Hello.  As you are reading this, I am in LA and as such I wrote this Weekend Read before I left London.  So a few things to say, the first is that I am leaving LA very soon, but not soon enough to respond to all the Saturday morning emails, so forgive me, but you need to know that I’m not ignoring you.  The second thing to mention is that for obvious reasons, I am unable to give you feedback from the last Weekend Read, but we’ll catch up on all of that next week, provided my eyes are still open.  And the third thing to say is that Shabir and Lara are with me in LA as we are attending a health exhibition. 

It remains to be seen whether or not we discover any new pioneering products, but rest assured I will be telling you about them if we do.  It’s really not a given, but regardless it is important to gain a depth of understanding as to what is happening over on the other side.  Meanwhile what is happening on this side is that I have another new launch to tell you about, so here it comes.

And it’s a comb.  So as I introduce you to the EarthKind Organic Rubber Comb, I will tell you that this is a dream of a comb and it’s a dream of a comb because it will help prevent hair breakage and split ends which can occur when using traditional combs and brushes on wet or dry hair.  So let’s take a look at the detail and of course the difference this comb can make to the health of your hair and scalp. 

Being made of rubber, it is extremely durable, which is important because the teeth that are made for a typical plastic comb separate much quicker than rubber, which can damage the protective cuticle scales on the surface of the hair.  This is one of the causes of hair splitting and breaking.  The teeth from the EarthKind comb are cut out with a precision laser saw, meaning that the surface of each tooth is perfectly smooth and glides over the hair like silk, whereas the manufacturing of plastic combs will often result in sharp ridge lines being formed on the teeth of the comb, thus causing cuticle damage.  It is also brilliant for helping to remove tangles in hair.

In full transparency the EarthKind Organic Rubber Comb is rather late to the party.  The intention was to launch this comb alongside the Elasticity Bar because they were made for each.  It wasn’t anybody’s fault, the logistics just went slightly wrong, as is so often the case.  But never mind that, the comb has now arrived and its arrival heralds a new way of treating our often fragile hair, with respect.  And it is with that same respect that we embrace the partnership between the Organic Rubber Comb and the Elasticity Bar, but let’s not stop there because you can use this comb in so many different ways, not least combing conditioner through our hair.  In the shower.
EarthKind Organic Rubber Comb £17.50; Elasticity Bar by EarthKind £12.50; Shampoo Bars by EarthKind

So with the new mission of learning how to treat our hair with respect discussed, we are heading into National Sleep Awareness Week and with World Sleep Day being on 19 March, I thought we should take a look at this subject matter today.  A few months ago I wrote about the importance of trying to get into a regular sleep pattern, as evidence-based studies had suggested that it would be hugely beneficial if we went to sleep at around 10 pm each evening.  Although at certain times circumstances dictate otherwise, I have in fact been adhering to this recommendation for several years and I feel so much better for doing so.  And I love the stillness of 6 am mornings.

Of course that is the ideal, but in reality the struggle to sleep is ongoing for so many and stress plays a major role in the inability to rest properly.  I think I want to start here by referring you to Shabir’s article, the signs and symptoms of sleep loss, which I have linked below.  There are many health concerns where not all products will work in the same way for everybody.  Sleep is one of those concerns and so is eczema, but it’s sleep we are talking about here, so we are going to look at various options.  And because Shabir references Cherry Night in his article, I will begin by dropping the price of that supplement from £27.75 to £23.75 across the weekend.
VH Editorial: The Signs And Symptoms Of Sleep Loss; Cherry Night by Viridian Nutrition £23.75 for 150 grams (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 13 March)

I have written about this clever little tincture before, but I am doing so again because Passiflora Complex Drops were formulated to help address sleep disturbances and anxiety.  Passiflora is blended, and strengthened, with Avena Sativa, which is a traditional mild sedative, so you can either use these drops as an adjunct to supplementation, or as a stand-alone.  And running alongside is the Sleep Botanical Tincture by Blooming Blends, which several of my friends swear by.  So having told you that, I am dropping the price of Passiflora Complex Drops from £10.85 to £9.50 and the Sleep Botanical Tincture from £22 to £18, across the weekend.
Passiflora Complex Drops by A. Vogel £9.50 for 50 ml; Sleep Botanical Tincture by Blooming Blends £18 for 30 ml (offers ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 13 March)

Staying on subject, I am so excited to announce another new product launch from ilapothecary.  Last week it was the inimitable Beat the Blues Candle, and we follow through this week with ilapothecary’s Deep Sleep Pouch.  There are many natural effective sleep remedies that can help calm, ground and promote a good night’s sleep and the Deep Sleep Pouch contains three of those products, namely Amethyst & Magnesium Bath Soak (40 grams), Calm Butterfly’s Soothing Balm (50 grams) and SOS Pearl Drops (15 ml). 

Seems we are ‘dropping’ all over the place, but the SOS Pearl Drops are seriously therapeutic for all forms of stress and anxiety, not just for sleep issues, and they can also be used to help alleviate fear.  Promoting deep sleep, the Amethyst & Magnesium Bath Soak is loaded with mineral-rich salts blended with powerful reparative relaxing oils, which will help support the relaxation of muscles and will also help ease nervous tension.  Finally, the Calm Butterfly’s Soothing Balm is an all-purpose panacea which can also help ease tension, soothe headaches and calm the mind.  When in bed apply onto the chest area and on your temples and forehead.  And so to sleep.

You may well want to drift off as you are reading this, but please don’t because I need to tell you that as part of this exclusive launch, we are offering you the opportunity to buy the Deep Sleep Pouch at £45.  We will extend this launch offer until midnight GMT next Friday, 18 March, at which time the price will become £52.  I suppose it could be a good idea to be prepared for World Sleep Day next Saturday.  I was just about to write that we could make a pact to sleep all day, but I then realised that perhaps that wouldn’t really be a very good idea because nobody would be awake to read the Weekend Read.  Which would be tragic.  And lonely.
Deep Sleep Pouch by ilapothecary £45; Beat The Blues Candle by ilapothecary £54 for 30 cl (40 hours burn time)

Last week I promised that I would continue to support you wherever I could with some of our bestselling products, so this week I want to uphold that promise and I’m doing so with Limitless Plus.  Limitless Plus is one of the most effective nootropic supplements available, in our opinion.  Well it would be really because Shabir specifically formulated it to help improve memory and recall information when we are stressed; it also helps protect the tissues of the brain.  There is a whole science behind nootropic supplementation, so as I link you to Shabir’s article on that subject, I will take the price of Limitless Plus down from £32 to £28, with all further information on the product page. 
VH Editorial: Nootropics For Sharper Brain Function; Limitless Plus £28 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 13 March)

In mode, I am also going to take the price of Astaxanthin With Phospholipids down from £14 to £12.  Following the format, I am linking Shabir’s article about Astaxanthin below, but it needs to be said that there are several reasons why this is one of our bestselling supplements.  Given that it is a powerful antioxidant, it helps to optimise immunity, cardiovascular health, eye health and limb mobility.  Of course it does so much more, which you will read about, but it is also beneficial in helping to protect ageing skin, alongside Hyaluronic Acid.  The Holy Grail, in my humble opinion.
VH Editorial: Astaxanthin Protects The Whole Body; Astaxanthin With Phospholipids by Life Extension £12 for 30 Softgels (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 13 March); Hyaluronic High Strength Capsules £35 for 30 Capsules

In this week’s Health Notes, Sarah discusses dementia.  Writing from personal experience, Sarah’s father was diagnosed with non-Alzheimer’s dementia in 1999, and was mostly anxious and confused.  She found it draining and distressing as she tried to follow his thought processes.  Sadly Sarah’s father died some years ago, but as you will read, she failed to find good advice in any book, yet now there is such a book.  And as she read it she found herself weeping as it offers a loving and acceptable way of interacting with people with dementia.  The book is called Contented Dementia and it promotes ‘wraparound care’.  The importance of which is profound.
Supporting People With Dementia by Sarah Stacey  

Let’s do a few beauty treats.  Three of them in fact and I am going to begin with a rather fabulous treat from Garden of Wisdom, well we think it’s fabulous.  And it goes like this.  With any Garden of Wisdom product bought, we will automatically include a 30 ml size of the Daily Hydrator.  Daily Hydrator contains Sodium PCA, which is a major component of the skin’s natural moisturising fact (NMF).  Acting as a humectant to bind moisture to the skin’s cells, it is joined by Hyaluronic Acid which serves to provide surface hydration, and Ceramides which help replenish the skin’s natural lipids and help to restore elasticity in the skin.

So that’s the lowdown on the product and here are the logistics.  This is a limited offer and as such there is only one Daily Hydrator per customer, I like to keep things equitable.  I honestly don’t know how long this offer will last, but I can only guess that it won’t be that long.  For transparency, if the Daily Hydrator fails to show up in your basket when you place your order for any of the Garden of Wisdom products, that will mean the offer is over.  And I’m wondering what will be the bestselling product from the range.  I’ll find out when I get home.  And I’ll tell you next week.  If I remember.
Garden of Wisdom for VH

Everything’s coming up roses.  Dr Hauschka’s Nurturing Rose Skincare is a collection of three products.  These are Rose Day Cream (30 ml), Hydrating Hand Cream (30 ml) and Eye Make-Up Remover (18 ml) and they come together in a pretty Dr Hauschka cosmetic bag.  These products are particularly beneficial if you have dry skin and the Rose Day Cream contains the extract of over 1,075 rose petals in each tube.  Full information on the product page, but perhaps the most important thing to say here is that this skincare collection has a value of £53, but it drops to £35 whilst stock lasts.  A present perhaps.  A mere suggestion.
Nurturing Rose Skincare by Dr Hauschka £35

Onto the third treat, and it’s Green People’s Purifying Face Mask.  This mask has just been released and it is a reformulation from their previously named Coconut Charcoal Purifying Face Mask.  The activated charcoal is still there as it helps to deeply clean pores and it is joined by Bentonite Clay, Alpine Willow, which discourages acne bacteria and Oat Lipid, which is rich in ceramides.  Once again with all further information on the product page, we launch this new formulation by taking the price down from £22 to £16, with a dedication to unbalanced skin.
Purifying Face Mask by Green People £16 for 50 ml (whilst stock lasts)

It has been quite some time since I have written about the many attributes of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV).  There are many myths about ACV, but it should be noted that the ACV which is widely available is clear and devoid of the nutritional ‘mother substance’, although nobody will really tell you that.  Such products have been filtered and distilled, going through a heat process that strips its nutritional content.  It is for this reason that we recommend Organic Apple Cider Vinegar by Higher Nature because it contains the ‘mother’ substance, which obviously makes the difference we would expect from such a well-researched and important ingredient.

For ease, I am going to link Shabir’s article on ACV below and with that said I am going to take the price of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar down from £9.90 to £7.50.  It needs to be said that it is an acquired taste, but you do get used to it.  If you can’t get used to it, we would recommend Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies by Goli Nutrition, or if you want to go sugar free, then we recommend Sugar Free Apple Cider Gummies.  So standing in line, I am dropping the price of Goli’s Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies from £18.95 to £14.95 and the Sugar Free Apple Cider Gummies drop from £17.95 to £13.  The choice, as ever, is yours.
VH Editorial: The Health And Beauty Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar; Organic Apple Cider Vinegar by Higher Nature £7.50 for 500 ml; Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies by Goli Nutrition £14.95 for 60 Gummies; Sugar Free Apple Cider Gummies by New Nordic £13 for 60 Gummies (offers end at midnight GMT, Sunday 13 March)

As we are nearing the end of this Weekend Read, I want to just say a few more words about the sleep issues that so many of us have.  At the same time I would like to acknowledge the brilliance of Harriet Inglis, founder of Spacemasks, and Ross J. Barr, the creator of Sleep Patches.  They have both bought us products that address sleep problems, which also help promote relaxation, and although they obviously don’t function in the same way as prescribed medication, they exist in order to help aid sleep.  So I am bringing them together.  A joyous moment.

And this is what I am going to do.  I am taking down the price of the Sleep Patches from £15 to £12 and I am going to throw in a single Spacemask with each packet of Sleep Patches sold.  And just to give you the option, if you prefer, you can order a box of Spacemasks and I’ll throw in a single Spacemask with each box sold.  I think that’s quite straightforward.  And if you want to take advantage of both options, of course you can, but I just hope we have enough for everybody.  Otherwise it will be me who has a sleepless night.  But that goes with the territory.  
Sleep Patches by Ross J. Barr £12 for Ten Patches + One Single Spacemask Free; Spacemasks £16.50 for Five Spacemasks + One Single Spacemask Free (offers end at midnight GMT, Sunday 13 March)

Into the Saturday only treat we go and this week with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include Ameliorate’s bestselling product, Transforming Body Lotion*.  This is a 50 ml version of the product which was created for all who suffered from Keratosis Pilaris (chicken skin).  Since its launch, it has gained a huge following for those who have dry skin as it is clinically proven to help increase moisture levels in the skin.  Full product details below.
Transforming Body Lotion by Ameliorate £24 for 200 ml

And that’s it.  As I’m writing this it is Wednesday 2 March, which is ten days ahead of release.  Darkness continues to descend upon our world, and because of the time lapse, there may well be an omission of some important words.  But wherever we are in the world, we shall stay close and continue with the love and support that is so needed by so many.

With love to each of you.

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.