Saturday 3 October, and as I welcome you to the Weekend Read, we are going to begin by talking about our immune system, which is a complex interaction between several glands, proteins, tissues, chemical compounds, hormones and gut bacteria. The immune system is unlike any other system within our body and these interactions are each involved to help achieve optimal immunity.

In its most simplistic form, the immune system is comprised of specialised white blood cells which learn what belongs to the body and what does not. The role of the immune system is to protect the body against many pathogenic bacteria and viruses, essentially because any organism that attacks our system will cause infection and disease. It is the optimal working of the immune system that helps destroy these organisms to prevent further damage and infection and this process is referred to as the immune response.

I often write about core supplementation, the nutrients that consistently support our health and wellbeing and we consider Daily Immunity to be an important core supplement, most specifically at this time of year as the waves of seasonal colds, coughs and viruses emerge. Rather than relying on a single nutrient, Daily Immunity brings together a comprehensive formulation including vitamin D3, vitamin C and Zinc, each with well-established roles in normal immune function and Astragalus, which has a long history of use in helping to enhance white blood cell activity.

They are joined by Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, two of the most researched probiotic strains involved in immune-supporting gut activity, alongside Elderberry, Garlic, Oregano and medicinal Maitake and Shiitake mushroom extracts. Interestingly, almost 80% of our immune cells are located in the gut, which is why the inclusion of targeted probiotic strains matters, but of course each nutrient has a dedicated role to play in supporting our immune system which can so often be compromised by any number of factors including high stress levels, sleep deprivation and, of course, nutritional deficiencies.

Given our stance on preventative healthcare, it is perhaps a given that we should all be taking Daily Immunity at this time of year and, supporting that statement, Daily Immunity drops in price from £29 to £25 for the interim. I think it is important to caveat my words by saying that while offering immune support, Daily Immunity will not prevent any of us from catching a cold, or any other seasonal virus for that matter, but more often than not it will help lessen the duration and intensity, most specifically if Liddell’s Cold & Flu is taken as an adjunct with Daily Immunity.
VH Editorial: A Daily Supplement That Supercharges Your Immunity; DoSe Daily Immunity £25 for 60 Capsules; Cold & Flu by Liddell Laboratories £20 for 30 ml

As I have written above, our immune system can be weakened by high stress levels, sleep deprivation and nutritional deficiencies, but a major threat, which is often overlooked, is excess refined sugar and excessive carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrate digestion begins with the digestive enzyme ‘amylase’ in saliva, and continues via pancreatic amylase in the small intestine, breaking these carbohydrates down into the simple sugars the body then absorbs into the bloodstream.

Once in the bloodstream in excess, sugar molecules can bind to proteins and fats in a process called glycation, forming what are known as advanced glycation end-products, or AGEs. These AGEs are understood to trigger inflammation and contribute to oxidative stress in a way that closely parallels free radical damage, and it is precisely this shared pathway, inflammation and oxidative stress, that links excess sugar intake to both accelerated skin ageing and a compromised immune response.

It would therefore seem sensible to offer an alternative to refined sugar and that alternative is Yacon Syrup. Derived from the Yacon root, a tuber native to the Andes, its sweetness comes largely from fructooligosaccharides, a type of prebiotic fibre that passes through the small intestine undigested, which is precisely why it carries a remarkably low glycaemic index, without the blood sugar spike refined sugar delivers.

On from that, the same fructooligosaccharides feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, the strains included in Daily Immunity, and so Yacon Syrup helps to satisfy a sweet tooth, while actively supporting the gut, rather than working against it. In all of this, Yacon Syrup has also been shown to be beneficial for weight loss, largely because, unlike refined sugar, it does not trigger the same sharp rise in insulin, often referred to as the body’s ‘fat storage hormone’. And as Shabir deep dives into the benefits of Yacon Syrup, linked below, Yacon Syrup drops in price, also linked below.
VH Editorial: Can Yacon Syrup Help You Lose Weight; Organic Yacon Syrup £17 for 560 grams (drops from £19.99); Organic Yacon Syrup £7.99 for 220 grams (drops from £8.99) (offers end at midnight BST, Monday 5 October)

Staying with insulin and blood sugar a moment longer, I think it is worth talking about something so many of us experience without ever quite connecting the dots, the mid-afternoon energy crash and the sudden need for something sweet or a shot of caffeine just to get us through the next hour. This isn’t simply tiredness, it is often blood sugar doing exactly what refined sugar and refined carbohydrates cause it to do, spiking sharply, then falling just as sharply, often taking our energy down with it.

Reducing refined sugar and carbohydrate intake, and choosing an alternative such as Yacon Syrup, addresses one half of that equation. But there is a second, equally important half, giving the body sustained energy that doesn’t depend on sugar at all, so here we recommend Daily Energy. Daily Energy has been formulated with a blend of adaptogens combined with natural energy boosters, including Ashwagandha, Maca, Siberian Ginseng and Suma, alongside vitamin B1 which supports normal energy-yielding metabolism, and vitamin B6 which helps reduce tiredness and fatigue. No caffeine. No jitters. Daily Energy drops in price from £24 to £21 across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Enhancing Energy; DoSe Daily Energy £21 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 4 October)

With that said and done, I want to take a few moments to reflect on some of the new brands and products we have launched this year and I will begin with Ipsum, mostly because I think the products are exceptional, but also because I recently spent several wonderful hours with Janet Hayward, the founder of Ipsum, who was in London. A British-born former journalist, Janet moved to Sydney in 1996, where her love of beauty and skincare became a fully-fledged passion, formulating a luxurious range of certified organic skincare products created only with native plant oils, esters and extracts, supercharged with unique Australian botanicals.

Restraint is rare in the health and beauty industry, rarer than most people realise, yet Janet’s passion is absolute, her curation is extraordinarily tight and her products reflect her own personal belief system. For Janet, integrity comes first, and everything else, respect, trust, loyalty, understanding, resilience and genuine kindness, flows from that. Such restraint dictates that the products are made in small batches, deliberately so, and there will be times when certain products will be out of stock for several weeks as we patiently wait for the next batch to arrive.

So, having launched the Ipsum Spa Hammam products earlier this year, we now move into skincare and rather than write about several products at once, I am going to drip feed them over the coming weeks and months, but we begin with the Ipsum Best Skin Enzyme MicroPolish, mostly because it is one of Ipsum’s hero products, but also because Lara has fallen head over heels in love with it and I have to say, I understand why.

The Enzyme MicroPolish is a luxurious powder exfoliator that transforms into a silky micro-polishing treatment when mixed with water or their Best Skin Cleansing Oil Balm. Powered by Australian botanical extracts, fine-milled rice powder and naturally derived exfoliating actives, it gently helps remove the build-up of dead skin cells that can leave skin looking dull, uneven and dehydrated. The finely milled rice powder and kaolin work alongside naturally derived AHA enzyme action from Caviar Lime and the deep-cleansing benefits of natural salicylic acid from botanical sources.

Enriched with Hibiscus Flower, Calendula and Chamomile, this antioxidant-rich formulation helps to smooth the skin, while supporting a healthy-looking balanced complexion. I have long believed that products should really be loved, not simply tolerated, and I really do love this product, it is incredibly special, and I don’t say that lightly. I tested it as a stand-alone mixed with water, but I also mixed it into the Ipsum Best Skin Cleansing Oil Balm, gently massaging it into my skin, which I actually preferred, but that’s a personal preference.

I have a thing about cleansers, I have a wardrobe of cleansers, it’s almost verging on an obsession, but notwithstanding that, I have always loved oil cleansers and this gentle, cloud-soft balm of nourishing botanical oils and waxes melts into skin on contact to gently lift away impurities and make-up. Formulated with the unique potency of Australian native botanicals, I was surprised that my sensitive skin didn’t react to the Lemon Myrtle and Sandalwood in this formulation, perhaps Janet wove some extra special magical alchemy into this product. Actually, I do believe Janet is a modern-day alchemist, because these are very special products from a very special person.
Ipsum Best Skin Enzyme MicroPolish £36 for 30 grams; Ipsum Best Skin Cleansing Oil Balm £35 for 75 grams

So, a moment to reflect on some recent launches, actually there are four of them, with four very different stories, yet each one, in its own way, has earned the trust and respect they deserve, for which I thank you. Peep Club brought us two excellent additions to their range, the Dry Eyes Lidstick and the Dark Circles Lidstick, the latter of which flipped onto a wait list within hours of launch.
Dry Eyes Lidstick by Peep Club £30; Dark Circles Lidstick by Peep Club £35

Fat Cow Balm arrived too, formulated for compromised and eczema-prone skin, its key ingredient, Tallow, works with the skin, rather than against it, which is so important because although there are some excellent products in this genre, we tend to become immune to them and then they stop working. So, glory hallelujah for Fat Cow, a genuine solution for a genuine problem.
Fat Cow Balm £38 for 90 grams

And a special mention for Cornish Bloom, Mor & Meadow’s beautifully considered mist, born from the same conviction I wrote about when Icon launched, that skin is a living system to be supported, not a problem to be solved. And so we come together, like-minded people supporting each other, so my gratitude and thanks to Bryan and Alec (iS Clinical and Icon Skincare), Nicola (Peep Club), Ryan (Fat Cow Balm) and Hugo (Mor & Meadow). And my gratitude to each of you for recognising and supporting the brands and people we choose to platform.
Cornish Bloom by Mor & Meadow £32 for 100 ml; iS Clinical Products; Icon Skincare Products

On theme, I vividly remember sitting with Sam Jameson, the founder of Soapsmith who turned her kitchen-table soap making hobby into Soapsmith. Her idea was to capture the places, people and memories of London in scent, which resonated deeply with me, not only because I was born in London, but because for the longest time I wanted to create a soap shop, as it were, on our site. Shabir thought I was completely mad, a recurring theme, so I compromised and without a second thought, we listed Soapsmith on our site. The rest is history.

Through the years, we have mirrored Sam’s journey, but perhaps my most favourite moment was when she created Bloomsbury Bath Soak. I loved and adored this product, I still do, but peak happiness arrived when I discovered that Sam had created a candle inspired by the heady bouquet of English blooms found in the flower beds of London’s Bloomsbury Square Gardens. The Bloomsbury candle complements the Bath Soak, it’s heavenly, but it is also a limited edition created for the pre-Christmas period, and I’m really not sure how long it will be available for. I don’t think it will be that long.
Bloomsbury Bath Soak by Soapsmith £30 for 500 grams; Bloomsbury Candle by Soapsmith £40 for 300 grams (40 hours burn time)

Onwards with seasonal gifting, and Time To Nurture by TEMPLESPA has been created for when skin needs extra care. This comforting duo has been designed to hydrate, soothe and replenish parched skin with rich, creamy textures and nurturing Mediterranean ingredients. Be Soothed Cocooning Shower Cream (100 ml) is a rich, creamy cleanser and Peace Be Still Calming Skin Balm (75 ml) is a nourishing all-over balm featuring plant extracts, antioxidants, Mediterranean essential oils and vitamin B5. Its silky texture melts into the skin, leaving it soft, smooth and beautifully scented.
Time To Nurture by TEMPLESPA £25

So, into the Saturday only treat, and with every order placed for £35 or over, excluding p&p, we will automatically send you Palm Balm Nourishing Hand Cream (15 ml)* by TEMPLESPA, an intensive hand cream for dry hands that offers luxurious nourishment and deep hydration. Product details linked below.
Palm Balm Nourishing Hand Cream

Finally, I am dedicating this song, Perfect Day, to Janet Hayward, Sarah Stacey and Jo Fairley. In one perfect day, I spent the afternoon with Janet and the early evening with Sarah and Jo at the launch of their fabulous book, The Beauty Bible Iconic Issue. None of us drank ‘sangria in the park’, next time perhaps, but we rolled back the years because so many of us have known each other for the longest time, it was all rather emotional.

And there we were, the fabulously glamorous Kathy Phillips who created This Works, the beautiful Annee de Mamiel, an angel sent from heaven, Sue Peart, the former editor of YOU magazine who edited us judiciously through an era spanning more than a decade of looking after the health and wellbeing of the YOU magazine readers. Sarah Chapman and Trinny were there looking wonderful, but so too was Lisa Milton, the brilliant Lisa Milton from Harper Collins who has published Sarah, Jo, Trinny and Poppy Delbridge. Lisa is one of us and has asked me at least fifty times to write a book, except the only book I would want to write would be the book nobody would ever publish. Tra-la-la.
Perfect Day by Lou Reed; The VH Playlist; The Beauty Bible Iconic Edition

Wishing you a restful weekend.

With love

Gill x