Hello and as I welcome you to this Weekend Read, I just need to say that because I changed the last Weekend Read at the very last minute, I hadn’t read it through properly and I realised, after it had been released, that I had written the same words within a couple of paragraphs of each other.  Those words were ‘there are always exceptions to the rule’.  And because there are always exceptions to the rule, my eyes nearly fell out of my head when I received an email last Saturday calling me a ‘woke luvvie’ because I had dared to write about the plight of the Ukrainian people. 

The total lack of understanding and compassion for any humanitarian crisis, which would include insidious abuse and bullying, continually astounds me.  And it’s shameful.  Anyway, I stand my ground and as I do so I want to extend my thanks to all of you who sent such passionate emails last weekend and that passion also translated with your love and support for the Elasticity Bar, for which I also thank you.  And I truly mean that.

It has always been of the utmost importance that we continue to support niche brands and products.  I have lost count of the number of times I have written that, but it’s our raison d'être.  It is also our raison d'être that these pioneering brands and products are given the platform and awareness that is often so lacking as the conglomerates continue to throw their money around like confetti in order to try and uphold their market share in any given category.  And they are supported by all those willing to accept the financial, and other, rewards for doing so.  Such complicity speaks volumes.  About ethics.

Anyway, I think it’s best I stop there for the moment because I want to talk more about the Elasticity Bar.  And the fact that last Saturday morning I had invited the EarthKind team to come and see me that very same day, but the criteria was that they needed to bring more stock with them because we had sold through the extraordinarily high volume of stock we had, across nearly all of their products, and that included the free Solid Shampoo Storage Tin we were, and still are, offering as a gift with each bar bought. 

I knew I was asking the impossible, but had the EarthKind team arrived I would have fed them with the rather large lasagne I had made, given that I already had eight people and two dogs for lunch.  Anyway, all things being equal they missed out on the chocolate pudding too, but at least we are now back in stock, thankfully, although I will just mention that EarthKind are struggling to keep up with the demand.  So if the Elasticity Bar does go onto another wait list, which it may well do, please bear with, we are all trying our very best under extenuating and exceptional circumstances. 

The concept of the Elasticity Bar is quite interesting because it leads the way with a unique pre-wash hair treatment, which makes total sense to me.  So it’s probably just as well that we didn’t formulate a traditional hair mask for our Fulvic range.  There was something holding us back from doing this, and I now know why.  I almost don’t dare to write this, but I think that over time we will look back at this launch and say that this was the moment a small niche brand challenged our deep-rooted thinking about hair treatments and hair masks.  And I really hope that happens.

To end this section, I wrote last week that I would talk about the Shampoo Bars, which were declared best-in-class in The Times.  Except I really don’t think I need to do that, as was evidenced by your response to that sentence this past week.  What I will tell you is that the bestselling Shampoo Bar to date is Earthkind’s Bergamot & Sage Shampoo Bar for Dry and Coloured Hair.  I’m really not surprised because it is a rich blend of organic avocado and olive oils, with gentle coconut-derived cream cleansers.  Nothing more to add, other than to say that I am once again linking the information sheet for the Elasticity Bar in case you missed it last week.
The Elasticity Bar Information Sheet; Elasticity Bar by EarthKind £12.50 (Includes Free Storage Tin worth £5.95); Shampoo Bars by EarthKind (Also includes Free Storage Tin worth £5.95)

And now another product launch.  As you know, I will often write about the new products that continually strive to make a discernible difference to our health and wellbeing.  It is important to keep abreast of the research and development that can so often determine the products we choose to use, most especially when that choice encompasses an advancement in efficacy, which so often happens.  But products aside, it is quite a rare thing when an exceptional, thoroughly researched ingredient comes to the fore.  And that’s what I’m about to write about today.

That ingredient is Ergothioneine.  It is a naturally occurring antioxidant and it is being hailed as a next-generation longevity nutrient.  There have of course been several nutrients over the recent past which have been released alongside claims of longevity, but despite extensive marketing, in reality they offer little benefit, so we need to be very clear about that.  What we also need to be clear about is that Ergothioneine is all about supporting healthy ageing and because Ergothioneine is an amino acid that cannot be manufactured by the body, researched conclusions are that our diet does not provide sufficient quantities of Ergothioneine so, by choice, we need to supplement.

L-Ergothioneine is a sulphur containing compound and it has the capability of helping to restrict inflammation, which as so many of you know, makes our cells age faster.  With inflammation being the enemy of many age-related concerns, studies have observed that higher levels of Ergothioneine are linked to a reduced risk of several of those age-related concerns, such as heart disease and poor brain function.  In those same studies, the recommended dosage of L-Ergothioneine is 5 mg, which is the same strength used in Life Extension’s Essential Youth L-Ergothioneine capsules.  And now over to Shabir, for the lowdown on Ergothioneine.  And the power of its efficacy.
VH Editorial: Is Ergothioneine The Next Longevity Nutrient; Essential Youth L-Ergothioneine Capsules by Life Extension £20 for 30 Capsules

I know that many of you may ask whether Ergothioneine is as important as supplementing with Hyaluronic Acid and my answer to that is yes, it most certainly is, but it is not a replacement for HA, it sits alongside it as an enhancement.  And if we are talking about the products that offer enhancement, I have another new product launch to write about.  It’s from Temple Spa.  And it was created to be used for facial enhancement.  So please say hello to The Sculptor.

When we launched Eye Therapist from Temple Spa your response was truly amazing as this clever little tool helped to support lymphatic drainage and boost microcirculation to ease tension and help reduce puffiness.  So consider The Sculptor to be Eye Therapist’s grown-up brother, or sister, because it has been designed to mimic a professional therapist’s massage technique as its twin rollers stimulate by gently kneading your skin. 

The thing I really love about The Sculptor is that it helps ease tight facial muscles. I find it tremendously relaxing, Lara thinks it is awesome and I have visions of Shabir rolling his skin in a locked bathroom, lest he should be seen giving himself a soothing massage.  Temple Spa call it their secret weapon for a sculpted jaw, defined cheekbones and lifted brows.  It also helps the absorption and efficacy of skincare, which can only be a good thing.  So hello facial contouring and hello to The Sculptor.  I am so happy to have you in my life.  Rolling nightly.  With Netflix. 
The Sculptor by Temple Spa £30; Eye Therapist by Temple Spa £10

Staying with Temple Spa, I think you may have realised that we are now highlighting a specific product from their range each month.  And for the month of March (MARCH!) that product is Exalt Firming Neck Gel.  Locking in moisture, Exalt will help firm and tone the look and feel of the neck and décolletage, which are so often the areas that need it the most.  The formulation includes Mediterranean red peppers grapeseed, olive, oats, wheatgerm and rose essential oil.  The treat.  We are taking down the price of Exalt from £42 to £35.  And if you decide you want to try it, then why not roll it in with The Sculptor.  A rolled-out décolletage sounds good to me.
Exalt Firming Neck Gel by Temple Spa £35 for 50 ml (Offer ends 31 March – two days after my birthday and yes, I’m an Aries girl!)

Let’s continue rolling and we do so with yet another new product launch.  Heaven only knows what I’m going to write about next week, but never mind that because I am so, so excited to tell you about this next product.  When we launched ilapothercary several years ago, it was obvious right from the very beginning that the Beat The Blues Room Spray was always going to be the bestselling product in the range.  Since that time it has gained the recognition and love that it so deserves and several products have been added to the Beat The Blues collection.  And now there is one more.

It’s a candle.  The Beat The Blues Candle.  Following the theme, the Beat The Blues Candle has been specifically created to literally help you beat the blues.  With an emphasis on upliftment, it is loaded with Clary Sage, Petitgrain and Tuberose with a mission to help banish melancholy, soothe your mind and take you to a place of calm, which I think we can all aspire to.  Of course I love it, but I always have candles burning, it’s my thing. 

And if you want to make it your thing too, then I need to tell you that the candle retails for £54, but in an exclusive launch offer, we are taking the price down to £44, which I’ll hold until midnight GMT next Friday 11 March.  But that's not all, with every candle sold, and whilst stock lasts, we will also throw in a free bottle of Beat The Blues Bath & Shower Oil (25 ml).  Staying in the light.
Beat The Blues Candle by ilapothecary £44 for 30 cl (40 hours burn time) 

So with all the new products launched, I will now abdicate to Sarah who is writing about hay fever in this week’s Health Notes.  I know it may seem that we are talking about this subject ahead of time, but evidence is showing that everything is happening earlier in the natural world, so we think it is prudent to talk about this now.  In her article Sarah references our bestselling product, Aller-DMG, and this supplement is not solely for those who suffer from hay fever, but for those who are subjected to varying allergic reactions.  And because it is an important supplement, I am taking the price down from £22 to £19, across the weekend.  A time to stash.  Perhaps.
Hay Fever by Sarah Stacey; Aller-DMG by Davinci Laboratories of Vermont £19 for 60 Tablets (offer ends midnight GMT, Sunday 6 March)

A Weekend Read wouldn’t be a Weekend Read without a beauty treat.  But this is more than a beauty treat because Thyme Out is our bestselling natural solution to help treat acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, cold sores, inflamed skin and more.  And Thyme Out has plenty more attributes, so I think this product truly sits on a health platform because its ability to help overcome these common skincare conditions is verging on the absolute.  Full information on the product page as I drop the price of Thyme Out from £18 to £15.  Hailing natural solutions.  Wherever we can.
Thyme Out £15 for 200 ml (offer ends midnight GMT, Sunday 6 March); The Thyme Out Collection

I feel sorry for Mega Probiotic ND.  And the reason I feel sorry for Mega Probiotic is because I have shoved our bestselling probiotic supplement right the way down this newsletter.  But never mind that, because quite honestly I know that your radar will pick up the fact that I am reducing the price of Mega Probiotic ND from £22 to £19 across the weekend.  This comes with the promise that I will always try to support you wherever I can with offers on some of our bestselling products.  And so it is, with the added addition of twelve articles from Shabir listed on the product page.  But I want to add one more article to that list.  And I’ve linked it below.
VH Editorial: What Can’t Probiotics Do; Mega Probiotic ND £19 for 60 Capsules (offer ends midnight GMT, Sunday 6 March)

Before we head into the Saturday only treat, and you may fall over when you read it, I would just like to do some feedback.  And this feedback encompasses the new products and brands we have launched most recently.  So I’ll start with Awesome Arnica Balm because it’s a powerful formulation and I’m so, so grateful for your support of this small, but wanting to grow, brand.  I don’t want to get over-emotional, which I easily could, but your love and support has made the biggest difference to Spots & Stripes.  A difference that we can never under-estimate.  Thank you. 
Awesome Arnica Balm by Spots & Stripes £16 for 50 grams

The efficacy of liposomal technology is undoubted, so I was not at all surprised, yet grateful, that the Liposomal D3+K2 Oral Sprays received the support and attention they so deserved.  And finally, I wrote about WindAway last weekend, not at all glam, but who cares, it’s an important supplement, as evidenced by your response.  If you missed either of these, they are both on the last Weekend Read and with that said, we all know what’s coming next.
High Absorption Liposomal D3+K2 Oral Spray Strawberry & Rhubarb Flavour £16.95 for 30 ml; High Absorption Liposomal D3+K2 Oral Spray Lime Crush £16.95 for 30 ml; WindAway Activated Charcoal by Lifeplan £8.75 for 90 Capsules

I have often written about my skincare wardrobe.  There are a few skincare brands that I will never stop using and mostly I think you know what they are.  I completely understand that I am in a fortunate position and I promise you that my bathroom looks like a laboratory, but as with all of us, the needs of my skin vary from day to day, dependent on several factors, which would include whether I’ve slept the night before or otherwise.  In full recognition of this, it is my total pleasure to share an essential from my skincare wardrobe, and that essential is Fulvic Face Cream.

This is of course the product that Shabir formulated, so as such it is fragrance-free, yet loaded with some really important ingredients, including the calming and healing qualities of Fulvic Acid.  I suppose you could describe Fulvic Face Cream as a comforting cream because it really does comfort your skin, most especially if you have overloaded your skin with harsh acids, which can so often happen.  So, with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically drop the 30 ml size of Fulvic Face Cream* into your order, which is worth £15.  It is a luxurious cream, but without luxurious packaging.  But I wanted it that way.  Full product details below.
Fulvic Face Cream £30 for 60 ml

And as we reach the end of another Weekend Read, I hope that all is well in your world, as we continue to think of those who continue to struggle against adversity.

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.