Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day.  Many words will be written on the subject across this weekend, yet no matter what, the stigma attached to mental health issues remains.  We need to talk about the varying forms of depression.  We need to talk about bipolar disorder.  We need to talk about eating disorders.  We need to talk about PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and we need to talk about schizophrenia and the many other forms of mental health that affect so many of us.  But mostly, we need to be honest about our concerns, thoughts and feelings because the ripple effect of not doing so is monumental.  And ever-increasing.

It is in these moments that I always remember my beautiful friend Sally Brampton.  It has been five long years since Sally walked into the sea and didn’t come back.  In case you are unaware, Sally was a legendary columnist for The Sunday Times, amongst many other things, and she was the poster-girl for depression. I made a promise to Sally that I would always keep the articles she wrote for us on our site, no matter what.  And I think it is all I can do here to share some of her work, as I link you to her profound words on bipolar disorder.  With tears in my eyes.  And a great big lump in my throat. 
BiPolar And Me by Sally Brampton

I cannot end these opening paragraphs without talking about bullying and mental illness.  The two are inexorably linked and because I have written so many words on this subject over the past couple of years, I just want to say this about cyber-bullying.  If you have been subjected to any form of cyber-bullying, including the spreading of malicious and abusive rumours, intimidation and blackmail and/or the posting of embarrassing or humiliating images without your consent, you may wish to seek help from the National Bullying Helpline, linked below.  I have experienced each of those things.  From within the beauty industry.  And I live with PTSD.  As so many of us do.
Mental Health Issues Caused By Bullying

So as I turn to the products, I want to talk about a supplement that I believe may help those who have been touched by many of the above issues.  I am not talking here about those who are experiencing mental health issues, because there is absolutely no substitute for a professional diagnosis.  Instead I want to talk about the many people who struggle to support those who have any form of mental illness, or indeed any form of critical illness, which is so difficult to observe.  And cope with.

That supplement is Saffron Extract with Marigold.  Saffron is an interesting ingredient, which is mainly associated with food, but it has actually been used for a variety of health concerns for many centuries.  These include inflammation, digestive problems, menstrual disorders and insomnia, but primarily I am throwing the focus on Saffron because scientists believe that Saffron works to help boost serotonin, the key hormone that helps stabilise mood and wellbeing.  Depletion of serotonin is so often caused by life-related circumstances, such as stress and trauma.  And I think we can all relate to that.

There is another interesting fact, much researched by scientists, and that is that Saffron can also be used to help relieve the symptoms of PMS, and this is further enhanced by the addition of Marigold, which is often used for menstrual cramping.  Studies have also shown that Saffron Extract can be used as an appetite suppressant, except I really don’t want to dwell on that, mostly because I dislike writing about weight loss supplementation, but also if we are talking about a mood-elevating supplement, I want to link it to mood-elevating food.  So I will do just that with Nigella’s recipe for Saffron Orzotto as I take the price of Saffron Extract with Marigold down from £18.75 to £15.  Across the weekend.
Saffron Extract with Marigold by Viridian Nutrition £15 for 30 Capsules (Offer ends at midnight BST tomorrow, Sunday 10 October); Saffron Orzotto

It is no coincidence that Saffron is also used in the next supplement.  So we are going to talk about insomnia, another huge issue which so many are struggling with.  So let’s do that, because it is in fact a vicious circle as the reciprocal cause and effect of stress and insomnia intensifies to such an extent that we can be sent spinning into a cycle of sleep deprivation, which can affect all aspects of our lives, to the detriment of our health and wellbeing.  Enter Neubria Drift.

Neubria Drift is a natural sleep aid supplement specifically formulated to help support quality sleep and relaxation, whilst helping to establish a healthy sleep routine, without making you feel disoriented when you wake up.  It contains a blend of four botanical ingredients, all of which have demonstrated sleep-inducing properties.  These are Lemon Balm Extract, Hops Extract, Chamomile Extract and, of course, Saffron Extract.  As ever, with supplementation, this is not an overnight fix, but it should be regarded as a safe and gentle way to help nurture and stabilise sleep deprivation.  And with that said, I am reducing the price of Neubria Drift from £19.99 to £14.95, also across the weekend.
Neubria Drift – For Sleep £14.95 for 60 Capsules (Offer ends at midnight BST tomorrow, Sunday 10 October)

I want to stay on the subject of sleep for a moment, because of course there are so many different products available to help induce sleep, not least taking a warm magnesium bath before going to bed.  Magnesium is an excellent muscle relaxant and in the form of flakes, it is absorbed transdermally through the skin into the bloodstream, where it is thought to facilitate sleep through chemical pathways in the brain.  Additionally, when you take a warm bath, your temperature increases and as it gradually cools, melatonin, the sleep hormone is released.  Just to add, melatonin is a ‘Mother Hormone’ and is only available in the UK via prescription, as is DHEA if we are on that subject.

Anyway, back to it, and we were talking about Magnesium Flakes for sleep, but these flakes have numerous benefits and if you are suffering from back pain, these really do help ease that pain.  And Shabir knows all about this, as I am here to tell you that he did something to his back a week or so ago and it was so bad, he literally couldn’t get out of bed.  Of course the world (and VH) didn’t end, as he thought it would,  but when he was able to move he had two magnesium baths a day and he is nearly back to normal.  Whatever that means.  Let’s drop the price of the flakes then from £9.95 to £7.  And this is for one day only, which would be today.
Magnesium Oil Original Flakes by Better You £7 for 1 kg (Offer ends at midnight BST tonight, Saturday 9 October)

I am half coming away from supplementation, but only half because I have a very limited treat and it underlines the importance of the health and beauty crossover.  I’m always writing about the crossover because I truly believe that when it comes to skincare, supplementation and topicals should be of equal importance and quite honestly I am so bored with reading articles about varying high-end products that claim to be the answer to all of our prayers.  They are not.

And just sometimes it is the basic formulations that work the best, which is the case with Anti-Aging Multi-Peptide Serum.  This is another serum, in a whole long line of them, that Shabir formulated for his own use.  Its potency is derived from multiple technologies and the ingredients include Hyaluronic Acid, Resveratrol and Superoxide Dismutase, without the addition of silicones or alcohol (more on that soon).  And it’s Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength that are the treat.  So whilst stock last, which won’t be long I guess, with every bottle of Anti-Aging Multi-Peptide Serum, I will throw in the Travel Size (15 capsules) of Hyaluronic Acid Capsules, which are worth £17.50.
Anti-Aging Multi-Peptide Serum by Garden of Wisdom for VH £20 for 30 ml

Full-on beauty we go, and we do so with a Sarah Chapman offer, which also features Hyaluronic Acid.  Initially developed for in-clinic treatments only, the 3D Moisture Infusion bio-cellulose mask envelopes your face like a second skin, with a mission to hydrate and soothe the skin.  Full details are on the product page, so all I am going to do here is to tell you that I have a batch of single masks for you to try.  With a pack of four masks costing £46, I am offering each single treatment mask to you for £5.  Each individual mask has a value of £11.50, so in other words you could buy four masks for £20, if you wanted to.  Unboxed.
Skinesis 3D Moisture Infusion £5 for One Mask

Onwards, and I feel bad for Fulvic Body Lotion.  Of course I brought this all upon myself because I wrote about the launch of Weleda’s Skin Food Body Lotion last weekend, but for balance I am now following through with Fulvic Body Lotion because there are those of us who are allergic to many of the ingredients used in the Skin Food formulation.  I am not blaming Weleda, their products are brilliant, it’s just that I can’t use them.  Which is why I asked Shabir to formulate Fulvic Body Lotion, without any known irritants, including essential oils, the use of which sends me straight onto a drip in A&E.  My claim to fame.

And when he formulated Fulvic Body Lotion, Shabir used two revolutionary skincare technologies, Synastol TC and HydroSynol DOI, both of which penetrate deep into the skin, offering long-lasting hydration.  I’m not going to add anything further, other than to say that with every Fulvic Body Lotion bought across the weekend, I will automatically throw in another Fulvic hero, namely Fulvic Acid Nail Cream, whilst stock lasts, which is worth £12.  And therein the balance.  Together with the wellbeing of my skin.  And nails. 
Fulvic Body Lotion £20 for 200 ml (Offer ends at midnight BST Sunday 10 October); Fulvic Acid Nail Cream £12 for 30 ml

Back to health we go, and we do so with another launch from YourZooki.  Last week I wrote about Gut Biome Zooki, which incidentally I am keeping at the launch price of £40 for the month of October, and this week we are launching Liposomal Vitamin C with a new flavour, Watermelon.  With Vitamin C contributing to the normal function of the immune system and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, we recommend taking Vitamin C in a liposomal format because of its superior delivery system, which protects the degradation of vitamins as they pass through the harsh environment of the stomach acids. 

Whilst there are of course many Liposomal Vitamin C’s available, Shabir tends to recommend Liposomal Vitamin C from YourZooki as their formulation contains pure L-ascorbic acid, which the body requires for a myriad of purposes.  Although many brands utilise this form of Vitamin C, it is often combined with sodium ascorbate, which has to be converted by the body into L-ascorbic acid and this conversion does not always occur because of the insufficiency of enzymes available needed for the conversion, which is age-related.  Of course.

Finally, the YourZooki formulation is alcohol-free and since alcohol (ethanol) can interfere with the ability of the pancreas to absorb Vitamin C, it is perhaps best to take it in its purest form.  So now we have two YourZooki products on launch prices, Gut Biome Zooki as above, and now the new Watermelon flavoured Liposomal C as I drop the price from £39.99 to £35, also through to the end of October.
Liposomal Vitamin C Watermelon by YourZooki £35 for 30 x 15 ml Sachets; Gut Biome Zooki by YourZooki £40 for 30 Servings

Being neat, let’s now take a look at enzymes.  Enzymes are biological molecules, typically proteins, that are present in our cells and their role is to create chemical reactions in our bodies.  They significantly speed up the rate of a chemical reaction to support our health and wellbeing.  And just to give one example, enzymes are required for the function of our digestive system, which can become sluggish as we age.  And that would explain why there are so many digestive enzymes on the market.  It’s a digestive enzyme minefield.

I know I mention a certain product regularly, but I make no apology for that because quite honestly I wouldn’t want to live without it, so I won’t.  That product is of course Enhanced Super Digestive Enzymes and with my sharing gene in full swing, I am reducing the price of Enhanced Super Digestive Enzymes down from £23.25 to £20 for one day only.  Today.  One more thing, Shabir believes the digestive system is like a complicated chemical factory, so read his words about that on his article, linked below.
VH Editorial: Restoring Optimal Gut Health; Enhanced Super Digestive Enzymes £20 for 60 Capsules (Offer ends at midnight BST tonight, Saturday 9 October)

Let’s do the updates.  And there is still no sign of Triple Flu Defense+, so all I will say is that with the passing of each day we are closer to its arrival.  And on the subject of Everything Cleanser from NGS, the reason for the delay is because of packaging issues.  This issue is still rife across the health and beauty industry as the fall-out from the pandemic continues.  The good news, relatively speaking, is that the bottles are now back in stock, but there is a further delay as it has to stand in line as it waits to be filled with product.  We anticipate four weeks, but please don’t hold me to that because it’s a jungle out there.  As the wait list grows.  Unsurprisingly.
Everything Cleanser by NGS £25 for 237 ml (Wait List)

One more thing before we head into the Saturday only treat.  And I want to write about a product I have always loved.  Beat The Blues Room Spray is an uplifting fragrance spray that helps uplift your mood, almost instantaneously.  Loaded with Clary Sage, Rose Geranium, Tuberose and Petitgrain, it was formulated to help banish melancholy and mental anguish, and its soothing properties may also help balance emotions for a moment in time.  Its distinctive fragrance is such that many use it as a perfume, a happy perfume perhaps.

And because life continues to be difficult for so many, I would like to offer you an opportunity to experience the brilliance that is Beat The Blues Room Spray and I will do so by taking the price down from £29 to £20.  This is of course a limited-edition offer and I really don’t know how long it will last.  All I know is that Beat The Blues remains the bestselling product from Ilapothecary, and I can’t see that changing any time soon.  Or ever.  Actually.
Beat The Blues Room Spray £20 for 50 ml (Limited Offer)

I just want to say a few words here about the Saturday only treats.  There are times when I have to think long and hard about the products we gift.  I try to make them appropriate in order to support the words I write each week, but this week, I didn’t even have to think about it because I knew what I wanted to do, together with the reasons why.

We launched the original citrus fragranced Japanese Cleansing Cloud in the midst of the pandemic, for and on behalf of its creator, Jane Cunningham, aka British Beauty Blogger.  So many of us fell in love with this joyful cleansing bar, which transforms into a melting, balm-like oil.  We knew it would be a difficult journey because they are each hand-made, but notwithstanding that we went on to launch a second Cloud, which was fragranced with Yuzu and Nashi Pear. 

There were many times when I wrote that the Japanese Cleansing Cloud would make a very thoughtful gift, mostly because the Cloud has a great big smile on his face and there were so many of us who were not smiling.  And because I think it is good to smile if we can, and in support of World Mental Health Day tomorrow, with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p, I will send you one of the Japanese Cleansing Clouds.  I cannot tell you which Cloud you will receive because all orders and gifts are computer generated, but I will link both of the Clouds below, so you can read all about them.  As we reflect.
Japanese Cleansing Cloud (Original) £12; Japanese Cleansing Cloud (Yuzu & Nashi Pear) £12

If I may, I just want to end this by talking about change, because the world has changed and we have changed.  Of course change is frightening because the future is uncertain, but we forget that the future is always uncertain.  The words on that last sentence, are not mine.  They were Sally Brampton’s.  She wrote this article at a time when her own life had irrevocably changed, and I felt the need to share this with you this weekend in support and acknowledgement of the changes that so many of us are going through.
Change by Sally Brampton 

Finally, there are so many songs I could have chosen this weekend, but this song always reminds me of Sally.  It is Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds, because I feel so strongly that she is sitting up there in the sky watching over us.  I feel her presence around me almost every time I write, because her unconditional love and support will remain with me forever.  I have many friends in the sky, we all do.  And some of those were sent to the sky by others.  And we must never forget.  That truth.  Most especially this weekend.
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds by The Beatles; 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 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.