November.  November is the eleventh month of the year and in metaphysical terms it is often referred to as the month of the ‘Spiritual Warrior’.  And whether you believe in the metaphysical side of life, or otherwise, I think it is quite interesting to note that November is also considered to be a karmic month, heralding new beginnings as our awareness increases.  I have believed for the longest time that ‘warrior energy’ resides in so many of us, as was evidenced after the last Weekend Read when the VH army came out in full force.  But more on that later because I now want to talk about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture and Ross J Barr (RJB).

Last week I wrote about three products from RJB, but this week I want to talk more about the man and his clinical work.  A member of the British Acupuncture Council and graduate of the renowned College of Integrated Medicine, RJB is one of the foremost practitioners in his field, specialising in infertility, grief and heartbreak.  Taking the business element out of our relationship, we are very close friends and we often have extraordinarily long conversations about the way of the world, based upon his experience in clinic.  I always find this fascinating, because it allows me further insight into the very real issues that so many of us are going through.

Of course, we both maintain our professionalism in that we never discuss individual cases, but I was not at all surprised to learn that excessive stress, grief, trauma and heartbreak are present, either individually or collectively, with most of the patients RJB is currently treating.  From a TCM perspective, these conditions align with the liver because the liver is associated with depression, resentment, frustration and misplaced anger. The liver is also associated with injustice.  And I know that one well.  Mostly because I have been writing about the great injustices in the health and beauty industry for a very long time.  And I’m far from finished.

The connection between our emotions and our organs is something that I would like to explore in greater depth, but for now let me share this with you.  It is no secret that RJB looks after me.  And although I haven’t had a treatment for quite a while (my fault entirely) whenever I do, RJB always sticks quite a few needles in my liver meridians to try and calm me down.  I can feel it in your pulse, he tells me.  Except he won’t be feeling my pulse any time soon unfortunately.  For the sake of balance, please take Milk Thistle, he said.  Until I get those needles back in.

So I’m taking Milk Thistle.  And I’m taking it just for a month or two.  On the other side of life, Shabir has written about the importance of doing a liver cleanse periodically, and I’ve linked his article below.  It is often said the liver is the most abused organ in our body, but it is also the metabolic centre of the body, responsible for the processing of metabolic waste, so a liver detoxification can be beneficial for the liver to function optimally.  Back to TCM, I cannot wave away depression, resentment, frustration, misplaced anger or injustice, but if Milk Thistle can bring a touch of balance, that would be a very good thing.  As I drop the price from £12.99 to £11. And invite you to join me.  As our emotions run high.
VH Editorial: How To Heal Your Liver; Milk Thistle Complex by HealthAid £11 for 60 Tablets (Offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 7 November)

Right, I needed to say that, but what I also need to talk about is our immunity, which I do often, but there is of course a great need to support and strengthen our immunity right through the winter months.  And although we have been recommending protecting our immunity throughout the year, we are in the midst of the cold and flu season, so let’s go on a health roll as I share some of our most-wanted winter supplements.  And you know exactly what I’m going to do here, so we might as well do it.

Our core and bestselling supplement to help protect our immunity is of course Daily Immunity, so with Shabir’s article linked below, I will just say that high stress levels, close contact in confined areas, lack of sleep and nutritional deficiencies all pay a role in compromising our immune system.  I’ve been writing about the importance of protecting and strengthening our immune system for more than twenty years, but with an added emphasis since the pandemic hit it.  I know I keep banging on, but these things need to be said and I need to do whatever I can to help protect you, so I am dropping the price of Daily Immunity from £26 to £22.  Across the weekend.
VH Editorial: A Daily Supplement That Supercharges Your Immunity; Daily Immunity £22 for 60 Capsules (Offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 7 November)

Up next are Life Extension’s Enhanced Zinc Lozenges, dropping from £10 to £8.  Zinc is present in all the body’s tissues, but as it is not manufactured by the body, we need to address Zinc deficiencies by supplementation.  Whilst Zinc plays a crucial role in supporting our immunity, it also helps speed up energy production and the signs of Zinc deficiency may be noted by the appearance of white flecks on the fingernails, recurring infections and the loss of taste and smell.  Shabir has always called Zinc ‘The Traffic Policeman’ because it seems to go wherever it is needed.  I’m a bit concerned about our stock levels, so this offer will end at midnight GMT tonight, Saturday 6 November.
Enhanced Zinc Lozenges by Life Extension £8 for 30 Lozenges

If we are building a medicine chest, which it appears we are, then this product would definitely be in that chest.  It is Elderberry Syrup from Pukka Herbs.  Containing Manuka Honey alongside Elderberry, the herbs in this syrup have long been used to help support the respiratory system and seasonal health.  So let’s give it the treatment and drop the price from £14.99 to £12.  And we’ll take this one across the weekend because there are an awful lot of dry and chesty coughs lurking around.  Can I also say that you may want to add Temple Spa’s Breath of Life into your medicine chest.  A few drops onto the shower floor, hot steam and whoosh, you can breathe again. 
Organic Elderberry Syrup by Pukka Herbs £12 for 100 ml (Offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 7 November: UK only); Breath of Life by Temple Spa £12 for 10 ml

Ten paragraphs in and big excitement as I launch a new product from iS Clinical.  It is not often that the boys (Bryan Johns and Alec Call) bring a new product to market and as with so many current launches, there is a global shortage before we have even begun.  This is due to supply issues on components, a worldwide issue affecting industry, and because of this iS Clinical are only able to launch in eight territories out of seventy.  I think it’s seventy territories, I’ve actually lost count, so it’s not particularly cute, but at least we are a considered territory.  For which I’m grateful.  So please allow me to introduce you to the advanced botanically based, Active Peel System.

The Active Peel System is a powerful, yet gentle, fast-acting two step treatment designed to resurface and polish the skin, while providing hydration, rejuvenation and antioxidant protection.  Designed to use every other day, this complete skin treatment provides a cool tingling sensation upon application as it activates.  Step One is designed to provide controlled exfoliation, featuring a proprietary combination of powerful, yet gentle botanical acids combined with soothing nurturing botanical extracts.  After cleansing, you should apply Step One over your entire face, leaving it on for three minutes.  Do not rinse.  Your skin is absorbing the actives. 

Step Two provides hydration and rejuvenation, featuring iS Clinical’s proprietary botanical extremozyme technology and Copper Tripeptide-1 which are combined with soothing active botanicals.  After the three minute treatment of Step One, follow through by applying Step Two over the same area.  Leave it on, because the treatment is now complete.  As, once again, your skin absorbs the powerful restorative actives.

I tested this treatment programme several months ago, and I can tell you that my sensitive skin did not react.  But then I have trusted and used iS Clinical products for more than twenty years.  I think these pads are quite brilliant, but you really don’t need to treat your skin every other day.  I think it’s enough to do one or two treatments a week.  And now that this treatment has finally been launched, I can begin again.  Because I used up all my lab samples.  And then the sample famine kicked in.
The Active Peel System by iS Clinical £75 (15 x Step One & Two Treatments)

Let’s carry on with new product launches and I have two more products to tell you about, both from Margaret Dabbs.  The first is Pure Cuticle Oil, which prevents and treats dry cuticles and can also help paronychia, a nail infection caused when bacteria enters the skin through cuts or torn cuticles.  The second is Pure Repairing Hand Cream, which helps to address dehydrated skin, targeting skin discomfort and flakiness.  Both of these products are £18, but I am taking each down to £15 to celebrate their launch.  Across the weekend.
Pure Cuticle Oil by Margaret Dabbs London £15 for 10 ml; Pure Repairing Hand Cream by Margaret Dabbs London £15 for 75 ml (Offers end midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 7 November)

If I may, I would now like to talk about ingredients in skincare.  Actually perhaps we should be talking about the hype of individual ingredients because it’s a minefield out there.  If you were to ask me what I believed to be the two most important ingredients to come to the fore over the past three or four years, I would say Neurophroline and Bakuchiol.  If you were to ask me what I believed to be the most-hyped ingredient over the same period of time, without any hesitation I would say CBD in beauty products.  Which are conspicuous by their absence on our site.  It’s what I call bandwagon beauty.  And the bandwagon charges on.  Without us.  But that’s my choice.

The case is very simple.  There is very little evidence to prove that CBD in beauty products will make any discernible difference to your skin and I’m sorry, but that’s just not good enough.  There are several small studies which are bounded around by certain manufacturers, but each and every time I have been approached to list CBD products, I have requested further in-depth clinicals or studies and unsurprisingly I don’t hear back.  On the rare occasion that I do receive a response, it just doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny.  Each to their own, but I have to be responsible and quite honestly I find it all rather akin to the Emperor’s New Clothes.  And Shabir agrees.

But talk to me about Neurophroline and I will wax lyrical about its ability to take down inflammation in our skin, because in studies it has been shown to reduce the cortisol levels in our skin by approximately 70%.  I have often said that Neurophroline is one of my favourite ingredients because anything that can reduce the stress on my face is good with me.  Actually it is more than good with me, it thrills me.  Obviously.

So, Shabir’s article about stress and skin is linked below and I have a very limited volume of the over-loaded Neurophroline Serum, aka 45 ml for the price of 30 ml.  I doubt these will last until the end of the day, so I’ll sweeten it by reducing the price of Fulvic Face Cream from £30 to £25 across the weekend, because so many of you have followed my lead by adding a few drops of Neurophroline Serum into Fulvic Face Cream.   For clarity, once we have sold through the over-loaded Neurophroline Serum, you will be unable to put it into your basket.  And I think that may well happen before 11 am.  When we will revert to the 30 ml size.
VH Editorial: Stress Ages Our Skin; Limited Edition Neurophroline Serum by Garden of Wisdom for VH £18 for 45 ml; Fulvic Face Cream £25 for 60 ml (offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 7 November); Neurophroline Serum £18 for 30 ml

And now Bakuchiol. Bakuchiol, in the form of Sytenol A, has been the subject of various clinical studies.  As a result of the clinicals, Bakuchiol has been called the natural alternative to Retinol.  And in fact, this is absolutely true, but it is not true of all Bakuchiol products, because unless Sytenol A is the specific ingredient used in any given Bakuchiol formulation, it is incorrect for this statement to be applied generically to all Bakuchiol products.  Because it can’t.  And because Bakuchiol is better tolerated than Retinol, I am linking Shabir’s article on Bakuchiol below, as I take down the price of Super Bakuchiol Serum from £15 to £12.  Hope we have enough.
VH Editorial: Bakuchiol: A Natural Alternative To Retinol; Super Bakuchiol Serum by Garden of Wisdom for VH £12 for 30 ml (offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 7 November)

One more health concern before I head into the feedback, and if we are talking about the effect that stress has on our skin, I will balance that with the effect of stress within our bodies.  In other words, I am talking about inflammation, which has been the subject of considerable studies which have shown that the ageing process is usually accompanied by constant low-grade inflammation.  The researchers call this ‘inflammaging’, so I will refer you to Shabir’s in-depth article, where he recommends Curcumin Elite and Cytokine Suppress.  To support this article, I am dropping the price of Curcumin Elite from £29.50 to £26 and Cytokine Suppress from £26 to £22.  Onwards.
VH Editorial: Inflammaging; Curcumin Elite Turmeric Extract by Life Extension £26 for 60 Capsules; Cytokine Suppress With ECGC by Life Extension £22 for 30 Capsules (offers end midnight GMT tonight, Saturday 6 November)

And onwards we go into the product feedback from last week.  So Triple Flu Defense+ was one of our bestselling products, which really doesn’t surprise me, and so was Magnolia Rhodiola Complex.  Thankfully our stock levels are holding up for Triple Flu, but the same cannot be said for Magnolia Rhodiola, because once again we have a wait list.  I absolutely promise that we are trying to resolve this ongoing issue with Magnolia Rhodiola, but it’s all about the shortage of ingredients.  I am anticipating a two to three week wait, but in the meantime do try Florassist Mood Improve if you feel the need as I drop the price from £25 to £22.  For one day only.  Today.
Triple Flu Defense+ (2021-2022) by Dr Nenninger £27 for 30 ml; Magnolia Rhodiola Complex £28 for 60 Capsules; Florassist Mood Improve by Life Extension £22 for 30 Capsules (offers end midnight GMT tonight, Saturday 6 November)

Into the Saturday only treat we go.  So with every order placed for £30 or above, excluding p&p, we will automatically send you the 30 ml size of Transforming Body Lotion by Ameliorate*.  This is of course the original, but after the wonderful response to the launch of a new Transforming Body Lotion fragrance, Soft Oriental, on the last Weekend Read, I thought we should mark the occasion.  So consider it marked and I’m linking Soft Oriental below, just in case you missed it last weekend.
Transforming Body Lotion – Soft Oriental £24 for 200 ml

As we come to the end of the product section, I need to say a big thank you to the warriors amongst us who responded so passionately to my words on the last Weekend Read after a customer had accused me of being depressing.  I believe I have personally answered each of you, so let me just say this in further response.  I will not change the way I write.  I will continue to talk about stress, anxiety and grief and I will not apologise for it.  Because quite honestly we each have a choice and I am not forcing anybody to read my words.  Think I’d better stop.  Otherwise my liver may start tweaking.

Straight into the song.  It’s November Rain.  Everybody Needs Somebody.
November Rain by Guns n’ Roses; The 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.