Well, here we are, all together once again for another Weekend Read, where I would just like to say thank you for your ongoing responses to both the products we recommend, and your thoughts and feelings about life, as it is.  I am not here just to write about products, I never have been.  I would find that far too narrow and, to be perfectly honest with you, there is a real need to tell it as it is regarding the things that matter most to us, which of course includes our health and wellbeing.  And I will never stop doing that.  So here we go: 

Like so many of us, I wear my heart on my sleeve and events trigger me, so I was hopping mad as I sat and watched every man and his dog come out to play with solutions to the ongoing shortage of HRT.  It has recently been announced that pharmacists are now allowed to prescribe other forms of HRT, so hopefully this will help ease the issue somewhat for those who choose HRT to help cope with the symptoms of peri-menopause and menopause.  I am not evangelical on this subject because I have always believed in integrated medicine and the single most important thing here is that we do have the freedom of choice.  There is no right.  There is no wrong.

I absolutely promise you that I am not taking a ‘holier than thou’ viewpoint on this, but I was so horrified at the emergence of previously unheard of menopausal experts and products, I held back from writing anything about the situation and watched the latest health bandwagon evolve, aided and abetted by media hysteria, which seemed to reach epic and irrational proportions.  Not for one moment am I under-estimating the effect this shortage has had, and in some instances, continues to have, so it is only now, when things are somewhat calmer, that I will refer you to Shabir’s article, listed below, and offer you the choice of a natural product to take.

That product is of course Sage Complex, which is our bestselling supplement to help alleviate the most common menopausal concerns, such as hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings and vaginal dryness.  It works by helping to mimic the female hormones and as such it also helps to balance those hormones, which seem to dance all over the place at any given opportunity throughout the menopausal journey.  So, as you have probably guessed, I am taking the price of Sage Complex down across the weekend from £26 to £22 and we may as well recommend a topical product to sit alongside Sage Complex, and that would be the rather brilliant Physicool Rapid Cooling Mist.
VH Editorial: Sage Complex: The Hormone Mimicking Supplement; Sage Complex £22 for 90 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 5 June); Physicool Rapid Cooling Mist £12.99 for 125 ml

I would just like to say here that I didn’t feel the need to describe Physicool Rapid Cooling Mist, because the name of the product says it all really.  The other thing to say is that even if you don’t get hot flushes or night sweats, this is a good product to have around for when, and if, temperatures soar.  With that said, we have arrived in the month of June; whether it turns out to be flaming or otherwise who can tell, but I am now going to talk about some of the most common health problems that can occur during the summer months.  And there’s quite a lot of them.

In actual fact, Shabir has written an entire article on this subject matter linked below, so I won’t go through each and every concern, but instead I am pulling three products from his article, adding my own thoughts.  And the first product is Mega Probiotic ND, which in this instance refers to travellers tummy.  I think we all know the importance of taking a broad-spectrum probiotic, but food poisoning on holiday is so often caused by contaminated or tainted water, as well as poor hygiene surrounding food.  I absolutely know this to be true because I got Yellow Jaundice from drinking contaminated water when I was sixteen and didn’t know any better.

Very clearly I know better now, so if you don’t already take a probiotic, it would be sensible to begin taking a probiotic, such as Mega-Probiotic at least seven days before you travel, continuing throughout your holiday and staying on it for at least a week after your return.  Prevention is always better than a cure, and whilst I can never state that taking a probiotic is 100% bullet-proof, I would prefer to stay on the side of caution and safety rather than having to take an antibiotic.  There is nothing wrong with taking antibiotics, but I’m not mad keen on some of the side-effects, which may include nausea.  Anyway,  Mega-Probiotic drops in price from £22 to £19.  Across the weekend.
Mega Probiotic ND £19 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 5 June)

There are many solution-led products formulated to help treat prickly heat, a condition that occurs when small particles of sweat block the sweat glands causing a rash to appear on the body, including our faces.  Shabir has mentioned several of these products in his article, all of which will help calm the red, inflamed and itchy skin which are synonymous with heat rashes, but I want to throw the focus on Thyme Out.  Mostly because I have a very limited treat to share with you.

It’s all quite simple really.  Thyme Out is another one of those iconic products and although in this instance we are recommending it for prickly heat, it does in fact work for numerous concerns which include eczema, psoriasis, cuts, grazes and most forms of inflammatory skin concerns.  In the past I have often written that every home should have a bottle of Thyme Out, so two things here.  The first is that I always travel with Thyme Out, because you never know when it will be needed, and the second is that in an extraordinarily limited offer, with every bottle of Thyme Out bought, we will automatically include Thyme Out Face and Body Wash, which is worth £18.
Thyme Out (the original) £18 for 200 ml + Thyme Out Face and Body Wash 210 ml, worth £18 (If Thyme Out Face and Body Wash fails to go into your basket, then you will now that the offer is over)

Ginger is often recommended as a travel sickness remedy and research has indicated that ginger capsules are often more effective than many over-the-counter medications.  That research concluded that ginger absorbs acids and helps to block nausea in the gastrointestinal tract, but more than that, ginger has also been shown to help treat headaches and migraines.  This is of course a whole separate issue, so I am linking Shabir’s article on the use of ginger for migraines and we are recommending Lamberts Ginger Capsules for both concerns.  And I’m also linking the main article below, so you can read it in its entirety.  With a cup of tea.  Or coffee.  Perhaps. 
VH Editorials: Common Holiday Health Problems Solved; Ginger For Treating Migraines; Ginger Capsules by Lamberts Healthcare £9.95 for 60 Capsules

Right, I have a new skincare product to launch.  Many years ago, I was fascinated with a skincare product because of its texture.  Although it has since been discontinued, it had a bouncy feel to it and was unlike any other skincare product I had ever used.  Every time I used it, it made me smile and although I see many skincare products, I have not come across any other skincare product which had a similar texture, until now.  The product is called BounceBack Forehead Line Treatment and it is the latest product to be launched in the UK from Dermelect Cosmeceuticals, joining Runway Ready Luxury Foot Treatment and Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum.

So let’s talk about the product.  As the name implies, BounceBack has been specifically formulated to help de-stress the look of creases above the brows, expression lines and those ’11 lines’, which we all seem to have, unless you inject them away; I don’t.  We need to be real here, because lines are not going to disappear overnight, but using intelligent ‘Velvet-Gel’ technology in its formulation, BounceBack will help cushion your skin, giving a soft-focus, matte finish whilst forming a light veil.  It also happens to be supercharged with multi-peptides and antioxidants. 

Thankfully, this product is suitable for sensitive skin, so I was able to test it myself.  There are so many instances when I can’t test skincare, which is one of the reasons why I am so fussy about the products we list and recommend.  I know it’s a pretty sad thing to write, but I’m stroking my skin as I write this because I like to live in the moment and at the moment I have put this all over my face, not just on my forehead.  I’m not wearing makeup, but I will be soon and as such, BounceBack transforms itself into an extraordinary skin primer.  And you know that skincare wardrobe I often talk about, well this product is going straight into that wardrobe.  Love it.
BounceBack Forehead Line Treatment by Dermelect Cosmeceuticals £78 for 30 ml (less is more, you really don’t need to use much); Runway Luxury Foot Treatment by Dermelect Cosmeceuticals £25 for 103 ml; Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum by Dermelect Cosmeceuticals £42 for 30 ml

I just want to say a few words here about launching new skincare.  I absolutely know that not every product will work for each and every one of us, but I also know that I have never, and will never, write about any product if I didn’t believe in its efficacy.  I remain committed to the brands and products that I believe deserve recognition.  I can almost count on one hand, maybe two hands if pushed, the skincare brands that truly deserve that recognition and I have always been totally transparent on this.  And in that transparency, I will also tell you that nobody can buy me.  My thoughts and recommendations are my own and are not paid for.  They never have been.

I think we had better move on and I will do so by telling you that a couple of weeks ago, Trinny & Shabir, did a live session together at Trinny London Land.  The video of that session has just been released on Trinny’s YouTube channel and I’m linking it below.  If you are reading this in bed, then you may wish to stay there for another thirty minutes to watch this.  They touch on many subjects, which you may find interesting, and I do need to say that there has never been a commercial relationship between the three of us and there never will be.  All that is left is for me, together with Shabir, to thank Trinny for her ongoing love and support, for which we are so grateful. 
Trinny & Shabir Live In London

I have been writing about several eye concerns for a few weeks and I want to follow through with Shabir’s article on Dry Eye Syndrome.  I am doing this not only because it is far-reaching, but also because the supplement recommended, Tear Support With MaquiBright Capsules, has the ability to help boost tear fluid secretion and also enhances the actual function of the tear film.  The symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome vary, but generally it seems to affect people over the age of 40 and is greater in women than men.  I could comment, but perhaps I’ll just drop the price of Tear Support from £18 to £15, across the weekend.  Probably the safer option. 
VH Editorial: Dry Eye Syndrome; Tear Support With MaquiBright Capsules by Life Extension £15 for 30 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 5 June)

Anyway, staying on subject and as you will have read last weekend, I got a bit over-excited when I was writing about washing our eyes with Vizulize Eye Wash, which I thought was a very good idea because it provides gentle and effective relief for tired, irritated and sensitive eyes.  It is also pH balanced to the eye’s tear fluid and as such is perfect for soothing eyes irritated by pollen, grit and dust.  The issue I now have is that so many of you also thought it was a good idea, and now there is a famine.  Upon realisation, my stress levels rocketed when the manufacturers told me it would be out of stock until sometime this week.  And that’s being optimistic.  I want to run away.  Sorry.
Vizulize Eye Wash £4.20 for 300 ml (includes eye bath)

Sometime ago, I was writing about stress levels and that in clinic, Ross (that would be Ross J. Barr) mentioned that anger was a huge issue for so many people, which I think is perfectly understandable given the circumstances of the recent past.  On a healing level, the liver is the organ associated with deep-seated anger and of course in clinic Ross treats this concern via acupuncture points, but he also recommends taking Milk Thistle Complex, which helps to address those issues.  This makes total sense to me because the liver is the metabolic centre of the body and is often under toxic overload.

But it’s not only the liver that is exposed to toxins, the first part of the body to be exposed is the intestinal tract, which is why gut health is so important.  Shabir is a huge advocate of double cleansing, and having recommended Milk Thistle Complex, as above, he also recommends Complete Fibre Cleanse, which gently cleans the gut and colon.  I will leave you with Shabir’s article, listed below, and I will conclude this section by dropping the price of Milk Thistle Complex from £12.99 to £11 and Complete Fibre Cleanse drops from £22 to £19.  We recommend double cleansing once or twice a year.
VH Editorial: Double Cleansing The Body; Milk Thistle Complex by HealthAid £11 for 60 Tablets; Complete Fibre Cleanse £19 for 168 grams

As we head to the end of another Weekend Read, a few more things to do and say.  Without doing a whole section on oral hygiene, which I will save for another time, Green People have just launched a new toothpaste.  Fresh Mint and Aloe Vera Toothpaste with Fluoride has three key ingredients, Mint, Myrrh and Aloe Vera.  It is vegan friendly and we are launching this at £5.50 until the end of this weekend, where it will revert to £6.75.  That was easy.
Fresh Mint and Aloe Vera Toothpaste with Fluoride by Green People £5.50 for 75 ml (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 5 June)

We might as well stay with Green People, and I’m doing this because I have another one of those limited offers.  This time it is Green People’s Quinoa & Calendula Hand and Body Lotion.  Aside from Quinoa and Calendula, this lotion is rich in Omegas 3 & 6, Evening Primrose, Marshmallow and Sweet Orange and Ginger.  I honestly don’t know how long this offer will last because I am about to drop the price from £23 down to £10.  As I disappear under my desk.
Quinoa & Calendula Hand and Body Lotion by Green People £10 for 200 ml

One more thing before we head into the Saturday only treat.  I have written many words over the years about Vitamin C, both as supplementation and as topical products.  It is a tremendously crowded market, on both counts, but staying with supplementation, we have recommended YourZooki’s Vitamin C for quite some time, so staying with that recommendation, I will refer you to the product page for all further details as I take the price down from £39.99 to £34, across the weekend and/or whilst stock lasts.
YourZooki Vitamin C £34 for 30 x 15 ml Sachets (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 5 June)

I do this every so often, and I’m doing it again today.  There is no specific Saturday only treat today, instead I have a whole series of products, so in effect it is a lucky dip and with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include one of these gifts.  Whatever gift you receive, I hope you enjoy using it.

Finally, with nothing more to add, I hope each of you are having a restful weekend.

With love

Gill x

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*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.