And here we are, September. The long weekend has been and gone and as we roll into the autumn months, our focus shifts to the products that will help sustain us through the coming weeks and months, some old, some new. I adore launching new products, there is an excitement and a joy in their discovery and we are launching a few new products today. Yet, in all of this there are always those products which have stood the test of time and they remain cutting-edge and pioneering by virtue of the research and science that first set them apart, and still sets them apart.

So, I will begin by talking about CholestSafe, which has been specifically formulated to help lower cholesterol levels which, in turn, can lead to cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the single leading cause of death worldwide, estimated to be 32% of all global deaths. Ischaemic (coronary) heart disease is the single individual killer within that group, followed by stroke. Statistics show that approximately 5.3 million people in England were prescribed a NICE-recommended statin or ezetimibe by their GP during 2023/24, the highest number on record and almost 900,000 more than the previous year.

I have always believed in allopathic medicine, yet I strongly believe we should each have a choice so, with that established, let’s take a look at CholestSafe, a natural alternative to statins. Formulated with Red Yeast Rice, Policosanols, Phytosterols, Artichoke Leaf extract and nutrients such as Coenzyme CoQ10, Chromium Polynicotinate and EPA, each compound plays a specific role in helping to lower high cholesterol levels.

Primarily, Red Yeast Rice contains a small amount of Lovastatin, together with numerous other compounds that have been clinically evaluated and shown to reduce elevated cholesterol levels markedly within eight weeks. I will caveat that by saying that we are all different, so results may of course vary, but on from that Red Yeast Rice also contains Monacolin K, which naturally helps to balance the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol by inhibiting the action of HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme responsible for cholesterol synthesis in the liver.

Artichoke Leaf extract is included essentially because it helps support the liver, the liver being the primary gland that manufactures and destroys cholesterol, so it plays an important role in supporting cardiovascular health. In all of this, and most fundamentally, whatever choices we make, it remains of crucial importance that we understand the root cause of any given health concern, so with Shabir’s article linked below where he explains the difference between good and bad cholesterol, I am dropping the price of CholestSafe from £29 to £26 across the weekend.
VH Editorial: How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally; DoSe CholestSafe £26 for 90 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 6 September)

Staying on subject, there have been more than 100 scientific studies proving the positive benefits of Oat Beta Glucans as a natural cholesterol reducing remedy and here we recommend CardiOat®, a high strength oat beta glucan powder. CardiOat® has been proven to reduce cholesterol, it supports digestive health and it also helps to reduce blood sugar peaks after a meal. We recommend CardiOat® as an adjunct to CholestSafe, although of course it can be used as a stand-alone remedy sprinkled onto cereal or other food. And it too drops in price, from £21.49 to £19, also across the weekend.
CardiOat® High Strength Oat Beta Glucan Powder by LifePlan £19 for 126 grams (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 6 September)

It is well understood that statins can interfere with the body’s own production of CoQ10, since both compete for the same biochemical pathway. Some research suggests this may play a role in the muscle-related side effects some people experience, but notwithstanding that, CoQ10 has been studied across a range of doses for supporting heart health and here we recommend 200 mg daily for optimal, consistent support but, of course, it must be the correct form of CoQ10.

For several years, health experts have advocated ubiquinol as the preferred form of CoQ10, largely because it absorbs more readily into the bloodstream. Yet the two largest long-term clinical trials linking CoQ10 to reduced cardiovascular mortality, Q-SYMBIO and KiSel-10, both used ubiquinone, the form with the longest track record of hard clinical outcomes. It was this evidence, rather than the absorption data alone, which led us to formulate Liposomal CoQ10 with ubiquinone, paired with liposomal technology specifically to solve the very absorption challenge ubiquinone is otherwise known for.

I think it matters rather a lot that we continue to respect the clinical studies which support our health and wellbeing, so perhaps it is also interesting to note that recent studies are suggesting that CoQ10 may also support eye health. It is quite complex, so the easiest thing for me to do here is to link you to Shabir’s article below where he explains how CoQ10 helps to support vision by protecting the retinal cells against oxidative stress which can lead to progressive cell damage. And with that said, Liposomal CoQ10 drops in price from £48 to £42.
VH Editorials: Choosing The Correct CoEnzyme Q10 Supplement; CoQ10 For Eye Health; DoSe Liposomal CoQ10 £42 for 240 ml (48 days’ supply) (offer ends midnight BST, Sunday 6 September)

I want to continue talking about eye health, because it neatly leads into the launch of two new products from Peep Club, which I am very excited to share with you. What started in 2020 as a passion for relieving dry and sensitive eyes has evolved into a mission to address the underlying causes of that sensitivity by taking care of eye longevity and long-term eye health. Recognising, and supporting, niche, independent brands has always been so incredibly important to me and it has been a total privilege to work alongside Nicola Alexander, an award-winning optometrist, to achieve awareness for her ground-breaking products.

The story began with the Heated Eye Wand, now in its most advanced form, the Heated Eye Wand LED+, developed in collaboration with leading UK optometrists over three years of research. Offering five distinct modes, a temperature-controlled hot compress, gentle massage, and red, green and amber LED light, they each address a different concern, dryness and discomfort through warmth, puffiness through massage, and fine lines, redness and skin quality through targeted light therapy.
Heated Eye Wand LED+ by Peep Club £85; Nickel Free Heated Eye Wand LED+ £95

As the Heated Eye Wand has evolved through the years, so too has another Peep Club product, the Eye Rescue Lidstick™. Launching in November 2023, the Eye Rescue Lidstick™ sold out within hours of making an appearance on the Weekend Read and selling one every ninety seconds, we had to navigate yet another difficult wait list as demand far exceeded supply, but that was then, and this is now, so please allow me to introduce you to the new Lidstick™ Correcting Balms, two perfectly dosed silky butters designed with laser focus to purposefully take one concern of the eye at a time.

And so, the next generation Lidsticks™, and the first in the range has been specifically formulated to treat the dry, delicate under-eye skin. Most suitable for dry, flaky, chapped or barrier compromised skin, this barrier-building balm delivers lasting hydration and comfort, the Dry Eye Lidstick™ features three key active ingredients. Ceramide NP is the hero, it is a skin-identical lipid that helps replenish the skin’s natural ceramides, strengthening the moisture barrier and helping to reduce transepidermal water loss, and it is joined by Squalane to reinforce the skin barrier with biomimetic hydration and Bisabolol to help calm irritation and soothe delicate skin.

Each balm uses a patented massage sphere applicator for a precise, luxurious application experience inspired by Gua Sha and Jade rolling practices and the Dry Eye Lidstick™ sphere is made from 316L surgical-grade stainless steel designed for smooth, precise and gentle usage along delicate eye contours. The click-up pen dispenses a controlled amount of balm, which can be applied to the upper and lower eyelids, avoiding the lash line, and upon returning the lid to the Lidstick™, the roller ball applicator can be used to gently massage, rolling in an outward direction, moving from the inner corner of the eye, by the nose, towards the outer corner of the eye.  The Dry Eye Lidstick is £30, but to celebrate the launch, it will drop to £20 across the weekend.
Dry Eye Lidstick™ by Peep Club £20 (launch offer ends midnight BST, Sunday 6 September)

The Dark Circles Lidstick™ targets all three major causes of dark circles by brightening, boosting circulation and building the collagen structure of delicate skin. Using a blend of three clinically proven actives, this silky balm has been shown to visibly correct dark circles in as little as one month of regular use. A blend of three peptides strengthens the collagen fibres around the eye to help address structural thinning that makes dark circles more visible, and it is joined by Australian Kakadu Plum which is rich in vitamin C to brighten and protect and Arnica, which supports microcirculation and helps reduce the appearance of blue-toned dark circles.

The roller ball on the Dark Circles Lidstick™ is made with White Jade to provide a cooling massage, yet it also helps support micro-circulation, a leading cause of dark circles. When we launched the original Lidstick™, we suggested that it could be used to allow slip when using the Heated Eye Wand and of course that is still the case, as these next-generation Lidsticks™ work beautifully with the Heated Eye Wand LED+. So, as I leave you to explore these two new products, the price of the Dark Circles Lidstick also drops in price from £35 to £25, across the weekend.
Dark Circles Lidstick™ £25 (launch offer ends midnight BST, Sunday 6 September)

I am going to write about another new product in a moment, but before I do that, and having written about the importance of building the collagen structure of skin, a mention here for Collagen Tripeptide Complex. I am somewhat evangelical about supporting topical products with cutting-edge supplementation, but I am also evangelical about enabling efficacy with the correct form of compound, so without writing chapter and verse, Collagen Tripeptides are the only form we recommend, Shabir explains why in his article, linked below, and I’m dropping the price of Collagen Tripeptide Complex from £45 to £38. Because I feel like it. Amen.
VH Editorial: Does Your Collagen Supplement Contain Collagen Tripeptides; DoSe Collagen Tripeptide Complex £38 for 90 Capsules (offer ends midnight BST, Monday 7 September)

Onwards. It made my day when this next product landed in front of me, essentially because of its name, Fat Cow. There are those products which you know you absolutely want to write about, sometimes before you even know what the product actually does, and Fat Cow was one of those products. I actually didn’t care if I just wrote a sentence saying that there is a product called Fat Cow and left it there, but I couldn’t leave it there because it is an exceptional product and exceptional products deserve to be written about.

So, here we go. I used to have eczema, I don’t really suffer from it that often, but it can sometimes flare up and the one thing about eczema, as so many of you know, is that although there are some incredible formulations to support eczema-prone skin, you can become immune to them and then they stop working. So then you have to find the next solution and the one after that, until you almost give up, except we must never give up and Fat Cow is the reason why I won’t give up, essentially because Ryan, the founder of Fat Cow Skincare didn’t give up, and he created Fat Cow because of his lack of trust in ‘big’ skincare brands and that resonated with me, it resonated deeply.

After much experimentation, Ryan came across Tallow, and unlike the plant-based oils he had been mixing in his own kitchen, which did very little, Tallow’s fatty acid profile enabled it to work a little differently from most eczema solutions. Rather than acting as an active the skin can habituate to, it mirrors the skin’s own barrier lipids, so it is more about supporting and replenishing the barrier other than the skin building a tolerance to it, which is why it is ideal for those of us who have sensitive, eczema-prone skin.

Tallow is nutrient dense and it naturally carries vitamins A, D, E and K, which enables it to be recognised, absorbed and used by the skin, so it arrives carrying the powerful compounds required for compromised skin conditions without the need for multiple ingredients. Simple, ancient and it works. What also works exceptionally well is Fat Cow’s Tallow Soap. Made with grass-fed whipped Tallow, this moisturising cleansing bar is deeply hydrating and to celebrate the launch of Fat Cow, with every Fat Cow Balm purchased, we will automatically include the Tallow Soap, which is worth £11, whilst stocks last. And of course, if you so wish, you can buy Tallow Soap as a stand-alone.
Fat Cow Balm £38 for 90 grams + Fat Cow Tallow Soap Free (worth £11 whilst stock lasts; only one gift per customer); Fat Cow Tallow Soap £11 for 100 grams

Right, let’s continue with Fulvic Elixir and we do so with a touch of transparency. We are sitting on excess stock of Fulvic Elixir 240 ml, which would be fine under normal circumstances, but it’s not actually fine because this batch of Fulvic Elixir expires at the end of October. For those of you who regularly take Fulvic Elixir, this shouldn’t be an issue because with seven weeks left for consumption, it will probably have been used long before the expiry date, so I’m dropping the price to £8, it is worth £15, and I don’t know how long this offer will last, but once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Fulvic Elixir £8 for 240 ml

Finally, news from the US because Icon Skincare has won its first award, that didn’t take long. Luminous Brightening, which is a gentle vitamin C serum, has been named the ‘Best Brightening Cream’ in the Shape Beauty Awards 2026. I love that for Bryan and Alec, but I love it for us too because it is such a great formulation and it is one of the very few vitamin C products that I can actually use without my skin reacting. Less is more here, because rather like Camera Ready, you only need one or two pumps to cover your entire face, with a note to say that Luminous Brightening makes an appearance in The Icon Serums Travel Kit.
Luminous Brightening by Icon Skincare £52 for 30 grams; The Icon Serums Travel Kit by Icon Skincare £27; Camera Ready by Icon Skincare £47 for 20 grams

Into the Saturday only treat and with every order placed for £35 or above, excluding p&p, we will automatically send you a glorious tin of Rose Petal Salve*, an all-round beauty hero with a multitude of uses. Products details below.
Rose Petal Salve

As we come to the end of another Weekend Read, I wish each of you a restful weekend as I leave you with a song dedicated to the products that shine so brightly in the spotlight.
Shine by Take That; The VH Playlist

With love

Gill x