As I write this Weekend Read, I am overwhelmed by your response to last Saturday’s Weekend Read where we launched Icon Skincare in the UK, for and on behalf of Bryan Johns and Alec Call, the co-founders of iS Clinical.  As so many of you know, we have launched some of the biggest brands in the world, yet in today’s world a launch is expected to perform within hours and is measured in likes, shares and algorithmic reach, but it is also dependent on whether a fifteen-second clip lands before the next fifteen-second clip pushes it out of sight and I find this world genuinely difficult to recognise. 

If I’m honest, I am not sure that I actually want to recognise it, yet in all of this, what has struck me the most about your response to Icon is how many of you acknowledged the story itself, because through the years we have been quietly moving towards slower, deeper human stories and Icon Skincare is one of those stories.  I don't think that's nostalgia speaking, I think it is something of a relief to embrace the things which take time to become true, rather than engineering a narrative that merely appears true.

I have always believed that real authenticity cannot be manufactured or filtered, and so, embracing the moment, I am linking below a conversation with Bryan, where I asked him what it felt like to rediscover Madam Renna's prescriptions and what Icon means to him, beyond the formulations. We touch on some of the products too, but more than anything, I wanted to share the poignancy of a story which feels, in its own inimitable way, like the renaissance of an era steeped in timeless relevance.
Gill Meets Bryan Johns 

Following through on my words from last weekend, I truly believe we are ready for something different, and that we are ready to rediscover what skincare really means to us. Not a routine performed for the sake of appearances, not a regimen dictated by trend or filtered into something it never really was, but something closer to ritual, something that asks us to slow down rather than rush through, and something that, in its own quiet way, restores the self-belief which can be so easily misplaced in the constant noise around us.

In many ways, MilkIt Cleansing Powder resonates because although Bryan created it from a recollection of his mother's dressing table, it is more than that, because for so many of us milk cleansers were the ritual of childhood skincare before any of us really knew what skincare even was. A time of innocence perhaps, but it sits in stark contrast to today's generation who are growing up immersed in a culture of filters, algorithms and curated perfection before they have even had the chance to discover who they are without them.

I find that contrast quite sobering. For us, it was rather different; we came to skincare, if we came to it at all, through memory and ritual and, for some, the gentle imitation of a parent at a dressing table. Perhaps that is yet another reason why Icon's philosophy feels so important right now, not as nostalgia for its own sake, but as a quiet act of resistance against a world that asks us to perform long before we've had the chance to simply be, to feel comfortable enough in our own skin that we no longer need the comparison to feel we are enough.

Icon is a story about patience, about friendship, about two people who found something extraordinary and chose to wait until it was ready, rather than rushing it into the world simply because they could.  Throughout the weeks and months, we will continue talking about Icon, but whichever Icon product finds its way to you, I hope that it will carry just a little of the story behind it.
Icon Skincare: The Products

Unsurprisingly, Icon Skincare launches with the very same philosophy that has guided every single DoSe formulation.  The same patience, the same unwillingness to launch something simply because we could and the same belief that a product earns its place through evidence and honesty rather than through noise.  We have never set out to fill a category simply because a category existed and we have only ever formulated products where we believed there was a genuine, and efficacious, difference between the pioneering, cutting-edge formulations we endorse and recommend and generic, mass-market products.

And so, liver health and Milk Thistle Complex.  Most basic and generic milk thistle supplements are formulated with a single ingredient, standardised Milk Thistle extract, which delivers Silymarin, a potent antioxidant with powerful anti-inflammatory properties, and not much else.  Rather than relying on a single compound, Milk Thistle Complex works synergistically combining the liver-cleansing herbs, Dandelion, Artichoke and Milk Thistle, with N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), Curcumin and Choline.

It is important to say that while Milk Thistle remains the foundation of the formulation, Silymarin itself contains several compounds.  Research has shown that a compound called ‘Silybin’, is the most active component within Silymarin. Historically it has been poorly absorbed by the body, yet ongoing research has determined that the seeds of the Milk Thistle plant are where this complex of compounds is concentrated.  It is the quality and standardisation of that seed extract, rather than the plant itself, that determines the efficacy of liver-cleansing formulations.

Milk Thistle Complex contains a therapeutic strength of Milk Thistle extract together with Milk Thistle seeds, enabling an extensive range of beneficial compounds, but it’s also important to acknowledge the role of each of the compounds in this formulation. Artichoke contributes to improving liver function, Dandelion has a long traditional history of supporting liver health, NAC has liver-protectant properties and is often recommended to help remove heavy metals, Curcumin extracts are known to help protect against liver injury and Choline contributes to normal liver function and the maintenance of normal lipid metabolism.

Normal lipid metabolism is important because it helps support the liver’s own ability to process and clear fat efficiently, so it is this combination of compounds, rather than any single compound working in isolation, that makes Milk Thistle Complex an important and comprehensive formulation.  With each compound addressing a different aspect of liver health, we have long recommended liver cleansing because a healthy liver keeps us well and supports everything from digestion and energy production to the clarity of our skin. And with that said, Milk Thistle Complex drops in price from £20 to £17 across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Milk Thistle For Liver Detoxification; DoSe Milk Thistle Complex £17 for 30 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Monday 3 August) 

Returning to Icon Skincare, the three signature ingredients used across most of the products in the range are Royal Jelly, Honey and Propolis, so I am taking a moment to discuss the importance each of these ingredients play in skin health.  Revered for centuries, Royal Jelly nourishes and rejuvenates at a cellular level and is a potent antioxidant, rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, plant compounds with significant antioxidant properties, which help fight the damage caused by free radicals, including the visible signs of premature ageing.

But it is a particular fatty acid, 10-Hydroxy-decenoic acid (10-HDA), which is perhaps the most compelling and important compound in Royal Jelly.  Found nowhere else in nature, research suggests 10-HDA can help restore the skin’s barrier, reduce inflammation and significantly increase moisture content in skin, working synergistically with Honey, which hydrates and softens, drawing moisture into the skin and helping it stay there.  Propolis steps in to protect and calm, bringing its own antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties so, in effect, each of the three signature ingredients play a distinct role, rather than simply repeating what the others already do.
Take One Honey Cleanser by Icon Skincare £29 for 150 ml 

As you will see, I have linked Take One Honey Cleanser above, basically because it is where all three signature ingredients come together for the very first time in the Icon Skincare ritual, but moving away, I want to have a separate discussion about another form of honey, Manuka Honey, and a personal story behind it.  If you are squeamish, perhaps you should jump a couple of paragraphs, but I will set the scene by saying that I recently sliced the side of my finger off when I was slicing cucumber on a mandolin.  It would not stop bleeding, so in a rather dramatic style, Lara rushed me to A&E with my finger wrapped in several layers of kitchen roll.  Smart.

Two doctors, one little finger, they couldn’t have been kinder and holding up a dressing, they asked if I knew what it was, and I did, it was a Manuka Honey dressing.  Manuka Honey’s strength is the role it plays in active wound care, as it has powerful antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and tissue-regenerative properties creating an optimal healing environment by inhibiting harmful bacteria and lowering wound pH which helps reduce swelling. 

I’m not quite finished telling the story, but before that story concludes, I am linking an article about the causes of leg ulcers and the healing role Manuka Honey plays.  Leg ulcers are open sores on the foot that look like red craters on skin and being breaks in the skin, they are unable to heal by themselves and are often accompanied by inflammation.  Most specifically they are often located on the side of the foot or on the tip of a toe. 

Some of the most common causes for leg ulcers include circulatory problems, diabetes and peripheral neuropathy, where nerve damage occurs in the legs and feet.  Manuka Honey is renowned for wound healing, it has extensive antiseptic properties and is ideal for treating leg ulcers, where it should be applied directly onto the ulcer, covering with a plain dressing.  And although I am writing specifically about leg ulcers, Manuka Honey can also be used on wounds, sores, venous ulcers, sunburn, cuts, as per my finger, and grazes.
VH Editorial: Causes And Treatment For Leg Ulcers; Manuka Honey Rescue Cream by Dr Organic £12.49 for 50 ml

Back to my story, and although I have a protein-rich diet, the doctors recommended that I should supplement that diet with protein powder for at least two weeks to support the healing process.  Protein is essential for wound healing because the body needs amino acids, the building blocks protein breaks down into, to actually construct new tissue.  Healing a wound isn’t passive, it is an active building process, and several distinct phases of the process depend heavily on protein.

On from that, antibodies, the proteins our immune systems use to fight infection, are also built from amino acids, so it follows that by increasing protein, the immune system is able to help keep the wound site clear of infection while it heals.  Clinically, it is well established that a protein deficiency is associated with slower wound healing, reduced wound strength and a higher risk of poor wound healing.  I recently wrote about the importance of protein for those taking GLP-1 medication, so it arrives again, in a different, yet important, context.
VH Editorial: Why Protein Is Important; Organic Whey Protein Powder £26 for 400 grams

Onwards, and for the month of August, we are offering a 20% discount across two brands, Optimel and The Eye Doctor, each of which throw the focus on eye health, together with a 33% discount on Symprove. There is also a 20% discount across Solgar and the August offer from TEMPLESPA is Trufflelixir, a super luxe luminosity serum which drops from £95 to £50. Each of these offers end at midnight BST, Monday 31 August.
Optimel; The Eye Doctor; Symprove; Solgar Vitamins; Trufflelixir by TEMPLESPA £50 for 30 ml

And with a nod to formulations with wound healing properties, Fulvic Body Lotion is an exceptional product that falls into that genre. I know that I’m biased, given how long we have championed Fulvic Acid and its remarkable properties, but bias aside, the science holds up because Fulvic Acid has long been recognised for its ability to support the skin’s natural repair processes, working at a cellular level to help calm irritation, soothe compromised skin, while helping to assist the body’s own healing mechanisms.

Fulvic Body Lotion with its two breakthrough skin hydrating technologies, Synastol TC and HydroSynal DOI, joined the Fulvic family in 2020, and although I tend to separate out the Fulvic haircare products from the rest of the range, Fulvic Mist, being representative of the Fulvic story, delivers the same remarkable density of Fulvic Acid and trace minerals that define the entire range. Although it was primarily formulated as a treatment for thinning hair and hair loss, Fulvic Mist works beautifully on skin too, so I am gifting Fulvic Mist (60 ml), worth £12.50, with every Fulvic Body Lotion purchased across the weekend.
Fulvic Body Lotion £20 for 200 ml + Free Fulvic Mist (60 ml) (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 2 August)

Finally, and before we head into the Saturday only treat, skin health has never been about a single product working alone, it is about every layer, topically and orally, working quietly together.  If I could choose one supplement to ‘marry’ Icon Skincare, it would be Hyaluronic Acid as it plays a vital role in supporting the skin’s own ability to hold onto moisture from within, working alongside the deep hydration that Royal Jelly, Honey and Propolis already bring to the surface.  Celebrating integrated skin health, when you buy Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength, we will automatically include an extra 15 capsules free, which is worth £17.50.
VH Editorial: Benefits Of Hyaluronic Acid Supplements; DoSe Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength £35 for 45 Capsules (15 capsules free) (offer ends at midnight BST, Monday 3 August)

So, the Saturday only treat, and with every order placed for £35 or above, excluding p&p, we will automatically send you a gift*, an unspecified gift, because our gift cupboard is rather full, and this is how we roll.  I hope you enjoy the gift you receive and as we come to the end of this Weekend Read, we are singing. Together.
Roll With It by Oasis; The VH Playlist

Have a wonderful weekend.

With love 

Gill x