Well, here we are and it is one month to the day since we launched Collagen Tripeptide Complex on the Weekend Read, so I just want to talk about that for a moment.  Every launch is different, that much is a given, but for me it goes beyond launching new and pioneering formulations, it is a way of being, our way of being, a way of being which demonstrates the importance of honouring a given narrative, and I honestly don’t believe you can honour that narrative without the extensive research and clinical evaluation which supports that narrative, thus enabling us to stand in the truth of our being.

It is in that truth that we are able to offer guidance and support based upon a philosophy rooted in ancient wisdom and scientific evolution, the scientific evolution which allows the advancement and acceptance of complementary medicine, yet it also allows a philosophy of being true to vision and concept.  Intent and purpose are critical to vision and in the words of Mahatma Gandhi: ‘Be The Change That You Wish To See In The World’.  Simplicity in vision.  Simplicity in concept.

Collagen Tripeptide Complex enabled that simple vision and we were able to demonstrate that change with the validation of clinical evidence, the clinical evidence which supported the advancement of collagen as a compound. There is no doubt in my mind that collagen tripeptides (CTPs) will become the ‘gold standard’ for collagen supplementation in the fullness of time because they far exceed all other forms of collagen in terms of bioavailability and efficacy, a simple statement, a simple truth.

And just perhaps leading by example allows and invites the change that I fervently wish for each of us, a change where serious consideration of any given formulation is acknowledged without the blurring of the financial initiatives which so often determines the excessive, unsubstantiated acceptance of mediocrity.  I will not accept mediocrity and I will never stop campaigning about the basic tenets of transparency, most especially because we are talking about our health and wellbeing.  With that said, I want to follow through with some words and thoughts, which will all come together at the end of this section, as these things do.

I am slightly deviating here, but I want to talk about longevity and healthy ageing because it is well documented that our levels of NAD+ decline with age.  NAD+ is the second most abundant molecule in our bodies, after water, and since its discovery in 1906, scientists have been analysing various compounds, seeking compounds which have the ability to support our levels of NAD+.  Several compounds have been researched in recent years, including Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) and Nicotinamide Ribose (NR), but significant advancements have been made since that time, and that includes the discovery of the innovative and pioneering compound, RiaGev®.

RiaGev® is a patented compound which has been clinically proven to out-perform NMN and NR on many levels and having the ability to survive the digestive process intact, it significantly increases bioavailability.  RiaGev® supersedes all that has gone before in its genre and it is the key ingredient in NAD+ Generator, where it targets all three biomarkers for healthy ageing, namely NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide), ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) for energy and GSH (Reduced Glutathione) for antioxidant support.

So, this all comes together with an echo of the words I wrote when we launched Collagen Tripeptide Complex, because both NAD+ Generator and Collagen Tripeptide Complex are formulations based upon extensive research, clinical evaluation and the scientific evidence required to support evolutionary advancement.  It really matters that we honour the healthy ageing process with the integrity and ethos of a vision held, so with every order placed for Collagen Tripeptide Complex across the weekend, we will automatically include NAD+ Generator (15 capsules), which has a value of £16.  Thus honoured.
VH Editorials: Does Your Collagen Supplement Contain Collagen Tripeptides; Are NAD Supplements Beneficial?; DoSe Collagen Tripeptide Complex £45 for 90 Capsules + DoSe NAD+ Generator (15 capsules) Worth £16 Free (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 16 March)

Moving on, I want to talk about a common health concern which affects rather a lot of people, most especially those over the age of sixty.  Diverticular disease is, in most cases, free from recognisable symptoms with the exception of chronic constipation, which seems to be a common symptom, although other symptoms may include intermittent and unpredictable griping lower abdominal pain, which is often accompanied by a fever.

The main causal factor for diverticular disease is thought to be a lack of fibre, which can lead to constipation.  It is here that stagnant food causes the release of toxins which can inflame the walls of the intestines, making it more susceptible to infection.  Increasing dietary fibre is therefore important and foods such as bran, cereal fibres and root vegetables should be included in daily consumption, but we also recommend supplementing with Complete Fibre Cleanse, which contains a blend of soluble and insoluble fibres together with mucilages which help soothe inflammation in the gut, cleansing it of lodged matter in the walls of the intestines.

The human gut hosts hundreds of bacteria, some beneficial, others not so and the bad bacteria are usually kept in check by the beneficial bacteria which produce lactic acid, inhibiting the bad bacteria from thriving.  In diverticular disease there is often an imbalance, with the bad bacteria overgrowing, which is referred to as dysbiosis.  This bacterial overgrowth, along with stagnant faecal matter inside the pouches of the intestinal wall, has been shown to contribute to inflammation and infection, so it is critical to achieve bacterial balance in order to reduce intestinal inflammation.

Symprove is a water-based multi-strain probiotic which contains four unique strains of live activated bacteria, presented in a delivery system that ensures that the bacteria survives the strong acidic environment of the stomach.  Symprove has been the subject of several independent clinical trials and we recommend it not only for diverticular disease, but for IBS too, where it has been shown to relieve the symptoms of IBS in 60% of sufferers within twelve weeks.  And so, in a wrap, Complete Fibre Cleanse drops in price from £26 to £23 and save up to £79.99 on Symprove products.
VH Editorial: What Is Diverticular Disease; DoSe Complete Fibre Cleanse £23 for 168.8 grams (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 16 March); Symprove Products

I want to stay with probiotics and take a moment to talk about the importance of ongoing research in this field, and it is important because such research has determined that differing probiotic species have specific roles to play in the body, including elevating mood, helping to prevent gum disease as well as providing cardiovascular protection.  Mega Probio, our bestselling probiotic, is a broad spectrum probiotic, containing eight species of friendly bacteria that can colonise the gut after passing through the harsh environment of the stomach, working on both the upper and lower half of the gut, offering numerous health benefits, including the enhancement of immunity.

We have always considered Mega Probio to be a core supplement and it can be taken alone, or as an adjunct to specifically targeted probiotics, which Shabir discusses in his article linked below.  I often write about Florassist Mood Improve because this can be safely taken alongside prescribed anti-depressants, yet Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is an interesting strain too, and it is a probiotic strain originating from the human intestinal microbiota, which has been the subject of more than 760 scientific studies and 260 clinical trials, where it has been shown to be beneficial for skin disorders such as acne, rosacea and eczema and allergies associated with food sensitivity.

I think the easiest thing for me to do here is to refer you to Shabir’s article, linked below, where each specific strain is discussed, together with the recommended probiotic for each individual health concern, including Travel Biotic to help prevent traveller’s diarrhoea.  And keeping things easy, I am going to offer a blanket 15% discount across all products mentioned in the article, and that includes Mega Probio for those who may have missed the offer last weekend. 
VH Editorial: What Can’t Probiotic Supplements Do (All products in article discounted by 15% and this offer will end at midnight GMT, Sunday 16 March)

Right, that’s the supplements done, but having mentioned Travel Biotic, we are heading into the holiday season, well the Easter holiday season, so I would like to introduce you to Altruist, founded by Dr Andrew Birnie, a British dermatologist, which offers sun protection for all skin types.  Altruist ticks all the important boxes, providing high-quality skincare with broad-spectrum sun protection with both UVA/UVB defence in fast-absorbing, non-greasy formulations, which are coral-friendly, eco-friendly, cruelty-free and free from oxybenzone and octinoxate. 

With a focus on effectiveness and affordability, I think the hero product will be the Invisible Sunspray SPF 50, a broad-spectrum UVA and UVB sunscreen (PPD 42) which offers fast-absorbing, invisible coverage which is perfect for daily use on adults and children from the age of two.  Invisible Sunspray is £6.75 for 200 ml and although it’s difficult to predict, I have a feeling that Face Fluid SPF 50 might do rather well too, not least because it helps prevent skin damage and the formulation includes vitamin E, which helps fight oxidative stress.  Face Fluid SPF 50 is £10.95 for 50 ml and the SPF 30 version is £8.50 for 50 ml.  And glory hallelujah, they are fragrance free.
Altruist Products

Actually, having written a couple of weeks ago that you can dose serums into SPF, you may wish to dose Face Fluid with one or two serums and here I would choose Ergothioneine Serum as one of those serums, although of course we are all different.  There is something deeply satisfying about customising skincare, but there is also something deeply satisfying about sharing formulations which make an exceptional difference to the health of our skin, and because it is one month to the day that I wrote that Ergothioneine Serum inhibits MMP-1, the collagen destructing enzyme, which is really important, Ergothioneine Serum drops from £26 to £22 once again. 
VH Editorial: Ergothioneine Serum And Its Benefits For Skin; DoSe Ergothioneine Serum £22 for 30 ml (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 16 March)

In June of last year, I wrote about Universal Oil from Lixirskin in the context of it being a simple multi-tasking solution-based product with many attributes.  Taking a look at those attributes, I wrote that it could be used all over the body as an effective way to hydrate skin, it could be used as a bath or shower gel and if you mixed it with salt or sugar, either would do, it became a body scrub, as if by magic.  The stand-out difference between Universal Oil and most other oils was that it was a rinseable formulation and as such it could be used as an oil treatment for the scalp and hair.

I am writing in the past tense because in one final fling, we dropped the price of Universal Oil from £39 to £20 in a limited edition offer before it floated up to product heaven.  And that was that, except it isn’t quite the end of the story because in a moment rather akin to Bobby Ewing returning from the dead in that infamous shower scene from Dallas, Universal Oil has also returned from the dead, as it were, because a hidden stash was discovered, but it’s not a very large stash, so if you loved Universal Oil, one more opportunity to have this in your shower before the end really is the end.  And over is over.  Amen.
Universal Oil by Lixirskin £20 for 100 ml (whilst stock lasts)

Let’s stay with Lixirskin for one more paragraph, and all I really want to say here is that we have always kept our curation of skincare brands extremely tight, but it’s not only about keeping our curation tight, it’s about honouring those brands and products which really do make a difference and really do stand out in the crowd.  Sure, I’m biased, we launched Lixirskin, but that bias is based upon ingredient integrity and efficacy and in recognition of a collective commitment to supporting extraordinary brands, we are offering a 15% discount across all Lixirskin products this weekend, with the exception of Universal Oil, which is a stand-alone offer.
Lixirskin Products

A few more things before we head into the Saturday only treat, the first of which is a reminder that Temple Spa’s Windows Of The Soul drops in price from £35 to £25 until midnight BST, Monday 31 March, the second is that the new Lanolips Lip Oils are an absolute triumph and finally because I am forever writing about eye health, I have a new product to share with you, and it’s rather fabulous, not least because it comes from the same stable as the brilliant Hypochlorous Eyelid Spray, which I have a thing about, as per my words last weekend. So, let’s take a look.

Advanced Triple Action Drops are preservative-free eye drops, which are lipid-based to provide instant relief and long-term hydration. Specifically formulated to address the three key factors which contribute to dry eyes, they strengthen the lipid layer, they maintain tear film stability and they prevent excessive dryness, offering immediate comfort. Providing optimal ocular health, they are suitable for use with evaporative dry eye, chronic dry eyes, meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), blepharitis and inflammation and are loaded with a powerful blend of active ingredients, including Sachi Inchi Seed Oil, HA and Trehalose. And that is that.
Windows Of The Soul by Temple Spa £25 for 15 ml; Lanolips Hyaluronic Lip Oil Raspberry £10.99 for 6 ml; Lanolips Hyaluronic Lip Oil Honey £10.99 for 6 ml; Advanced Triple Action Eye Drops by The Eye Doctor £15 for 10 ml (approximately 300 drops)

Into the Saturday only treat and with every order placed for £35 or above, excluding p&p, we will automatically send you Olverum’s Bath Oil (5 ml)*, which is renowned for its luxuriously therapeutic qualities and exotic fragrance.  The formulation contains natural plant extracts including soothing Siberian Fir Needle and calming May Ching, helping to ease tension in the body.  Product details below.
Olverum Bath Oil

And suddenly it’s 1986 all over again.  Happy weekend.
Dallas Theme Song; The VH Playlist

With love

Gill x