Hello, it’s Saturday 19 October and the headline news is that Superior Joints is now back in stock after its rather lengthy absence, for which I can only apologise.  Last weekend I wrote about ongoing issues with raw ingredients and this is compounded with manufacturing issues, not specific to Superior Joints, but specific to the ongoing difficulties of manufacturing costs, which seriously impacts process and production, yet this is not just confined to the health and beauty industry, and I think we are all aware of that.

So that’s the background information, and I can’t tell you that I was thrilled about it, but I have further news, positive further news, and that news is that Shabir has tweaked the formulation and in line with ongoing research, Superior Joints now contains Manganese alongside the original specialised ingredients, such as Natural Eggshell Membrane (NEM) which has been clinically proven to reduce pain and stiffness, together with a higher dose of vitamin C.

Manganese is a trace mineral which displays powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and it is essential for joint health because its combined properties not only help to protect the joints, but it also helps to alleviate pain associated with inflammatory disorders, such as osteoarthritis.  The efficacy is heightened considerably when it is combined with the glycosaminoglycans which are naturally found in NEM.  And Vitamin C, well Shabir has whacked up the dose to 155 mg per two capsules, which is a perfectly safe level and furthers our belief that Superior Joints is in a league of its own in its specific genre.  And that’s an amen.
VH Editorial: Painful Joints; DoSe Superior Joints £30 for 60 Capsules

Let’s continue with skin health, and I will begin this conversation by talking about compromised skin concerns because there is compelling, and ongoing, research indicating that eczema is associated with a faulty skin barrier.  This defect in the skin’s barrier allows irritants and bacteria to enter the skin causing inflammation, but at the same time it allows the skin to dehydrate, which in and of itself is a tremendously common concern, so let’s take a look. 

The skin’s barrier is composed mainly of ceramides and lipids which hold the skin’s barrier in place, preventing moisture loss and free radical damage, but ceramide levels naturally decrease as we age and over a decade ago scientists explored the potential of oral supplementation, using wheat derived ceramides.  Research indicated that wheat derived ceramides reached the outer cell layer from the bloodstream, significantly improving skin moisture levels and lessening the discomfort of dry, ageing skin and on from that extensive research, clinical studies proved that wheat ceramide supplementation measurably enhanced skin moisture levels.

Returning to compromised skin concerns, ceramide supplementation has been proven to be effective in combating the itching and inflammation caused by eczema and psoriasis, and it has also been shown to normalise skin surface lipids, helping to reduce chronic dry skin.  The other thing to say here is that according to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), treating the liver may also help improve the appearance of skin which is prone to psoriasis, which is where I am going next with Milk Thistle Complex, but before we do that, I am dropping the price of Skin Restoring Ceramides from £25 to £22, across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Beauty Supplements To Boost Your Skin; Skin Restoring Ceramides by Life Extension £22 for 30 Liquid Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 20 October) (caution: please do not take if you have a wheat allergy)

Across the years I have often written about the importance of doing a liver cleanse periodically, with the suggestion that this should be done two or three times a year.  The liver is one of the most crucial organs in the body and it is critical to the optimal function of all processes carried out in the body, including its role in the detoxification of toxins.  Staying with compromised skin concerns, blood stagnation in the liver can cause inflammation, with inflammation being the root cause of many health concerns, including inflammatory skin concerns.  But there is more. 

And that more is that I want to return to TCM and from a TCM perspective the liver is associated with depression, resentment, misplaced anger and injustice.  I wrote about this in 2021 after a conversation with Ross J. Barr at a time when we were just the other side of the pandemic and lockdowns, and in clinic Ross was treating excessive grief, trauma and heartbreak, which was perfectly understandable, and actually still is, so together we were recommending Milk Thistle to help calm and balance our emotions. 

There is most definitely a connection between our emotions and our organs and it is often said that the liver is the most abused organ in the body, so please allow me to repeat my words from 2021.  I cannot wave away depression, resentment, misplaced anger or injustice, but if Milk Thistle can help to bring a touch of balance in this difficult world, then that would be a very good thing.  So as I drop the price of Milk Thistle Complex from £18 to £15, confirmation here that it can be taken on an ongoing basis if required, and actually I feel that many of us do require.
VH Editorial: How To Heal Your Liver; DoSe Milk Thistle Complex £15 for 30 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 20 October)

Moving on, and throwing the focus on Zinc, Zinc is the tenth most common element in the human body, it is found in every single cell of the body and it is vital for the functioning of more than three hundred hormones and many enzyme systems.  Our red and white blood cells, bones, kidneys, pancreas and liver all store Zinc and it also plays a vital role for cells to divide and replicate during the production of new tissues and although Zinc is probably best known for its role in fighting colds and flu, it has a wide range of benefits, including the crucial role it plays in supporting optimal immune system function.

Running through some of its other attributes, Zinc is an important component of the powerful antioxidant produced by the body known as Copper/Zinc Superoxide Dismutase and ongoing research has indicated that a Zinc deficiency is associated with impaired brain function. With current evidence indicating that about 20% of the world’s population is deficient in Zinc, supplementation is an important consideration, most especially because this mineral is necessary for the repair of our genetic material, including helping skin to heal, and most specifically here I want to talk about Zinc’s wound-healing capabilities and leg ulcers.

Leg ulcers are open sores on the foot that look like red craters on the skin and these breaks in the skin fail to heal by themselves and may be accompanied by inflammation.  Leg ulcers need to be treated urgently because they can become infected with serious consequences, as they can develop into an abscess and spread through skin and into the bone which can lead to the death of the tissue.  In this context several small studies have implicated a Zinc deficiency and the poor healing of wounds, so in a Zinc deficiency wrap, we recommend Terranova’s Zinc Complex which drops in price from £14.84 to £13 for the interim and Medihoney Antibacterial Wound Gel to help heal leg ulcers.
VH Editorial: Zinc Supplements: Uses, Side-Effects And Benefits; Causes And Treatment For Leg Ulcers; Zinc Complex by Terranova £13 for 100 Capsules; Medihoney Antibacterial Wound Gel by Comvita £10.99 for 25 grams

An ingredient focus now and we are going to throw that focus on Siberian Ginseng and although it has multiple benefits, the biggest single use of Siberian Ginseng is its ability to increase energy.  Supporting the central nervous system, it is well established that cellular energy requires the production of the Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecule which is manufactured within every cell of the body, with the adrenal glands primarily responsible for secreting energising hormones and enzymes.

Siberian Ginseng works to stimulate those enzymes, thus addressing the symptoms of low energy and fatigue and although it is widely available in differing forms, it is important to take the correct therapeutic dose for efficacy and here we recommend Sibergin.  This formulation offers 500 mg of Siberian Ginseng extract derived from 2500 mg of standardised Siberian Ginseng herb and it contains the full spectrum of ginsenosides found in the herb, which is also important.  Dubbed as ‘rocket fuel’ many years ago by the Beauty Bible girls, Sibergin is a powerful adaptogen and it drops in price from £17.99 to £15.99 for the interim.
VH Editorial: The Benefits Of Siberian Ginseng; Sibergin by HealthAid £15.99 for 30 Capsules (caution: please do not take if you have uncontrollable high blood pressure or an autoimmune condition such as Crohn’s or rheumatoid arthritis)

I often write about adaptogens, so being succinct I am linking Shabir’s article explaining adaptogens and as the name suggests, adaptogens can help your body adapt and adjust to physical, chemical or biological stress.  In identifying specific adaptogens, KSM-66 Ashwagandha Plus from Wild Nutrition is another outstanding example of a powerful adaptogen and KSM-66 is the world’s most scientifically studied form of Ashwagandha, so let’s have a moment of recognition for KSM-66 and Wild Nutrition’s ethical stance about food-state supplementation and as we align, after my words last weekend, I am throwing a 20% discount across all the Wild Nutrition products.
VH Editorial: Adaptogens; KSM-66 Ashwagandha Plus; Wild Nutrition Products (offer ends at midnight GMT, Thursday 31 October)

Onwards, and having written about the importance of ceramides and lipids above, I have news, Lixirskin news and that news is the launch of a new collection of products, the Skin Supplement Collection which have been formulated to address the skin’s deficiency in essential molecules.  The first product to launch is Essential Lipids, an ultra-rich lipid blend of ceramides, essential fatty acids, phospholipids, phytosterols and glycerides to help repair and soothe dry and dehydrated skin.

Helping to replenish the lipids of the cell membrane to help build a strong epidermal wall to restore compactness and retain water, Essential Lipids will help reduce the effects of inflammatory mediators by mimicking the 3D lipid structure that traps water to repair the skin barrier.  Once again, this is all about skin health, but here it is about topical skin health and Essential Lipids can be used as a stand-alone, massaged until absorbed, or you can add it to Universal Emulsion.  And to celebrate, when you buy Essential Lipids, or any Lixirskin product, we will automatically include Electrogel Cleanser (30 ml) with your order, whilst stock lasts, with only one gift per customer.
Essential Lipids by Lixirskin £28 for 15 ml; Universal Emulsion by Lixirskin £32 for 50 ml; Universal Emulsion by Lixirskin £49 for 100 ml; Lixirskin Products

Right, the ongoing seasonal gift section and I will begin with Aurelia’s Nourishing Lip & Handcare which includes their Probiotic Lip Balm (15 grams) and one of their bestselling products, the Aromatic Repair & Brighten Hand Cream (75 grams), which is a scientifically advanced hand cream which helps diminish pigmentation.  Also from Aurelia, their 3 Step Discovery Set contains the hero Miracle Cleanser (30 ml), Revitalise & Glow Serum (15 ml) and Cell Revitalise Day Moisturiser (30 ml), together with Bamboo muslin cloth.  The 3 Step Discovery Kit is £32 and the Nourishing Lip & Handcare set is £30, with a value of £47.
Nourishing Lip & Handcare by Aurelia London £30; 3 Step Discovery Kit by Aurelia London £32

Staying with the number three, because I like that number, three collections from TEMPLESPA and they are the Weekender Collections, namely Soothe, Glow and Purify.  Each collection has three products, and I’m not going to write about each of them individually because that would mean I have to write about nine products, so instead of that, I am just linking the collections below and with full details on each individual product pages, the Weekender Collections are £20 each.
The Weekender Collection: Soothe by TEMPLESPA £20; The Weekender Collection: Glow by TEMPLESPA £20; The Weekender Collection: Purify by TEMPLESPA £20

And now three stocking fillers and after writing about the luxury hemp socks last weekend, another stocking filler from Margaret Dabbs and this time it is her Small Crystal Nail File, which is £12 and epic, and let’s follow through with another epic product, Perfect Partners from Aromatherapy Associates.  Perfect Partners is a duo of bath and shower oils, Revive and Deep Relax, the set is £23 and of course both oils are fabulous.  Finally, Take A Shine Shimmering Lip Gloss by TEMPLESPA is a liquid lip gloss in a buildable coral red shimmer, perfect for the festive season, actually it’s perfect right now.  I love a red lip.  Always have, always will.
Small Crystal Nail File by Margaret Dabbs London £12; Perfect Partners by Aromatherapy Associates £23; Take A Shine Shimmering Lip Gloss (3.5 ml) by TEMPLESPA £15; All Stocking Fillers

Nearly at the end, but having just written about TEMPLESPA, a reminder that we are in the midst of the Repose campaign an annual campaign of purpose and with every purchase of Repose (50 ml), we will give another jar of Repose (50 ml) which is absolutely free.  With every duo sold, a donation of £6 will be given to the Alzheimer’s Society, this year’s chosen charity, and also to say that if this rolls onto a pre-order status across the weekend, we will absolutely honour all orders and we will do so until midnight GMT, Thursday 31 October.  And 'GMT' because the clocks go back next weekend and the winter months are about to arrive.
Repose Duo by TEMPLESPA £46

So, let’s fling ourselves into those winter months with Ross J. Barr’s Breathe Patches because these patches help ease difficulties associated with breathing and respiratory conditions. Infused with a selection of herbs and oils with a long history of traditional use, ingredients include Skullcap and Gardenia which have been used for centuries to help clear heat, dispel mucus and relieve coughing.  They are simple to use, just apply to the chest area and each patch will last between eight to ten hours. The added bonus here is that they tend to promote sleep and because we are flinging, I am dropping the price of the Breathe Patches from £15 to £12.
Breathe Patches by Ross J. Barr £12 for Five Patches (for the interim)

And into the Saturday only treat we go, and with every order placed for £35 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically send you a Spacemask*, the original Spacemask, because as an antidote to a difficult day this mask will gently warm your eye area, giving you fifteen minutes of blissful rest.  And with the product details listed below we are about to come to the end of another Weekend Read.
Spacemasks

Finally, a song, a dedication and a promise to honour the healing power of music, the cathartic joy of communication and the love we share between us, and in that recognition, a song for Caroline.  Hands Touching Hands.  On a Saturday morning.
Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond; The VH Playlist

With love

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 after discount 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 (BST) and Midnight (BST) 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. One gift per customer, whilst stock lasts.