My week in wellbeing – everything our health and fitness editor loves right now

Kerry Potter23 October 2023

Instant access therapy, a bonkers podcast and the dreamiest autumn nail shades – all are on Kerry Potter’s to-do list this week

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Well, hello there, I’m back with my latest finds from the worlds of health, fitness, wellbeing and beauty. You’d be amazed how many products, services and treatments are pitched to us GTG editors each week (literally hundreds) but I’m only interested in things that a) actually work, b) aren’t woo-woo (sorry, I’m allergic), and c) offer value for money.

If you missed my last column, it’s not too late to catch up with my previous Editor’s Picks. Bored of me? Understandable, so instead check out editorial director Victoria Woodhall’s current obsessions or the goodies of which our time-pressed beauty director SJ Corfield-Smith can’t get enough.

OK, let’s do this.

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Here's everything I loved this week

Therapy on the high street

I recently visited the new Soho outpost of Self Space, a mental health service, and was struck by the fact that you can buy a loved one a gift card for a counselling or psychotherapy session. How things have changed, thank goodness, when it comes to talking about our feelings. It’s the fourth venue for founders/therapists Jodie Cariss and Chance Marshall (three in London and one in Manchester) but you can also access their team of 70 registered therapists online. Whatever the issue – work, menopause, grief, etc – they can help. The Soho spot – which feels more like a relaxed art gallery café than a scary clinic - is open seven days a week, from 7.30am-9.30pm, and you can even just drop in. It costs from £60 a session, with discounts for student and NHS workers. Given the size of waiting lists rights now, this is a laudable venture, brilliantly executed.

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A running trainer your joints will love

Why is the marketing blurb for high-tech running trainers always so impenetrable and nerdy? All you really need to know about the New Balance Fuelcell Supercomp Trainer v2, £210, is that they are exquisitely light and springy, making even a rainy 10k trudge a dream. The cushioned soles are so stacked I was initially worried about turning an ankle but they’re far more stable than they look. If, like me, you pound the pavements several times a week, they’re well worth saving up for – your joints will thank you.

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The results-driven facial if you’re nervous of injectables

I’m too chicken to have injectables, so the new one-hour Mesotherapy Experience at the Vaishaly Clinic in Marylebone, London was right up my street. Mesotherapy involves tapping the skin with a needle, rather than injecting. This imparts a blend of super-serum, containing hyaluronic acids, vitamins and amino acids, in a bespoke mix to address your concerns. There’s no downtime and my skin looked like it had been filtered, with my bugbear dark eye circles noticeably reduced. Once the results-driven bit is done, industry legend Vaishaly, whose clients include Nigella and Gywneth, turns off the bright light for her trademark cranial sacral and facial massage. It’s exquisitely de-stressing – I’m a woman who never knowingly relaxes, yet even I floated off into some kind of trance. It costs £450 so Botox-y prices, but the best facial treatment you’ll ever have.

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The longevity podcast that’ll blow your mind

Where does the pursuit of wellbeing tip over into losing the plot? This is something that comes up a lot in my job (oh, hi Gwyneth). I’ve recently been glued to The Immortals, a 10-part podcast that tracks people’s extraordinary efforts to live longer. You won’t be surprised to hear that those people tend to be billionaire tech bros. From receiving vampire-style plasma transfusions from one’s teenage offspring to harnessing AI to meld man and machine into ‘post-humans’, the 15-minute episodes are as fascinating as they are terrifying. Host Aleks Krotoski, a psychologist and tech reporter, unpicks the insanity with calmness and clarity.

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Two très bien new French pharmacy cleansers

Another winner from trusty French pharmacy brand La Roche Posay, Toleriane Foam-in-Gel Double Cleanser, £24, is the most nourishing foam cleanser I’ve ever come across, thanks to its ceramides and glycerin. The “double” bit refers to the fact that there’s no need to do a double cleanse routine because this removes everything – one and done. My face feels soft rather than paint-stripped and the chunky 400ml bottle lasts ages. An honourable mention must also go to Bioderma’s new Sensibio Micellar Cleansing Oil, £18. There’s nothing more boring than trying to scrape off recalcitrant mascara when all you want to do is collapse into bed but this no-nonsense oil did the job in 10 seconds flat. Boom!

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Budget brilliance for hair

Monday’s new Repair range Shampoo and Conditioner, £5 each, are currently sitting pretty in my bathroom, looking ridiculously chic for products that cost a mere fiver. Aside from that TikTok-friendly pink packaging and excellent price point, they totally do the job – that’ll be the keratin, argan oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil and shea butter. My post-summer sun-frazzled hair looks and feels decidedly less crispy.

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Dreamy Dior digits

Finally, a little autumnal treat. Gel manicures have wrecked my nails so I’ve gone old school and just paint them myself now. Yes, it’s a chore but rather less so when you have Dior’s dreamy new season shades. I’m alternating between shade 206 Gris Dior, a muted beige that feels very now, and 720 Icone, a sophisticated russet. They’re £26 a pop (although currently £20.80 at Boots), have a super sleek finish and last for days. You definitely get what you pay for here.

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