I actually say it, but both went out of stock and by Saturday evening I was looking at two quite substantial wait lists, so a few more words here, if I may.

The first thing I want to say is that we are now back in stock of both products and as I’m writing this we no longer have wait lists.  The second thing I want to say is that as you may have read on the product page, Temple Spa will gift £6 in total from each sale of the Repose offer, linked again below, to Age UK and Life Support’s Eden Farm project, their chosen charities.  Moving onto the Margaret Dabbs offer, I will uphold the offer from last weekend, which was the inclusion of a free pair of Luxury Gloves, worth £10, with every Overnight Hand Mask bought.  Both of these offers will remain valid until midnight GMT on Monday 31 October.  Halloween.
Repose Relaxing Night Cream by Temple Spa £42 for 50 ml (+ Repose Relaxing Night Cream 50 ml free); PURE Overnight Hand Mask by Margaret Dabbs London £30 for 35 ml + Free Luxury Treatment Gloves; Luxury Treatment Gloves by Margaret Dabbs London £10

I quite enjoy delving into Christmas Gifts, so let’s do so with another product from Margaret Dabbs.  This time it’s a box of crackers, a box of Six Luxury Traditional Christmas Crackers.  Presented in a beautiful bespoke box, each cracker includes a product from the Margaret Dabbs range, a crown, a traditional cracker-bang and a life motto message from Margaret.  The products included are listed on the product page, but there are more than six products listed, so I really can’t tell you what your set will contain, but in the spirit of giving, I am taking the price of this luxury cracker set down from £66 to £60, whilst stock lasts.
Six Luxury Traditional Christmas Crackers by Margaret Dabbs £60 for Six Crackers

On a roll, again, so please allow me to tell you about Skinesis Mini Marvels from Sarah Chapman, which is a travel-size selection of some of her bestselling formulations.  The set includes Overnight Facial (2 ml), Ultimate Cleanse (30 ml), 3D Moisture Mask (25 ml) and a Professional Cleansing Mitt.  And if I am on a roll, then we might as well continue as I reduce the price of this set from £35 to £30, whilst stock lasts.  Just to say that I will always caveat with the words ‘whilst stock lasts’ wherever necessary because most Christmas gifts are limited editions, so in many instances once they are gone, they are gone.
Skinesis Mini Marvels by Sarah Chapman £30

After mentioning The Recharge Spa from Temple Spa last weekend, let me continue by telling you about their Spa Mini Break.  I think this may appeal to many of you because the cost of the Spa Mini Break is £10 and it includes four products.  Those four products are Good Hair Day (30 ml), In Good Condition (30 ml), La Lagoon (30 ml) and Peace Be Still (30 ml).  Nothing to add, except to say that La La Lagoon Bath & Shower Gel is inspired by far-off exotic lands.  In my dreams.
Spa Mini Break by Temple Spa £10; The Recharge Spa by Temple Spa £25

One more gift to go and it’s Mini Moment Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil from Aromatherapy Associates.  Containing a mini Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil (9 ml), Deep Relax is probably the best-known product from Aromatherapy Associates and its brilliance lives on.  Formulated to help calm your equilibrium, Deep Sleep is another product which can be used to elevate your evening bathing ritual as it promotes deep and restorative sleep.  It is another one of those thoughtful gifts, so all I really need to do is drop the price of Mini Moment from £12 to £10.  Consider it done.
Mini Moment Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil £10 (whilst stock lasts); Christmas Gifts

Finally, a skincare treat and it’s another limited edition offer from Garden of Wisdom.  This week it’s Super Bakuchiol Serum, which is a natural, non-irritating, yet effective alternative to Vitamin A, retinol and retinoids.  Shabir has written an in-depth on Bakuchiol, and it needs to be said that this serum contains Sytenol A, a Bakuchiol Oil that represents the gold standard and which has been the subject of various clinical studies.  I’m not going to have a rant, but all I will say is that not all Bakuchiol products are created equally.  So I will leave it there as I offer you the oversized Super Bakuchiol Serum (45 ml) for the price of 30 ml, which is £16.50.
VH Editorial: Bakuchiol: A Natural Alternative To RetinolSuper Bakuchiol Serum by Garden of Wisdom for VH £16.50 for 45 ml (whilst stock lasts)

The Saturday only treat.  This week I’m keeping things neat and having written about Weleda earlier in this newsletter, with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include Weleda’s bestselling product, Skin Food (10 ml).  As products go, this product is pretty epic and I will link Skin Food below so you can read all about it, if you so wish.
Skin Food by Weleda

As we come to the end of another newsletter, there are times when I really don’t feel the need to say very much at all.  So all I want to do now is invite you to listen to the words of the song I am linking below, which was sent to me last weekend.  Ubuntu.  I am.  Because We Are. 
Everyday Life by Coldplay; The VH Playlist

Got to keep dancing when the lights go out. Sending love.

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.