Well, somehow we are at the end of September and with nine months of the year gone, I thought it would be interesting to run the statistics for those nine months in order to achieve an overview of our bestselling products.  I actually tend to do this towards the end of year, most specifically when I write the VH Awards, but I think I am going to have a problem writing it this year because at this point the bestselling products are all on the DoSe branding, which of course are our own products, and there is something about self-awarding which really doesn’t sit well with me.

I honestly don’t know what the VH Awards will look like this year, so I will just have to hope that the ‘inspirational writing angel’ lands on my head, but for now I will tell you that the top ten bestselling supplements are all on the DoSe branding.  Hyaluronic Acid remains our bestselling supplement, followed by Superior Joints, which is unsurprising because these two supplements really are in a league of their own in their respective genres. 

And this is where it gets rather interesting, because although we only launched Collagen Tripeptide Complex in February of this year, it is only marginally behind Mega Probio, our third bestselling supplement.  By the close of the year, if not by the end of this weekend, I believe that Collagen Tripeptide Complex will overtake Mega Probio, which is quite an achievement in and of itself, and that achievement is primarily based upon the clinical evidence that demonstrates that collagen tripeptides far exceed, and supersede, the efficacy of collagen peptides, the industry norm.

I have always believed it is important to celebrate scientifically-led research because as a principle it reinforces the value of progress, separating the scientific process from potentially flawed media reporting, a subject I am very vocal about.  But on from that, it inspires future innovation, enabling further exploration and discovery, which is crucial for our ongoing health and wellbeing, it always has been. 

So, as we celebrate scientifically-led research, the celebration looks like this. If you buy Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength (HA), we will automatically include the travel-size Collagen Tripeptide Complex (14 day supply), which has a retail selling price of £25, and I have chosen to do this because it would appear that rather a lot of us take HA and Collagen Tripeptide Complex together, but on from this, we must also celebrate Superior Joints, so I am dropping the price of Superior Joints from £30 to £26, across the weekend.
VH Editorials: Benefits Of Hyaluronic Acid Supplements; Read This If You Suffer From Painful Joints; DoSe Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength (HA) £35 for 30 Capsules + DoSe Collagen Tripeptide Complex (Retail Selling Price £25) Free; DoSe Superior Joints £26 for 30 Capsules (offers end at midnight BST, Sunday 28 September)

The celebrations are not quite over, actually they never really are, but to continue on theme and in acknowledgement of the ascendance of Collagen Tripeptide Complex, an alternative offer and I have put this on a separate paragraph to avoid confusion, so this.  If you buy Collagen Tripeptide Complex, which is £45, instead of receiving 90 capsules, we will automatically send you 120 capsules, which is worth £60, so as such that’s a saving of £15.  And having said that it is an alternative offer, it doesn’t have to be alternative, you can do both, but in both instances these offers will end at midnight BST tomorrow, Sunday 28 September, or whilst stock lasts.
VH Editorial: Does Your Collagen Supplement Contain Collagen Tripeptides; DoSe Collagen Tripeptide Complex £45 for 120 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 28 September)

Outside of the DoSe products, the leading bestselling product right now is Clinisept+ Mouthwash, which really isn’t surprising because it is a brilliant product.  Clinisept+ Mouthwash is in a different league to mass-market alternatives, which are mostly loaded with harsh chemicals, and being a hypochlorous solution it provides powerful, gentle antimicrobial action without disrupting the oral microbiome.  Like so many of you, I have used Clinisept+ Mouthwash since we launched it several years ago, so in recognition of its epic status, micro and macro, I am dropping the price of Clinisept+ Mouthwash from £9.50 to £7.50, also across the weekend.
Clinisept+ Mouthwash £7.50 for 400 ml (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 28 September)

Having discussed some of our leading products, we now take a look at leading health concerns, and there can be no doubt that eye health is one such concern, so following Sarah’s report last weekend about natural alternatives to pharmaceutical antidepressants, this weekend Sarah reports on dry eyes.  According to The Aston Dry Eye Study, published in 2023, about a third of adults in the UK suffer from Dry Eye Disease (DED), also called Dry Eye Syndrome (DES).

The symptoms of this chronic condition affecting the surface of the eyes commonly include a gritty, burning or itchy feeling, blurred vision, eye fatigue watery eyes and light sensitivity, and Sarah suggests several products in her report including Omega 7 Sea Buckthorn Oil, which Shabir often recommends to help alleviate all dry skin conditions, including vaginal dryness and DES.  So this is where I drop the price of Omega 7 Sea Buckthorn Oil from £22.95 to £20, but we are not quite finished yet, because researchers have recently found that taking a probiotic and prebiotic supplement can help dry eyes.
Omega 7 Sea Buckthorn Oil by Sibu £20 for 60 Softgels (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 28 September) 

This is particularly interesting and it has been determined that the gut microbiota (microorganisms in the gastrointestinal system including bacteria, fungi and viruses) is important in regulating low-grade inflammation throughout our bodies, including our eyes.  It is a consideration that probiotics may help DES by reducing systemic inflammation and improving the gut-eye axis with strains like Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus.  Mega Probio contains these three probiotic strains, so as we end this section, Mega Probio also drops in price, from £25 to £22, and it’s not going to give up its third place status that easily.
Help For Dry Eyes by Sarah Stacey; DoSe Mega Probio £22 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 28 September)

Skin Health

I am keeping this section quite short, but this is just to say that having run the statistics on supplements, it won’t surprise you to know that the three bestselling skin health products are Ergothioneine Serum, Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum and Triple Vitamin C 23% Serum + Ferulic Acid, in that order.  Ergothioneine Serum remains our bestselling serum, it has held that status from the first day of launch, and given that it has one of the widest range of benefits of any single skincare ingredient or technology, I can’t see that changing any time soon.  In recognition, and celebration, Ergothioneine drops from £26 to £22 across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Ergothioneine Serum & Its Benefits For Skin; DoSe Ergothioneine Serum £22 for 30 ml (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 28 September)

Alpha Arbutin is such an interesting ingredient and its active nature has been at the forefront of revolutionising skincare products due to its ability to target specific skin problems for the treatment of pigmentation issues, such as age spots and uneven skin tone.  Shabir takes an in-depth look at its numerous properties in an article linked below and the price of Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum, which has also been formulated with Niacinamide, drops from £18 to £15.
VH Editorial: Alpha Arbutin For Uneven Skin Tone; DoSe Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum £15 for 30 ml (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 28 September)

Launching Triple Vitamin C earlier this year was a big moment for us for several different reasons, not least because Shabir had been working on this formulation for over two years.  The balancing of vitamin C in skincare is far from easy and formulating a product with three different forms of vitamin C was challenging, but Shabir was adamant he wanted three high performance forms of vitamin C in this serum, which he blended with Ferulic Acid, HA and Ergothioneine, and I was adamant that it carried a price point which wasn’t verging on the ridiculous.  It launched at £20, today it drops to £17 and I’m tempted to comment further, but I don’t think I will.
VH Editorial: The Benefits Of Vitamin C For Skin; DoSe Triple Vitamin C Serum + Ferulic Acid £17 for 30 ml (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 28 September)

New Products

There is something wonderful about launching new products, well the new product launches which are worth writing about, and these two new products from Color Wow are certainly worth writing about.  The first is called ‘Dreaming’, a breakthrough cuticle-resurfacing and hair repair treatment, which melts on hair strands and delivers flawless, smooth and polished hair.  Formulated with a lightweight blend of oils and naturally derived polymers, each treatment should last through two or three shampoos, it works best on damaged or frizz-prone hair and it drops in price from £39.50 to £35, for the interim.
Dreaming Advanced Repair And Resurfacing Treatment by Color Wow £35 for 215 ml

The second product is Insta-Wow Advanced Dry Shampoo, a first-of-its-kind formula that doesn’t just mask oils, it removes up to 95% of them.  Color Wow are renowned for breakthrough formulations and powered by real cleansing technology, Insta-Wow is non-dulling and will leave colour light, bright and glossy, with no clumping or build-up.  Leaving hair shampoo-grade clean, it helps normalise excess sebum production, its deodorising formula helps prevent odour absorption and it also drops in price, from £26.50 to £23.
Insta-Wow Advanced Dry Shampoo by Color Wow £23 for 200 ml

Seasonal Gifts

We are going to begin this section by talking about TEMPLESPA’s Truffle Brilliance Skin Rejuvenation Collection because it is fabulous and because it contains five luxurious products including Skin Truffle (15 ml), Truffle Noir (15 ml), Trufflelixir (10 ml), Golden Glow Radiance Primer (5 ml), which is a limited edition primer infused with diamond powder, and Body Truffle (50 ml).  Of course the presentation is beautiful, this is TEMPLESPA and their packaging is always beautiful, but what is also beautiful is that this collection is £60, yet it has a value of £145.
Truffle Brilliance Skin Rejuvenation Collection by TEMPLESPA £60

Staying with TEMPLESPA, an invitation to transform your bath into a Mediterranean spa experience with Soul Spa Restorative Bath Crystals.  These mineral-rich bath salts are specially formulated to relieve tired muscles, offering a calming ritual which is perfect for stress relief and relaxation.  Infused with Epsom salts to relax weary muscles, Arnica to help ease tension and Rosemary leaf to nourish, it carries a refreshing blend of frozen Mint and Eucalyptus to help uplift the senses and these restorative bath crystals can also be used as a relaxing foot soak.
Soul Spa Restorative Bath Crystals by TEMPLESPA £25 for 500 grams

Let’s do candles, but most specifically let’s take a look at Neom’s Wellbeing Candle Trio featuring three travel-size candles with traditional festive blends including Mandarin and Cinnamon, Sandalwood and Frankincense and Pine and Lime.  The three candles are the Christmas Wish Travel Candle, Perfect Peace Travel Candle and Cosy Nights Travel Candle, each of which has a burn time of approximately twenty hours.  The Winter Wellbeing Candle Trio is £48, with a value of £63.  Perfect for winter evening scenting.
Winter Wellbeing Candle Trio by Neom Wellbeing £48

Time for some stocking fillers and the first is Neom’s BathTime Treat containing a miniature bottle of Magnesium Bath Milk (50 ml).  This magnesium-powered milky bath soak is designed to intensely nourish skin and has been blended with natural scents of Lavender, Jasmine and Sandalwood.  The second is the This Works Christmas Cracker featuring the Stress Check Roll-on (5 ml) and a miniature Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (5 ml).  Full details on the product page, but bearing in mind how stressful Christmas can be, it would be rather amusing to lay the Christmas table with these crackers, in the hope that peace (or sleep) descends.   
BathTime Treat by Neom Wellbeing £12; Soothe & Sleep Christmas Cracker by This Works £10

A few more things to say, the first is that if any of the seasonal gifts go onto a pre-order status across the weekend, and this could well happen, we will honour your order, unless they are limited edition gifts which are no longer available, in which case we will let you know.  Secondly a reminder that the TEMPLESPA treat for September, will end at midnight BST, Tuesday 30 September, the treat being that when you buy two Palm Balm, the price becomes £30 for the two products, which is a saving of £10.
Palm Balm by TEMPLESPA £30 for Two Palm Balm (75 ml Each)

Finally, the Saturday only treat, and with every order placed for £35 or above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include the Nourishing Nail & Cuticle Serum Pen by Margaret Dabbs*, a nail and cuticle treatment to help keep fungal infections, ridges and splitting at bay.  Full product details linked below.
Nourishing Nail & Cuticle Serum Pen

Going Back

Writing recently about Marianne Faithfull, I received an email sending me another one of her songs, and to be totally honest, I had completely forgotten that she recorded this. ‘What Have They Done To The Rain’ was written by Malvina Reynolds in 1962 as part of the anti-nuclear campaign, and originally entitled ‘Rain Song’, Reynolds performed the song in protest marches at that time.  The song was covered by many artists, including Joan Baez in 1962, The Searchers in 1964 and Marianne Faithfull’s cover was released on 15 April 1965.
What Have They Done To The Rain by Marianne Faithfull

And therein a theme, a rain theme, because through the decades many songs have been released with the word ‘rain’ in their title, actually there are hundreds, if not thousands, of songs with ‘rain’ in their title, so keeping the curation extraordinarily tight, we will begin with this song by The Everly Brothers.  Recorded shortly before Don and Phil Everly were inducted into the Marine Corps reserves on 25 November 1961, the duo performed ‘Crying In The Rain’ the following year in full uniform on The Ed Sullivan Show.  It was to be the only Everly Brothers song released during their time in the military.
Crying In The Rain by The Everly Brothers

Staying in the 60’s, ‘Flowers In The Rain’, written by Roy Wood, was released by The Move on 25 August 1967 and securing its place in musical history, it was the first ever song to be played on BBC Radio 1 by DJ, Tony Blackburn.  As part of the publicity campaign for the record, the group issued a somewhat risqué postcard illustrating the then Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, with Marcia Williams, his secretary.  Wilson immediately took The Move to court and won an injunction preventing the use of the controversial promotional postcard.  Stemming from the lawsuit, royalties from ‘Flowers In The Rain’ were shared between charities chosen at that time by Harold Wilson.
Flowers In The Rain by The Move

Rolling through the decades, on 25 June 1984, Prince’s album ‘Purple Rain’ was released, with the film of the same name premiering a month later on 27 July 1984. ‘Purple Rain’ was to become the last song Prince ever performed during his final concert in Atlanta, Georgia on 14 April 2016 and just days later, on 21 April, Prince was found dead in his recording studio, with the cause of death recorded as an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a potent opioid.  He was 57.
Purple Rain by Prince

We end this section with ‘November Rain’ by Guns N’ Roses, a song written by Axl Rose, which was released on 18 February 1992.  Taken from the album ‘Use Your Illusion l’ which had been released the previous year, the original version of this song was twenty-five minutes long, but was edited down to just over nine minutes.  The ‘November Rain’ video cost over $1.5m to make and making its debut on MTV on 6 June 1992, it went on to win the Best Cinematography award at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.  In 2018, ‘November Rain’ became the first video from the 90s to surpass one billion views on YouTube.
November Rain by Guns N’ Roses; The VH Playlist

Wishing each of you a wonderful weekend.

With love

Gill x