Glory be, we are in March, we have made it through another dark and difficult winter and Spring is almost upon us.  So, as I welcome you to another Weekend Read, we look forward to lighter days as we prepare to embrace the seasonal changes.  And as the seasons change, products change and we are on a roll with those changes as I introduce you to a new supplement, a supplement which we feel is a core essential for healthy ageing. It has been heavily researched, it has gone through several human clinical trials and with proven efficacy, it now sits alongside Hyaluronic Acid and Ionicell as one of my must-take supplements.  And it’s a must-take for Shabir too.

I think it is important to say here that I don’t want you to rattle with supplements, but there are times when an outstanding nutrient comes to the fore, and that nutrient is NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide).  It is also fair to say that a longer life does not guarantee a healthy life and as we age our organs start to accumulate waste and they perform less efficiently, making us more prone to disease.  Over the past few years, one of the most promising anti-ageing molecules scientists have been studying is NAD+, and NMN has been shown to boost levels of NAD+, which is involved in over four-hundred metabolic reactions within our bodies.

Like many other compounds in the body, such as HA, levels of NAD+ decline with age and this has been linked to numerous age-related disorders and diseases.  Logic would dictate that we should supplement with NAD+, but NAD is a much larger molecule than NMN, so the uptake by the cells is much lower than when supplementing with NMN, which readily enters cells and is then converted into NAD+ by a significant amount which, without wishing to blind you with science, is the crucial element here.

I am not going to be ridiculous and tell you that NMN will reverse the signs of ageing, because it won’t, but it can help slow the signs of ageing, if the correct therapeutic dose is used.  A Japanese study found that after eight weeks of supplementing with NMN, an improvement was noted in metabolism, hormonal levels and in the skin of post-menopausal women at a dosage of 300 mg daily.  The findings on hormonal health and sugar metabolism are particularly interesting and Shabir explains those findings in his article, linked below.  And they are worth explaining because, without exception, the findings relate to the health and wellbeing of each and every one of us.

Most of the clinical trials tend to use 250 mg or 300 mg of NMN daily, so in line with those clinicals, we are using 300 mg in our formulation.  We could have gone sooner with NMN, we have known about it for a very long time, but we were awaiting the publication of further clinicals before we fully endorsed this remarkable nutrient.  And as we now do so, I am dropping the price on launch from £26 to £23.  Across the weekend.
VH Editorial: What Are NMN Supplements; NMN – Nicotinamide Mononucleotide £23 for 30 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 5 March); Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength £35 for 30 Capsules

It is one thing to introduce a new nutrient, which rarely happens, and it is quite another to increase the efficacy of existing compounds based upon ongoing research and development.  We did of course do this last weekend as we launched Turmeric Curcumin C3 Complex®, which emphasised the importance of increasing the bioavailability of the active compounds found in Turmeric, Curcumin, Demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC).  These compounds are turbo-charged with BioPerine®, a patented extract derived from black pepper which has been shown to increase the bioavailability of Curcumin compounds by up to 2000%.

Turmeric is one of the most researched herbs in the world and several studies, which are being carried out by some of the leading research-led institutions, are ongoing.  We will of course keep you updated on future studies and clinicals, but for the moment I have news.  At the beginning of the year, I promised that I would hero out a specific product each month, primarily because I don’t write the VH awards until the end of the year.  And I thought I knew February’s chosen product, until last weekend. 

So, because Turmeric Curcumin C3 Complex® blew all other products out of the water last weekend, I hereby declare Turmeric Curcumin C3 Complex® as February’s product of the month.  I suppose that was a bit obvious, but efficacy and excellence dictate those moments when any given supplement supersedes all that has gone before.  I know it’s a big thing to ask you to change supplements and I don’t do that lightly.  But I’ve done it and because these things really do matter, I held the launch price of £23 throughout the past week, and I will hold it at that same launch price across this weekend.    
VH Editorial: Turmeric – Can It Help Prevent Alzheimer’s & Dementia; Turmeric Curcumin C3 Complex® £23 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 5 March)

Another new product launch, and this time it’s from DIRTEA.  Throwing the focus on the transformative power of mushrooms, please let me introduce you to Tremella Mushroom Powder, which is often termed as The Beauty Mushroom.  Tremella (Tremella fuciformis) has a long history of use, notably in Traditional Chinese Medicine where it has been highly revered for its hydrating and healing properties for many centuries, so let’s take a closer look at the attributes of Tremella mushrooms.  

Tremella mushrooms contain a variety of polysaccharides that help to retain water, thus hydrating the body.  They also contain food-state Vitamin D, they are rich in fibre, they contain protein, antioxidants and beta glucans, as well as N-acetylglucosamine and glucuronic acid for detoxification.  A super-mushroom, yes it most definitely is, will it replace HA supplementation, no it won’t, but if you are of the mind to sip Tremella as an adjunct to HA, then I invite you to do so as I drop the price of Tremella Mushroom Powder from £49.99 to £40 for the interim, as Shabir does the lowdown on the Beauty Mushroom in his article linked below.  Well, well, another new article from Shabir.
VH Editorial: Tremella Mushrooms, Benefits And Side Effects; Tremella Mushroom Powder by DIRTEA £40 for 60 grams; DIRTEA products

Let’s double cleanse.  And to be clear, we are recommending a gut cleanse and a liver cleanse.  A gut cleanse because the first part of the body which is exposed to toxins is the intestinal tract and a liver cleanse because the liver is often under toxic overload, so it’s good to do a double cleanse two or three times a year.  Numerous studies have demonstrated the link between gut health and the immune system, mood, cognitive function and compromised skin conditions.  Additionally, stress, lack of sleep and high sugar foods all play havoc with the gut and its beneficial bacteria.  We therefore recommend cleansing the gut with Complete Fibre Cleanse to help cleanse the gut and colon gently, but efficiently.
Complete Fibre Cleanse £19 for 168 grams (drops from £22 and offer ends at midnight GMT, Friday 10 March)

The liver is the second largest organ of detoxification, with skin being the largest.  It is also the workhorse of the body as it converts toxins, chemicals, pollutants and metabolic waste products into neutral compounds, easily eliminated by the body.  The subtle signs of poor liver function include fatigue, complexion problems, itchy skin, mood swings and, in some instances, weight gain.  Loaded with cleansing herbs such as Milk Thistle, Dandelion root and Artichoke Leaf extract, we recommend HealthAid’s Milk Thistle Complex.  And just to add, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver is the seat of repressed anger, so it may help to mitigate that issue too.
VH Editorial: Double Cleansing The Body; Milk Thistle Complex by HeathAid £11.99 for 60 Tablets (drops from £13.99 and offer ends at midnight GMT, Friday 10 March)

As many of you know, I have a thing about the safety of lash and brow enhancers and together with Sarah Stacey, I have campaigned about those safety issues for over a decade.  I am quite pragmatic about choice, I always have been, but surely any considered choice must be based upon fact and not marketing fiction.  Approximately a year ago, we launched a Lash Serum and a Brow Serum for and on behalf of Natucain.  I think all I really want to do here is to refer you, once again, to Sarah’s article about lash serums, as I drop the price of Natucain’s Lash Serum from £59 to £47 and the Brow Serum falls in line as that also drops from £59 to £47.  Reporting with responsibility.
The Natural Eyelash Growth Enhancer That’s Safe And Really Works by Sarah Stacey; Lash Serum by Natucain £47 for 3.9 ml; Brow Serum by Natucain £47 for 6.2 ml (offers end at midnight GMT, Friday 10 March)

Right, two more new products to tell you about and they are from Ameliorate.  Ameliorate’s bestselling product, Transforming Body Lotion, makes an appearance with a warming Vanilla and Tonka fragrance, and so too does their Nourishing Body Wash.  There’s really not much more I can say, except that Transforming Body Lotion will deeply hydrate the skin and the Nourishing Body Wash is a rich, pH-balanced nourishing cleanser.  Formulated to help tackle Keratosis Pilaris, I am dropping the price of Transforming Body Lotion from £24 to £19 and the Nourishing Body Wash drops from £12 to £9.50.  Whilst stock lasts.
VH Editorial: Treatment Of Keratosis Pilaris; Transforming Body Lotion Vanilla & Tonka £19 for 200 ml; Nourishing Body Wash Vanilla & Tonka £9.50 for 200 ml

I have a particular fondness for products that work hard to help resolve specific issues and Derma E’s Sulfur Spot Treatment does just that.  Working actively and effectively to help clear spots and blemishes from skin prone to acne, the colloidal sulfur within this formulation helps to dry up oil that builds within pores, while Salicylic Acid exfoliates the skin.  Calamine and Aloe Vera Gel help to soothe and reduce irritation and the appearance of redness.  A potent solution and, in a limited edition offer, Sulfur Spot Treatment drops in price from £14 to £9, whilst stock lasts.  And once they are gone, they are gone.  That would be the spots and the product.
Sulfur Spot Treatment by Derma E £9 for 30 ml

As most of you know, each month we share a special treat from Temple Spa, and for the month of March we are throwing the focus on Windows of the Soul.  Windows of the Soul is a cooling eye balm-gel which is blended with Edelweiss, Milk Thistle (second mention) and Echinacea to help treat eye puffiness, leaving your eyes feeling refreshed.  For best results pat the gel gently under and on the brow and continue round to the corner of the under-eye.  And that’s it, except to say that the price of Windows of the Soul drops from £34 to £25 throughout this month.
Windows of the Soul by Temple Spa £25 for 15 ml (offer ends at midnight BST, Friday 31 March)

Here we go, another new product to tell you about.  We seem to be in new product territory today, so let me introduce you to Perfect Night’s Sleep Wonder Balm by Neom.  Rich in antioxidants, including Vitamin E and Omega-6, the Sleep Wonder Balm includes soothing essential oils to help settle the senses before sleep, and although it has been formulated to use on patches of dry skin, I would suggest that you rub it into your pulse points for optimum effect.  Furthermore, I would suggest that you use Ross J. Barr’s Sleep Patches in conjunction with Sleep Wonder Balm, so with that said Sleep Wonder Balm drops from £16 to £13 and the Sleep Patches also drop in price from £15 to £12. 
Perfect Night’s Sleep Wonder Balm by Neom Organics £13 for 12 grams; Sleep Patches by Ross J. Barr £12 for Ten Patches

Staying with sleep and relaxation, let’s do a Spacemask treat.  I have often written that you can’t have too many Spacemasks in your life, so with every box of Spacemasks bought, we will automatically send you one free Spacemask (original).  Spacemasks gently warm your eye area, helping to relieve tension and allowing you to unwind at the end of the day.  They are also the perfect antidote after spending hours in front of a computer screen.  One of life’s saviours, I feel.
Spacemasks (Original) £16.50 for Five Masks; Spacemasks Chamomile Scented £16.50 for Five Masks; Spacemasks Orange and Grapefruit Scented £16.50 for Five Masks

Having written about skin prone to acne above, I would just like to return to the subject and talk about acne scarring.  Acne scars develop as a result of the loss of skin tissue or an increase in skin tissue formation.  Studies indicate that the severe forms of acne, those that develop in the deeper layers of the dermis, are mostly responsible for causing acne scars.  There are four different types of acne scarring, which Shabir refers to in his article linked below, and although getting rid of acne scars is not easy and requires patience, we recommend Azelaic Acid to help address all types of mild acne scarring.

Azelaic Acid is a powerful anti-inflammatory and it acts as a keratolytic agent, which means that it softens keratin and helps prevent the build-up of keratinocytes, which are skin cells.  This helps prevent cell build-up and blocked pores, but additionally Azelaic Acid has antibacterial properties which prevents bacteria living on the skin’s surface.  A bit of a superstar serum, it can also be used in helping to control skin prone to Rosacea and because I have just made Azelaic Acid a hero, I am offering you the opportunity, a limited edition opportunity, to buy the oversized version of Azelaic Acid, which means you get 45 ml for the price of 30 ml. 
VH Editorial: How To Fade Acne Scars; Azelaic Acid 10% Serum by Garden of Wisdom for VH £11.50 for 45 ml

I think it would be rather remiss of me not to write about Clear Skin Complex, a supplement specifically formulated for compromised skin conditions, including acne.  We have always advocated the use of supplementation alongside topical products for optimum results and, for ease, Shabir has written an entire article about how to get clear skin, which means I don’t have to.  So, as I refer you to that article, linked below, I am taking down the price of Clear Skin Complex from £26.95 to £23.95 with a recommendation that you take this supplement for two or three months for optimum results.  These things take time, they are not an overnight fix, and never have been.
VH Editorial: How To Get Clear Skin; Clear Skin Complex by Viridian Nutrition £23.95 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 5 March)

One last fling, and a moment of madness perhaps, and it goes something like this.  If you buy any Dermelect product across this weekend, we will automatically send you Runway Ready Luxury Foot Treatment (103 ml), which is worth £25 as a free gift.  I have a feeling that Smooth Upper Lip may feature quite heavily here, and just so you know, I am still using it, I am still loving it and I know that beauty products can be somewhat fickle, but there is nothing fickle about Smooth Upper Lip in my humble opinion.  I still say it’s brilliant to help treat vertical lip lines, but please give it time to do its preventative work.  Once again, no overnight miracles.  One gift per customer.
Dermelect Products; Smooth Upper Lip Professional by Dermelect Cosmeceuticals £45 for 15 ml (Limited Edition Offer)

Into the Saturday only treat and this week we have two or three different gifts we wish to share with you.  So, with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p, one of these gifts will automatically be sent to you and I hope you enjoy using it.  I’m sorry I can’t be specific, but these gifts are computer generated and allocated and as such it remains our pleasure to share a touch of happiness with you each week.  A mysterious touch of happiness at times.  Like today.

Finally, as I was writing about NMN at the top of this newsletter, a song came into my mind.  That song was Holding Back The Years by Simply Red, so although I absolutely know that we can’t hold back the years as such, what we can do is age with grace and dignity with an acceptance that cutting-edge supplementation can play a role in our lives in achieving just that.  I’m in.  I always have been.
Holding Back The Years by Simply Red; The VH Playlist

With love

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.