Hello, good morning and welcome to another Weekend Read where I am, once again, governed by your feedback.  If we are to stay true to who and what we are, it remains of great importance that I continue to take your lead, which means that in any number of ways you dictate the tone of these newsletters, which is how it should be if we are to remain relatable, so let’s go straight in with the products.

And where better to start than with one of our bestselling products, bestselling because it continues to help so many of you on so many levels. I’ve held back from writing about it for a few weeks because our stock levels were low and even as I am writing this, I am not sure whether we will be in stock by the time you read this, but ever the optimist, I will take my chances because even if it is stuck in customs, we should receive our delivery at the beginning of next week.  And if you think I’m talking about HA, I’m not, I’m talking about Superior Joints.

I think the last time I wrote about Superior Joints I mentioned that Shabir had tweaked this formulation because no matter how brilliant a supplement is, there must always be an opportunity to increase its efficacy based on research.  Originally formulated with clinically proven Natural Eggshell Membrane (NEM) to help provide joint pain relief for arthritis, knee pain, muscle pain and backache, Superior Joints now contains Vitamin C, which contributes to normal collagen formation, and Copper, which contributes to the maintenance of normal connective tissues on the understanding that cartilage is made up of connective tissue.

So, Vitamin C and Copper join NEM, Turmeric, Ginger, Tart Cherries and Hyaluronic Acid in one formulation with proven anti-inflammatory properties and clinically proven benefits.  The clinicals on NEM state that most people should experience some pain relief within ten days, but I am going to caveat that by saying that it can, and probably will, take longer so please allow time for it make a difference, which it will do for the vast majority.  What will also make a difference is a drop in price, so with Shabir’s article on Superior Joints linked below, I am dropping the price from £30 to £27 across the weekend, with or without stock.  It’s the way we roll.
VH Editorial: Read This If You Suffer From Painful Joints; Superior Joints £27 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 16 July)

Staying on subject, we obviously receive many emails regarding any number of health concerns with a high percentage of those emails seeking advice on contra-indicating with prescribed medication, which is a critical criterion.  I absolutely promise you that unless we could offer that level of knowledge and service, we wouldn’t be doing any of this, most especially because so many health and wellbeing issues are potentially life-changing, which leads me to talk about eye health as, once again, I am led by you and your questions.

There are many issues around eye health, but if there is one thing that we know, it is that Hyaluronic Acid is incredibly beneficial for eye health.  Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is found in the vitreous fluid in the eyes and one of the first HA medical products was intended for use in eye surgery, most specifically for cataract surgery where it was used to speed up the healing process following surgery.  Today HA is found in many topical eye solutions, but oral supplementation remains key because our levels of HA decline with age and HA is required to help support the structures of our eyes.

Giving a specific example, eye floaters are associated with the ageing of our bodies and the fluids within the eye.  I am not going to do chapter and verse on this, I’ll let Shabir do that, but we think it is pretty essential to take a strong therapeutic dose of absorbable HA.  And if we are doing specifics, then Nutrof Total is a supplement which has been formulated to reflect the findings of the Age Related Eye Disorder Study (AREDS).  Nutrof Total sits as an adjunct to HA, although it can be used as a stand-alone.  It contains antioxidant nutrients to help protect our vision alongside its role to help support various eye disorders including eye floaters.
VH Editorial: Eye Floaters And Flashes; Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength £35 for 30 Capsules; Nutrof Total by Spectrum Thea £14.99 for 30 Capsules

I think it must be about a year since I wrote about Vizulize Eye Wash, so in context I just want to say that this eye wash is perfect for soothing irritated and sensitive eyes, most especially if you suffer from hay fever.  It can also help alleviate the discomfort of dry and tired eyes and the formulation is pH balanced to the eye’s tear fluid, which is important.  With life being as it is, so many of us spend rather a lot of time in front of our computer or mobile screens, so in fact this could become a daily ritualistic event, the cleansing and soothing of our eyes. Vizulize Eye Wash is safe to use with contact lenses and it comes with an eye bath.  It’s a thing.  Another thing.
Vizulize Eye Wash £4.20 for 300 ml

In a whole long list of things, let’s talk about some products that have been absent for quite a while, but they are now back in stock.  I honestly can’t remember when we launched 10 Day Results, but it was several years ago and we did so because their formulations were specifically targeted for differing health concerns. There was one formulation that really stood out and that was 10 Day Get Well, Stay Well and it’s a bit of an epic product.

10 Day Get Well, Stay Well is a comprehensive formulation to help boost the immune system and in so doing it helps to shorten the duration of both bacterial and viral attacks.  High levels of stress and a lack of sleep are just two factors which can lead to a compromised immune system and this can happen at any time of the year, not just during the winter months.  Containing therapeutic doses of Echinacea, Astragalus, Elderberry, Vitamin C and Zinc, the dosage is high for the first ten days in order to get well, dropping to a lower dose to stay well.  Which basically is the whole idea here.  One for the medicine cabinet.  I think so.  So does Shabir.
10 Day Get Well Stay Well £25 for 60 Capsules (drops from £27 and this offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 16 July); All 10 Day Results Products

Right, hold on tight because I am now going to take you through a series of offers, gifts and new products and I’ll start with Symprove.  With its unique delivery system, Symprove is a multi-strain non-dairy drink containing lactic acid bacteria to help maintain digestive health and replenish ‘friendly’ bacteria in the gut.  Containing four species of live bacterial cultures, Symprove offers a four-week programme containing four x 500 ml of this liquid probiotic and it comes in three different flavours, the Original, Strawberry & Raspberry and Mango & Passion Fruit.

Symprove is a gut supplement rooted in science.  There are no quick fixes when it comes to gut health and there are many gut concerns that we are all aware of, one of which is explored in an article linked below.  So, with that covered off all that remains is for me to tell you that we are offering a 20% discount across each of the Symprove products this weekend.  For clarity, we have listed Symprove at £75 for quite some time, which is a £4 drop from the recommended retail price.  So, the 20% discount is applied to the discounted price and not the full retail price.  Additionally, if any of the three products go into pre-order status over the weekend, we will of course still honour that discount.
VH Editorial: What Is Diverticular Disease; Symprove Products (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 16 July)

Last weekend I wrote about how so many individual supplements address various issues and that is certainly true of Diosmin Plus.  Whenever I write about Diosmin Plus I nearly always refer to its efficacy for Varicose Veins, Spider Veins, Haemorrhoids and Restless Leg Syndrome, but it’s also beneficial for those with heavy legs, most especially when it is used in conjunction with a dedicated topical product, so let’s take a look at that topical product, because the key ingredient of both products is Horse Chestnut, which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Venagel Horse Chestnut Gel has been formulated for the relief of tired, aching legs.  It is an easily absorbed gel and it provides cooling relief to legs that feel weary, heavy and uncomfortable.  The gel base allows the active ingredients to penetrate the tissues in order that the benefits can be felt almost immediately.  It can also be used on long journeys, most especially if you are flying, as well as in the heat.  And a double treat as I drop the price of Diosmin Plus down from £28 to £25 and Venagel drops from £13.99 to £12.
Diosmin Plus £25 for 60 Capsules; Venagel Horse Chestnut Gel by A. Vogel £12 for 100 grams

In continuation, let’s do Fulvic.  Last weekend I wrote about the wound-healing properties of Fulvic Body Lotion and of course that also applies to Fulvic Face Cream, the luxurious age-defying peptide face cream that nourishes and hydrates skin.  It is one of our bestselling beauty products, which really doesn’t surprise me because it just does what it’s meant to do for so many of us in its own inimitable way.  Keeping it simple.

And keeping it simple is, I believe, the key to skincare because I just don’t see the need to load several products onto your skin, which can be counter-productive.  Most of you know that I always spray my skin with Fulvic Acid Mist after cleansing and I do use serums, but I tend to dose them into Fulvic Face Cream, because that seems to work better for me.  More on that in a moment, but for now if you buy Fulvic Face Cream, we will automatically include Fulvic Nail Cream as a gift.  Please ignore the sell-by date on the packaging of Fulvic Nail, as I wrote a few months ago this date was incorrectly stamped onto the packaging and it actually expires in July 2025.
VH Editorial: Fungal Toenails Treatment; Fulvic Face Cream £30 for 60 ml + Free Fulvic Nail Cream (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 16 July)

Serums.  Because I dose, I have several serums, which means that I can pick and choose dependent on how my skin feels on any given day.  I rarely use serums on their own unless I am testing, which is a whole different scenario, but for the purposes of this conversation I would like to throw the focus on Super Bakuchiol Serum, which is a natural alternative to Retinol.  I am not going to have another podium moment, but I don’t like acids, I have never liked acids and although Bakuchiol bears no structural resemblance to Retinol, it has been shown to work on similar pathways without causing irritation, which is so important for those of us with super-sensitive skin.

The first published study testing the benefits of Bakuchiol appeared in the International Journal for Cosmetic Science in 2014 using a patented Bakuchiol material, Sytenol A at a strength of 0.5%.  Since that time, Sytenol A has been through extensive safety testing and has been the subject of several clinical studies, which is why when we launched Super Bakuchiol Serum, it was absolutely essential to use Sytenol A in that formulation in accordance with the clinicals.  Anyway, at the end of all of this, I dose this serum into Fulvic Face Cream as and when, and having made that statement I am offering you 45 ml of Super Bakuchiol Serum for the price of 30 ml.
VH Editorial: Bakuchiol, A Natural Alternative To Retinol; Super Bakuchiol Serum by Garden of Wisdom for VH £17 for 45 ml (whilst stock lasts)

Having mentioned that I like the simple things in life, this too is simple and it goes like this.  Together with Sarah Stacey, I have been campaigning about the safety of eyelash growth enhancers for over fifteen years.  For ease I have linked Sarah’s article below, which was written some time ago and having launched Natucain’s Lash and Brow Serums at that time, I am offering you a 20% discount across each of the Natucain products and that includes their Hair Activator Growth Serum.  Wrapped.
The Natural Eyelash Growth Enhancer That’s Safe And Really Works by Sarah Stacey; Natucain Products (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 16 July)

Nothing is ever straightforward in life it would seem, and so a conundrum.  And that conundrum involves Thyme Out.  As many of you will have noticed, the packaging has recently changed on this product, which is all well and good.  Except all was not well and good when we received our latest delivery because half of it arrived in the new packaging, which is shown on our site, and the other half arrived in the old packaging, which is not shown on our site. 

I can absolutely assure you that it is only the packaging that is old, not the actual formulation, so this is what we are going to do.  Given that many of you would like Thyme Out in your lives, most especially because it helps deal with so many summer health concerns, I actually want the old packaging out of my life because it is just too confusing.  So, whilst stock lasts, I am offering you Thyme Out in its original packaging for £13, which is a drop of £5.  And that will be the end of that.  Over is over.  And it could all be over in an hour or so, if not earlier.
Thyme Out £13 for 200 ml (original packaging)

And it was all over pretty quickly last Saturday because we went out of stock of Pure Nail Strengthening Treatment by Margaret Dabbs, so I’m sorry if you landed on a wait list.  Pure Nail Strengthening Treatment sits perfectly alongside Fulvic Nail Cream, so that sorts that one out, but there is more.  As ever, we honoured all orders placed last weekend and included the free gift, which was the Super Shiner Buffer, worth £9.  So let’s have a bit of fun and continue that offer across this weekend too.  We need fun in our lives and we also need to feel that we are acknowledged.  I’m big on acknowledgement because it really does make a difference.
Pure Nail Strengthening Treatment by Margaret Dabbs London £16 for 9 ml + Super Shiner Buffer (worth £9) (whilst stock lasts)

Despite the fact that this will probably make my head thump, I am going to write about Aurelia’s Aromatic Repair & Brighten Hand Cream, which is a scientifically advanced hand cream.  It is a deeply hydrating and nourishing hand cream and it helps diminish the signs of pigmentation.  I cannot write from experience on this one because my allergies won’t allow me to, but I do know that many of you love it rather a lot.  And the reason why my head will probably thump is because I am lowering the price down from £29 to £19 and it is a very limited offer, so if it fails to go into your basket, you will know that the offer is over.  Amen.
Aurelia’s Aromatic Repair & Brighten Hand Cream by Aurelia (Was £29, Now, £19 whilst stock lasts)

The final fling and we are going to do a new product launch from Neom.  It is their Super Shower Power Body Polish which exfoliates, buffs and smooths skin.  Neom suggest using it in the morning as an invigorating wake-up call, I wouldn’t restrict its use to the morning, but that’s me.  It is loaded with hard-working ingredients such as ground coffee and organic oat milk, the latter of which is rich in Vitamin E.  Fragranced with Spearmint, Rosemary and Eucalyptus essential oils, it is gentle enough to use daily and if you wish to do so I am launching Super Shower Power Body Polish at £25, which is £3 less than the recommended retail price of £28.  I’m done.
Super Shower Power Body Polish by Neom Organics £25 for 150 ml

Into the Saturday only treat and with every order placed for £30 or above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include Temple Spa’s Be Gone Cleanser (7 ml).  I am listing the product below so you can read all about it, but just to say that it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits and its ingredients include Cucumber, Basil and Liquorice.
Be Gone – Face Cleanser by Temple Spa

As I wrote at the beginning of this newsletter, I am governed by your feedback and although we receive a high volume of emails every day, they are not all about products.  If we are to be, then we cannot be without conversation and without communication.  We need to talk about life experiences, we need to share sadness, joy and achievements.  We cannot be singular because it is far too narrow and we need to enable and support each other in all that we do.  There has to be a vision, a creative vision which is all encompassing.  So let us be that vision.  And between us let’s make that a strong vision.

One of my most favourite visions is sharing music because I believe it bonds us.  I receive so many emails about the music we share and last weekend was no exception.  The weekend belonged to Bruce Springsteen, of course it did, and there we were, the lovers of Springsteen exchanging emails and thoughts after he played Hyde Park.  There is something so incredibly special about that sharing and there is something so incredibly special about this song.  So let me leave you with the words of this song, because I really do see all of us in my dreams.  I always have.
I’ll See You In My Dreams by Bruce Springsteen; The VH Playlist

With love.

Gill x