Well, I’m overwhelmed, yes I am overwhelmed by your response to the last Weekend Read, because I couldn’t have loved writing it more, so I really want to thank you for your incredible love and support, which really made me emotional, but as I often write, I am emotional, sometimes over-emotional, but I’ll take that.  I am of course referencing the third part of the Weekend Read where I lost myself in nostalgia and music, but we can all lose ourselves in music and I’ve written another section about music at the end of this newsletter as I retain the heading ‘The Weekend Read With Gifts And Songs’, because it fits and because it might just become a forever fit.

With that said, my emotions were also on the line when I wrote the first section about the lack of corporate governance and the impact on SMEs.  I detest injustice, and perhaps that explains why I will often jump on my self-appointed podium to talk about what really happens behind the scenes of the health and beauty industry.  Actually, and with a touch of amusement, it’s a bit of in-joke between me and the Beauty Bible girls, Sarah Stacey and Jo Fairley, because they were recently talking about Triple Vitamin C on their site, and they put the product on a podium in tribute to my podium rants, which you can see, and read, on the link below.  Almost blushing.  Almost.
Beauty Bible: Fab Find Of The Week; DoSe Triple Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid £17 for 30 ml (drops from £20 across the weekend; offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 17 August)

In all seriousness, I continue to be appalled at the lack of research and due diligence carried out in health reporting and I find it extraordinarily uncomfortable to read and I suppose the answer to that is to stop reading it, but I have to do my own due diligence for balance.  In all of this, and as I referenced last weekend, none of us can do any of this on our own and we are supported by some exceptionally wonderful people, such as Sarah and Jo, who have my deepest respect because, in effect, they are supporting each of us, often behind the scenes, which I will write about one day, but not today because I need to write about some health concerns.

So, let me begin by talking about eye health, a health concern which will affect each of us at some point in our lives.  I recently wrote about Nutrof Total, which is an outstanding supplement to help and protect eye health and I’m mentioning it again here because it is important to talk about age-related vision loss and having referenced eye floaters and flashes a few weeks ago, today I am referencing night driving, which is often associated with age-related vision loss.

There are of course many precautionary measures that can be taken, and if you have noticed any changes in your eyesight, it is really important to consult with an optician who may well prescribe corrective lenses or prescribe specific glasses to help reduce the glare when driving at night.  But on from that, and as I have previously written, we can help protect our eyes against age-related vision loss by taking a supplement which carries most of the nutrients recommended by the AREDS 2 Study (Age-Related Disorder Study) and that supplement is Nutrof Total, which drops in price from £16.99 to £14.99 across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Are Your Eyes Up To Night Driving; Nutrof Total £14.99 for 30 Capsules (offer ends midnight BST, Sunday 17 August)

Following through, I can’t write about eye health without mentioning Hyaluronic Acid (HA), and I have written about HA so many times across the past few weekends, it must appear that I am on a mission.  But actually, I am on a mission because I have to stay true to my long-standing belief that HA is a crucial nutrient for healthy ageing, all forms of healthy ageing and that includes our eyes, so here I will repeat message by saying that levels of HA have been found to be lower than normal in people suffering from dry eyes syndrome.

Hyaluronic Acid helps to give shape and volume to the eyes, and with HA being present in the vitreous humour, a jelly-like compound in the eye it encourages lubrication, but it also helps to remove inflammatory compounds and because dry eyes syndrome is considered to be an inflammatory associated concern, it definitely supports dry eyes syndrome, but it also supports optimal eye health, notably because our levels of HA decline with age, so it’s important to supplement our levels of HA, and with that said I am going to follow through with some words about skin health and the ageing of skin.
VH Editorial: Dry Eyes Syndrome

Skin ageing is a multi-faceted process, impacted by lifestyle, dietary choices and genetics, that much we know, yet we also know that there has been a notable increase in clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy of supplementation to help support skin health.  The exploration of compounds to support skin health is fascinating due to the intricate ways compounds can impact and improve skin health, but advancements in delivery systems are also critically important as they enhance the efficacy and stability of these compounds.

I have often written that the formulation of Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength includes the patented extract BioPerine®, to improve the absorption and bioavailability of HA, so it would also seem appropriate to talk about Collagen Tripeptide Complex, which has its own specific delivery system.  In the first instance, it is important to say that while collagen peptides have traditionally been considered the best form of collagen, collagen tripeptides from marine sources have now been clinically evaluated and recognised as a superior form of collagen since collagen tripeptides are absorbed in greater amounts than collagen peptides.

Collagen Tripeptide Complex has been formulated with highly bioavailable marine collagen tripeptides and bioavailability is increased because collagen tripeptides are far smaller than collagen peptides, but they are also shielded from stomach acids because they are delivered in a patented enteric-coated capsule designed to resist stomach acids, ensuring that the collagen tripeptides are able to reach the bloodstream in their optimal form.  It is these advancements that determine efficacy, and it is these advancements that help to make a difference to the health of our skin.

I think it is also important to say that although I have thrown the focus on skin health, both HA and Collagen Tripeptide Complex address several other health concerns, as do many forms of supplementation.  However, as I have thrown the focus on skin health, I am linking an article below which talks specifically about skin supplementation and because HA and Collagen Tripeptide Complex are both included, I am having another moment, and the moment concludes with me saying that with every Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength bought, we will automatically include Collagen Tripeptide Complex (42 Capsules) free, which is worth £21.
VH Editorial: Beauty Supplements To Boost Your Skin; DoSe Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength £35 for 30 Capsules + DoSe Collagen Tripeptide Complex (42 Capsules) Free (worth £21) (offer ends midnight BST, Sunday 17 August)

I just want to come in here to say that I know I did an offer on Collagen Tripeptide Complex last weekend, but there are times when a given subject matter determines choice, and I choose to reciprocate your support and loyalty in this way.  It is a way of being we have shared throughout the decades, but it is also a way of being that enables and supports an ethos of only ever recommending the cutting-edge and pioneering products which we believe really do make a positive, if not profound, difference to our health and wellbeing.

And with that said, we are now going to talk about another cutting-edge and pioneering product, and that product is Liposomal CoQ10 and it is pioneering because whilst most CoQ10 supplementation is formulated using ubiquinol, a reduced form of ubiquinone, ubiquinone is generally considered to have far greater efficacy for cardiovascular health.  Numerous studies have indicated that CoQ10, as ubiquinone, can improve mitochondrial function, systolic performance and other key cardiovascular parameters in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Most specifically, in several clinical trials, CoQ10 has demonstrated a reduction in cardiovascular mortality in patients with heart failure, and with most studies investigating the cardiovascular benefits of CoQ10 using ubiquinone, those extensive studies have also shown that CoQ10 can help reduce the adverse effects of statins, particularly muscle pain, in patients with cardiovascular disease.  Additionally, ubiquinone has greater stability than ubiquinol, and it is for each of these reasons that we formulated Liposomal CoQ10 using ubiquinone, rather than ubiquinol, significantly increasing bioavailability and efficacy.
VH Editorial: Choosing The Right Co-Enzyme Q10; DoSe Liposomal CoQ10

Co-Enzyme Q10 is important for the optimal function of the body, but it is also required by every single cell of our bodies and it is one of three formulations in the DoSe Liposomal range, the other two being Liposomal Vitamin C and Liposomal Glutathione.  Liposomal Vitamin C is naturally derived and it has been formulated with Quali™-C, a high-quality, pharmaceutical grade vitamin C, combining Sodium Ascorbate and Ascorbic Acid for immediate and long-term benefits, contributing to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, helping to reduce tiredness and fatigue, while also supporting the normal function of the immune system.
VH Editorial: The Best Vitamin C Supplements; DoSe Liposomal Vitamin C

The third product in the liposomal series is Liposomal Glutathione, an antioxidant which is often termed ‘the master antioxidant’ because it helps to mop up damaging free radicals.  Our levels of Glutathione decline with age, in line with many of the compounds we discuss, and as with CoQ10, it is required by every single cell of our bodies, so here we have used a clinically studied form of Glutathione, Setria® Glutathione, a pure and safe form of Glutathione, which has been shown to increase levels of Glutathione.

And as we come to the end of this section, I am throwing a 15% discount across all three DoSe liposomal formulations, across the weekend, ending at midnight BST, Sunday 17 August, as I reiterate our trust and belief in clinically evaluated compounds that really do make a difference to our health and wellbeing.  And I suppose I could be writing that ad infinitum, but there is no point whatsoever in offering guidance on health issues if that guidance fails to accept and demonstrate the importance of evidence based research.  And that was a podium moment.  Easily identifiable. 
VH Editorial: Liposomal Glutathione: Benefits & Side Effects; DoSe Liposomal Glutathione

Reverting to skin health, a few words about the DoSe Collection of skincare products which we launched last weekend, so following through, I want to thank you once again for your response.  There can be no doubt that skin health is confusing, so it was important to take confusion out of the equation which, in effect, allows relatability, enabling considered and thoughtful solutions for the health of our skin.  And halfway through last weekend, I decided to retain the 15% discount on each of the collections through this past week and that 15% discount will run throughout this weekend too, ending at midnight BST tomorrow, Sunday 17 August.
DoSe Collection

Right, two or three more things to report and the first is that Derma E have just released five new products, including their Retinol Line Smoothing Hydro Gel Patches, which are specifically formulated to target fine eye lines.  Formulated with Retinol and Bakuchiol, these eye patches are infused with soothing Rose Water and calming Hibiscus Flower Petals to deeply hydrate and refresh the under-eye area.  The four other products are Vitamin C Foaming Oil Cleanser, Vitamin C Whipped Radiance Polish, Vitamin C Luminous 2-in-1 Primer and Mini Vitamin C Concentrated Serum, and for ease they each sit in the ‘New’ category, basically because they are new.
Retinol Line Smoothing Hydro Gel Patches by Derma E £29.99 for 60 Gel Patches; New Products

I think it is fair to say that each brand has its own unique following and although we have always kept our brand curation extraordinarily tight, we have supported This Works for the longest time, well since inception actually, and so this.  If you spend £30 or above on any This Works products we will automatically include their Perfect Hand Intense Moisture (75 ml), which has a value of £20.  This is a limited edition offer, so if this gift fails to go into your basket, that will mean that the offer is over.
This Works

Staying on subject, let’s do iS Clinical and this one is easy.  For once, I am not writing a dedicated love letter about the efficacy of the iS Clinical products, I’ve done that often enough, so instead all I will say is that their Cleansing Complex is the global bestselling product in the range, it always has been, so when you buy any iS Clinical product, we will automatically include the travel size Cleansing Complex (60 ml).  Once again this is a limited edition offer, there is only one gift per customer and as above, if this product fails to go into your basket, that will mean the offer is over.
iS Clinical

Into the Saturday only treat, and this week is lucky dip week, so with every order placed for £35 and over, excluding p&p, we will automatically include one of several gifts* we have to share.  These gifts are computer generated, so I cannot be specific, but whatever gift you receive, I hope you enjoy using it as we head into the final section of the Weekend Read.  

Continuing our 60s love fest from last weekend when I wrote about Sue Mautner and her podcast, She’s With The Band, I said that I would hold back her three other chosen songs, and this is the first of those three songs.  ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’ was of course written by the indomitable Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and I honestly don’t think I can write about Carole King and Gerry Goffin without linking two more of their songs, the first of which is ‘I’m Into Something Good’ performed by Herman’s Hermits and the second is Goin’ Back by Dusty. Actually, let’s do one more, Loco-Motion by Little Eva.
She’s With The Band; Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by The Shirelles; I’m Into Something Good by Herman’s Hermits; Goin’ Back by Dusty Springfield; Loco-Motion by Little Eva

And a thought.  Perhaps I should give up on health reporting and start writing about music under the heading ‘Going Back’ not only in tribute to Dusty, but in tribute to all the cultural icons who have enriched each of our lives with their music throughout the decades.  Actually I can do both, why not, so in further tribute to ‘Going Back’ I am linking ‘Island Of Dreams’ performed by The Springfields, where Dusty was joined by her songwriter brother, Tom Springfield, and Mike Hurst.  The Springfields were the springboard for Dusty’s solo career and they announced their retirement in October 1963 live on the variety show, Sunday Night at the London Palladium.
Island Of Dreams by The Springfields

I am leaving it there, well almost there, but in coming weeks, Gerry And The Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer And The Dakotas, The Searchers, The Dave Clark Five, The Everly Brothers, The Hollies, Gene Pitney, The Yardbirds, The Monkees, The Kinks and Donovan.  And I’ve barely scratched the surface with that roll call, so let me end with this.  According to sales data compiled by the Official Charts Company, the biggest selling single of the 60s was ‘She Loves You’ by The Beatles, followed by ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, the latter of which was the Number One Christmas single of 1963 in the UK.  No surprises there.
VH Playlist; She Loves You by The Beatles; I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles

Have a wonderful weekend.

Gill x