Perfect Christmas Gifts For The Beauty Junkie.

Chocolate Orange gift From Lush.

So christmassy and they smell great. Indulge in chocolate orange heaven with these two popular all-year-round products – a little zesty, a little chocolatey, and all for you.

Contents: Orange shower scrub 130g, Posh Chocolate body wash 50g

A Gorgeous and Decadent Gift Set From Scientific Skin Care Brand Environ 

Advanced Skincare at its best. Love this set: stylish and decadent.

ULTIMATE YOUTH + DUO

GIFT INCLUDES:
3DSynergé™ Filler Crème 30ML

COMPLIMENTARY:

  • Revival Masque 15ML
  • “At Home Aesthetician”— Facelift in a Jar
  • Multi-award winning
  • Ageing concerns

SEPHORA COLLECTION

We love this. A mask for every part of the body. True beauty decadence. This set contains 8 masks specifically designed to target every area of your skin, from your face to your hair, hands, feet and even lips. Every mask has been formulated to provide immediate benefits, with visible results in no time at all. Whether used alone or simultaneously in different places, these quick and effective masks provide multiple benefits to meet all your skin’s needs.

A ready-to-gift Holiday present in a pretty pouch

Outrageous Ornament From Sephora.

These are gorgeous and fun. It’s a great product too. Discover the Outrageous Plump Effect gloss and its exclusive Holiday shade – hang it on your Holiday tree or use as a keyring.

An added dose of shine to hang anywhere, even on your Holiday tree

The Outrageous Plump gloss you love – with a little something extra. More stylish than ever, it comes with a keyring topped with a pink fake-fur pompom. All that’s left is to hang it anywhere you want, to keep your dose of shine within easy reach. The added surprise? You can use the sticker to stick the pompom directly on the tube of gloss. And to top it all off, its holiday packaging includes a ribbon, so you can hang it on your Holiday tree.

Halloween Cocktail Recipes To Get In The Mood

Pumpkin-Spiced Vodka Tonic

50 ml Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka | 15 ml Pumpkin Spiced Syrup | 100 ml Tonic Water | 3 Dashes of Orange Bitters 
Combine all the ingredients (except the syrup) in a tumbler glass. Drizzle the syrup over the top and stir. Garnish with a snapped cinnamon stick and a wedge of fresh orange. 
Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka – ABV: 40%, RRP from £30 for 70 cl, available nationwide from dutchbarn.com, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, Amazon and other good retailers  

Newly Launched – Dutch Barn Ginger Spiced Vodka 

This new expression is the perfect addition to Halloween celebrations. Whether you bring it as a gift or enjoy it with friends, Dutch Barn Ginger Spiced Vodka is made with fresh organic ginger juice and designed to make bar-quality cocktails with zero fuss. 
Dutch Barn Vodka has partnered with The Donkey Sanctuary, supporting donkey welfare,  and is donating 25% of profits from every bottle to this great charity, which helps give donkeys better lives, every day. 
Dutch Barn Ginger Spiced Vodka –  ABV: 38%, RRP: £32 for 70 cl, available exclusively at DutchBarn.com

Renais Gin

Winter Citrus Punch 
30 ml Renais | 15 ml Blood Orange Juice | 15 ml Clementine Juice | 15 ml Pink Grapefruit Juice | 15 ml Lemon Juice | 10 ml Cinnamon Syrup |15 ml Ginger Syrup | 60 ml Cold Brewed Earl Grey 
Add all ingredients to a bottle and pop it in the fridge. To serve, pour over ice and garnish with a fresh orange wedge and a toasted cinnamon stick. 
Renais Gin – ABV: 40%, RRP: £45 for 70cl, available from Renais, Waitrose, Master Of Malt and Amazon

Cotswolds Distillery 

The Devils Share 
45 ml Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky | 25 ml Lemon Juice | 15 ml Cotswolds Amaro | 15 ml Honey Syrup | 7.5 ml Red Wine 


Place all ingredients except the red wine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Drizzle red wine over the cocktail and ice to create a ‘bleeding’ effect in the glass. 

Cotswolds Distillery Signature Single Malt Whisky –  ABV: 46%, RRP from: £46 for 70cl, available from Waitrose, Tesco and Amazon.

Spectacularly Spooky Halloween Recipes from Easy Peasy Baking

Pumpkin Pizza Balls 

Get into spooky season with these autumnal versions of mini little calzone pizzas. Filled with oozing cheese, these showstoppers are perfect for parties!

Prep Time: 40 mins

Bake Time: 15 mins

Servings: 8 

Tip

For a vegetarian option, substitute the pepperoni for either eight cooked sliced mushrooms or 150g cubed roasted squash.

Soak the string in a little olive oil before using, to make it easier to remove.

Equipment

Large bowl 

Wooden spoon 

Rolling pin 

Scissors

Pastry brush 

Food-safe cooking string

Tea towel

Ingredients

350 g strong white bread flour 

One 7g sachet of fast acting yeast 

½ tsp sugar 

200ml water 

200g packet mozzarella cheese, drained and cut into 8 pieces  

100g pepperoni slices 

350g jar of tomato pasta or pizza sauce 

1 egg yolk 

1 tsp paprika 

Handful of fresh basil leaves to decorate (optional)

Method 

1.    Pre heat the oven to 200’C.

2.    Tip the flour into a large bowl and stir in the sugar and yeast. Now make a well in the middle and add the water, stirring until all the flour is mixed in and you have a soft dough. 

3.    Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for five minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. 

4.    Wash out the bowl, place your dough into it and cover with a tea towel. Now leave to rest for five minutes. 

5.    Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and roll these out. Now top each piece of dough with a slice of pepperoni, a spoonful of sauce, a piece of Mozzarella and another slice of pepperoni. 

6.    Bring the edges of the dough together, enclosing the filling and pinch well at the top to seal. 

7.    Now tie a piece of string around the ball three times, crossing over at the top and the bottom.  Pull the string just tight enough that the dough looks like the segments of a pumpkin.

8.    Mix the egg yolk and paprika and brush all over the pumpkin balls. Then place these in the oven and bake for 15 minutes till they are cooked through and golden. 

9.    Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before snipping the string and carefully removing it, and if using, garnish with baby basil leaves 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins 

Makes 12 @ 70g per muffin 

Prep time: 10 minutes 

  1. Ingredients 

215g pumpkin puree (this comes in a can and is available in supermarkets) 

2 eggs 

125ml/g sunflower or vegetable oil 

75ml/g water 

300g caster sugar 

225g self raising flour 

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

3 tsp mixed spice 

Pumpkin seeds 

 Equipment  

Large mixing bowl 

Whisk or spoon 

Lined muffin tin 

Measuring spoons 

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°c (fan). 
  1. In the large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil and water then add in the sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice and whisk until a smooth batter is formed. 
  1. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cases, top with a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds and bake for 25-30 minutes until risen, golden and springy to the touch. 
  1. Allow to cool before serving. 

Mummy Sausage & Pumpkin Pies

Makes 9 portions

Ingredients

  1.   350g plain flour 
  2. 2.    175g salted butter, cubed
  3. 3.    4 tbsp cold water
  4. 4.    350g sausage meat
  5. 5.    150g pumpkin purée
  6. 6.    1 tsp dried sage
  7. 7.    ½ tsp salt
  8. 8.    1 egg
  9. 9.    18 edible eyes

Equipment

1.    Mixing bowl

2.    Lined baking tray

3.    Rolling pin

4.    Spoon 

5.    Fork

6.    Knife

Method

1.    Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan).

2.    In the large mixing bowl, combine the flour and butter by rubbing it together between your fingertips, until a crumb consistency is achieved. Add the water and bring together with your hands to form a pastry dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and pop in the freezer to rest while you make the filling.

3.    Wash up the mixing bowl then use it to combine the sausage meat, pumpkin purée, sage and salt. Set to one side.

4.    Take the dough out of the freezer and, on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a large rectangle (2-3mm thickness) then portion into 12 smaller rectangles. 

5.    Place 9 of the pastry rectangles onto the tray and spoon the sausage filling into the centre of each one leaving an index finger width border around every edge.

6.    Beat the egg, then use your finger to egg wash the edges of each pie.

7.    Cut the remaining 3 rectangles into 1 cm strips and lay them over the filling of each pie, using the egg washed edges to stick them. Trim if necessary. 

8.    Use your finger to egg wash the strips then bake the pies for 20-25 minutes until golden. Allow to cool slightly before placing two edible eyes on each one and serving. They can also be enjoyed cold.

Homemade spaghetti and spooky “eyeballs”  

This scary, saucy spaghetti and “eyeballs” recipe will be a fun and frightening addition to your Halloween! Incorporating homemade pasta, meatballs and a delicious tomato sauce, these tick all the boxes and are sure to delight children and adults alike. While we recommend making your own, if you’re short on time, feel free to buy ready-made pasta for a simplified (but still full of fun!) version. 

 Serves 4 

Prep time: 45 mins  

Cook time: 25 mins 

Ingredients 

For the pasta: 

315g plain flour 

3 eggs, beaten 

For the meatballs: 

750g lean beef mince  

150g breadcrumbs  

1 egg, beaten 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper 

4 slices mozzarella cheese 

Black olives, sliced 

For the pasta sauce:  

1kg passata 

1 tbsp tomato paste 

2 tsp garlic granules 

1 tbsp dried mixed herbs (or dried basil if that’s all you can find) 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper 

Reserved pasta water 

Equipment 

Rolling pin 

Knife 

Mixing bowl  

Baking tray 

Large saucepan or casserole dish 

Piping nozzle or bottle cap 

Method 

To make the pasta dough: 

  1. Form the flour into a heaped pile on a clean surface, then create a well in the centre. 
  1. Pour the beaten eggs into the centre of the well then fold in the flour, bringing it in from the edges. This will be a little messy at first but keep going until all of the egg has been worked in and a dough is formed. 
  1. Use a little extra flour to knead the dough until smooth, then wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for around 20 minutes. 

To make the meatballs: 

  1. While the pasta dough is resting in the fridge, prepare the meatballs. 
  1. Preheat the oven to 190°c (fan). 
  1. In the mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the beef mince, breadcrumbs, egg and seasoning. 
  1. Form the meatballs (approx. 40g each, see pictures for size estimate) and place onto a baking tray.  
  1. Cook the meatballs in the oven for 20-25 minutes until browned and cooked through. 
  1. Set aside on the counter (ensure these aren’t left out for more than two hours). 

To make the eyes: 

  1. Use a piping nozzle, bottle cap or cut freehand to create 24 discs of cheese, placing them on a plate. 
  1. Top each disc with a black olive slice to create an eyeball and leave in the fridge until assembly. 

Rolling the pasta: 

  1. Once the meatballs are cooked, it will be time to roll and cut the pasta. 
  1. Place a large saucepan or casserole dish filled with salted water on the stove and bring to a rolling boil. 
  1. Take the pasta dough from the fridge and cut into 4 equal pieces. 
  1. Lightly flour a clean work surface, then roll one of the pieces out—the aim is to get it as big and as thin as possible without the dough breaking or sticking. Extra dustings of flour throughout will likely be needed to achieve this. 
  1. Fold the rolled dough in half and then onto itself again before using a sharp knife to cut it into thin strips. 
  1. Pick up the strips and give them a good shake to unravel them, dusting with a little extra flour to prevent them sticking. 
  1. Set aside and repeat for the other 3 portions of dough. 
  1. Carefully drop the pasta into the pan of boiling salted water and cook for 5 minutes. 
  1. Before draining, reserve some of the pasta water in a cup/jug for the sauce. 
  1. Drain the pasta and set to one side. 

To make the sauce: 

  1. Return the saucepan/casserole dish to the stove over a medium heat. 
  1. Pour in the passata, tomato paste, garlic granules, dried herbs and seasoning. 
  1. Bring to a simmer and cook out the tomato paste for a few minutes. 
  1. Add in a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce. 

Assembly: 

  1. Add the meatballs to the sauce to allow them to heat through then add the cooked pasta. 
  1. Once everything is heated through, arrange the meatballs on top of the pasta and place a disc of cheese and an olive slice on top of each one to create the eyeballs. 
  1. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve hot. 

Recipe from FAB Flour’s Easy Peasy Baking campaign, launched by UK Flour Millers, making baking simple. You can find more Easy Peasy Baking recipes, information on the campaign, and info on how flour nourishes the nation over on the FAB Flour website: https://fabflour.co.uk/ or on social: @fab_flour on Instagram or @fabflour on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

Advent Calendars: A Fantastic Alcohol-Free Christmas From Wise Bartender 

Christmas just got more inclusive with Wise Bartender’s brand-new Alcohol-Free Advent Calendars, the perfect choice for anyone cutting back or skipping alcohol this festive season. We have already dove into it and love the selection. It is a fantastic present for those who don’t drink or are cutting back.

Each calendar (£80 incl. delivery) includes 24 drinks from top brands like Lucky Saint, Tom Holland’s Bero Beer, Sea Arch and Sip Cocktails. Choose from:

  • Sweet & Tasty – cocktails, ciders & botanical spirits
  • Beer – a line-up of AF craft brews
  • Mixed – the best of both

Available to pre-order now at wisebartender.co.uk

Ted Baker Christmas 2025 Collection – Exclusively at Boots

We love a bit of glamour at Frost, and what could be more glamorous than Ted Baker? Gorgeous design meets high-quality cosmetics. They are the perfect gasp-worthy gifts. Buy them all, for yourself, or other people. Our favourites are below. The Ted Baker’s It’s In The Bag, The Trio of Tranquility Candles and the travel size pampering treats.

Elevate your gifting game with Ted’s elegant selection of pampering presents, exclusive to Boots! 

Renowned for its iconic festive gifting, Ted Baker returns this Christmas with a stunning collection of ladies’ toiletry gifts—designed to delight the senses and bring a touch of luxury to the season. 

Available exclusively at Boots, the 2025 range showcases Ted’s signature elegance with an opulent twist—think lavish prints, refined details, and beautifully blended fragrances.  

From indulgent stocking fillers to impressive under-the-tree treats, each gift is thoughtfully curated to surprise and spoil—whether you’re shopping for a loved one or indulging in a little self-gifting magic. 

FROM FESTIVE FAVOURITES TO NEW SEASON STARS

Ted Baker’s Christmas 2025 collection is brimming with beautifully curated gifts to suit every taste and occasion—whether you’re after compact travel companions, pamper-night must-haves, or showstopping sets that steal the spotlight. With key price points under £10, £15, and £20, festive gifting has never been easier; from charming stocking fillers to statement gifts, there’s something for everyone. Designed with all ages in mind, Ted Baker’s timeless appeal spans generations, making it the perfect choice for the whole family. 

Hero Products include:

  • Ted Baker Spritz Fix Trio (RRP£20.00) – A luxurious trio of 150ml body sprays featuring three elegant scents: Peony & Chamomile, Jasmine & Lime Blossom, and Rose & Orchid. Perfect for fragrance layering or switching up your scent to suit your mood.  
  • Travel Size Pampering Treats (RRP £12.50) – This compact set includes four essential pampering favourites in the Jasmine & Lime Blossom fragrance. Featuring bath foam, exfoliating cleanser, body spray, and body lotion, it’s ideal for gifting or enjoying a calming moment during the busy festive season. 
  • Ted Baker Bathing Bliss Gift Set (RRP £25.00) – Bring the spa experience home this Christmas with a luxurious collection of Jasmine & Lime Blossom bath and body treats. Including body cleanser, scrub, face mask, whipped body crème, body spray, and a chic claw clip, it’s the perfect way to unwind after festive celebrations.  
  • Ted Baker Style Out Your Sleep Set (RRP£28.00) – Drift off in style with this luxurious bedtime kit, featuring a soft eye mask, printed drawstring bag, and a selection of indulgent self-care products. Designed to help you rewind, relax, and recharge, it’s the ultimate evening ritual to top up your beauty sleep in Ted’s signature fashion. 
  • Ted Baker Blissful Moments Bag (£52.00) – The ultimate companion for a luxurious self-care ritual. This indulgent collection features a curated selection of Ted Baker bathing favourites—including a body wash, body spray, exfoliating body cleanser, whipped body oil crème, hand wash and body lotion—each in one of three irresistible fragrances. Beautifully presented in a stylish bag, it’s a pamper session in a pouch. 

Ted Baker’s Christmas collection brings affordable luxury to the heart of festive gifting, with each item beautifully packaged and ready to impress—no wrapping required. Whether you’re curating a cosy Christmas Eve pamper session or searching for a gift to surprise someone special, this ladies’ toiletry collection offers timeless elegance with a festive flourish.  

All products are vegan, cruelty-free and thoughtfully designed with sustainability in mind, including reusable packaging across selected lines.  

Available now, exclusively at Boots in-store and online at boots.com. 

 Frost Loves: Mad Beauty’s brand-new Disney AW25 collections

We love a little spark and fun in life and Mad Beauty always delivers it in droves.

Mad Beauty’s brand-new Disney AW25 collections – a playful line-up designed to bring a little extra magic to everyday routines.  

Disney Stitch – a pamper-themed range of bath and skincare must-haves for the ultimate relaxation.


Disney Winnie-the-Pooh – with three new additions, including a refillable hand & body wash, honey lip oil, and a 24-day advent calendar.

With prices ranging from £3.99–£24.99, these collections make the perfect self-care treats, stocking fillers, or thoughtful gifts.

Disney and Pixar Toy Story Lotso – plush teddy accessories and pampering treats, full of fun and personality.

Mylee’s Halloween Gel Nail Wraps Have Landed And We Love Them

We love a good nail and Mylee make it super easy. These are the perfect way to get into the spooky season.

This Halloween slay your spooky season look with Mylee’s limited-edition Gel Nail Wraps – the ultimate shortcut to flawless, head-turning nails in minutes. Available at mylee.co.uk | Price: £13.99

Vegan, cruelty-free, and HEMA-free, these pre-designed wraps offer trend-led nail art and up to 14 days of high-gloss wear – no UV lamp required.

Choose from two bewitching designs:

  • Patchwork Pumpkin: Bold oranges, bats, and a jack-o-lantern charm.
  • Black Widow: Moody purples, cobwebs, and a touch of glitter.

From Vitamin D Deficiency To Increased Risk Of UTIs: How The Menopause Is More Than Just Hot Flushes

Currently in the UK there are around 13 million women who are in the peri or menopausal stages of their life. That’s around a third of the entire UK female population.[1] But, this significant life change, which is the consequence of huge hormonal shifts, often makes itself very known. In fact, there are more than 30 recognised symptoms of menopause and three in four women will experience symptoms.[2]

But, while there are several symptoms such as hot flushes, anxiety, mood swings and sleep disruptions which are commonly known, there are in fact, many other, often debilitating symptoms, which can be caused by menopause.

Women’s health specialist GP Dr Janine David, advisor to Berkeley Health says: “With October marking World Menopause Awareness Month, there’s no time like now to increase awareness around this key life change. Menopause, marked as the time when there have been no periods for 12 consecutive months and no other biological or physiological cause can be identified, tends to occur between the ages of 45 and 55. Perimenopause, the period leading up to menopause, is when you have symptoms of menopause but your periods have not necessarily stopped. Perimenopause can go on for several years, as can the symptoms of perimenopause.”[3]

In other research, more than a third of UK women admitted that menopause affected their work life while 36% said that symptoms impacted their social life. Plus, a high 42% said their menopause symptoms were worse or much worse than they suspected.[4]

Explaining the hormonal shifts during menopause, Dr Gill Jenkins says: “Oestrogen is a hormone which will have been present in a woman’s life for the entirety of her reproductive years, but it starts to decline pretty rapidly during perimenopause, which usually fuels the menopausal symptoms. 

But menopause does not have to be a difficult stage of a woman’s life. It’s all about good symptom management and self-awareness to help make it a fulfilling and satisfying time.

Dr Janine David continues: “To empower women and allow them to feel more in control of their health, Berkeley Health – the smart brains behind clinically backed self-care medical device testing solutions – has released a range of at-home tests which offer answers in minutes. This means women can better understand what’s driving their symptoms and discover if they are in fact menopausal. The Berkeley Health tests are all accredited by GenM too which means they are menopause friendly, trusted by retailers and they meet the MTick criteria on the grounds that the products are backed by authorised health claims under the medical device law.” 

The Berkeley Health range of self-care tests for women going through the menopause include:

50% of women don’t seek medical advice about their menopausal symptoms

A high 50% of women aged 45 to 65 who have experienced the menopause in the past 10 years, had not consulted a healthcare professional about their menopause symptoms[5].

Dr Gill Jenkins adds: “This could indicate that women are unsure about what’s happening in their body or perhaps they’re unsure if help is even available. Although the Berkeley Health tests are not a replacement for medical advice, they can give women information to take to their GP or specialist. It allows them to advocate for their own health, rather than waiting years for symptoms to be recognised, whether they’re cause by menopause or not.”

The Berkeley Health Menopause FSH is the main menopause test offered by Berkeley Health. 

Dr Janine David explains: “If you’re beginning to experience symptoms related to menopause such as a lack of menstrual cycles, hot flashes, sleep irregularities and obvious mood changes, this test is a great way to gain an understanding as to whether you’re entering menopause. 

“Essentially, this simple urine test helps to identify levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). Menopause, which is the consequence of the end of ovary follicle lifecycle, leads to an increase of FSH, with values less than 20 mUl/mL going up to approximately 80 mUl/­mL.”[6]

If the Berkeley Health Menopause FSH test indicates an increased FSH level, the onset of menopause is likely to have started.

The lesser-known signs of menopause 

The menopause is more than just hot flushes and as a result brings with it so many other, often unknown, symptoms. These include:

  • A change in the vaginal pH: Vaginal pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline the vaginal environment is. An acidic vaginal pH helps keep harmful bacteria, fungi and infections (such as UTIs or bacterial vaginosis) at bay.

A healthy vagina typically sits within the acidic range of 3.8 to 4.5 but hormonal shifts during menopause can cause this pH to change. 

A 2020 study of 173 women found that a vaginal pH greater than 4.5 had an 84.9% sensitivity for diagnosing menopause.[7]

This change in the vaginal pH can lead to problems, for example, an increased risk of infection which can lead to symptoms such as itching, a strong odour and uncomfortable discharge.

Explaining why menopause can lead to change in pH, Dr Gill Jenkins explains: “During the reproductive years, oestrogen supports the vaginal lining and encourages the growth of Lactobacillus bacteria. These bacteria produce lactic acid, which keeps the vaginal environment acidic, between around 3.8 to 4.5. But, during menopause, oestrogen levels drop and vaginal cells can thin. There’s less lactic acid production and the acidity of the vagina can weaken, which can cause the pH to rise, often into the 5.0 to 7.5 range, which is more alkaline.”

Testing the vaginal pH can be an indicator of menopausal status. The Berkeley Health Vaginal PH test can identify any pH change; it’s an easy vaginal swab test which can be done in the privacy of home.

  • Increased risk of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): UTI symptoms are common for perimenopausal and menopausal women to experience even without having an actual infection. 

Explaining why, Dr Gill Jenkins says: “The sharp decline in oestrogen levels during and after menopause can cause thinning and reduced elasticity of the vaginal and urethral tissues.  This makes it easier for bacteria to enter and cause infection. However, many UTI symptoms, such as burning, urgency, pain with urination and pelvic discomfort, may not indicate a UTI at all as these symptoms are often due to the decline in oestrogen.”

As well as this, the decline of oestrogen raises vaginal pH and reduces Lactobacillus, which normally protect the urinary tract, so without this, women may experience dryness, irritation, and discomfort without any infection present[8].

A test, such as the Berkeley Health Urinary Tract Infection test helps to identify whether your uncomfortable symptoms are an infection or a sign of menopause.

Dr Gill Jenkins adds: “This at-home test means women can be in the know and on top of their health. No matter what’s causing their symptoms, they are at least armed with knowledge, which they can bring forward to their GP.”

  • Vitamin D deficiency risk:  Vitamin D deficiency becomes more common after menopause as oestrogen, which declines during menopause, normally helps the body metabolise vitamin D.

But a vitamin D deficiency can cause problems, particularly with bones. Research has even confirmed lower vitamin D levels in postmenopausal women and a strong association with reduced bone mineral density[9].

The Berkeley Health Vitamin D test can identify a vitamin D deficiency if present. 

Dr Gill Jenkins says: “Low vitamin D increases the risk of osteoporosis, fractures, muscle weakness and low mood, so it’s vital to know if you’re deficient. Some of the symptoms are common for menopausal women anyway, so a test can clarify if there’s a further problem.”

  • A higher chance of thyroid disorders: Your thyroid is a small, butterfly shaped gland found in the neck. It’s responsible for producing and releasing certain hormones, predominantly T3 and T4, which control how fast or slow your body uses energy. 

Dr Janine David says: “This affects your metabolism, weight, mood and even your body temperature. Problems can arise when your thyroid stops working as it should.”

Dr Gill Jenkins adds to this, saying: “TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is made by your brain and it acts pretty much like a thermostat signal. If your thyroid is underactive and isn’t making enough hormones (known as hypothyroidism), your brain sends out more TSH. If your thyroid is overactive and making too much hormone (known as hyperthyroidism), your brain sends out less TSH to slow it down.”

A high TSH level equals hypothyroidism, while a low TSH level equals hyperthyroidism.

Ageing and hormonal shifts, such as those seen in menopause, can increase the risk of thyroid issues, especially hypothyroidism.

So much so, that research has found that thyroid disorders are significantly more coming in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women compared with premenopausal women.[10]

The Berkeley Health Thyroid TSH tests can test for hypothyroidism and give women an indication of whether they may be entering menopause.

Dr Janine David adds: “Many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism can be frustrating and many overlap with symptoms of peri menopause symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, mood changes and irregular periods. Doing the Berkeley Health Thyroid TSH test is a quick and easy way to test your TSH.”

Last word:

Dr Janine David adds: “Menopause brings with it a vast array of symptoms and many are well known. But there are also lesser-known symptoms, which can be confused with menopause or simply be a standalone health problem. 

“The Berkeley Health tests can test various elements of health. From measuring FSH, a rise of which can signal the approach of menopause, to screening for health- related health issues that commonly arise at this stage of life, including thyroid problems and vitamin D deficiency, women can feel empowered as they learn about their health.”

Testing allows women to take action early, so their GP can help them with the relevant diet, supplement or lifestyle changes.

To learn more about Berkeley Health visit: https://www.berkeleyhealth.com/

Note to editors: The following Berkley Health test kits are available at Waitrose.

  • Berkeley Health Menopause FSH
  • Berkeley Health Vaginal PH
  • Berkeley Health Urinary Tract Infection
  • Berkeley Health Thyroid TSH
  • Berkeley Health Vitamin D