So, here we are, the last weekend of September and as we roll into October, we are going to take a look at some seasonal products, seasonal products which will help support our health and wellbeing throughout the colder months.  Of course, the protection of our immunity is vitally important and at this time of year I talk about our immunity rather a lot, basically because prevention is better than cure, but we must be pragmatic given the virulent nature of many seasonal infections, so we need to address that side of the equation too.

I repeat message rather a lot, it goes with the territory, but there has to be consistency in any approach to health and wellbeing and three decades in we still believe in the efficacy of Elderberry, a strong belief which has been backed up by extensive studies and research throughout those decades.  Furthermore, Elderberry is a powerful antioxidant, and having written about the importance of antioxidants last weekend, I think it is important to reiterate that a high antioxidant defence system lowers the risk of disease.

But that’s not all, it is also a consideration that Elderberry inhibits the mechanism required for viral replication, which is why Elderberry is included in Daily Immunity, one of the three products I will be writing about today, each with Elderberry playing an important role in that specific formulation.  I absolutely know that I wrote about Daily Immunity recently, but I am going again because of its importance and because it offers a comprehensive range of ingredients.

Each ingredient included in this formulation is known to support our overall immunity, and within that it supports specific concerns and an example here would be its ability in helping to prevent cold sores and with an explanation of the role each ingredient plays in the article linked below, I am, once again, dropping the price of Daily Immunity from £29 to £26 and that offer extends across the weekend.
VH Editorial: A Daily Supplement That Supercharges Your Immunity; DoSe Daily Immunity £26 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 29 September)

And back to Elderberry with Imuno-Strength Liquid and here Elderberry is joined by Rosehip which are both rich sources of plant compounds called flavonoids, including anthocyanidins, the dark red and blue colours found in many fruits and seeds.  As potent antioxidants, anthocyanidins have been studied extensively for their significance in protecting our immune system and as such they are held in high regard by most leading nutritional scientists, with a note to say that this formulation can be used as an adjunct to Daily Immunity or it can be taken as a stand-alone.

Imuno-Strength is naturally sweetened with red grape and apple juice and this syrup can be taken straight from a spoon, or it can be added to drinks.  The other thing here is that Imuno-Strength is suitable for everybody, including children from the age of five in a recommended dose of one teaspoon daily up to the age of fifteen, and then the dose is the same as adults, being two teaspoons daily.  And once again, we are recommending prevention rather than cure, with a special emphasis here on children of school age, the elderly and those most susceptible to infection, with a price drop from £16.95 to £14.95.
Imuno-Strength Liquid by Lamberts Healthcare £14.95 for 200 ml (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 29 September)

The third Elderberry product is from Viridian Nutrition and it is their Organic Elderberry Throat Spray which has been specifically formulated to relieve the symptoms associated with throat infections and because Elderberry has been shown to help soothe the common cold, perhaps this is one for the seasonal medicine cabinet.  Elderberry is joined here with Manuka Honey and Marshmallow and once again it is suitable for children, this time from the age of six and over.  And a price drop here too as Organic Elderberry Throat Spray drops from £19.55 to £17, and with that said, that’s the Elderberry wrap.  The consistent Elderberry wrap.
Organic Elderberry Throat Spray by Viridian Nutrition £17 for 50 ml (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 29 September)

I think ‘consistency’ might just be the word of the week, because I wrote about consistency, but in a different context, on the Addicts Bulletin which I sent out two days ago.  And being nothing but consistent, an invitation here to become a VH Addict, membership of which has been held at £30 for more than two decades.  Membership works if you are hard-core, but you don’t need to be totally hard-core, semi-hard-core works too if you are interested in receiving ongoing discounts, specialised personal advice and priority shipping together with periodic missives about love, life, compassion and the health and beauty industry when I'm in mode.
VH Addict £30

So, having thrown the focus on Elderberry as an ingredient, let’s talk about Shatavari as an ingredient and Shatavari is an Ayuvedic rejuvenating tonic for women, which is also known as Asparagus racemosus (wild asparagus).  Shatavari belongs to a group of herbs which are collectively referred to as adaptogens, because they bring the body back into balance and certainly this is true of Shatavari, because its benefits can be experienced through the various stages of a woman’s life cycle, from puberty to menopause and beyond.

Ayurvedic practitioners often recommend Shatavari during puberty as it is considered an essential herb to ease into menstruation without issues, and it is often recommended at the first sign of menses-related problems.  Post puberty, research has indicated that it provides relief from menstrual pain, premenstrual syndrome and bloating and during the menopausal years, it acts as a precursor to the female hormones, helping to reduce many menopausal symptoms, including night sweats and low mood. Shatavari translates to ‘100 Spouses’, denoting its ability to enhance fertility, and as Shabir does the in-depth below, I drop the price of Organic Shatavari from £19.99 to £17.
VH Editorial: Shatavari: From Puberty To Menopause; Organic Shatavari by Ayurvediq Wellness £17 for 120 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 29 September)

I want to stay with adaptogens, and taking a look at the history, adaptogenic herbs have been used in Ayurvedic healing practices for hundreds of years, yet its terminology wasn’t coined until 1957 when Nikolay Lazarev, a Russian toxicologist, identified adaptogens as ‘substances that increase non-specific resistance against multiple stressors’.  Introducing that terminology, Nikolay Lazarev offered the consideration that adaptogens regulated the release of stress hormones produced by the adrenal glands, helping to restore the body’s natural immune function, supporting the resistance of stress, which in turn reduces fatigue and exhaustion.

And so, following through, adrenal stress. Adrenal stress affects most of us to varying degrees because stress stimulates a cascade of hormone production by the adrenal glands, which include adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. Theoretically, these hormones should work well to keep our bodies within its normal mode of operation, but we are living in a world where we are subjected to many stressors and this constant level of stress causes our bodies to release cortisol to ‘lower’ our system and the contradictory adrenaline to help us keep ‘up’ with the demands of stress, and this is termed adrenal stress.

Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb with far-reaching benefits, enhancing the uptake of the nerve calming and mood elevating hormone in the brain, serotonin.  This is important because with the onset of adrenal stress, the adrenals struggle to manufacture cortisol in sufficient volume and with very little cortisol available in the bloodstream, fatigue sets in and this phase of adrenal stress is termed ‘adrenal exhaustion’.  And so Rhodiola, Magnolia Rhodiola Complex, because it helps to address adrenal stress, all forms of stress actually, and with its mood-elevating properties, this is our bestselling supplement for anxiety and stress so, in recognition, the price drops this weekend from £28 to £25.
VH Editorials: Adaptogens: What Are They; Adrenal Stress; DoSe Magnolia Rhodiola Complex £25 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 29 September)

Last weekend I talked about supplementation being key for skin health and for balance I want to take a moment to talk about topical products for skin health.  I have been writing about the importance of an inside/out approach to skin health since the beginning of time, VH time, and in many ways, DoSe is a culmination and a celebration of everything I have written and everything we believe in, which is why we launched DoSe skincare on a health platform, essentially because that’s where it belongs, with skin being the largest organ of the body.

In launching DoSe topical, the consideration was to offer a series of solutions specifically formulated and evaluated for the integrity of our skin.  In and of that evaluation, it was always about understanding skin health and delivering a wardrobe of serums and products, with a strict adherence to the research, studies and clinicals which, in turn, supports the stages of our lives, so in effect an evolutionary process, dependent upon, and driven by, simplicity, knowledge and efficacy.

With knowledge being key, I am linking two articles below, with the first taking a look at how hormones can affect our skin, together with the recommended products to help support those changes. The second articles explores the DoSe way of being, with an explanation of each of the curated products in the range.  As most of you know, each of these products have been formulated by Shabir, allowing us to lead by example, which remains our driving force, so to reflect the importance of that statement, let’s celebrate as I invite you to explore the DoSe skincare products with a 10% discount across the weekend.
VH Editorials: Hormones Affect Your Skin; DoSe: A Comprehensive Guide; DoSe Skincare (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 29 September)

Right, let’s continue with our exploration of seasonal gifts and I am going to begin with a series of gifts which are £20, or under, starting with the Spa Mini Break from TEMPLESPA.  This set includes four miniatures, Good Hair Day Frequent Shampoo, In Good Condition Everyday Hair Conditioner, the fabulous La La Lagoon Bath & Shower Gel and Peace Be Still Calming Skin Balm, all wrapped up in their signature seasonal packaging for 2024, a Mediterranean Midnight Garden.
Spa Mini Break by TEMPLESPA £12

Another gift from TEMPLESPA and this time it is their Truffle Mousse Creamy-Luxe Shower Foam, which is only available at this time of year.  This is indulgence in a bottle because the mousse puffs itself up into a beautiful texture as it delivers extracts of silk, cashmere, truffles, champagne and shea butter to the skin, with notes of Pink Pepper, Neroli, Peony, Jasmine, Vetiver and Sandalwood, which makes it a rather opulent bathing experience.
Truffle Mousse Creamy-Luxe Shower Foam by TEMPLESPA £20 for 150 ml

Two stocking fillers from Aromatherapy Associates, the first of which is their Tranquil Sleep Hero gift set containing a mini Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil (9 ml) to create a magical moment of wellbeing, and the second is their Energy Restore Hero.  Energy Restore Hero contains Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil (9 ml) which is loaded with Juniper, Rosemary and Grapefruit to help awaken the senses.  Each of these are £12 and they arrive with a ribbon, so they can also hang on a tree, which would be rather smart.  Smart is good.
Tranquil Sleep Hero by Aromatherapy Associates £12; Energy Restore Hero by Aromatherapy Associates £12

Let’s do decadence and I will begin with the Pure Indulgence Christmas Collection Cabinet from Margaret Dabbs.  And decadent it is because this is an exclusive and curated set of ten of the bestselling Pure products for hands, feet and nails, together with premium tools, all housed in a keepsake cabinet.  The list of products included are listed on the product page, and because this is such a stunning gift it is debatable as to whether you would actually gift, self-gift or choose to do both. 
Pure Indulgence Christmas Collection Cabinet by Margaret Dabbs £149 

And if we are doing decadence, let’s return to Aromatherapy Associates with their Rebalancing Heroes Collection and there must be something about the number ten, because this too has ten products included in this set.  Once again, the products included in this set are listed on the product page and they have been curated with luxurious bath, shower and body essentials.  The Rebalancing Heroes Collection is £100, and with a product value of £168, this may also fall into the self-gifting category, the nurturing self-gifting category.  Perhaps.
Rebalancing Heroes Collection by Aromatherapy Associates £100 

We are nearly at the end of this Weekend Read, but a reminder here that the TEMPLESPA offer for the month of September ends at midnight, Monday 30 September, that offer being Eye Truffle, which drops in price from £70 to £40.  And as we head into the Saturday only treat, we are almost complete.
Eye Truffle by TEMPLESPA £40 for 15 ml

So, the Saturday only treat, and with every order placed for £35 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include a TEMPLESPA gift* with your order and although I am unable to be specific, I hope you enjoy using the gift you receive.  And with that said, I wish each of you a restful weekend as I leave you with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons ‘Autumn’ performed by Frederieke Saeijs.
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons ‘Autumn’ by Frederieke Saeijs; The VH Playlist

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 after discount 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 (BST) and Midnight (BST) 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. One gift per customer, whilst stock lasts.