There is only one place for me to start this weekend because we are launching a new DoSe product today and I am beyond excited to introduce you to Ergothioneine Hand Cream. As so many of you know, I have always considered Ergothioneine to be a hero ingredient and I make no apology for repeating my words of last weekend when I wrote that Ergothioneine currently has one of the widest range of benefits of any single skincare ingredient.

So, a moment, in a long line of moments and in recognition of the efficacy of Ergothioneine, Ergothioneine Hand Cream celebrates the advancement of the key, active compounds which really do make a difference, and Ergothioneine really does make a difference. With Ergothioneine Serum being our bestselling skincare product, I have long been dosing hand creams, body lotions and moisturisers with Ergothioneine, as well as using it as a stand-alone product, so it made total sense to formulate a dedicated hand cream, or rather it made total sense to ask Shabir to formulate it for me and for me to share it with you.

I have been testing Ergothioneine Hand Cream for several months and it really delivers on promise, which I suppose is easy for me to say, except I honestly wouldn’t write those words if I didn’t believe them. So, taking a look at the formulation, Ergothioneine is joined by Alpha Arbutin and Vitamin F Forte, Ergothioneine because it protects against oxidative stress and pollution and because its antioxidant properties help defend hands against the visible signs of ageing.

Alpha Arbutin is a natural skin brightener, it helps target uneven skin tone and post-blemish marks and Vitamin F Forte is rich in essential fatty acids, so it plays a role in helping to nourish dry skin, improving hydration. Ergothioneine Hand Cream is fragranced, and derived from naturally occurring essential oils, Geranium Flower Oil has been included and that was my sole contribution to the formulation. I chose Geranium Flower Oil because it is such an uplifting fragrance, yet I was somewhat nervous about including a fragrance because I have extraordinarily sensitive skin. Somehow, and I don’t really understand why, my skin hasn’t reacted.

Ergothioneine Hand Cream is a treatment product, and I really wanted to call it Ergothioneine Hand Treatment, but apparently certain regulations won’t allow us to do that, yet having done a search, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of products with the word ‘treatment’ in the name. In the end I had to conform, I really didn’t have a choice, but notwithstanding that, it is most definitely a treatment product in all but name and as I invite you to ‘treat’ your hands, we are launching Ergothioneine Hand Cream at £16 and I will hold that price until midnight GMT, Monday 1 December at which time it will become £20.

This is a two-phase launch, so a caveat here to say that we have a limited volume of stock for this first phase and we will follow through with the second phase of this launch in approximately ten days.  I will of course update you in the coming days and if it does flip onto a wait list, and I'm not sure if it actually will, please accept my apologies and I suppose I could have held back this launch, but I chose not to.
DoSe Ergothioneine Hand Cream £16 for 75 ml (offer ends at midnight GMT, Monday 1 December or whilst stock lasts)

The story of Ergothioneine started many years ago when we launched Essential Youth L-Ergothioneine and in many ways we were making a stand against several nutrients which were being marketed at that time as anti-ageing formulations, yet we knew they only provided marginally positive benefits. Comparatively, the research and studies on Ergothioneine upheld the efficacy of this super antioxidant which helped combat oxidative stress, protecting against cellular damage.

Supporting healthy ageing, Ergothioneine is an amino acid which is found in most tissues of the body, with the highest concentration found in cells prone to oxidative damage and inflammation. As such the benefits of Ergothioneine include providing protection to the blood, bone marrow, eye lens, brain, liver and skin, yet it cannot be manufactured by the body and must be obtained from our diet.

Further to this, several observational studies confirm that higher levels of L-Ergothioneine are linked to a reduced risk of several age-related concerns and although the Ergothioneine story began several years ago, it is as important today as it ever was. It is a given that research and clinical evidence can often dictate the need to advance our thinking about various compounds, and collagen is a prime example of that, so in recognition of Ergothioneine's ongoing and profound contribution to healthy ageing, I am discounting Essential Youth L-Ergothioneine by 15% across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Ergothioneine Supplements: Benefits And Side Effects; Essential Youth L-Ergothioneine by Life Extension (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 16 November)

In all of this, it is important to recognise cutting-edge and pioneering formulations, and Essential Youth L-Ergothioneine deserves that recognition, as do so many of the Life Extension formulations which are scientifically-based. Our claim to fame is that we launched Life Extension in the UK many, many years ago and so another celebration, a celebration of long-standing relationships, ours and yours, as I throw a 15% discount across each of the Life Extension products this weekend.
Life Extension Products (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 16 November)

Most obviously I can’t write about each of the Life Extension products, but I do want to talk about Skin Restoring Ceramides because ceramides play an important role in protecting our skin, helping to bind together cells that make up the surface of skin. Ceramides have a long history of use in topical skincare products, based upon the fact that ceramides and lipids hold the skin’s barrier in place, thereby helping to prevent moisture loss and free radical damage. However, topical products cannot reach the levels of efficacy required to alleviate dry skin concerns, and as our ceramide levels decline with age, several studies support the need for oral supplementation.

Exploring the potential of wheat derived ceramides, scientists discovered that the ceramides in a specific wheat extract reached the outer cell layer from the bloodstream, significantly improving skin moisture levels and helping to reduce the discomfort of dry, ageing skin. Based upon double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, Life Extension launched the world’s first ceramide-rich extract of wheat after clinical studies proved that wheat ceramide supplementation measurably enhanced skin moisture levels. And so, Skin Restoring Ceramides, with a cautionary note that you should not take this supplement if you have a wheat-based allergy.
Skin Restoring Ceramides by Life Extension

One more product from Life Extension and that product is Neuro-Mag^®, a brain health supplement that delivers Magnesium L-threonate in an ultra-absorbable form of Magnesium to support cognitive health. It is a given that most forms of Magnesium are not readily absorbed into the nervous system, and in overcoming this obstacle, Neuro-Mag^® has been shown to boost Magnesium levels in the spinal fluid by an impressive 15%, compared to no increase with conventional Magnesium.

On from that, it is estimated that over 50% of those suffering from migraines have Magnesium deficiencies and Magnesium’s role appears to be linked to its role in muscle function, nerve relaxation and optimal valve functions within the arteries and veins. Magnesium also helps relax nerves and helps prevent the signals that are sent to the pain receptors in the brain. Magnesium is often described as an anti-stress mineral and it can also play a role in helping to treat postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), PHN being the damage to the nerves caused by the shingles virus.
VH Editorial: Treating Postherpetic Neuralgia; Preventing Headaches And Migraines; Neuro-Mag^® by Life Extension

Moving on, I often write about ear infections and they are particularly prevalent at this time of year.  The common causes of ear infections include poor immunity and ear infections often arise after a cold or a viral infection, respiratory tract infections and a lack of mucus production within the ear, which can often lead to ear infections.

The medical term for an ear infection is otitis media, the word 'otitis' stands for inflammation of the ear and the term 'media' means middle as the infection usually occurs in the middle ear canal.  Children often suffer from ear infections which is often due to the narrow passage that connects the middle ear to the nose, which can easily get blocked and symptoms in adults and children include ear aches, ear dischage, muffled hearing and a high temperature.

Ear infections are often treated with antibiotics, but in many instances ear infections may be viral and not bacterial in nature, negating the efficacy of antibiotics.  Here we recommend Wally's Natural Organic Ear Oil which are natural ear drops to help provide pain relief from earaches and these ear drops have been formulated with extensively researched ingredients including Mullein extract, Garlic oil, Tea Tree Oil and Echinacea extract.
VH Editorial: Ear Oil For Earaches And Infections; Wally's Natural Organic Ear Oil £16.95 for 30 ml

I think we should also take a look at tinnitus and Shabir discusses tinnitus in his article, linked below. I think it is important to establish that there is no cure for tinnitus, but there are several remedies which may help reduce the impact of this concern, two of which are Plantago Tincture and B12 Elite.

Plantago Tincture has been found to be useful for the treatment of tinnitus because it has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, astringent and demulcent properties, which explains its frequent use in helping to alleviate catarrh, sinusitis and many concerns affecting the nose and throat. It has also been found to help middle and inner ear infections as well as glue ear, so it can offer some relief for tinnitus. Plantago Tincture drops in price from £12.99 to £11 and a mention too for vitamin B12, because a lack of B12 is linked to many concerns associated with the nervous system, including tinnitus, and it should be noted here that our B12 levels decline with age.
VH Editorial: What Is Tinnitus; Plantago Tincture by A. Vogel £11 for 50 ml (for the interim); B12 Elite by Life Extension

Seasonal Gifts

I have been writing about seasonal gifts since September and I think I have written about most of the gifts available, although I will caveat that by saying that we haven’t received a few seasonal products, so I will write about them next weekend, or as and when they arrive. That aside, I don’t think I have written about Weleda’s Skin Food Cult Classics, so here it comes and containing two of their iconic products, Skin Food Original (30 ml), a rich intensive cream that helps restore softness, protecting against dryness and Skin Food Light (30 ml), a lightweight, fast absorbing lotion that instantly soothes and hydrates.
Skin Food Classics by Weleda £15

Sleep On It by This Works is a calming sleep first aid kit containing three products, Stress Check Roll-On (5 ml) to help ease tension, and the Deep Sleep and Sleep Plus Pillow Sprays (5 ml each) which have been formulated with Lavender, Chamomile and Vetiver. Sleep On It is £14 and it has a value of £26.
Sleep On It by This Works

One more, and staying on the subject of sleep, Dream To Sleep is a trio of sleep solutions and includes Deep Sleep Shower Gel (100 ml), Deep Sleep Body Cocoon (100 ml), formulated with the Deep Sleep fragrance of Lavender, Chamomile and Vetivert and Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (75 ml).  Dream To Sleep is £30 and it has a value of £62.
Dream To Sleep by This Works £30

In conclusion, I am following through from last weekend by splitting the seasonal gifts into categories and linking them below as we head into the Saturday only treat.
Stocking Fillers; Gift Sets; Luxury Gifts; Gifts Under £50; E-Gift Card

And so the Saturday only treat, and with every order placed for £35 or above, we will automatically include Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion (45 ml)* by Margaret Dabbs. Formulated to work on a treatment level, it has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and hydrating properties and immediately absorbs, moisturises and treats the skin of the feet. Product details below.
Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion

Going Back

Often when I’m writing, a song comes into my mind and I stop writing to listen to that song and I have done just that as I was writing about Dream To Sleep. The song is ‘Here Comes The Night’ which was released as a single in 1965 and it was a big hit for ‘Them’, whose lead singer was Van Morrison. The song was written by Bert Berns, who also wrote ‘Twist And Shout’ together with Phil Medley, ‘Hang On Sloopy’, ‘Piece Of My Heart’ and ‘Tell Him’.
Here Comes The Night by Them

Van Morrison subsequently left the band in 1966 to pursue a solo career and Brown Eyed Girl was released as a single in June 1967, which was produced by Bert Berns and released on Berns’ record label, Bang. In the same year, ‘Piece Of My Heart’ was recorded by Erma Franklin, Aretha Franklin’s younger sister, with Franklin’s original version making its UK chart debut in 1992, some twenty-five years later, thanks to it being used in a Levi’s jeans commercial. 
The VH Playlist; Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison; Piece Of My Heart by Erma Franklin

And there it is, a new launch, a celebration and a touch of nostalgia, so as I leave you, I wish each of you a wonderful weekend.

With love

Gill x