As January comes to a close, I want to follow through on some of the words, products and health concerns I have written about this month and I am going to begin with Multi-Peptide Anti-Ageing Serum, the first product I wrote about this year. As many of you will have read, Shabir tweaked this formulation with the inclusion of Watercress Extract (Nasturtium Officinale), a clinically evaluated ingredient shown to have a relaxing action by acting on the neuro-muscular junction.

Watercress Extract acts as a natural alternative to injectables and although it is a given, as with all natural solutions, that it can take some time to see results, we stay pragmatic and we stay real in our approach to navigating the ingredients which support our health and wellbeing. In so doing, we felt it was far more appropriate to increase the efficacy of an existing formulation, rather than create another stand-alone product, aligning with our commitment of offering a tight curation of cutting-edge and pioneering formulations which we believe make a difference.

In a reflective moment, DoSe skincare was launched on a health platform and we stand by that decision without deviating from objectivity and purpose and so, before anything else, I am dropping the price of Multi-Peptide Anti-Ageing Serum from £26 to £23 across the weekend. I think it is important that we remain transparent in our sharing, but I also think it is important to communicate and explain the rationale behind the decisions we make and there is most definitely a rationale for discussing emotional stress, which is where I am going next.
DoSe Multi-Peptide Anti-Ageing Serum £23 for 30 ml (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 1 February)

Evidenced by the volume of emails we receive about anxiety, stress and the lack of self-esteem, the root cause of emotional stress is so often tied to negative social comparison, largely driven by exposure to unrealistic beauty and success standards perpetuated by social media and mass media. Often leading to feelings of inadequacy and exclusion, there can be no doubt that this can deeply affect and foster a cycle of self-doubt and criticism.

Before we discuss the products which can help support emotional stress and anxiety, I want to talk about a book and that book is called ‘The Let Them Theory’. It is an international bestseller, so some of you may have read it or be aware of it, but I was made aware of it when a customer mailed me to say how it had really helped her. In turn, and in a nutshell, the book suggests that two simple words ‘Let Them’ can set us free, free from the opinions, drama and the judgement of others.

Written by Mel Robbins, I am linking the book below, but even if you don’t buy the book, it is worth reading the description if only to understand that we should stop wasting energy on things we can’t control. I can’t control many things and I certainly can’t control social media or the health and beauty industry which really needs to take a long, hard look at itself in the mirror, but I can control the words I write, I can control the level of guidance and support we offer and I can most definitely control the products we endorse and recommend.
The Let Them Theory

And so the products, Magnolia Rhodiola Complex is our bestselling product for anxiety and mild depression and it has been formulated to help calm the nervous system, thus supporting emotional balance. The compounds in this formulation include Magnolia, Phellodendron, Rhodiola Rosea and L-Theanine, each of which have been extensively researched, so as I drop the price of Magnolia Rhodiola Complex from £29 to £26, I am linking Shabir’s article below on the effective ways to help combat stress, but I am also linking Shabir’s recent discussion with Trinny where he talks about Magnolia Rhodiola Complex. In fact, he talks about it twice.
VH Editorial: How To Combat Stress Effectively; Trinny & Shabir; DoSe Magnolia Rhodiola Complex £26 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 1 February)

Before we move on, I just want to caveat my words about Magnolia Rhodiola Complex by saying that if you are taking prescribed antidepressants, you shouldn’t take Magnolia Rhodiola Complex because it may contra-indicate. There are several supplements you can take, but we tend to recommend Florassist Mood Improve, which is a probiotic and Saffron blend. Clinical studies have indicated that gut microbes can support mood and behaviour by affecting the gut-brain axis, so with another article from Shabir linked below explaining why a happy stomach equates to a happy mind, Florassist Mood Improve drops in price from £26 to £23.
VH Editorial: A Probiotic Supplement To Relieve Anxiety; Florassist Mood Improve by Life Extension £23 for 30 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 1 February)

Writing last weekend about leaky gut syndrome, I want to follow through by taking a look at liver health, essentially because the liver is one of the most overworked and abused organs in our body. In the case of leaky gut syndrome, the chemicals toxins and poisons entering the bloodstream results in the liver having to work harder to neutralise and remove them from the body, but that aside, the liver is critical to the optimal function of all processes carried out within the body and is involved in the digestive process and in the assimilation of nutrients.

Having established that the liver is one of the most abused organs in our body, it is not surprising that fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, liver failure and other liver disorders are increasing, arising as a result of liver damage. It is currently estimated that over 50% of people over the age of fifty suffer from some form of liver disease, and that in many instances they may not be aware of it and with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease being one of the most common liver concerns, a term used for a wide range of conditions, the health of our liver is paramount.

The subtle signs of poor liver function include fatigue, skin issues, including itchy skin, frequent mood swings, sensitivities and weight gain, yet even if you don’t have any of these symptoms, we believe that it is important to cleanse your liver two or three times a year. Milk Thistle Complex has been formulated with three liver cleansing herbs, Milk Thistle, Dandelion root and Artichoke Leaf extract, each benefiting the liver in numerous ways due to its antioxidant properties which provide support for the liver.

Shabir has written several articles about Milk Thistle Complex and perhaps the most relevant to this discussion are his articles on Milk Thistle for detoxification, how to heal your liver and double cleansing the body. I am linking each of these articles below, although there are several more articles listed on the Milk Thistle Complex product page, so to end this section I am dropping the price of Milk Thistle Complex from £20 to £17, but I am also dropping the price of Complete Fibre Cleanse, recommended in the article about double cleansing the body, from £29 to £25.
VH Editorials: Milk Thistle For Detoxification; How To Heal Your Liver; Double Cleansing The Body; DoSe Milk Thistle Complex £17 for 30 Capsules; DoSe Complete Fibre Cleanse £25 for 168.8 grams (offers end at midnight GMT, Sunday 1 February)

One more thing from last weekend and continuing our discussion about sugar, there is an ongoing concern about the volume of sugar we consume, not least because when the body metabolises sugar the by-products of this process are very damaging to the structural proteins within our bodies as well as impacting virtually every single system and gland within our bodies.

Given the above, there are many artificial sweeteners available, including saccharin and aspartame, together with natural sweeteners such as Stevia, but if used frequently, these sweeteners will encourage your taste buds to want more sugar which can actually result in sugar cravings. Far from being harmless, artificial sweeteners are man-made chemicals which are not recognised by the body and they require detoxification by the liver, which has just become a theme, but a theme with a solution.

Palmyra sugar is the crystallised nectar obtained from the flowers of Palmyra palm, it is nutrient dense, it is a great source of B vitamins and it has a far lower Glycemic Index than refined sugar, which Shabir explains in his article linked below. SugaVida’s Organic Palmyra Tree Blossom Sugar has a deep, warm caramel flavour and it acts as a direct substitute for sugar, often using half the amount of sugar suggested in recipes. Ethically sourced, it is the only known plant-based source of bioavailable vitamin B12 and it drops in price from £12.75 to £9.75 until midnight GMT, Friday 6 February.
VH Editorial: Are Sugar Substitutes Healthy; Organic Palmyra Tree Blossom Sugar by SugaVida £9.75 for 250 grams

Moving on, I often write about Viridian, mostly because their products are of the highest quality, their ethics align with our own and I have had an exceptionally close relationship with their founder, Cheryl Thallon, as has Shabir, for the longest time. Each year Viridian announce their ingredient of the year and because I trust them implicitly, I sit up and take notice, so with a bit of a drum roll, Viridian are forecasting electrolytes to be one of the standout nutrients for 2026.

Electrolytes are essential minerals and trace elements which are present in the body’s blood, fluid and tissues and without them the body will not function properly. They are able to conduct electrical impulses and therefore affect the blood’s pH level and muscle function and Viridian’s Electrolyte Fix Liquid contains four essential electrolytes, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium and Chloride.

Magnesium contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue as well as supporting the normal functioning of the nervous system. Potassium is essential for the regulation of the heartbeat and muscle function, Sodium helps to regulate the total amount of water in the body and the transmission of Sodium into and out of individual cells also plays a role in critical bodily functions. Finally, Chloride is located in all bodily fluids and supports Sodium in its role of electrolyte balance.

Viridian sources its electrolytes from The Great Salt Lake in Utah which offers a pristine environment for the water and is rich in natural mineral salts. It is incredibly important to choose mineral salts which are extracted from a clean natural source and bottled without the need for preservatives or anything artificial, which is why we recommend Electrolyte Fix Liquid, which drops in price from £14.25 to £12 for 100 ml.
VH Editorial: Recharge Your Body With The Benefits Of Electrolyte Liquids; Electrolyte Fix Liquid by Viridian Nutrition £12 for 100 ml (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 1 February)

A note here to say that there is a particularly nasty diarrhoea bug going around at the moment, it has been going around for several weeks and it is very contagious. There are many over-the-counter solutions available for diarrhoea, but with over thirty years of research, Enterosgel is our medicine cabinet recommendation and acting like a sponge, it is a natural intestinal absorbent for the treatment of acute diarrhoea, abdominal pain, bloating, urgency and food poisoning and it drops in price from £26.90 to £23. For the interim.
Enterosgel Sachets £23 For Ten Sachets

Last year Neom launched It’s All Rosy, a limited edition collection of products and due to its success, it’s back again this year embracing Neom’s seasonal fragrance, a comforting rosy blend of calming and relaxing essential oils, including Rose, Geranium and Orange. There are three products in the range, and I’m throwing a 15% discount on each of them. Those three products are the It’s All Rosy Essential Oil Blend (10 ml), a three-wick candle and a travel candle, both in the same beautiful pink ceramic vessel. So, a limited edition collection and the offer is available whilst stock lasts.
It’s All Rosy Three-Wick Candle; It’s All Rosy Travel Candle; It’s All Rosy Essential Oil Blend

Right, two more things to talk about before we head into the Saturday only treat, and the first thing to say here is that the TEMPLESPA offer for the month of January will end at midnight GMT tonight, Saturday 31 January. That offer is one of their bestselling products, In The Beginning Deep Cleaning Melt, which can be used as a daily cleanser or as a weekly mask and it drops in price from £35 to £25, with a note to say that if it flips onto a pre-order status, and it might, we will honour that order provided it is placed before midnight.
In The Beginning Deep Cleansing Melt by TEMPLESPA £25 for 75 grams

Finally, and in one final fling, we are dropping the price of Margaret Dabbs’ Intensive Anti-Ageing Hand Serum from £30 to £15. This is a limited edition offer and is only available whilst stock lasts and although we do have high stock levels, from experience it rarely lasts that long, but notwithstanding that, this is an overnight treatment which is scented with Geranium and Mandarin and hydrates and protects the skin, leaving hands smooth and replenished. If this product fails to go into your basket, that will mean that the offer is over.
Intensive Anti-Ageing Hand Serum by Margaret Dabbs £15 for 35 ml

And into the Saturday only treat, so with every order placed for £35 or over, excluding p&p, we will automatically send you the Nourishing Nail & Cuticle Serum Pen (15 ml) from Margaret Dabbs. Another theme, in a long line of themes, this nail and cuticle treatment helps keep fungal infections, ridges and splitting at bay and with a value of £13, full product details are linked below.
Nourishing Nail & Cuticle Serum Pen

As we come to the end of another Weekend Read, I want to thank you, as ever, for your support and loyalty, but mostly I want to thank you for staying so close and for allowing me to write about, and share, some of the things which are so important to each of you. I receive many emails about the music we share, so this weekend I am honouring a request to share some classical music, and I do so by linking you to over two hours of some of the most listened to classical masterpieces of all time.
Classical Masterpieces; The VH Playlist

With love

Gill x