So many things I need to say to you on this long weekend, and that would include acknowledging the high volume of emails I received after the last Weekend Read.  So if you don’t mind I will talk about that towards the end of this newsletter, because I have other things to talk to you about before that.  So we are going straight in with my thoughts and feelings about new brand and product launches.

Many of you know that we rarely launch new skincare brands.  It would of course be incredibly easy for me to list a new brand each week, but given that I am fiercely loyal to the skincare brands we do list, I am mostly happy to write about the new arrivals from those given brands, based on efficacy and trust.  It is actually far easier to write about new supplementation.  Ongoing research and development dictates whenever there needs to be a change of products used, but of course skincare is very different and it is so often a personal choice.  And so it has come to pass that a big dilemma has fallen upon my head.  So I’ll tell it as it is.  Because that is all I can do.

Barely a day goes by without new brands and products landing on my desk.  With respect, the skincare market continues to be saturated with mediocrity, but both Shabir and I know exactly what we are looking for before we list anything new, albeit health or beauty products.  So my dilemma is that I have been asked to launch three, maybe four, new skincare brands and my head is spinning.  Because, in full transparency, this has taken me way out of my comfort zone.

So let me say this.  I stand by everything I have ever written about products and brands, nothing changes there.  The other side of that is that having launched some of the most profound brands over the years, I will, hopefully, continue doing the same, it’s just that I don’t believe we have ever launched so many skincare brands so close to each other.  Of course I am going to stagger the launches over the coming weeks and months.  I don’t want to spin you out too, but with all of that said, I am so privileged and excited to introduce you to the first of those brands.  And it is the American brand, Dermelect Cosmeceuticals.

I wrote last week that beauty can be fickle, we have always known that, but there is nothing fickle about Dermelect Cosmeceuticals.  As a brand they know and understand that we, the consumers, seek real solutions and on from that we are sceptical, yet simultaneously we are optimistic.  And I wholeheartedly agree with that, as I have always written from a consumer angle (basically because I am one) and I am probably more cynical than most, given the responsibility of always trying to guide you correctly.  So when a new product comes in front of you with amazing statistics, you have to sit up and take notice.  Well I do.  And I did. 

That product is the first of two products from Dermelect that I will launch this week.  It has been called a ‘Holy Grail’ product and with a statement that ‘one bottle sold every four minutes’ over a specific period of time, January 2018 to October 2020 to be precise, please allow me to introduce you to Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum.  Blended with Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid and L-Ascorbic Acid, this is a highly concentrated, multi-tasking exfoliating serum which functions while you are sleeping.  In other words, it is an overnight facial and décolleté treatment which has been formulated to target fine lines, dark age spots and dullness.  I mean seriously, who wants dull skin.  Nobody I know.

It would be remiss of me not to write here that I don’t tend to use acids on my face.  I have often written that, but Shabir will always counter me by saying that he loves and uses acids and that I’m in the minority.  I may well be, but I have super-sensitive skin and I need to be careful.  But then I read a review on this serum, which appeared in the American media.  It was simple in its messaging: ‘I hate to say this, but the Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum might do it all’.  And I thought I should personally test it, for and on behalf of all of us, so that’s what I’ve done.  Because that was a big statement.  And I needed to know that it lived up to promise.  And it did.

I have to be honest and say that I really thought my skin would react, but it didn’t.  Added to that my skin did actually look brighter and I used it on several consecutive nights, dropping all my other skincare in order to test efficiently.  Had it failed in efficacy, I absolutely promise you that I would not be writing these words.  I speak as I find, which often gets me into trouble, but who cares.  And then another statement in the American media: ‘This serum sends acne running for the hills’.  I cannot tell you if this statement will hold up, because I don’t have acne, but there will be an awful lot of spots dwelling in the hills if it does.  And I tend to think it will.  Given time.
Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum by Dermelect Cosmeceuticals £36 for 30 ml

If I was somewhat cautious in testing Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum, there was no caution whatsoever in testing this next product from Dermelect.  The name alone intrigued me, mostly because I love and adore products for the feet, so please allow me to introduce you to Runway Ready Luxury Foot Treatment.  If Lara was writing this, she would have waited until September and the runway shows before launching this product because fashion is her background.  But she is not writing this, I am, and I’m sorry but however neat I try to be, I cannot wait for the September shows because peak excitement has overwhelmed me.  And it’s still August.  Just about.

So how does this super-charged formula work.  Well, it has been blended to repair, nourish and revive tired feet and the protein peptide technology serves to hydrate rough, calloused feet.   Argan Oil, Hyaluronic Acid and Shea Butter enhance that hydration, Glycolic and Salicylic acids gently exfoliate tough skin barriers and soothing Arnica and Butcher’s Broom help calm inflammation.  And we all know what happens when our feet swell, so anything that helps calm feet is good with me.  And this does, it really does.  Without making your feet feel greasy, which so many foot products tend to do. 

The recommendation is to use Runway Ready Luxury Foot Treatment in the morning and the evening, and I will attest to that.  What I will also attest to is that foot treatments are not just for the summer months, they should be used all year round because truthfully who wants to be looking at dry, cracked feet.  I happen to think feet are beautiful, but then I have always had a fascination with feet having studied reflexology in another life.  See I did have a life before VH.  But in all seriousness, this cream is totally amazing.  And I’m hooked. 
Runway Ready Luxury Foot Treatment by Dermelect Cosmeceuticals £20 for 120 ml

Before we move on, I will just tell you that I will be drip-feeding more Dermelect products over the coming weeks and months after they have gone through the necessary regularity processes required in order for them to be sold in the UK and EU.  Nothing is ever straightforward, but we endure and all the while, behind the scenes, our work with HMRC continues with the ongoing hope that the tangled becomes untangled after the turmoil of Covid and Brexit.  I think that’s all I want to say on that subject.  For the moment.

There are of course many other things to say and one of them is that levels of stress continue to rise dramatically.  I wrote last week that I know I am being somewhat repetitive in my messaging, but I believe there is a need to do this in order to support so many ongoing issues.  And of course hair loss is one of those issues.  In each and every moment we are receiving emails about thinning hair and hair loss, which remains a hugely emotive subject.  And I understand, I really do.

So I am going to take a double-pronged approach to this.  We need to get to the root cause and in order to do that, we have to try and knock down stress levels.  And we do that with our bestselling supplement for stress and anxiety, Magnolia Rhodiola Complex, which is now thankfully back in stock.  The next thing we are going to do is to add another bestselling product into the equation and that of course is Superior Hair, which encourages new hair growth.  I do have to caveat that by saying that it can take several months to begin to see results, although some may notice a difference sooner.

All of that now becomes a triple-pronged approach as I take the price of Magnolia Rhodiola Complex down from £28 to £25 and I will follow through by taking the price of Superior Hair down from £30 to £27.  And the third prong, we will include the 60 ml size of Fulvic Acid Mist with each order for Superior Hair.  This is worth £12.50 and to keep things fair, there is only one gift per customer.  Just to add here that you can also use Fulvic Acid Mist as an overnight scalp treatment, and do take a look at Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer, if you haven’t already done so.  I think it sits rather well beside the supplements.  In a big kind of way.    
Magnolia Rhodiola Complex £25 for 60 Capsules; Superior Hair £27 for 90 Capsules + Fulvic Acid Mist 60 ml (Offers end at midnight BST on Monday 30 August); Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer by Color Wow £23 for 200 ml

Earlier in this newsletter I wrote about changing supplementation, which is exactly what I am about to do.  When we launched BrocOn some time ago, we did so because research had shown that Brocolli Sprouts had some very significant health benefits.  It focused on a compound called Sulforaphane (SFN), which has been the subject of over 1700 scientific studies.  Because of ongoing difficulties, we can no longer list BrocOn, so we are changing you all over to a new supplement called BroccoMax.  Shabir does the lowdown and its credentials are pretty impressive if you are concerned about brain health and cell mutation, which has been the main focus of the studies.
VH Editorial: The Incredible Benefits of Broccoli Sprouts; BroccoMax £20 for 60 Capsules

I want to continue talking about health concerns and I will do so by referring you to Shabir’s article on Gout, which is a far more prevalent condition than many of us think.  Gout is a type of arthritis that causes stiff, swollen and painful joints and typically two thirds of people with Gout will experience excruciating pain in the big toe.  That’s the simplistic explanation, but Shabir takes it further and recommends two products to help relieve Gout naturally, namely CherryActive Concentrate and Tart Cherry, Nettle and Turmeric.
VH Editorial: Relieving Gout Naturally; CherryActive Concentrate £17.99 for 473 ml; Tart Cherry, Nettle and Turmeric by TerraNova £21 for 50 grams 

Let’s do a beauty treat.  In fact I am going to do three treats, one after the other.  The first is from Green People.  It is their One Balm, which is loaded with soothing and regenerating ingredients, such as Myrrh, Pomegranate and Rosehip.  It helps heal and repair troubled skin, it can be used anywhere on the body and if you are intrigued and wish to try it, you may wish to do so as I lower the price from £20 to £15, whilst stock lasts.  The second treat is from Lanolips.  It is the very fabulous Lemonaid Lip Treatment, formulated to exfoliate and soften lips.  With a hint of a natural shimmer, this now drops to £5.50 from £8.99.  Whilst stock lasts.
One Balm by Green People £15 for 30 ml; Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Treatment £5.50

One more beauty treat to go and it’s Sarah Chapman’s Summer Release Kit.  Featuring some of Sarah’s bestselling products, this kit has a product value of £146, but it is all yours for £125, so that’s a saving of £21.  The products come in a cosmetic bag and include Skin Insurance SPF 50, Eye Insurance SPF 30 and 2 x Moisture Infusion Mask.  I know it’s nearly the end of the summer, unless we have an Indian summer, but I will be honest with you, I completely forgot to write about this and Shabir told me off.  So I’ve done it now.  Like he’s perfect.
Summer Release Kit by Sarah Chapman £125

One more health issue and it’s Osteopenia.  Osteopenia is defined as low bone density or low bone mass, which is a condition where a person experiences a decrease in bone structure that is greater than normal for their relevant age.  Osteopenia can lead to Osteoporosis, which is a more serious condition and furthermore it would appear that Osteopenia is more common in women (of course) and a bone density scan is recommended at the onset of menstrual irregularities.  Shabir explains these concerns further in his article listed below, where he recommends Bone Restore With Vitamin K2.  It was £23, but it’s now £20 because we all need support.  In varying ways.
VH Editorial: Osteopenia; Bone Restore With Vitamin K2 by Life Extension £20 for 120 Capsules (Offer ends at midnight BST Monday 30 August)

An apology from me.  And it’s about Zam-Buk which I mentioned on the last Weekend Read.  I always write the WR’s at the beginning of the week and more often than not I have finished writing each Tuesday evening.  Such was the case last week, except I then ran away for three days and didn’t get home until late Friday evening.  Which all would have been fine, nobody missed me, least of all Shabir, but I was deep in the depths of the Cotswolds and I had no phone signal.  Which meant I couldn’t receive emails either.  So I missed an email telling me that there was an issue with the stock levels of Zam-Buk.  I am so sorry, but it’s back in stock now.  Life goes on. 
Zam-Buk Antiseptic Ointment £3.99 for 20 grams

A final fling before we head into the Saturday only treat.  And it’s all about Spacemasks.  This is a limited time offer, so whilst stock lasts, I will throw in an extra Spacemask with every box of Spacemasks bought.  There is only one gift per customer and because I have already written about two overnight treatments, namely Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum and Fulvic Acid Mist, I thought it would be pretty neat to send you off to sleep with a treat.  And just perhaps you may wish to take Tonic Health’s Night Time Immunity Drink, which contains relaxing herbs and Magnesium to help promote deep, restful sleep.
Spacemasks £15 for Five Spacemasks; Night Time Immunity Drink by Tonic Health £7.99 For Seven Sachets

 I often don’t decide what the Saturday only treat should be until I begin to write this section.  But I’ve made it easy for myself this week because having just written about the importance of sleep, with every order placed for £30 or more, excluding p&p, we will include Drift Away (30 ml) from Temple Spa.  Add this to a late evening bath and the fragranced oil will help ease away stress.  I am putting the product link below for further information.
Drift Away – Relaxing Bathing by Temple Spa £25 for 100 ml

The End Bit.  All I really want to say here is that not for one moment do I ever under-estimate the importance of communication.  I will also never under-estimate the importance of writing from experience in order to help others.  The overwhelming response to my words last week was further confirmation that there is a very real need to talk about the issues that affect each of us.  We are living in a divisive world and the repercussions are turning us inside out and upside down.  It would appear to be a breeding ground for dissent, which is so very harmful.  And I don’t know anybody who hasn’t been affected by this.  The search for lost values is very real.

So it’s little wonder that we mostly feel exhausted.  The mental turmoil alone is tremendously difficult to cope with, but as this is a Bank Holiday weekend, let’s just leave it there for now and reflect upon the fact that we have each other.  And that really does matter.  More than ever.  So let’s try and hold it all together.  As we sing.
Stop Crying Your Heart Out by Oasis; VH Playlist

With 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.