As I welcome you to another Weekend Read, I do need to say that your response to the last Weekend Read was overwhelming, yet so vitally important after I wrote about the potentially dangerous side-effects of synthetic prostaglandin hormone compounds present in any number of eyelash and eyebrow serums.  I have always believed that it is only in the understanding of researched evidence that we are able to make an informed choice on any given product, and it is very clear to me that many of you made a significant choice after reading the damning evidence about these compounds, which Sarah and I wrote about last Saturday.

Although Sarah and I have been campaigning together on this issue for over ten years, our campaign has certainly been strengthened by your own experiences, all of which I have kept on file, together with information entrusted in me disclosing correspondence with certain brands.  I really don’t have enough words to describe my abject horror when I read these emails, most especially because nobody has the right to put our health at risk for commercial gain, yet ‘they’ do and ‘they’ will continue to do so until such time as these products are banned in the UK, in line with several other countries. 

In order to further demonstrate the very real need for legislation, I am sharing just one of those emails sent to me below.  It shall of course remain anonymous, but I do have permission to share verbatim and with just one small edit from me, which I shall write about after you have read this, the following:

‘I almost shouted out, 'Yes!' when I read your deeply felt words about lash and brow serums, their ubiquity, and their downright serious risks. Many years ago I was foolishly drawn in to the supposed miracle of these things when, following chemo, I desperately wanted to turn back the clock on my severely depleted lashes, which had always been long and thick. This was before the ravages of menopausal mayhem, and the possibility of being permanently lacking in lashes was an unwelcome statement of my rubbishy health status.

I ordered possibly the most lauded serum at the time, even though I had niggling doubts about the safety of such products, and kept hearing my wiser-self saying, 'this is a big mistake'.  Sure enough, after just two weeks of use, I had sore, dry eyelids, swollen, puffy eyes, and a change to my eye colour.  My very blue eyes became more green than blue, and even though I stopped using the serum after just two weeks, I have never regained my original eye colour.

I think it's disgusting that these risky hormone-based/hormone-compounds, supposedly purely cosmetic "serums", are allowed to remain on sale. Not only that, but in a world of social media mayhem, disinformation, and ubiquitous "influencers" being paid to promote dangerous practices to their followers, many more women are going to be harmed by these so-called innocuous products.’

For the record, I edited out the name of the brand, but it was indeed the same brand that I doled out for testing, as per my comments last week.  And ‘most lauded’ it was, because this brand was sold on any number of health and beauty websites.  Furthermore, I have also received emails stating that certain people, when questioned, assured so many of you that the products they were promoting were perfectly safe and/or they didn’t include synthetic prostaglandin hormone compounds, when of course they did.  I am holding that information too.

On that latter point, Sarah listed variously named synthetic prostaglandin hormone compounds in her article, so in full transparency I am linking her article once again in case you missed it.  Obviously, as consumers, it cannot be expected that we are all experts in understanding ingredient listings, but the failure of brands, and others, to even acknowledge so many of your emails requesting further information about these products, and their ingredients, is shameful.  It speaks volumes about their lack of integrity and I do feel it is quite duplicitous when we are told we can trust the ‘experts’ with our health and wellbeing concerns.  Experts in what.  Marketing perhaps.

I will not let this go, but of course I completely understand that the loss of hair is a truly emotive subject for so many of us, which is why I will continue to endorse the three naturally-derived products from Natucain.  I have specifically asked that our automated reviews for these three products are not sent out for at least seven or eight weeks because it will take that length of time before you start noticing any results.  In some cases it may take longer, we are all different, so if one or two requests for reviews slip through the net, my apologies, but please ignore them.  And meanwhile our evidence-based dossier grows.  No stone will be left unturned.
The Natural Eyelash Growth Enhancer That’s Safe And Really Works by Sarah Stacey; Lash Serum by Natucain £59 for 3.9 ml; Brow Serum by Natucain £59 for 6.2 ml; Hair Activator Growth Serum by Natucain £99 for 100 ml

There is of course so much more I could say here, but I will hold back for the moment because I have other things to write about.  And we may as well start with Daily Energy, which is of course one of our bestselling supplements.  Containing natural energy boosters, such as Ashwagandha, Maca, Siberian Ginseng and Suma, this is the supplement that helps sustain energy throughout the day.  So many of us still seem to be lacking energy at the moment, you would actually think there is an epidemic.  In fact there probably is and on so many levels we feel worn out, which is why we recommend Daily Energy in order to help give an often, much-needed, energy boost.

But I’m not finished yet, because if we are talking about our health and wellbeing, then I really cannot leave Daily Immunity out of the equation.  As I’ve written so often, this is the supplement which we recommend taking from the first day of Autumn to the first day of Spring, but there are exceptions.  And these past two years have illustrated the need for those exceptions. We are currently recommending that you take Daily Immunity throughout the year and as such, I am going to include Daily Immunity, which is worth £26, with every order placed for Daily Energy.  And I won’t limit this to one per customer because I’m trying to keep us safe, and energised.
Daily Energy £20 for 60 Capsules + Daily Immunity 60 Capsules Free  (Offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 3 April or whilst stock lasts)

With that said, let’s do two new product launches.  The first is from Better You and it is called Light’s-Out 5-HTP Nightly Oral Spray.  Specifically formulated to be taken before you go to bed, Light’s-Out provides 50 mg of 5-Hydroxytryptophan, blended together with Lemon Balm and Passionflower extracts.  It is recommended that you spray this product via the buccal membrane of the inner cheek for an effective nutrient uptake and the recommended dosage is five sprays every evening.  This will give you 32 nightly doses of this raspberry flavoured spray and, as we launch, we drop the price from £19.95 to £17.95 for the interim.  Covered.
Light’s-Out 5-HTP Nightly Oral Spray by Better You £17.95 for 50 ml

A new launch from iS Clinical, which always excites me because I have total and absolute trust in Bryan Johns and Alec Call, the co-founders.  So please allow me to introduce you to PerfecTint Powder SPF 40, which provides silky smooth broad spectrum coverage to help protect skin against the visible signs of photo-ageing, while minimising the appearance of pores and absorbing surface oil to create a flawless finish.  This formulation features iS Clinical’s botanical antioxidant Extremozyme technology, which is clinically proven to help protect DNA from environmental stressors, while providing hydration, even in powder form.

This powder is available in five tints, created to match any skin tone from Ivory to Deep.  Each of the products contains a Container/Brush together with 2 x 3.5g Powder Cartridges.  Put to the test, they work beautifully, but then I would expect nothing less from iS Clinical and because I rarely wear foundation these days, I lightly sweep this powder across my face and I’m done.  My skin tone is light olive and I wear Beige, but I could easily do Bronze in the warmer months and still keep it very natural.  These powders will last a very long time, and if nothing else, I’m rather besotted with the brush.  Just so that you know.
PerfecTint Powder SPF 40 Ivory £64; PerfecTint Powder SPF 40 Cream £64; PerfecTint Powder SPF 40 Beige £64; PerfecTint Powder SPF 40 Bronze £64; PerfecTint Powder SPF 40 Deep £64

Throwing the focus on eye health, as we are currently doing, a customer asked if we could list the following product after it had really helped her.  So that’s what we have done.  The product is called Manuka Honey Eye Drops and they are formulated to help stabilise the surface health of the eye against dry eye symptoms, together with sore irritated eyes and eyelids.  They work by lowering the eye’s acid level (pH), by helping to inhibit bacteria, which are often present if you have reduced tear production.  These eye drops are designed to be used alongside lubricating eye drops and used three times daily, an improvement should be noticed within a month.
Optimel Manuka Honey Eye Drops by Melcare £16.50 for 10 ml (please note the contraindications listed on the product page)

It is a scientific fact that each of us, over time, will lose a certain amount of brain power for several reasons, which would include suggestions that as we age, the brain is not receiving enough stimulation, which is basically due to a lack of dopamine.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a chemical found in the brain which is responsible for transmitting signals in between nerve cells within the brain.  Dopamine affects our emotions, movements and sensations of both pain and pleasure, and it is released in the brain when we have satisfied a craving, such as sugar or alcohol. 

Dopamine gives you the feel-good factor if released in normal amounts, yet a rapid release of Dopamine is often dangerous and addictive, but with that pointed out, our dopamine levels decline as we age.  In his article, Shabir explains how dopamine affects our brain power and he goes on to recommend Dopa-Mind, which will help balance dopamine levels. 

Fish oils are also thought to help improve brain function and together with an explanation, Shabir recommends Mindful Omega-3 Fish Oil capsules.  All that’s left for me to do is to drop the price of Dopa-Mind from £35 to £30 and Mindful Omega-3 Fish Oil from £19 to £16 and urge you to read Shabir’s article if you are experiencing brain fog.  Which so many of us are.  Me included.
VH Editorial: How To Improve Brain Function; Dopa-Mind by Life-Extension £30 for 60 Tablets; Mindful Omega-3 Fish Oil by Bare Biology £16 for 30 Capsules (Offers end at midnight BST, Sunday 3 April or whilst stock lasts)

Right, moving on I would just like to say a few things after I wrote about Frownies last weekend.  As you will have read, I mentioned that there is now a global shortage of the product I linked you to last week, namely the Forehead And Between Eyes Facial Patches.  I knew we wouldn’t have enough stock and demand did indeed exceed supply, so within seconds of them selling out, we put a note on the product page indicating that we didn’t anticipate a further delivery until mid-June, as also mentioned at the end of the last Weekend Read.  And now there is a wait list.  A rather large wait list.  And this is slightly disconcerting.

I really don’t like wait lists, I’ve often written that, but I dislike them even more when there is a long wait and we are unable to do anything about it for at least ten weeks, and that’s being optimistic.  But more than that, it was always our company policy that we would never charge you for products until the day that product was processed and sent.  Except we can’t do that anymore.  When we launched our new website, I was told by various payment platforms that we had to take payment immediately.  I actually held up releasing our new site for quite a long time because I was fighting that ruling.  In fact I fought for over nine months.  But I lost.

So I feel a bit bad, but as soon as our stock does arrive, we will work our way through the wait list in date order.  I am going to list the product again in case you want to join that list, but whilst you are waiting there is an alternative from the collection, namely Frownies Wrinkle Treatment For Lip Lines.  These treatment patches were created to be used on upper lip and marionette lines and while their shape works particularly well around the nose and mouth areas, they can also be used on forehead frown lines, which can only be a good thing.  An added spritz of their fabulous Rose Water Hydrator Spray, and you are done for the next three or four hours.
Frownies Facial Patches £23.95 for 144 Patches (Wait List);  Frownies Gentle Lifts For Lip Lines Patches £24.95 for 60 Patches; Frownies Rose Water Hydrator Spray £17.95 for 59 ml

Beauty treats.  The first is from Margaret Dabbs and it’s her Pure Repairing Hand Cream.  Scented with Rose and Lemon, this intensive repairing hand cream’s ingredients include Pentavitin, which has been proven to address the five signs of dehydrated skin.  Giving long-lasting hydration, it helps to address skin discomfort and other ingredients include Vitamin F Forte and Sweet Almond Oil, which work rather well in healing cracked and dry skin.  That’s the lowdown.  And whilst stock lasts, I am dropping the price of Pure Repairing Hand Cream from £18 to £10.  I don’t think this limited offer will last that long.  Actually.
Pure Repairing Hand Cream by Margaret Dabbs London £10 for 75 ml

There are so many Vitamin C serums on the market, including our own, but I’m going to side-step that for the moment because Derma E’s Vitamin C Concentrated Serum remains one of our bestselling Vitamin C products.  Its powerful formulation helps to brighten skin and sitting alongside Vitamin C, this formulation’s ingredients include Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera and Vitamin E. 

Skin rejuvenation comes in many different forms and to compliment the Vitamin C Concentrated Serum, I will include Derma E’s Brightening & Hydrating Trio, which is worth £20 with every order placed for the Serum.  The trio are Hydrating Day Cream (14 grams), Microdermabrasion Scrub (14 grams) and Vitamin C Intensive Night Cream (14 grams).  And because Vitamin C does come in many different forms, I will go one step further and in recognition of the inside:out approach to both health and beauty, I am dropping the price of YourZooki’s Liposomal Vitamin C from £39.99 to £34, across the weekend, ending at midnight BST tomorrow, Sunday 3 April.
Vitamin C Concentrated Serum by Derma E £22 for 60 ml (Includes Derma E’s Brightening & Hydrating Trio worth £20); Liposomal Vitamin C by YourZooki £34 for 30 x 15 ml Sachets

The last beauty treat comes from Temple Spa, and it’s something quite special.  It is their Spa Body Trio, so another trio, and this one includes La La Lagoon (150 ml), which is a shower gel and bubble bath formulated with a luxury spa fragrance of Peppermint, Anise, Rosewood and Patchouli.  Helping to chase away tiredness, it is joined by AAAHHH! (150 ml), an instant cooling gel for tired feet and limbs and Peace Be Still (150 ml), a calming skin balm with extracts of Coriander, Lemon, Nutmeg and aromatherapy ingredients to help you relax.  The value of the Spa Body Trio is £51, but this is a limited edition offer and as such the price drops to £30.
Spa Body Trio (as described above) by Temple Spa £30 (whilst stock lasts)

Time for the Saturday only treat and with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include a product from Margaret Dabbs, her Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion (45 ml)*.  Specifically formulated for rough, dry feet, I thought it would sit rather well with the Pure Repairing Hand Cream, which I have written about above.  Full product details listed below.
Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion by Margaret Dabbs £26 for 200 ml

As we come to the end of another Weekend Read, we are now in April, so let’s sing this song.
April Come She Will by Simon & Garfunkel; The VH Playlist

With love and gratitude.

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 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 (GMT) and Midnight (GMT) 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.