Since then, I’ve had bouts of full-blown insomnia, usually triggered by stress. Whether it’s tension with friends, a mounting to-do list or money worries, there can be months where I lie awake night after night, plagued by a racing mind.

I know I’m far from the only one. According to the NHS, one in three people experience symptoms of insomnia, which range from struggling to fall or stay asleep to waking up early and feeling tired and irritable during the day.

I also know how frustrating it is when people try to offer you advice.

Have you tried journaling?

What about herbal teas, or leaving your phone outside your bedroom?

Tick, tick, tick. If you’ve ever struggled with sleeplessness, the chances are you’ve left none of these stones unturned.

Sometimes, at least in my case, they do work. But in other, particularly stressful, periods, they don’t even touch the sides. I’ll feel my heart racing, my legs restless and my mind alive and kicking with thoughts, pressures and anxieties, no matter how diligently I’ve tried to wind down.

It’s why my latest tactic - an evening swim and sauna ritual - has excited me so much. After a particularly bad period of poor sleep, it’s done consistent wonders for my nighttime relaxation over the past two months. To discover why, and how you can create your own swim and sauna ritual, read on.

We’ve also got guides to the benefits of saunas, the most common ice bath FAQ’s and the six Scandinavian wellness principles we can learn from. It’s also worth reading how Health Editor Ally Head fared when she went to the sauna weekly for six months.

An Evening Swim and Sauna Has Revolutionised My Sleep - Here's How

How does combining a swim with a sauna benefit your nervous system?

The swim

I stumbled across swimming almost by accident. After joining my local leisure centre, which has a pool, I pulled out my old swimsuit just to mix up my usual exercise routine. It was only then that I was reminded just how calming having my head in the water for thirty minutes could be. Without music blaring in my ears or sweat dripping down my face, it felt meditative, but I couldn’t explain why.

For that, I turned to psychotherapist and nervous system specialist, David Cornwell. “Swimming improves our breathing rhythm, which is foundational to nervous system regulation,” he explains. “The gentle holding of the breath as we move through the water begins to improve both the biochemistry and the biomechanics of our breathing. This directly stimulates and tones the vagus nerve, and supports autonomic nervous system regulation.”

Then, he says, there’s the stimulation of the diving reflex, which is an automatic body response that helps us to survive underwater by slowing our heart rate and redirecting blood flow to our major organs. Research has suggested that this reflex, which activates our parasympathetic nervous system (aka rest and digest), can be used to treat symptoms of panic and anxiety.

Finally, Cornwell says there’s the sensation of water to consider. “As we swim, there is a gentle stimulation of the skin all over our body, which has a similar effect to a gentle massage,” he explains.

The sauna

And that’s all before we’ve even discussed the sauna. “Passive heat raises our core temperature, and when we come out and cool down, that drop stimulates our body's natural temperature decline, which can help release melatonin,” explains Cornwell.

Waldo Ramsay, co-founder of REBASE recovery studio, echoes this. “The heat of the sauna mimics the effect of mild exercise, causing your body to enter a sympathetic state. When you exit, you quickly return to rest and digest. This is where the benefits for sleep can be harnessed.”

Cornwell adds that the environment around the sauna has further relaxation benefits. “The sauna provides a quiet, screen-free environment to settle us towards sleep,” he says. “But there’s also an important component around co-regulation. Humans don’t do well on our own - we’re better in community. Sharing a communal sauna cultivates a sense of belonging and connection, which moves us into a tend-and-befriend, parasympathetic state. It helps us feel safe and connected, which is exactly what we need to fall asleep.”

How much time should you spend in the pool and sauna to see results?

Across every expert I spoke to, the key message was to find a routine that balances discipline with enjoyment. Of course, accountability and consistency are important, but if a healthy nervous system is what we’re after, it’s also crucial not to constantly be pushing ourselves.

“We often have a tendency, especially when the nervous system is dysregulated, to impose more and more on the body,” says Cornwell. “But what really matters is listening and feeling what we need, rather than forcing more onto ourselves.”

Chess Ridgard, open water swimmer and coach at Sea Lanes Canary Wharf, agrees. “Even if you get in the water for 20 minutes, you’ve given yourself that moment away from technology and from anything that’s going on in your life. That 20 minutes of breathwork and relaxation can be as powerful as any 90-minute session working on technique.”

At REBASE, Ramsay recommends three 15-minute sauna sessions a week. “Finnish studies have suggested that 60 minutes a week, spread across two to three sessions, is the sweet spot for harnessing the cardiovascular benefits,” he explains. But he emphasises that everyone is different, and like Ridgard and Cornwell, he recommends tuning into your own body for guidance. “If you’re new to sauna, or are feeling under the weather, it’s particularly important to adjust slowly and not overdo it,” he says.

How can I support my nervous system in the pool and sauna?

Swimming is one of the most mindful and relaxing forms of exercise, but only if you feel strong and comfortable in the pool. When you don’t, it can be stressful, which is the exact opposite of the feeling we’re trying to create.

According to Ridgard, most of that stress comes from not knowing how to control your breathing. “Your breath will unlock everything you do in the water,” she explains. “It’s the thing that will switch you from sympathetic to parasympathetic nervous system.”

Thankfully, she has some tips to help us relax in the pool. “When your body is in water, you have a need to take air in,” Ridgard explains. “But the more you take in, the less you’re breathing your waste gas - the CO2 - out.”

Instead of taking a big gasp, she encourages us to focus on allowing the air in naturally. “When you push off the wall, take a big sigh out,” she says. “That will set you off for a nice relaxed swim from the very start.”

When it comes to the sauna, Cornwell also has some advice to maximise relaxation. "Wear a sauna hat or put a towel over your head," he says. "“This helps you stay in the sauna longer without feeling like you're overheating."

He also reminds us to drink plenty of water with electrolytes. “In cold countries, we don't drink enough water, simply because it is so cold that I don't feel like it. The sauna encourages us to drink, and that’s great for replenishing our bodies.”

An evening swim and sauna has become my new wind down routine - now I sleep better than ever

Month one

The first time I combined my swim and sauna routine was back in July when I went to try out the new Sea Lanes Canary Wharf - an open-water swimming venue in central London. I’d just started swimming at my local leisure centre (which unfortunately doesn’t have a sauna), and was already feeling the benefits.

But after combining the two practices for the first time, I noticed that the calmness I’d experienced after my swim was multiplied by rounding out the evening with a sauna. After replenishing with plenty of water and a fairly light dinner, I had the best night’s sleep I’d had in months.

From then on, my curiosity was piqued, and I set out to make the combination of swimming and sauna a habit. I visited various lidos and leisure centres, as well as a lucky trip to the luxury health club Third Space Islington, where I went as a guest with a friend.

And time and again, the same thing happened. I’d arrive at the pool a little frazzled, my mind flitting between 100 different places, only for things to go almost immediately quiet from the first push off the wall. In the water, everything seemed to move slower; my thoughts clearer and the to-do list less urgent.

The 15-minutes I spent in the sauna afterwards became even more sacred. Rather than rushing back to the changing rooms, scrubbing my hair as fast as I could and checking my phone whilst still in my towel, taking that time - either in silence or chatting to a friend - made me feel rooted in the present. It was an opportunity to mull over my worries in a place where I was relatively unreachable, free from notifications and requests.

Month two

By month two, I was utterly convinced of my new routine. I didn’t go every day, but on the days I didn’t, I really missed it. Usually, I go two or three times a week, swimming for around 30 minutes and spending a further 15 minutes in the sauna. I make sure not to rush the process of showering and getting dressed afterwards either, keen to extend this slower pace right into the evening.

Whilst for me, the movement element of swimming is a core part of the relaxation process, one night I do try contrast therapy at REBASE - a wellness and recovery studio in central London. Instead of swimming, I combine a few minutes in a cold plunge with time in their infrared sauna. There are undeniably similar effects, and if swimming isn’t your thing, it’s a great option. My preference, though, is to go for a swim first and then head to a studio like REBASE for recovery.

A key part of improving my sleep has been putting distance between my phone and I. Before I arrive at the pool, I set it to ‘do not disturb’, and it stays that way until the next morning. I cherish the time to fully switch off and unwind, and I know that logging back onto my emails and social media would undo all that good work.

I’ve fallen head over heels for my new evening routine. Of course, everyone is different and what helps me sleep might not be the same for you, but if you’re feeling a little stuck on high alert, I’d highly recommend giving it a go.

Shop MC-UK approved swim and sauna essentials:

I was pretty blasé about sharing photos of my daughter online for the first 14 months of her life. I'd ticked the box giving her nursery consent to use photographs of her without a second thought. I'd proudly announced her arrival on Instagram, then shared holiday snaps and photos from her first birthday.

I was far from alone. Abi*, 31, a mum of two toddlers, posted monthly photo updates of both children until they turned one, creating a record of their development as so many Millennial mums do. Charis*, 30, who also has two toddlers, began by sharing her pregnancy journey; "sharenting" — sharing photos of your children online — felt like a natural extension of that. "It was an innocent way to connect with other mums, and we enjoyed watching each other's kids grow up," she says. I get it completely.

But that innocence tips into naivety when you learn that in 2025, the Internet Watch Foundation identified 8,029 AI-generated child sexual abuse images and videos, which included 3,443 videos compared to just 13 in 2024. Of the 2025 videos, roughly 65% fell into what UK law enforcement classifies as Category A — the most severe classification reserved for the worst child sexual abuse content. And the rapid growth in cases continues. In the first six months of this year, there have been more reports of sexualised “deepfakes” than in the whole of 2025. Meanwhile, technology has become more sophisticated, and the content is so convincing that even IWF analysts can no longer reliably tell AI-generated imagery from the real thing.

Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) like this is illegal, but it often begins as everyday images of a child, taken from social media or websites, and then manipulated into sexualised or abusive imagery. The IWFs research states that realistic deepfakes of specific children can be made using freely available tools and as few as 20 images, in 15 minutes.

This May, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) advised UK schools to pull identifiable student photos from their websites, or not use them at all, after blackmailers created AI-generated CSAM from scraped images and demanded money in sextortion cases. Behind every story like this is a real child and their family. It's horrifying. And something that really stuck with Abi, as a former Primary teacher whose eldest is due to start school this month.

“My children deserve to enjoy a 90s childhood as we did. I won’t be giving the school consent to use their photographs, and I’m now only sharing ‘faceless’ images on social media.” Incidents like these are prompting a sharp rethink of sharenting across the world. France passed a law in 2024 giving children legal image rights; Italy has a similar bill under consideration.

To understand if responsible sharenting is possible in 2026, I spoke to Tom Dyson, Head of Marketing at the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), the UK charity that tracks down and removes CSAM. He has a seven-year-old son himself, and chooses not to share images of him on social media. “I’m in a position where I have a lot of proof and information at my fingertips. But that doesn't mean it’s the right choice for everyone.” The IWF wants parents to be “armed with the facts”, because the risk, unlike most other parenting hazards, is invisible until it isn't.

Asking: does this actually need to be on social media? Is IWF’s advice. Objectively, the answer might seem simple. In practice, sharing our lives online is so ingrained that not sharing can feel more unusual.

But normal and safe aren’t necessarily the same thing. AI has changed the risk, and if that risk feels uncomfortable for your family, there are ways to reduce it.

Start with your privacy settings. A public account with 500 followers is still public: anyone can access those images, whether five hundred people follow you or five million. Switching to a private account, or sharing with a smaller “close friends” list, reduces that exposure — and the smaller the circle, the better.

“But private accounts aren’t completely risk-free — you're still trusting that everyone in that group is who they say they are,” says Dyson. “There's nothing within most social media platforms that IDs an individual when they sign up for an account. An account can look like one thing, but be something — or someone — completely different.”

Accounts can be hacked, too. Ultimately, once an image has been shared, it only takes one person to take it beyond the audience you intended.

When Charis learned that someone she and her partner had known as teenagers had been convicted of possessing indecent images, she went through her Facebook friends list. “I had 1,500 followers and I got rid of most of them. Unfortunately, that included the guy who’d been convicted.”

My own accounts are private, but like Charis, I joined social media as a teenager. When I actually look at who follows me on Instagram now, I feel intense unease at finding close to 200 unknown or business accounts that I couldn’t put a name or face to.

For parents who want to keep documenting their lives publicly, blurring children’s faces or covering them with emojis has become a common compromise. It’s what Charis does now. “I’m not sharing my children’s faces anymore. What happened was just so close to home,” she says.

“An emoji is probably better than nothing,” Dyson agrees, “but it's important it doesn’t give us a false sense of security.” There’s everything else in the frame to consider: a school uniform, house number, recognisable street or local landmark. And while AI may sometimes be able to remove a blur or covering, it doesn’t necessarily need to. It can generate a convincing approximation of a child’s face from scratch, or draw on previously shared images of the same child.

There’s another reassuring idea that circulates among parents online: photos shared before a child turns one are somehow safer because babies are less recognisable. Unfortunately, that logic doesn’t hold up either.

“There isn't a particular age at which sharing a child's image is safer,” Dyson says. More sickening still, the IWF sees CSAM involving children of all ages.

Nor does deleting a photograph necessarily undo the decision to post it. Once something has been shared publicly — even briefly — it may already have been copied, cached or archived elsewhere online, Dyson explains.

By this point, protecting your child online can start to feel like a losing battle.

Dyson reminds me that the responsibility for safer sharenting doesn’t sit with parents alone. “Tech companies, regulators, governments and charities like the IWF are here to help solve this problem too.” It’s unfair that parents have to think about any of this. But the technology — and the threat it poses — is evolving all the time.

For now, I’m going back to my daughter’s nursery to withdraw that consent. I’ve locked down my accounts, cut my follower count in half and now share photos of her only with my “close friends” list on Instagram Stories. There’s a conversation to be had with her aunties and uncles, too.

But I feel much more comfortable with what — and how — I’m sharing. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. And as my daughter grows and changes, so might my decisions.

Next time my knee-jerk reaction to a cute photo or video is to post it, I’ll ask myself: does this really need to be on social media? Or could I just send it to family and friends on WhatsApp? Most of the time, I suspect, my overwhelming love, pride and joy in sharing my daughter is better served there.

*Names have been changed

Worried about your child’s images online? Here’s where to get help

Report Remove
A free, confidential service from Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) that helps under-18s report sexual images or videos of themselves online and have them removed where possible. It also covers images that have been manipulated or generated using AI.
Visit Report Remove

Check your social media privacy settings
Internet Matters has step-by-step guides for tightening privacy, blocking and reporting across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat.
Read the social media privacy guides

Read the IWF’s guidance for parents
The Internet Watch Foundation has specific advice for parents and carers on reducing the risk of children’s photographs being manipulated using AI.
Read the IWF guidance

That replacement arrived last week in the form of Pro Filt’r Fluid Flex Natural Matte Longwear Foundation. After three years in development, it comes in 50 entirely new shades and promises flexible, medium-to-full coverage that moves with the skin, plus 12-hour wear and resistance to sweat, humidity, and transfer.

Of course, foundation is one of those products for which a single review only tells you so much. Skin tone and undertone are only part of the equation; there’s skin type, texture, pigmentation and redness to consider, not to mention whether you want your base barely there or reassuringly full coverage.

So, rather than give you one verdict, three beauty editors with different skin tones, types, concerns and coverage preferences put the new Pro Filt’r through its paces. Here’s how it performed.

How We Test

All three editors wore the foundation from morning until evening, going about their usual daily routines to see how it performed in real-world conditions. Each assessed the formula for ease of application, shade and undertone match, blendability, initial finish and coverage, as well as how it wore throughout the day and interacted with their individual skin type and concerns.

The Verdict

Ata-Owaji Victor

Skin type & concerns: Combination skin with areas of pigmentation

Shade: 526N

Ata's Verdict: When a brand attempts to reformulate or relaunch a holy-grail product, I tend to hold my breath, and with dewy, skin-like formulas dominating recent launch cycles, I wondered, whether with this new launch Fenty Beauty would opt to abandon its matte heritage to chase the glow?

Thankfully, their reimagined Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation doubles down on its roots while feeling skinlike upon application. Despite being encased in a sleek, upgraded bottle, this medium-to-full coverage formula feels distinctly tailored for lovers of 2016-era full beats—without the heavy, mask-like feel. It captures the original's seamless soft-matte finish. I found that in order to achieve full-spectrum coverage it did require a slightly more generous pump than other foundations with similar finishes.

As someone with persistent hyperpigmentation on the lower half of my face, finding a formula I can use all over without looking flat, chalky, or pulling orange is a constant struggle. This product, however, didn't disappoint; my best current shade in the new launch (526N) delivers a rich, neutral colour payoff that blended into my skin seamlessly. I’ve been loving using the brand’s sun Stalk'r Bronzer as a contour-as-bronzer this summer, and found that it was easy to add in dimension post-foundation without feeling like the colours had blended into one.

While 526N is my ideal late-summer match (as in I was struggling to see where foundation began and skin ended) I’m interested to see if I’ll need a shade step-down as my tan fades.

Lottie Winter

Skin type & concerns: Combination, prone to oiliness & redness

Shade: 186N

Lottie's Verdict: I'm pretty picky when it comes to foundation and rarely stray from a few select favourites. But this one has, without exaggeration, blown me away. The coverage is substantial—enough to even out pigmentation and redness without requiring much in the way of concealer—yet somehow it still looks fresh and natural rather than heavy or overly made-up.

What impressed me most, though, was the finish. For a long-wearing, natural-matte foundation, there’s a surprising amount of life to it. It gives my skin a really lovely glow, but crucially never tips over into looking oily, even as the day goes on. As someone whose skin can get quite shiny by lunchtime, that balance is incredibly difficult to find: my skin still looks like skin, just smoother, more even and considerably more even and poreless.

The longevity also really impressed me. It sets quickly—I initially worried I wouldn’t have enough time to blend—but doesn’t seem to harden onto the face or possess that mask-like quality of some long-wear formulas. It moves with the skin and stays supple. As the day went on, the finish became ever so slightly more luminous, but never greasy, and I didn't feel the need to powder or retouch it once.

It's rare that a foundation manages to give me the coverage and staying power I want without sacrificing the fresh, skin-like finish I prefer, but this definitely does both. Consider me converted.

Nessa Humayun

Skin type & concerns: Dry skin

Shade: 186N

Nessa's Verdict:

I’m rarely a foundation wearer, I prefer light tints or a smidge of concealer all over, which makes me picky when it comes to foundations—but I have to say, I love this formula. Initially, I was a little put off when I read that it was matte and long-wearing, as that normally means cakiness, but this foundation moves with the skin, and blends effortlessly; you can build it up or sheer it down depending on how much coverage you want. I find that I get ample glow (my desired finish) with just one coat, and if I add a little where needed, like my under-eyes, I don't need any concealer either.

Kudos to the team for providing such a comprehensive range of shades (there are 50) and multiple undertones (neutral, olive, cool, rosy, warm, golden, and peach). I’m olive-skinned with pink and neutral undertones, so it can be tricky to find something that works, but this is just seamless on my skin; any blemishes, discolouration and pigmentation disappear. It’s made it into my daily rotation, and that’s a rare feat for a foundation.

It’s not even that I particularly enjoy the habit – more that, after a long day, reaching for my phone has become the path of least resistance. The problem is, phone time – and more specifically, doomscrolling – before bed isn't a particularly healthy habit.

"It means more blue light exposure, algorithm-driven social media and increased mental stimulation,” explains Dr Amanda Mwale, clinical psychologist at The Good Sleep Clinic. “But to fall asleep, our nervous systems should be shifting into ‘rest and digest’ mode, rather than becoming more stimulated.” Research backs her up, too: one randomised trial found that people who avoided their phones for 30 minutes before bed fell asleep faster and reported better sleep quality and mood.

But rather than simply banning my phone and leaving a 20-minute void I’d inevitably resent, I wanted to replace the habit with something that actually felt appealing. Enter my new bedtime wind-down ritual: ten minutes of gentle stretching followed by ten minutes of journalling – two things I already know make me feel calmer, but I rarely prioritise at the end of the day.

For two weeks, I committed to making the swap every night, curious to see whether it would change more than the time it took me to nod off. Would I feel less wired before bed? Calmer during the day? More energised in the mornings? And, perhaps most importantly, could a deliberate 20-minute ritual finally make my evenings feel like an actual transition into rest rather than one last extension of the day?

I Swapped My Evening Scroll for a 20-Minute Wind-Down Ritual—It’s Been a Game-Changer

What is a bedtime wind-down ritual?

A bedtime wind-down ritual is exactly what it sounds like – a handful of familiar habits that help you move from doing to resting. As James Wilson, aka The Sleep Geek, explains: “A wind-down ritual is simply a bridge between the busyness of the day and sleep. It is not a magic routine that makes you sleep. The aim is to reduce physical and emotional alertness so you feel relaxed and secure enough to let sleep happen.”

Interestingly, Wilson points out that there’s no universal formula here – and yes, your phone could technically form part of a routine if it genuinely helps you relax. For me, though, scrolling tends to do the opposite: I come away feeling more mentally switched on, and sometimes more anxious, too.

What are the benefits of having a bedtime wind-down ritual?

So, how could curating a relaxing wind-down ritual help me exactly? At its simplest, it creates a buffer between the doing part of the day and the bit where we expect our brains to suddenly switch off. Rather than going straight from emails, chores or scrolling to lights out, those few quieter minutes give the body and mind a chance to come down a gear.

That’s a big part of why I chose journalling and stretching for my new wind-down ritual. Both force me to slow down and pay attention to the present moment, rather than ricocheting between thoughts and tasks. “Many of the people I have worked with clinically have found journalling extremely helpful for ‘putting their worries to bed’, but also for recognising their achievements and things that they feel grateful for,” says Dr Mwale.

There's some pretty interesting science around this: a 2018 sleep-lab study found that people who spent five minutes writing a specific to-do list before bed fell asleep faster than those who wrote about tasks they had already completed.

Stretching serves a slightly different purpose for me – getting me out of my head and back into my body. Dr Mwale says gentle stretching can help release some of the physical tension accumulated throughout the day and encourage the nervous system towards a state more conducive to sleep. And a 2024 review of stretching interventions found a positive trend in sleep quality improvement, although the researchers noted that the evidence is still mixed.

Importantly, neither activity is a magic sleep hack. As Wilson puts it, journalling can become “another task” for some people, while stretching isn’t a sleep treatment in itself. His advice? Pay attention to whether your chosen ritual leaves you calmer or more alert. If it's the latter, it doesn't matter how many studies or online articles suggest that it's good for sleep – it's got to work for you.

Swapping doom scrolling for a wind-down ritual: my review

Week one

The first thing I noticed was just how automatic reaching for my phone had become. More than once, I found myself picking it up without consciously deciding to – that familiar urge to just "check" something was surprisingly persistent.

For the journalling portion of my ritual, I initially took inspiration from the research and tried writing a to-do list for the following day. Unfortunately, this had pretty much the opposite of a calming effect on me. Instead of putting those tasks to bed, I climbed into mine still mentally running through everything I'd written down. Useful for organisation? Absolutely. Relaxing? Not so much.

So, I switched tack and tried gratitude journalling instead – and this was a game-changer. Spending a few minutes focusing on what had gone well that day left me just feeling better. Pairing it with gentle stretching worked brilliantly, too. Getting off the couch and onto the floor brought me back into my body, and even though I only stretched for ten minutes, I felt noticeably calmer when getting into bed.

Week two

By the second week, reaching for my phone felt less instinctive, and the ritual itself started to feel like a signal that the day was winding down. I wouldn't say I suddenly became the world's best sleeper – and I certainly wasn't springing out of bed brimming with energy every morning – but I did notice subtle shifts. I felt a little less groggy on waking some days, and generally calmer heading into the evening. I was starting to look forward to my wind-down ritual, which is key.

More importantly, the experiment changed how I think about winding down. I don't think the magic lies in exactly what you do for those 20 minutes. For me, the biggest benefit came from consciously choosing how I wanted to spend them, rather than automatically reaching for my phone and disappearing down a scrolling rabbit hole.

Am I swearing off my phone before bed forever? Probably not. But I do want to be much more intentional about how I use it. I've already got my eye on some of Headspace's wind-down meditations, which feels like a more mindful use of screen time than scrolling.

Two weeks later, that's probably my biggest takeaway: a bedtime routine doesn't need to be perfect or elaborate – it just needs to help you draw a line under the day and give yourself permission to slow down. I'll definitely be sticking to mine.

Shop my favourite bedtime essentials here:

Now, her extraordinary career is being put into cultural context. Charlotte Mensah: Community Matters, a landmark retrospective at London’s Ladbroke Hall from 8th – 13th September, brings together photography, film, personal artefacts, archival material, soundscapes and interactive installations to trace Mensah’s journey from childhood in Ghana to 1980s North West London and, ultimately, the upper echelons of global hairdressing.

By placing Afro hair at the centre of conversations about identity, heritage, creativity and belonging, the exhibition makes the case for hair as cultural history—and for Mensah’s 40-year career as an important part of British beauty history.

Here, Mensah shares the memories, lessons and people behind that legacy, and reflects on how far the industry has come—and where it still has work to do.

“I’ve Really Lived—and None of It Happened Alone”

Going through thousands of photographs for the exhibition made me realise just how much life has actually been lived. A photograph can unlock a memory in extraordinary detail—I can look at an image from February 1997 and suddenly remember who was there, where we were and what we were talking about. More than anything, it has made me realise that I’ve really lived. There have been ups and downs, smiles and frowns, but I persevered—and none of it happened alone. It takes a community, and this exhibition is really a celebration of them.

“I Spent My Last Money on a Pair of Tongs That Still Work Today”

The most emotional object in the exhibition is probably my tongs. In 1988, when I had just turned 18, I saved my salon tips and wages from the Youth Training Scheme to buy a pair like the ones we used at Splinters. I was living alone in a hostel and beginning to dream big after losing my mum five years earlier. Buying those tongs was the first real sign of intent about this vocation. Looking at them now, I can see that 18-year-old Charlotte in the mirror, completely unaware of the path ahead.

“Success Is Whether You Can Look at Yourself When Nobody Else Is Looking and Be at Peace”

Life moves so quickly that sometimes you have to make yourself stop. I’m always thinking about what’s next, but you can’t properly plan your future if you never take an honest look at your past. We live in an age of constant comparison, with a 24-hour window into everybody else’s achievements and perfect moments. But success, to me, is whether you can look at yourself when nobody else is looking and be at peace with what you’ve actually done.

“Somebody With Textured Hair Should Be Able to Walk Into Any Salon and Feel Understood”

We need to talk much more about education. Hairdressing is an art, but underneath that artistry has to be knowledge. I’m not necessarily saying every hairdresser needs a licence, but we need clearer standards that demonstrate what somebody has actually been trained to do. My idea of real inclusion is simple: somebody with Afro or textured hair should be able to walk into a salon anywhere in this country and feel confident that somebody there understands their hair.

“Heritage Isn’t About Looking Backwards—It’s About Understanding What You’re Carrying Forward”

Everybody comes from somewhere. What becomes interesting is deciding what that inheritance means to you, rather than allowing somebody else to decide it for you. Accra and London have always existed side by side in my world because both places gave me different parts of myself. Heritage isn’t about looking backwards for the sake of nostalgia; it’s about understanding what you’re carrying forward.

“Don’t Confuse Visibility With Stability”

Loving what you do doesn’t make running a business easy. You can be brilliant at your craft and still have to learn about people, money, negotiation, stock, rent, mistakes and a hundred other things nobody puts on Instagram. One of my biggest lessons has been not to confuse visibility with stability. Awards and press are lovely, but you still have to build something that works when nobody is talking about you. Forty years teaches you there are no shortcuts.

“I Want Respect, Care and Dignity to Be So Normal We No Longer Need to Call Them Progress”

By 2046, I hope somebody with Afro, curly or textured hair can walk into any salon in the UK and have their hair done properly, and into any retailer and find products that work for them without searching for the tiny section somebody has decided belongs to them. Ultimately, it comes down to respect, care and dignity. I want those things to be so normal that we no longer need to call them progress.

In case you missed it, manifestation is the idea that we can influence our lives in various ways through the power of thought, attracting greater success and fulfilment via a proactively positive mindset.

If this sounds too good to be true (and trust me when I say that I get it!), you might be interested to learn that, in fact, the technique does have some scientific weight behind it. Studies reveal that people who manifest perceive themselves to be more successful and have stronger aspirations and belief in their success (check out this study from the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin) - and it's also endorsed by the experts.

"Reframing and self-belief definitely have some strong psychological backing," notes psychotherapist Eloise Skinner. "There are fields of therapy that address these behaviours specifically - cognitive reframing, for example, is used across many fields of psychotherapy, while gratitude practices have quite a bit of research behind them, indicating that a consistent gratitude practice can help us feel more positive and intentional."

I'll be honest: a combination of life stressors and hormones has been playing havoc with my brain lately, and I could do with a little purpose and direction, so when I was asked to try out Roxie Nafousi's manifestation mindset technique, it felt serendipitous. Could a month of manifesting clarify my goals and boost my motivation? I couldn't wait to find out.

Keep scrolling to find out how I got on, but in the meantime, you might be interested in our guides to common manifesting mistakes, five steps to manifesting the life of your dreams and quiet magic morning routines here - plus, find out how one Health Writer got on when she tried Dr Tara Swart's four-step manifestation method, too.

I Tried Roxie Nafousi’s Manifestation Mindset Technique To Boost Calm and Restore Balance

What is Roxie Nafousi's manifestation mindset technique?

Firstly, let's dig a little deeper into what manifestation actually looks like - and how it works.

For this, I went straight to the expert herself: Roxie Nafousi is a self-development coach, motivational speaker and bestselling author of the best-selling manifestation bible Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life, and it's her seven-step method taken from this book that I'll be trialling.

"For the Manifest Mindset series, I took the same seven manifestation steps from my book, which were inspired by my own journey of changing my life, and created a short class for each," she tells MC UK. "In each class, I break down the concept behind each step and then guide you through an actionable workshop where you can put it into practice."

Put simply, the technique is a simple, follow-along guided manifestation series for those who need a little extra help along the way - perfect for this manifestation newbie.

So, how does it work? "I created the 7-step method to be an entry point, so if you've never manifested a day in your life and think it all sounds like a bit much, this is for you," shares Nafousi. "But it's just as useful if you've read my book already and want a more guided, practical way to work through the steps. It's for anyone who's in a season of wanting change but doesn't know where to start."

The main tenets are visualisation, gratitude and reframing - tenets that are all psychologically backed, as we'll go into more detail below.

What are the benefits of the manifestation mindset technique?

Manifestation has plenty of purported benefits, provided you're willing to also put in the work: this isn't as simple as making an aesthetically pleasing vision board and gazing at it each morning (although, if that helps, you do you!). The techniques you use are grounded in strong neuroscientific principles - centrally, the idea of neuroplasticity. If you've never heard of it, prepare to have your mind blown.

Put simply, our brains aren't fixed - how we think can, quite literally, change them. The more often you have a specific thought, the deeper those neural pathways become, meaning you're then more likely to continue thinking in that particular way. Fascinating, right?

But beyond this, Nafousi's method has benefits of its own, too.

1. Visualisation focuses the brain

"Visualisation can be incredibly powerful in several ways," shares career coach Hannah Salton. "Firstly, it forces you to focus on what specifically you want. It sounds simple, but often when we’re not satisfied, we think quite vaguely. Visualisation encourages people to say exactly what they want, write it down, and picture it.

"This focuses the brain and triggers something called the reticular activating system – the part of the brain that filters information and starts drawing your attention to things relevant to what you're focused on. That’s why, for example, if you decide you want to buy a blue car, you suddenly start seeing blue cars everywhere."

2. Gratitude promotes a more positive outlook

"Gratitude works in a similar way to visualisation," continues Salton. "When we focus on what we already have, it makes us feel grateful, or lucky. Once we feel that way, our mindset shifts – and a more positive mindset makes us more open to possibilities and more likely to spot and act on opportunities we might otherwise have missed.

"Self-belief is something that grows over time – it's not something you can click your fingers and make magic. But by reminding yourself of what you already have and what exactly you want, you are more likely to develop self-belief. Other things that help with self-belief are focusing on your strengths – what you are naturally good at – and reminding yourself of what you have achieved so far."

3. Reframing helps shift our perspective

Manifestation isn't just about picturing your best life. While that's one aspect of it, it also forces us to challenge our habitual thought processes - some of which might not be altogether helpful. Working on reframing thoughts and situations is a key manifestation skill - and one that can have benefits way beyond the technique itself.

"Reframing can be an incredibly powerful tool, and involves deciding to view a situation differently," notes Salton. "For example, many of my career coaching clients experience rejection when job searching, and it’s easy to tell yourself it's because you're not good enough. In reality, there are so many reasons why you might not get a job offer – for example, the challenging job market, competition from other candidates, roles being paused."

"Reframing your perceived failure as being part of a broader, more complex situation can remind you that your worth isn’t defined by one outcome."

4. It's simple and accessible

Nafousi's method draws on all the techniques referenced above, but in an easy and accessible way.

"Using small, repeatable steps like in my 7-step method helps to build momentum," shares Nafousi. "I believe you don’t need to wait for a big breakthrough in your life, but stacking small wins helps start to shift how you see yourself and what you think is possible. Over time, you’ll start to notice more opportunities and show up as a more confident version of yourself."

Who is manifestation best for?

The experts are clear: manifestation can be useful for anyone and everyone - with an important caveat: you have to put in the work.

"Anyone and everyone can use these techniques; we all have this incredible superpower that we can use," agrees holistic life coach Nichola Henderson. "We can unlock our personal potential to achieve what we’re capable of by removing our own self-imposed limitations.

"There are many examples of incredible people who have achieved amazing things by unlocking their own potential. Take Olympian Eileen Gu, for example, who recently spoke so eloquently and openly about using some of these techniques to help her become who she wanted to be. She described how she spends a lot of time in her mind, breaking down her thought processes and controlling what she thinks using an analytical lens; this is the power of metacognition to move towards whatever your goal may be.

"This doesn’t mean we can all become Olympic athletes, but it does mean we can experiment with what we are capable of. If we are brave enough to treat ourselves like a beautiful artwork, we can experiment, mould ourselves over time, knowing that it’s OK to do it just for ourselves; then we get to consider what might be possible.

"Generally, these techniques can be especially useful for people going through change or transition, rebuilding confidence after a setback, developing a new habit, or anyone feeling stuck or lacking clarity."

I tried Roxie Nafousi's manifestation mindest technique for a month - here are my honest thoughts

Steps one to three

Full disclosure: I've never manifested before. I'm notoriously poor even at basic mindfulness skills like journalling, so it's safe to say I'm slightly apprehensive about getting started.

Added to this, we're deep into school summer holidays, meaning that there's little to no time for me to get stuck in - but I don't have the luxury of choosing a perfect time, so there's nothing for it but to start. And, to my relief, the first step is all about learning all about the process - nothing too scary here.

Step one is where things begin to ramp up a little, but honestly - it's totally achievable - the longest class is only just over twelve minutes, so even time-poor parents like me can manage to squeeze it in. PSA, though - listening to the instructions and attempting to lock in on a busy commuter train is not the one!

This being said, it's interesting to take some time to think about things I haven't really considered recently - if ever - such as asking myself what I really want from my life. In fact, it's pretty confronting - and when it comes to making a vision board, I'm well and truly stumped. But then my newfound reframing skills come into play, and I consider that maybe this is the perfect task for me.

Steps two and three involve removing fear and doubt and aligning behaviour, and I'll be honest, it takes me a few days to settle into it - but Nafousi is clear that this is all part of the process. "Start with step one and don't rush it," she advises. "Being clear on your vision is the part people want to skip, but it's the foundation for everything that comes after. Sit with the meditation, do the vision boarding exercise, and put it somewhere where you’ll see it every day. From there, go at your own pace and move through the steps one at a time.

"Some will take you ten minutes, while others may take you a few days to sit with, and that's fine. The workshops are created to help get you in the habit, and you can revisit any of the classes whenever you need a reminder."

Maybe I can work on my impatience at the same time...

Steps four to seven

Steps four to seven feel a little more intense; I won't lie. Step four is overcoming tests from the universe; it's all about the reframing skill- how to overcome those things that don't quite go our way: the tough times, rejections and failures.

Parenting three children in the summer holidays is essentially one long series of failures and rejections, so it feels like this has come at exactly the right time. I'm surprised to find out that actually, I'm already pretty resilient, and able to bounce back from setbacks - I'm taking this as a win.

Moving on to step five - embracing gratitude - feels relatively simple. I try and apporach life with a gratitude mindset always, and this task builds on the skills I know I already have. Likewise, step six (turning envy into inspiration) feels straightforward to me. I've long used feelings of jealousy as a driver for what I need to go after in my own life, transforming one of life's least constructive emotions into a powerful goal-setting message.

After a few weeks of deep work, it's time for the final step: trusting in the universe. Nafousi is clear that this isn't a passive step; it's not about sitting back and doing nothing; rather, it's about trusting the process and relinquishing control. Put simply, the art of letting go. As I'm about to go on my summer holiday, I'm more excited than ever to have a week off - and allow the universe to do its thing.

And I'll admit - I really do feel calmer than I have for months. Somehow, allowing myself to really let go of things helps me feel calmer and - confusingly - more in control than before. I'll have to report back on whether the universe delivers what I want - but for now, this sceptic is firmly on board.

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If we’re all honest, the wellness industry has given us all a few trust issues. A product promises to transform your hormones? Sure. A wearable claims it can decode your sleep? Stunning. A supplement that claims it’ll help you live longer? Naturally, our interest is piqued.

Strip away the noise, the trends and the increasingly expensive business of “wellness”; what genuinely makes a difference? I asked the women who know best. So, park yourself up - consider this your ultimate wellness shopping list, curated by the experts leading the conversation - from the habits they swear by to the appointments, treatments, tests and products they believe are actually worth your time, money, and, crucially, attention - the good stuff, in other words, with the wellness-world nonsense left at the door.

Keen to read more expert-backed advice? Scroll our features on the best healthy ageing habits, the blue zone habits to try, and the simplest ways to improve your health here.

5 Best Health Investments of All Time, According to Top Experts

The women who know what’s worth investing in

So, who made the guest list? Five experts; five very different health investments. Around the virtual round-table we have: a sleep specialist, a cardiovascular expert, a menopause doctor, a longevity specialist, a women’s health GP, and a fitness expert - all revealing the health investments they genuinely rate.

The answers range from the things you can buy to the things you absolutely can’t - and, perhaps unsurprisingly, there’s a lot less biohacking and a lot more of the basics than you might expect.

1. The Sleep Investment That Pays You Back Every Day

If there’s one thing Dr Wendy Troxel, clinical psychologist and sleep scientist, would like us to stop doing, it’s looking for a pill to “switch us off.” She’s sceptical of the booming market of sleep supplements and “hacks” promising the perfect sleep. “There are effective strategies to improve sleep quality across all stages of a woman’s life, and they don’t come in a pill,” she says.

"For chronic insomnia, the gold-standard investment is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), while the everyday basics matter too: a consistent wake-up time, plenty of light and movement during the day, a proper wind-down routine and resisting the late-night doomscroll."

And for her own investment? Start with the place where you spend a third of your life. “What other piece of furniture do you spend eight hours a day in?” She has a point: research using wearable data suggests adults spend around 7.5 hours a day actually sleeping, while estimates that include the time we spend awake in bed put that figure closer to nine hours.

So, creating a comfortable sleep environment, for Troxel, is one of the wisest investments you can make for your sleep.”It’s not a case of spending £3,000 on the latest sleep-enhancing mattress; comfort is personal, and your sleep set-up should change as you do. Your mattress may need to change with you too.”

Her more unexpected investment is an eye mask with Bluetooth speakers. “If I wake, I’ll listen to a short story rather than lie there trying to force myself back to sleep. The harder we try to make sleep happen, the more elusive it can become - the best thing you can do for your sleep is stop trying so hard.”

2. The Heart Check You Shouldn’t Wait For

For Dr Nabila Laskar, consultant cardiologist and cardiac imaging specialist, the smartest health investment she made was understanding a good route into prevention. "I prioritise knowing my own cardiovascular risk rather than assuming that because I feel well, everything must be fine. I keep an eye on things such as my blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar." As a cardiologist, she sees how easily those risks can develop silently, which is why she favours prevention and knowing her numbers over spending money on the latest wellness product.

​But cardiovascular health isn’t just about numbers. Laskar wants women to remember three things: "First, your pregnancy history is part of your heart history. Conditions such as pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes can be important markers of future cardiovascular risk, even years after the pregnancy itself."

​Menopause is another opportunity to take stock. “It’s not simply about hot flushes, sleep and hormones; changes in cholesterol, blood pressure, body composition and metabolic health can also affect cardiovascular risk."

​The third point is not to normalise a change in what your body can do. “If a woman who has always been able to walk up two flights of stairs comfortably suddenly finds herself unusually breathless,” Laskar says, “don’t automatically blame age, menopause or stress."

This isn't about becoming obsessed with your health. It's about recognising that prevention can give you something far more valuable than another monetary "wellness" hack: time to act before a risk becomes a problem.

3. Forget Biohacking: This Is What Actually Helps You Live Well for Longer

If anyone is qualified to tell us what’s worth spending money on in the pursuit of longevity, it’s Kayla Barnes-Lentz. Having invested more than $1 million in her own health optimisation - and personally trialled everything from hyperbaric chambers and red-light therapy to PEMF, cold plunges and brain photobiomodulation - she has a surprisingly simple conclusion: “The basics absolutely must be prioritised. Not only are they most backed by science, but they’re also where I’ve seen the most measurable shifts in my biomarkers.”

That doesn’t mean Barnes-Lentz has abandoned optimisation altogether. One area she invests in significantly is her everyday environment. “We know environmental toxins like BPA, parabens and phthalates have a detrimental impact on our health,” she says, pointing to air and water filtration as two of her priorities. She also monitors the air quality in her home. “We breathe more than we do anything else,” she says, whilst also arguing that a high-quality water filter is worth the investment.

And of all the advanced interventions she’s tried, her standout is decidedly old-school: the sauna. “Out of all my ‘tools’, the sauna has the best data,” she says, personally using one four or more times a week. Regular sauna use has been linked with lower blood pressure and better vascular function, essentially giving your cardiovascular system a workout while you sit still. For a longevity investment, it’s hard to argue with something that asks you to do very little beyond sit, sweat and relax.

4. The Exercise Investment That Makes the Biggest Difference

For fitness coach Laura Hoggins, the best investment she’s made in her physical health wasn’t a piece of equipment - it was joining a great gym or being coached in her formative years. She’s quick to acknowledge that having the financial freedom to do so is a privilege, but says the experience was game-changing. “The small yet mighty community gave me a sense of belonging, accountability and a shared goal to be our best selves inside and outside of the gym,” she says.

And there's evidence that this sense of community can make a huge difference. A 2025 systematic review spanning 68 studies found that social support and accountability were among the factors that helped people maintain physical activity over the long term.

But the good news? “You don’t need an expensive membership to get stronger. If I had £100 to spend on fitness for the year, I’d buy a good pair of durable, supportive trainers.”

When it comes to women's health, Laura is less interested in the latest wellness promise and more interested in getting the fundamentals right. Which is why there's one category she wouldn't spend her money on: "Supplements promising to balance your hormones. Let’s start with the basics and ensure your lifestyle choices, nutrition and stress management are in shape first. This will be the biggest contributor to your ability to manage hormonal changes."

5. The Health Appointment You Should Stop Putting Off

For women’s health expert and GP, Dr Raj Arora, the smartest health investment isn’t money. It’s time - time to understand your body, stay ahead of prevention and notice when something changes. “Invest in understanding your own health and your own body,” she says. Know your normal, know your numbers and don’t wait until something feels wrong to start paying attention.”

It’s a particularly important message for women, who Aurora says can become “incredibly good at putting their own health at the bottom of the list”. And she’s not wrong. Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought I don't have the time when it comes to booking that appointment, chasing that referral or getting that check-up. In shame, I’ll go first.

Her advice? Make your health an appointment in the diary, rather than something you’ll get around to eventually. Cervical screening is a key preventative check, alongside breast awareness and regular blood pressure checks. “You don’t need to become anxious about every symptom,” Aurora says. “But you do deserve to take your own health seriously.”

So, What’s Actually Worth Spending Your Money On?

Five women at the forefront of women’s health. Thousands of pounds’ worth of expertise. And the verdict? You probably don’t need to buy that much stuff.

Here’s the expert-approved wellness shopping list: what’s worth it, what’s nice to have, and what you can safely leave in the basket.

Worth the investment

• A good bed: Let those 9 hours be comfortable.
• The right health checks: Know your metrics; stay on top of cervical screening and understand yours and your family’s history. Prevention may not be sexy, but neither is finding out you should have checked something five years ago.
• Strength Training: You don’t need a boutique gym or PT. Your muscles don’t care whether your weights come from a luxury fitness studio or Argos.
• Good Trainers: Spend the money here rather than on a designed water bottle. Laura Hoggins has spoken.
• Therapy or evidence-based treatment when you need it: Particularly for something like chronic insomnia, where CBT-1 beats hoping the latest sleep gummy will do the job

Nice to have

• A sauna.
• An eye mask with Bluetooth speakers.
• A decent gym membership if you genuinely enjoy going.
• Air and water filtration if it’s within your means.

The experts aren’t anti-wellness - they’re just much more interested in what actually earns its place.

Where to save

• The biggest (and cheapest): time. Time to sleep. Time to move. Time to notice when something has changed. Time to make an appointment. Time to look after yourself before your body forces you to.

As a woman who loves a little treat in the name of “wellness”, it pains me to say this, but it turns out you can’t really buy your way to better health. But you can spend your money and your time - a little more wisely.

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But the oddity of the mixture itself has actually been the least of my concerns about bone broth. Having now amassed more than 734 thousand posts on Instagram, it has increasingly become synonymous with ‘what I eat in a day’ videos that involve, well, not eating very much at all.

For a while, I steered clear. Yet I couldn’t ignore the scientific research pointing to the benefits of bone broth, from reducing inflammation and supporting immunity to protecting the gut lining. As someone who, like many women, struggles with uncomfortable bloating and digestion, it seemed remiss not to at least give this increasingly viral drink a go.

So, for a month, I began every morning with a cup of bone broth. With the help of leading nutritionists specialising in female health, I delved into the science behind bone broth, when to drink it, what to look for, and how it can become part of a nourishing rather than restrictive routine.

If you're after expert-led takes on viral trends, I recommend reading our guides to supplement stacking, circadian fasting, and the Mediterranean anti-inflammatory diet. Plus, these 11 recipes from nutrition scientist Dr Emily Prpa are worth bookmarking for later.

I Joined The Internet in Drinking Bone Broth Every —A Month On, I’m Converted

What is bone broth?

“Bone broth is a nourishing stock made by slowly simmering bones, herbs and vegetables over several hours,” says naturopathic nutritionist Jessica Shand. In fact, she affectionately refers to it as liquid gold because of its rich combination of collagen, gelatin and amino acids.

You can make your own or buy pre-prepared broths. Either way, the slow simmering is key. “The prolonged cooking helps break down collagen and connective tissue into gelatin and releases the amino acids and minerals into the liquid,” explains nutritionist Hannah Cartwright.

What are the benefits of bone broth?

Where the internet tends to go wrong is in the sweeping nature of its claims. Often things are made to appear like magic cures or nutritional necessities when, in fact, they’re neither.

According to the experts, that’s largely what’s happened with bone broth. “The wellness industry gets carried away in presenting bone broth as something that can ‘heal your gut’, dramatically improve your skin, detox your body or replace a meal,” says Cartwright.

But that doesn’t mean that bone broth isn’t good for us, and in fact, both Shand and Cartwright are fans. Below, they share the benefits of regularly drinking broth.

1. It’s hydrating

If you move in wellness circles, you’ll know that electrolytes are hot right now. You’ll also probably know that most of us don’t need to be drinking them every day, despite what many marketing claims will tell you. And that’s because, unless we’re sweating heavily, most of us can replenish our electrolyte stores through food alone.

“The sodium in the broth can contribute electrolytes,” says Cartwright, who adds that broth is a great way to top up your hydration because it’s made up of “predominantly water.”

2. It supports digestion

My interest in bone broth was initially piqued by its purported gut health benefits. Research has suggested that drinking regular broth can alleviate inflammation in the intestinal barrier and increase nutrient absorption.

When I put the question to Shand, she's measured in her response. “Gelatin and amino acids in bone broth provide the building blocks to maintain the integrity of the gut. I wouldn’t call it a miracle gut healer, but it can be a lovely food to include when your digestion feels sensitive,” she says.

3. It aids collagen production

The potential of bone broth to improve our skin, strengthen our hair and protect our joints is perhaps its most discussed benefit online.

And Shand says there is some truth to it. “Bone broth is naturally rich in collagen-derived compounds. During cooking, collagen breaks down into gelatin and smaller peptides, providing amino acids the body can use for its own collagen production, making it a useful addition for skin, joints, bones and connective tissue health.”

Cartwright agrees, but says we shouldn’t rely on bone broth alone to protect our bones and joints. “We don't currently have strong evidence that drinking bone broth itself prevents joint problems or strengthens bones,” she explains. “As a nutritionist, I'd be wary of claims suggesting it is a treatment, especially for conditions like arthritis or osteoporosis.”

Are there any risks to drinking bone broth?

Whilst bone broth itself is fairly harmless (save for its potential to overdo our salt consumption), the way it’s currently being marketed is where most of the danger lies.

“Bone broth is sometimes positioned as a way to skip meals or suppress appetite,” explains Shand. “That completely misses the point - we want to add nourishment, not use it as a tool for restriction.”

The repercussions of using bone broth to restrict are significant. “Under-eating can place stress on the body and impact blood sugar, thyroid function, ovulation, menstrual health and fertility,” explains Shand, who reiterates that bone broth should be an addition to your meals, rather than a replacement.

A Cup of Daily Bone Broth Became My New Favourite Wellness Habit-But It’s Not a Miracle Worker

Weeks one and two:

To look in my fridge on day one of my bone broth experiment would have been quite the sight. Two whole shelves were dedicated to sachets of chicken broth. Arguably, I’d have been better off making my own in a big saucepan, but in this scenario convenience won out. I opted for a shop-bought option from Borough Broth, which ticked the experts’ checklist of low sodium, minimal additives and a simple ingredient list. In this case, the back of the packet reads: “spring Water, chicken bones, carrots, onions, apple cider vinegar, black peppercorns, pink Himalayan salt, thyme, and bay leaves.”

I emptied a sachet into a mug, heated it in the microwave for three minutes and took it back to bed with me, sipping it whilst I answered the first emails of the day.

Immediately, I became a fan. The broth was cosy and soothing, without being overwhelmingly rich (the thought of anything too meaty-tasting at 8 am is, to me, pretty off-putting). I’d expected to have to force it down, but actually, I really loved the taste.

Over the next week, I did notice that it delayed both my hunger and my craving for coffee. Of course, I never skipped either one, but my new broth habit did give me time to get through my urgent tasks, shower and get ready for the day without my stomach growling at me.

When I did make my usual breakfast (coffee and a yoghurt bowl for those wondering), I also found that they sat more comfortably in my stomach. Typically, I struggle to digest my breakfast, and can feel pretty uncomfortable for the hour or so after eating. I wouldn’t say that completely disappeared, but I was less aware of my stomach working over time whilst I tried to concentrate on writing. I made a note to keep track of it over the next few weeks.

One of the most striking things about those first two weeks was how easy it was to stick to the routine. I’m normally terrible at keeping up with supplements, whether powders or pills, so I was surprised by how quickly I fell into a bone broth morning routine. Ultimately, it came down to the fact that I liked the taste and even began to look forward to it as a daily ritual.

Weeks three and four:

By the time the latter half of the month rolls around, I’m still going strong with my bone broth habit. I haven’t missed a day and, even when overnight stays have prevented me from drinking it in the morning, I reach for it once I’m home later in the afternoon.

Whether it’s placebo or not, I do think my digestion has improved. I’m sure I’m less bloated day to day, and my hunger and fullness cues don’t seem to spike as acutely. It could also be that my new hot drink has replaced one of my daily coffees – caffeine can aggravate some people’s gut symptoms, so perhaps this reduction is part of the explanation.

As for bone broth’s other purported benefits for skin, hair and joint health, I can’t say I’ve noticed any visible difference. Perhaps it’s too early to say, but what I do know is that bone broth has easily slipped into my routine. It hasn’t been a miracle worker, but I enjoy drinking it, and I feel that it’s been a positive addition to my mornings.

For me, it’s something I’ll keep as a regular fixture. If you enjoy something warm in the morning and are looking for an alternative to another coffee, it could be worth a try. Just don’t expect it to transform your gut health overnight.

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This is, obviously, incredibly judgmental. But more than that, it ignores the beauty standards that drive people to seek treatment, as well as the huge gaps in our current system that leave people exposed to harm. And it’s women who are most affected.

By global standards, the current rules are lax and their loopholes notorious. For example, technically, anybody can inject filler. No formal qualifications or insurance are legally required, nor the medical training needed to manage the situation if and when things go wrong—and injecting filler in even slightly the wrong place can be catastrophic. In 2024, a woman died after receiving a liquid BBL—a highly dangerous procedure whereby filler is injected into the buttocks.

Then there are the counterfeit, unlicensed and illegal products that are rife in the UK. Last summer, 41 cases of botulism were reported in the space of almost two months, linked to the use of an unlicensed fake product.

And yet somehow, we are in a place where navigating the complexities of our aesthetics industry is entirely on the consumer. If you end up being treated by somebody inexperienced, well, that’s your fault for not checking a list of things you may not have even known about—the implication being that you are somehow responsible for things going wrong.

When you look at who is most likely to experience these complications, and who is most judged when they do occur, there is an undercurrent of misogyny and classism. Aesthetic treatment complications are therefore incredibly political.

The Presumption of Safety

Many consumers assume safety is universal when booking aesthetic treatments. “I think it's a genuinely reasonable gap in understanding rather than any failure on patients' part,” says Dr Caroline Warden, GP and Aesthetic Doctor and founder of the Dr Caroline Warden Skin & Aesthetic Clinic. “Most people assume that if someone is advertising and charging for a treatment, they must be operating within some regulated framework.”

But sometimes they aren’t. What seems like an industry that must have watertight rules in place around who can pick up a syringe could not be further from reality. While botulinum toxin (often the brand name Botox) is a prescription-only medicine, dermal fillers and other aesthetic devices, like lasers, aren’t restricted to any particular qualification.

This somewhat undermines the “should have known better” argument. Known what, exactly? That someone legally offering treatments that break the skin, including injections, may have no medical qualifications? That a legitimate-looking business may not be equipped to manage an emergency?

“Patients tell me they feel ashamed, ‘stupid’ and confused as to how there are no regulations to govern who is allowed to inject,” says Dr Steven Land, Aesthetics Doctor and Director of Novellus Aesthetics, adding that this is exacerbated when they learn how unusual this lack of rules is compared to the rest of the world.

Dr Warden echoes this. “Patients frequently arrive apologetic, almost as though the complication reflects a mistake on their part rather than a shortfall in the care they received,” she says.

Of course, complications can happen even in experienced hands. “No aesthetic treatment is completely without risk,” says Dr Cindy Teo, GP and Aesthetic Doctor and founder of Dr Cindy Aesthetics. “The important difference is how we minimise those risks, and whether a practitioner can recognise a complication early and act quickly before it becomes more serious.”

The crucial difference is that regulated professionals are overseen by various bodies, through which consumers can complain when things go wrong, and are bound to strict codes of conduct. Medics have a duty of care and can lose their licenses in the event of serious misconduct. The system is far murkier when it comes to unqualified and unregulated practitioners.

The issue, then, isn’t that cheap treatments are dangerous. The issue is whether appropriate safeguards exist before, during and after treatment. Too often, the answer is no.

The Class Divide in Aesthetic Treatment Safety

The desire (or pressure) to be “beautiful” isn’t new, but we live in a time of social media filters and AI capable of generating entirely new versions of what we could look like. Beauty standards are served up on our phones almost constantly, so it’s hardly surprising that so many women end up wanting treatments. But the playing field isn’t level.

Much has been written about the gap between those who can and cannot afford beauty and aesthetic treatments, and how those who can benefit from them. But when those from lower-income backgrounds do seek treatment, there is still a disparity. “Cost can affect access to safer treatment, as those on lower incomes may have fewer affordable options and be left more exposed to risk in a poorly regulated market,” says Caroline Corby, Chair of the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA).

Research published earlier this year by UCL also suggests that higher concentrations of non-medical practitioners offering Botox, in settings like salons and spas, are more likely in deprived areas. It is silly to pretend there isn’t a kind of safety gap at play, driven by who can afford access to treatments in the safest settings.

This is where simply warning consumers against anything “suspiciously cheap”, though important, can feel inadequate. Of course, people should be warned of red flags. But when the safest treatment is financially inaccessible to many, price often makes the decision—which is why stricter regulations are critical to consumer protection.

There are horror stories of procedures being carried out in places like public toilets or garages. The knee-jerk instinct to ask why somebody would agree to that is understandable. But it shouldn’t stop there. Why was that treatment available in the first place? And what combination of beauty pressures, financial constraints, regulatory failures and a desperate desire to access treatment made it an attractive enough proposition to accept? This is clearly about more than enjoying a beauty self-care moment.

Regardless of the circumstances, everyone should be entitled to help and support when complications arise.

When the System Blames the Patient

Nevertheless, we know that the judgment that can come with complications is very real. However, as Corby says, “People should have clear information about risks, but the focus should be on better safeguards and standards, not placing responsibility on the consumer when things go wrong.”

Ashton Collins, director of Save Face, says that judgement can even extend to the institutions supposed to protect people. “We've had situations where women have been told when they've arrived at hospital, you are the illest person in this hospital, and unless you have an operation in the next hour, you will die. That's been caused by somebody who has been completely negligent and is technically, legally assault,” she says.

Yet when cases are reported, Collins says women can be treated as though they’ve made “stupid choices driven by vanity. Basically, ‘what did you expect’ is the vibe.”

Can you imagine this playing out in other industries? A person is left with a life-threatening injury after a commercial service and they are met with judgement and blame?

Accountability, meanwhile, can be remarkably difficult. Collins describes “ghost practitioners” who operate through social media, sometimes without patients even knowing their full name or address. “When things go wrong, she blocks you,” Collins says. “That cycle will go on; she'll close that page down and set up somewhere else.”

The NHS and the costs of treating these complications are frequently brought into the debate, too, given that these are elective treatments. But if public money is repeatedly being spent treating preventable injuries, why is so much outrage directed at the patient, not the systems that allow unsafe practice to flourish? Why aren’t there better systems in place to prevent as many of these injuries as possible?

Has Prejudice Helped Hold Up Regulation?

We know women are often blamed when treatment goes wrong. So have misogyny, classism, and those attitudes around beauty have contributed to the lack of urgency in protecting them from complications? I don’t think it’s a wild assumption.

“In the past, I have wondered whether the slow regulatory response could be partly attributed to a feeling that when things go wrong, women ‘bring this on themselves’, perhaps through a perception that undergoing these procedures is driven by vanity,” says Corby. “It shouldn’t matter what the procedure is; if it carries a high risk, there should be adequate protections around it to keep people safe and well.”

Regulation is coming (though not without criticism), but progress has been slow. A proposed licensing scheme for England, which categorises treatments via a traffic light system, is still under discussion, while Scotland has announced its licensing scheme, set to come into effect in 2027. No such proposals have been made for Wales or Northern Ireland.

‘What did you expect?’ is therefore unfair and entirely the wrong question when complications arise. This is an industry where, currently, qualifications aren’t mandatory, standards vary wildly, accountability is hard to enforce and consumer protection is an afterthought. But when the stakes are so high, everyone should have the right to expect that their treatment is regulated accordingly.

How to Stay Safe Until Regulations Are Strengthened

• Check registration via the General Medical Council for doctors, General Dental Council for dentists, and the Nurses and Midwifery Council for nurses and nurse prescribers
• Read about PSA’s Look Before You Book Campaign—and look for the accreditation badge before booking
• Use the Save Face Register and resources
• Read BCAM’s Vet It Before You Get It Campaign—including the Pre-Consultation Safety Questionnaire

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice - always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before treatment decisions.

The older I got, the more I realised that this use of diplomatic euphemism was her way of sidestepping the conversation that many Black women have faced when their hair doesn't possess the length or curl pattern traditionally coveted. However, it inadvertently taught me early on that my tight, 4C coils were something to be carefully reframed or corrected. Since then, for as long as I can remember, society has insisted that a Black woman’s relationship with her hair must fit into one of two sweeping arcs.

In camp one, there is the tragedy narrative: a story filled with chemical burns from relaxers, self-loathing, and a lifelong reliance on wigs and weaves used strictly as a disguise to conform to Eurocentric ideals. Then, for some Black women, there is the triumphant redemption arc—the emotional "natural hair journey" sparked by a big chop. It is a cinematic moment where you throw away the heat tools, embrace your afro in all its shrinkage-heavy glory, and declare that every kink on your head is a sacred act of political defiance and radical self-love.

For years, I believed I sat comfortably outside both narratives. The last time I saw a box of relaxer—and felt that familiar, sharp burn at the base of my scalp—was when I was 16 and for me, stepping away from chemical straighteners wasn't a radical choice. There was no solemn ceremony in front of a bathroom mirror. Instead, weaning my hair off the ‘creamy crack’ was due to a combination of living in a Black hair shop desert, not wanting to make the 40-minute bus journey to buy the necessary products, and teenage stubbornness (read: laziness) when the baton of haircare was officially passed to me.

Since then, I've gone through a multitude of hairstyles and kept wash days adaptable to my lifestyle; I rarely think or talk about my hair in a negative way. However, looking back, my hair transition has served as a point of questioning in my career as a beauty journalist. My relationship with my hair has never fit firmly into either of these camps, but when Black hair remains such a politicised topic in beauty, can I ever truly be neutral about mine?

It’s a delicate tension that exploded back into the public square early this year, led by TikTok creator @sshoz, whose viral video asking black women, “When’s the last time you left the house wearing your natural hair?” sparked a renewed discussion about the effects of a culture that on wigs, weaves, and protective styles may be harming both Black women’s relationships with their natural texture and outsiders’ perceptions of it. renewed conversations surrounding the natural hair movement by highlighting a crucial flaw within the Black hair space.

In some ways, both positive reactions have reached a critical juncture in this "third wave" of the natural hair movement—one that exposes how much of our socialisation around Afro hair has produced harmful messaging on both sides of the spectrum. It reveals how broader socialisation continues to shape the ways in which even Black spaces discuss racialised beauty.

Paradoxically, the current natural hair movement often, even if inadvertently, mirrors much of the harshness found in the negative or non-inclusive language that has historically surrounded Afro hair in the West. Hair is still frequently described as "stubborn," "difficult," or "unruly." It is the same language passed down by our mothers and grandmothers—a residual byproduct of survival and assimilation that taught us our natural hair was something to be conquered rather than accommodated. Today, even well-meaning natural hair spaces end up recycling that same punitive vocabulary, demanding perfection under the guise of care. So, with this in mind, is it ever possible to opt out completely?

To put it plainly, according to current research, the answer is no. To exist as a Black woman with 4C hair is to navigate this landscape of hyper-visibility and relentless institutional scrutiny. A recent report by The Guardian highlighted how discriminatory grooming policies persist globally—from classrooms in Jamaica and the UK to corporate boardrooms—enforcing colonial-era ideals of "respectability" and neatness. Even where regulatory progress occurs, the shift is painfully slow. Michelle De Leon, founder of World Afro Day, noted that while progress has been made in some countries—pointing to guidance from the UK’s equality watchdog on school uniforms designed to help prevent hair discrimination—the overall global picture remains strikingly uneven.

Meanwhile, research published by the University of Reading and community organisation TRIYBE explored the profound mental health toll of this hypervigilance, highlighting how Black women carry a constant burden of identity suppression in spaces that police their natural crowns.

Having reported extensively on Black hair politics over the years, I've tracked how we have historically been forced to carve out our own digital spaces to reclaim power—building online communities that paved the way for actionable change by recentering our textures, even in environments that refuse to make room for them. Writer and advocate Zeynab Mohamed captures this tension perfectly when reflecting on the intersecting pressures of visibility, race, and identity. "I think the idea that we can ever feel truly neutral about our appearance is almost utopian, particularly when it comes to hair," Mohamed explains. "Black women and Muslim women often have a complicated relationship with theirs. It can feel as though our hair doesn't fully belong to us; it's constantly being scrutinised, politicised or treated as public property."

Mohamed’s insight hits directly at the quiet dissonance I’ve felt for years. "For a long time, I thought I had a neutral relationship with my hair and my hijab, partly because I wanted to separate myself from all the external commentary," she admits. "But I've realised, it’s not as easy as that. Until we loosen—and ultimately break—the societal expectations placed on women's hair, neutrality will remain out of reach for many Black women and for women who wear the hijab."

Yet, what the current online discourse routinely misses is that for many Black women, protective styling and exaggerated hair aesthetics have evolved far beyond simple tools of assimilation. Many of the styles Black women now wear have expanded into a distinct expressive category, functioning much like the hyper-performative aesthetics embraced by other marginalised groups—such as drag queens—who construct an amplified, stylised version of femininity to protect themselves against misogynoir and societal hostility. In this context, hair becomes an art form, a shield, and a creative declaration of space rather than a quiet retreat into Eurocentric blending.

Still, claiming neutrality while carrying a personal history of quiet adjustments leaves me constantly interrogating my own motives: Is this genuine neutrality, or is it internalised racism at play? Is my choice to step back from the politics of my hair simply a subtle, subconscious effort to render myself "other" or invisible—a protective crouch to avoid the discrimination that comes with being fully seen?

Recognising that pure neutrality might be an ideal rather than an immediate reality doesn't mean giving up on peace. Decoupling my self-worth from my hair texture requires recognising that neutrality isn't a state of complete detachment that you magically wake up with; it is an active choice to unlearn those old, bedroom-fashioned rules and resist the harsh language on both ends of the ideological spectrum. This constant pressure to perform hair care as either a political statement, a cultural armour, or an act of emotional healing is exhausting. We are rarely given permission for our hair to just be hair—dead cells, protein, a canvas, or simply a non-event.

I don't hate my "soft" 4C hair. I appreciate its versatility, its gravity-defying ability to change shape, and the complex history it carries. But I also refuse to spend four hours every Sunday wrestling with detangling brushes and a deep sense of moral duty just to prove a point to the world. Some days, I wear my natural hair because it’s easy. Other days, I wear extensions or a wig because I want a different look without analysing what it means for my soul.

Moving away from the binary of trauma versus triumph doesn't mean erasing the past or diminishing the cultural importance of Black hair. It simply means claiming the right to exist without constant self-analysis. My hair is part of me, but it is not the entirety of my story. It doesn't need to be a political manifesto, a shield, a secret compromise, or an object of worship. Sometimes, it’s just hair—and striving toward that plain, simple fact is the most peaceful journey of all.

It was harmless, but it struck a nerve. Somewhere between getting engaged and getting married, I had become the default decision-maker for our wedding – not only with my fiancé, but for family, friends and suppliers too. If everyone was waiting for my final answer, was it fair that I was then characterised as the one ‘laying down the law’?

It’s the “bridezilla” paradox: brides are expected to care about every detail, keep track of every invoice and ultimately make the decisions. But be too decisive, and suddenly you’re controlling, demanding or taking your big day far too seriously. Funny how rarely we hear the term “groomzilla”.

“Bridezilla” dates back to at least 1995, when someone decided the natural comparison for a woman taking ownership of her wedding was, apparently, Godzilla. Wedding culture expects brides to be beautiful, gracious and effortlessly feminine; express a firm opinion, and you’re recast as a rampaging monster.

I’m getting married next month, and while I cannot wait, I hadn’t anticipated that getting engaged would come with an unwanted promotion. Somewhere along the way, I was appointed Head of Nuptials, family liaison and resident expert on matters I had previously given precisely zero thought to.

What exact shade of tie should my father-in-law wear? Should our napkins have raw or hemmed edging? How many trestle tables are “too many”? Do we want goblets or wine glasses?

I made it through almost three decades without strong feelings about the relative merits of drinking vessels. Yet here I was, apparently uniquely qualified to make the call.

When did our equal relationship acquire a project manager?

My fiancé does help, after we spoke about the imbalance, he became much better at liaising with suppliers and taking practical jobs off my list. But almost every question requiring an actual decision still comes to me.

He can follow up on things, but I’m still expected to determine what we want. When I ask for his opinion, he will often say: “But I don’t mind.”

The problem is, neither do I. But a decision still has to be made, and “I don’t mind” transfers responsibility for making it to me.

There’s a difference between sharing tasks and sharing the mental load. One person can book a supplier; someone still has to anticipate what needs doing, remember the details and know what comes next.

That’s how an otherwise equal, modern relationship can suddenly begin to look traditional. This isn’t unique to us. A study of recently married and engaged Norwegian millennials found that, even within a generation raised with greater expectations of equality, women often undertook most of the wedding work and were treated as the people who should know what was required.

In her book Consumerism, Romance and the Wedding Experience, sociologist Sharon Boden suggests that women may come to see men as less competent at wedding planning, while men accept a “sign-off” role because weddings are perceived as a feminine domain. His passivity can then be taken as proof that she naturally cares more, rather than evidence that only one of them has been expected to develop an opinion.

Therapist and author Marisa Peer says dividing tasks doesn’t necessarily divide that underlying responsibility. “If you then have to remind [your partner], check what they’ve done or tell them how you want it done, you haven’t really handed over the mental load; you’ve simply become their manager.”

Apparently, it’s the bride’s job to know everything

It isn’t only partners who reinforce these roles. *Sophie, who is getting married next year, noticed this when her wedding planner created a group chat named “Sophie’s wedding 2027”.

Yet while the wedding industry automatically positions Sophie as the authority, that same authority is treated differently elsewhere. At work, colleagues frequently ask whether she has become a bridezilla.

“When I plan, manage and execute tasks at work, I’m seen as a ‘top performer’ who’s ‘highly organised’, but when brides apply the same standard to their weddings, it’s somehow ridiculed,” she says.

Therein lies the unwinnable logic: appoint the bride project manager, direct every enquiry to her and expect her to have an answer. Then, once she behaves suspiciously like a project manager, accuse her of becoming a bridezilla.

Sociologist Dr Julia Carter argues that this “bridezilla” label helps police how women exercise the temporary authority afforded to them as brides. Her research suggests that wedding culture demands extreme organisation alongside perfectly controlled emotion.

You can’t win the ‘bridezilla’ game

Declining the role doesn’t necessarily help.

Before her wedding in 2024, *Nadia’s future mother-in-law sent her pictures of 13 potential hats and fascinators, demanding her opinion on each. Nadia didn’t care what she wore, so she repeatedly said they looked nice in the hope that she would simply choose one.

Her fiancé then received a call from his mother complaining that Nadia was being “far too picky” and “bossy”.

“The accusation came out of left field, as I was actually being the opposite,” Nadia says. “‘Bossy’ is a really charged term, and I felt hurt by it.”

Marisa says women are expected to care enormously and ensure every detail is right, but when that responsibility manifests as “stress, decisiveness or frustration”, they can suddenly be labelled demanding or controlling.

“But we don’t tend to use the same language when a man is highly invested in an event he is helping to organise,” she says.

I don’t resent my fiancé, but I do resent that he has been allowed to become my deputy while I’ve been cast as our wedding’s chief executive. I resent that “I don’t mind” is a valid answer for him, while I’m expected to form an opinion. Most of all, I resent how naturally our equal relationship slipped into roles neither of us consciously chose.

“Evelyn has spoken” was a joke, but somebody did have to speak. Everyone was waiting for an answer and, as usual, they were waiting for it from the bride.

I don’t believe brides inherently care more about napkins or tablecloths; I think we’re just not allowed to be the one to say: “I don’t mind.”

*Names changed

Shop Couples' Wedding Planning Essentials

In many ways, that’s positive news. The rise of wellness has coincided with a reduction in alcohol consumption, which in 2025 hit its lowest level since records began. Physical activity is also on the up, with 30 million adults now meeting recommended activity levels. And women’s health is attracting more (much-needed) investment, too: the number of femtech companies has increased by 864% since 2015, with a record £177.1 million invested in the sector in 2024.

And yet, as a health writer, I can’t ignore the other side of our growing appetite for self-improvement. As wellness has become increasingly commercialised, so too has the pressure to keep up with it, with women, in particular, spending more money in the process. A survey of 2000 adults commissioned by Pukka Herbs at the end of 2025 found that British women are spending an astonishing average of £554 a month on wellness - a number which was £100 more than men.

It’s easy to see how this happens. I’ve watched my own wellness spending creep up over the last two years. My £1 Always pads have been replaced by organic alternatives from Yoni and Daye; my skincare and supplements drawer has ballooned with products promising to tackle everything from sun damage to iron deficiency; and I’ve spent hundreds on Pilates classes and healthy fast-food lunches. Just when I think I’ve got my routine covered, another potential threat appears on my social media feed – most recently, it was a podcast about hair ageing and how to prevent premature greys.

None of this spending feels frivolous. It comes from a genuine desire to protect my future self. But I’ve also noticed the financial stress that can come with trying to keep up with all these new healthy habits.

Financial advisor Hannah Mayfield sums up the issue. “The problem is that wellness so often feels like an ‘essential’ because it is linked to our health, mental health or quality of life,” she explains. “It makes it a harder category to cut back on because you worry your quality of life might be impacted in a way that you wouldn’t for clothes or make-up.”

Given the well-researched connection between financial wellbeing and mental health, and the significant impact chronic stress has on cellular ageing and inflammation, it raises the question: at what point does spending to optimise our health start to become counterproductive?

To find out, I asked Mayfield to explain what financial wellbeing actually looks like, the signs that our wellness habits might be putting it under strain, and how we can redress the balance without abandoning the things that genuinely make us feel good.

If you’re here looking for more affordable ways to feel well, check out our guides to the simple Blue Zones habits linked to greater longevity, the rituals experts say matter more than biohacking and the surprising impact that journaling can have on the brain. Plus, we’ve got tons of home workout suggestions, from the best home Pilates exercises to 6 energising yoga flows and a PT’s favourite living room strength session.

How To Wellness Budget, According to a Financial Advisor

What is financial wellbeing?

In simple terms, “financial health and wellbeing is having a knowledge of your finances, making sure you are looking after your future self financially as much as possible and aren't suffering from financial stress,” says Mayfield.

Whilst we don’t often think of it as part of a wellness routine, Mayfield says the state of our finances can have a real bearing on how good we feel. “Financial wellbeing is more likely to lead to other types of wellbeing because it provides a safety buffer,” she says. “When you have money set aside, you can save yourself a lot of stress when life throws you curveballs.”

How could our wellness habits put our financial wellbeing at risk?

“The biggest risk is that our wellness habits cause us to neglect other important aspects of our finances,” explains Mayfield. “These things, like our pension contributions, often feel quite hidden and easy to ignore until they’re too late.”

Tara Massoudi, General Manager of Premium Products at Revolut, echoed Mayfield’s concerns when I spoke to her at the end of last year. “The real risk comes when people lack the skills or language to manage and talk about money. Without that confidence, financial pressure can tip into anxiety, judgement, or a sense of being left behind and cancelling out the very benefits wellness is supposed to bring.”

What are the signs my wellness habits are compromising my financial health?

A healthy wellness budget will look different for everyone, depending on your income, priorities and other expenses. That said, Mayfield has some red flags to look out for that could indicate your wellness spending is doing more harm than good.

1. You’re in debt or an overdraft

“If you’re in your overdraft or credit card debt but still spending a lot on wellness, this is something to think about,” says Mayfield. “You're allowed to enjoy things even while you're paying off debt, but it’s important to be honest with yourself about whether cutting back on some expenses to get there faster would actually make you feel better.”

2. You can’t afford to contribute to your financial goals

“If the amount you’re spending on wellness is compromising your ability to save for long-term financial goals that matter to you, that’s a sign to reevaluate," says Mayfield, who makes clear that these goals will be individual to you. “It could be setting money aside for an emergency fund or saving for a house deposit - if wellness spending is preventing you from making progress towards them, that’s something to consider.”

3. Your wellness spending is a large proportion of your income

“Rigid budgeting rules don't apply to everyone,” caveats Mayfield, “but it can be helpful to use the 50/30/20 rule as a guideline.”

She explains that the 50/30/20 rule refers to splitting your income. “50% should be going on essentials such as bills, housing and transport, 30% goes towards your ‘wants’, such as meals out and subscriptions, and 20% is reserved for financial goals like debt payoff, savings, investments, etc. If your wellness spending is much beyond 20- 25%, it's probably too high.”

4. You feel worried, anxious or out of control with your finances

“If you’re ignoring your finances so you can keep spending on wellness, if it’s causing you to worry or you find it hard to keep track of everything you’re buying, these are all signs it’s getting out of hand,” says Mayfield.

A Financial Advisor’s top 3 tips to improve financial wellbeing:

If you recognised yourself in any of the above signs, you might be wondering what you can do about it. Fortunately, Mayfield has some handy tips you can use to get working on your financial wellbeing today.

1. Get clear on your wellness priorities

Mayfield is clear that getting a handle on your wellness spending isn’t about cutting everything out. “Decide which of your habits are having the biggest positive impact on your life, and which things feel like a nice-to-have,” she suggests. “That will help you choose which to keep and which to cut.”

2. Treat your new budgets as temporary

“If you're finding it hard to give things up, try reframing it as a trial,” says Mayfield. “For example, you could skip Reformer Pilates classes in favour of home mat workouts for a month. At the end of the trial, you can see how much you missed it and make a decision on whether to re-introduce it.”

3. Connect it to a goal

“Psychologically you need to figure out how to get some kind of satisfaction from practicing financial wellness,” explains Mayfield. “Otherwise, it starts to feel like you’re giving something up and not getting anything in return.”

She recommends connecting your daily savings to a bigger goal. “Focusing on the big picture vision of where you want to be financially, and continuing to hype yourself up along the way will help you to stay motivated,” she says.

Shop MC-UK approved financial wellbeing tools now:

To understand how I got here, and why it matters to anyone besides myself, we need to go back a step. Because before I was spending nearly £100 a week on therapy, my wellness budget was by no means in check. In a month, I could easily spend the same amount on studio Pilates and trips to the sauna, a further £50 or so on overpriced salad bowls, and I hardly dare to tell you how much on skincare and vitamins.

I recognise that all of this is a privilege. Having the disposable income to even consider these things as options makes me more fortunate than many. But with the wellness industry now valued at $6.8 trillion and 79% of us in the UK considering it a top lifestyle priority, critically evaluating where we spend our money is of growing importance, especially because only 13% of us feel that we’re achieving our wellness goals. In fact, according to McKinsey, many of us report that, despite our increased spending, our most important wellness needs - in particular, our cognitive, heart and gut health - remain unmet.

It all points to the sense that we could be spending in the wrong places. But how, amongst all the science-backed claims and influencer-endorsed products, do we find the things that will truly make us feel well?

Ahead, we ask leading psychotherapists what wellness really looks like, and how therapy can be a tool to help us find it. Plus, a financial advisor shares her tips on how to healthily build a wellness budget, and I reflect on my own spending shifts over the last nine months.

For more expert-led wellbeing content, head to our guides to boundary-setting for empaths, why you should prioritise your creative health and the benefits of little treats.

I Swapped Wellness Spending For Therapy—My Review, 9 Months On

What do we actually need to feel well?

Quantifying what it means to be ‘well’ has been the work of centuries of philosophy, dating back to the Ancient Greek and Roman periods. But it wasn’t until the Harvard Study of Adult Development in the 1930s that psychologists first formally attempted to measure wellbeing. The study, which includes over 80 years’ worth of data, has prompted a landmark shift in the way we understand health, thanks to its discovery that social connection and the quality of our relationships are leading predictors of long-term health, happiness and longevity.

Since then, the study of happiness and wellbeing has exploded, with leading psychologists such as Dr Martin Seligman theorising that personal agency, a sense of purpose, optimism and accomplishment are also core components of a healthy, happy life.

Whilst there are now multiple models and scales used to measure happiness, what’s generally agreed is that it’s not something you can bottle or buy in a single pill or product. “Wellness is much broader than just being physically healthy or free from illness,” confirms psychologist, Dr Farideh Banafshei. “It’s a holistic look at the stability across all domains of your life.”

She explains that this stability spans physical, psychological and emotional health, as well as financial and relational health, alongside our wider sense of purpose and fulfilment. “At the foundation of all of this are our fundamental needs as human beings: to feel safe and autonomous,” she explains. “Wellness is not about being happy all the time or achieving some kind of perfection. It’s about having secure foundations that allow us to ride the waves of stress and to know that we are capable of moving through the adversities that come our way.”

What are the benefits of therapy as a wellness tool?

Now, to touch on therapy specifically, and the reasons that initially led me to prioritise it as a tool for wellbeing.

It’s a slightly confusing one, mainly because the benefits are less obvious and immediate than other wellness habits out there. Where you might leave a Pilates class feeling energised and accomplished, therapy can often leave you feeling worse in the immediate aftermath, at least at first.

The benefits, instead, tend to creep up on you over time without you even noticing them. They show up in the different ways you respond to emotionally charged conversations, in the decisions you make around self-care and boundaries, and the people you choose to spend your time with.

“One of the biggest benefits of therapy is that it allows you to actively engage with difficult emotions, rather than avoiding them,” says psychotherapist Cheryl Donaldson, who shares a list of other benefits we could expect to gain from therapy.

• Deeper connection to self and others
• Better emotional regulation
• Greater tolerance for adversity
• Sense of calm

“This all, of course, takes time,” she reminds us, adding that in trauma therapy, there’s the additional benefit of helping “the brain and body to safely return to the present moment.”

6 tips to work out your wellness priorities, according to a therapist and a financial advisor:

One thing that’s important to point out here: although therapy has worked for me, it’s not the only route to improved wellbeing, and it won’t be the right choice for everyone. It’s undeniably expensive, even when you’re opting for lower-cost services like BetterHelp, where sessions tend to be between £45 and £75.

It’s why consciously connecting with your own wellness priorities is essential in reaching your peak state of wellbeing. To help you do that, Donaldson and financial advisor Hannah Mayfield have some tips.

1. Get familiar with your finances

“The first step is actually knowing how much your disposable income is each month,” says Mayfield. “Once you know this, you can allocate it more strategically, taking into account all your big financial goals for the future. That way, nothing important gets compromised.”

2. Focus on the basics first

“If the basics are not there, there is nothing to build or optimise,” says Donaldson. “Our medical, emotional, and relational needs are non-negotiable. Everything else is a bonus.”

She says that at the forefront of this is social connection. “Our most fundamental need as humans is to be connected to others. If our primary relationships are not good, then no supplement or massage is going to fix that.”

3. Find affordable swaps for the nice-to-haves

Once you know how much you have available to spend, Mayfield says it’s about assessing impact. “Make a list of all the things you’d ideally spend your disposable income on,” she suggests. “From there, consider which ones have the biggest positive impact on your life. This helps you identify which are essential to keep, and which could be swapped out for a more affordable alternative.”

4. Go slow

“If you implement everything all at once, you can measure nothing,” explains Donaldson, who suggests adding one new habit at a time and monitoring how it goes. “I often measure change through frequency, duration and intensity,” she explains. “People rarely change overnight, but over time you should be able to see markers shifting. If a problem you’re facing is just as frequent, lasting just as long and feeling just as intense, that is useful information. If those things are gradually decreasing, something is working.”

5. Be mindful of subscriptions

This one is fairly self-explanatory, but Mayfield says it’s easy to fall into the trap. “Once you get used to a subscription, you can quickly end up unconsciously losing a chunk of your income every month to something you don’t really use.”

6. Avoid impulse purchases

Part of what makes wellness budgeting so tough is the way that products are marketed and the ease with which we can instantly buy, explains Mayfield. “Lots of wellness products are presented as a need when in fact they’re a luxury,” she says. “Try to avoid purchasing on impulse and instead take your time to consider it before buying.”

I Reduced My Wellness Spending To Afford Weekly Therapy-Nine Months Later, It’s The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done

Months one to four

The decision to start therapy was one I pondered for months (read: years) before I actually took the leap. I’d dabbled in it before and had discovered that if I really wanted to start shifting some emotional patterns and persistent coping mechanisms, I’d need to invest in more than just a handful of sessions.

The biggest hurdle was, as you’ll know by now, financial. I’m a freelance journalist and, at the time, was only five months into my career, which meant that my finances were unstable at best. Plus, as anyone in the creative industries will know, this is not a career you enter for the money. As a result, I knew there would need to be some sacrifices.

I started with a spreadsheet, mapping out where my disposable income was going each month and looking for places where I could make sensible swaps without drastically affecting my quality of life. I’m already fairly stringent when it comes to transport (I’m a girl who’ll always get a bus over an Uber), and I don’t go on a lot of nights out, smoke or drink much alcohol, so there wasn’t tons to cut back on there. The obvious place was wellness. In the months before starting therapy, I was spending more than £250 on studio Pilates, overpriced salad bowls, new workout kit, the odd facial, a trip to the sauna and lots of skincare.

There was nothing wrong with any of these things. But if I was going to find nearly £100 a week for therapy, some of them had to go. So, I reluctantly cancelled my Pilates subscription, bought some new Tupperware and took inventory of the skincare products I was using to see where I could find more affordable alternatives.

What’s most interesting about those first four months is how little I missed my old habits. Mainly because I didn’t go completely cold turkey. I’m a big advocate of moving your body daily, so there was no way that cancelling my Pilates membership would mark the end of my practice. Instead, I swapped studio classes for home YouTube workouts (Pilates by Izzy and The Aloha Girls are my favourites), alongside regular gym sessions and swims at my local leisure centre, which cost me £7 and £4 respectively.

In fact, these practices have become even more important to my mental wellbeing since starting therapy. They’re the only way I can clear my head after a session, which makes them feel just as essential as the therapy itself.

Therapy, meanwhile, didn’t make me feel immediately lighter. For a good few months, it was tough going. In the hours (and even days) after a session, I’d feel more exhausted and emotional. At times, it seemed like my work ethic and social battery were slipping because of the extra mental energy I was using, and I regularly questioned whether I’d made the right decision.

Was I really paying to feel worse?

Months five to nine

And yet, something about therapy made me stick at it, and by month five, I started to turn a corner. Day to day, things still felt a little heavy, and I certainly wasn’t getting the dopamine spike that buying a new workout set or getting a facial would give me. But when I reflected on my overall sense of ‘ok-ness’ (not a technical term), there was noticeable improvement.

It came in the form of lots of small, subtle shifts. In the way I spoke to myself day to day; in my ability to connect with my emotions and in how present and vulnerable I could be with my friends. It was also in how I reacted to stressful situations, and in my ability to rest without distraction.

As those changes took hold, I also noticed less of a need to spend on wellness. I was less drawn in by the healing promises of products and services because, ultimately, I felt that there was less I needed to fix.

That’s not to say that I stopped spending altogether. I still like going to Pilates when I can afford to, I still love the taste of a Farmer J field tray, and who could refuse the joys of an evening trip to the sauna from time to time? The difference is that these things feel less urgent now. They’re treats I add when I can afford them, rather than things I believe will make me any more whole than I already am.

The verdict: which wellness practices matter to me now?

You might be wondering what my wellness routine looks like now. So I’ll tell you, with the caveat that what makes me feel well might not be the same for you.

• Weekly therapy
• Home Pilates
• A gym membership to an affordable gym with a pool
• Daily reading
• Home cooked, whole-food led meals
• Regular in-person catch ups with friends

Together, these habits protect my physical, mental, relational, creative and financial health, and make me feel safe, balanced, energised and supported.

My advice for anyone else questioning their wellness spending? Tune in to how something makes you feel, not to how it looks or what a marketing claim promises. Never feel guilty for spending on something that genuinely improves your health and don’t be afraid to switch things up if it’s not working.

Shop MC-UK approved affordable wellness swaps:

Nessa Humayun, Beauty Editor

Iris Maglanoc’s Bespoke IM Facial , £385: Out of all the many facials I've had, Iris Maglanoc's has been pretty life-changing. She uses a combination of Golki (South Korean bone-setting massage), myofascial release, craniosacral therapy and lymphatic drainage—and often spends more time on your back and neck than your face. But don't get me wrong: the results are absolutely transformative: I always emerge looking my absolute best; everything, especially the jawline, cheekbones and brows, are lifted (and stay that way for weeks on end). She's a magician, truly.

Keratin Hair Treatments at Haug London Haus, from £230: Keratin treatments, which promise to smooth hair and bust frizz, were all the rage in the 2000s, but seem to have fallen out of favour of late. After having one this year at Haug London Haus in Soho, I can't believe it—this is the only thing that leaves my hair so smooth and sleek that I practically don't need to do anything to it after stepping out of the shower. It's a godsend during a tropical holiday, or anywhere humidity can be an issue. And while previous treatments were known for containing nasties, many formulas—including those used at this salon—are now completely formaldehyde-free, so there's no damage to you or your hair.

Colour at Nicola Clarke Salon with Francesco De Chiara, from £180: If it's good enough for Ariana Grande, it's good enough for me—Francesco at Nicola Clarke in Soho looks after the tresses of a certain Wicked star, and I'm always in safe hands with him. Francesco really gets colour, and I trusted him to take me back to brunette after a particularly disastrous dye job—he's been the man for me ever since. He's also excellent at preserving gloss and hair health throughout it all. If you're there, make sure to see Mitchell Ladbrook afterwards for a very precise cut and blow-dry.

Aerolase Neo at Tan&Co, from £320 per session: I have painfully sensitive skin, which means I'm unable to undergo harsh (yet effective) lasers for hyperpigmentation and scarring. That's why I was so pleased when Teresa Tan of Tan&Co introduced me to Aerolase Neo: a no-downtime laser that's completely pain-free and works on a wide range of skin tones, including deeper Fitzpatrick skin types. I used it to treat scarring, but it's also great for acne, inflammation, redness, uneven skin and even hair removal for those with PMOS. You barely feel like you're having anything done, but the results the following week are astounding.

Waxing at Strip, from £23: It's hard to find a good waxing place, but Strip consistently delivers—which is a dream when you're undergoing something painful, on intimate areas to boot. The practitioners always go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable, and I'm usually in and out within 30 minutes, tops. It costs a little more than other waxing salons, but it's completely worth it, and with locations across central London, including Soho, Broadgate and Islington, it's ideal if you live in the city. Oh, and you can even pop on an LED face mask during your treatment.

Dominic Cadogan, Beauty Editor

Maison Crivelli Hibiscus Mahajád Extrait de Parfum, £205: I was introduced to Maison Crivelli a few years ago and while there are several of its scents in regular rotation in my fragrance wardrobe, Hibiscus Mahajád takes the top spot and is easily one of my all-time favourites. I don’t say this lightly! A heady blend of rose, pomegranate, vanilla, amber and leather, the resulting concoction is almost like a delicate cocoon of scent that floats around you all day long. Believe me when I tell you that I’m showered with compliments every single time I wear this fragrance.

Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream, £69: There’s a part of me that wishes it didn’t love this moisturiser as much as I do, but the skin wants what the skin wants. In fairness, this is one of the hardest working products in my skincare routine. The mere act of applying The Dewy Skin Cream to your skin feels like a luxury and I savour every moment massaging it into every corner and crevice of my face. However, it’s not just the effortlessly, dewy finish that keeps me coming back for more – though that alone is enough to deserve my hard-earned cash. It’s also the silent work it’s doing in the background, plumping, smoothing and brightening the skin that will convince people you’ve turned to tweakments.

Violette_Fr Balm Amour, £27: As a lip product connoisseur, the pockets of my various bags are stuffed to the brim with balms, glosses and tints to make sure my kisser is always looking, well… kissable. While I’m happy to dabble with budget buys, I always feel lost when I don’t have Balm Amour to hand. From its cooling ceramic tip to its nourishing formula that literally doesn’t budge, this sweet, French vanilla-flavoured lip treatment is a luxury that justifies its £27 price tag.

Byredo Vesuvio Eyeshadow Palette, £92: While makeup palettes may have mostly fallen out of favour with the beauty world, they still have a fan in this beauty editor. Not one for the Clean Girls out there, if, like me, you love to serve maximalist makeup on a daily basis, you’ll be similarly obsessed with the 18 shimmering shades that deliver a powerful pop of colour – whether applied with a makeup brush or your fingers before rushing out the door. It’s so rare to find a palette without a single dud shade, making this one worth every penny.

Bamford Attar of Roses Geranium Scented Candle, £70: This is without a doubt the best candle I have ever smelled. Whether or not you’re a fan of rose scents, this will win you over. Somehow simultaneously light and punchy, I don’t understand how either, the fresh scent immediately fills the room (and the rest of the house) without ever feeling overpowering. It’s as if you’ve taken a stroll through the arden of Eden. I know, I know, it’s just a candle, but one sniff is all it’ll take to convince you otherwise.

Laura Capon, Beauty Editor

Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Moisture IQ Supplements, £81: I know it seems like an eye-watering amount for a supplement and let’s be real, it is. But truly, no other brand I’ve tried has given my skin real visual improvements, like Advanced Nutrition Programme. The Skin Moisture IQs are my favourite because they truly make me glow, to the point I actually got complemented on my foundation, when I wasn’t wearing any. They come in a blister style pack and each day you have 5 capsules: 1 x Hyaluronic acid + ceramides + manganese, 2 x omegas 3 & 6, 1 x vitamins A & D and 1x Modern Multivitamin + Minerals. It’s so helpful that they have done the work for you in giving exactly what your skin needs and to me it’s as important as a serum.

Hello Klean Shower Head+, £96: I was a late adopter to the filter shower head game and that is something I really regret. Truthfully, I always just thought they would be such a faff fitting. Hello Klean’s Shower Head+ filters out scale, metals and chlorine, while also tracking and reminding you when to change the filter. If you are hesitant and live in an area like London where we’re known for our hard water, I’d say just look at the build up on your sink and taps to give you an idea of what’s being deposited on your head. I used to always love how much softer my hair was on holiday and I feel using this filter is the closest I’ve got to recreating that. Plus, there’s a real difference in shine. Oh, and turns out, after all those years, you just literally screw it onto your shower head.

Dyson Airwrap i.d Multi-Styler and dryer, £379: Despite being a beauty journalist, I don’t think I’m actually high maintenance about many things, except when I have to use a hairdryer that isn’t my Dyson. Whenever I dry my hair with something else, it always feels so dry and fried. In a way that my Dyson would never. I truly think it has saved my hair from so much unnecessary damage over the years and feels a lot softer because of it. In terms of the other attachments, I love the big blow dry brush for cheating an at home blow dry (just make sure you hairspray).

Lancôme Génifique Ultimate Serum, £165: I honestly don’t use really expensive skincare and don’t think you need to, but this Lancôme serum is one of my few exceptions. Just thinking about it makes me want to go and apply it. It first piqued my interest when I learnt that it contains beta glucan, which is the same ingredient that’s in my beloved Rhode Glazing Milk. That was enough to get me to try it and from that first pipette press, I was hooked. Not only is it one of the most hydrating serums I’ve tried, but it gives the most beautiful glow and just feels so damn soothing on the skin. I have to refrain myself from over applying. They call their beta glucan complex, ‘Beta Glucan-CM’ and they say each drop contains 90 trillion of these. Which explains why it’s like my Glazing Milk on steroids.

Hair Colour with Sarah Black at Arkive by Adam Reed, price on consultation: I have been going to Adam Reed’s salon for years because I’ve always felt at home with the quirky sentimental touches Adam has everywhere (a framed gold oak leaf, a mini Grover from Sesame Street, a chandelier made from hair extensions). A feeling that is reflected in the atmosphere, which feels more like going for a catch up with friends than having your hair done. Sarah is Creative Director and after feeling like I was always playing it safe with my colour, I finally sat in her chair and told her to do what she wanted. The result was a peachy colour that has become something of a signature, with chunky high and low lights to add dimension. I’ve always thought that as a brunette, I couldn’t have ‘fun’ colours or that they wouldn’t show up on me and I love that Sarah not only disproved that, but also showed how they can be done in a sophisticated way. I wouldn’t go anywhere else to have my hair done.

Fiona Embleton, Beauty Director

Victoria Beckham Matte Bronzing Brick, £69

Bronzer is like the white T-shirt of my beauty routine. It creates a sun-flushed contour when I’m doing a full glam look and makes me feel more pulled together on those ‘no-makeup’ makeup days. I’m always seduced by the promise of a cream version but I inevitably come back to this Matte Bronzing Brick for a long-lasting, golden-hour glow. The matte powder itself is gossamer fine but also manages to be creamy so it has a handy blurring effect. Imagine your skin bathed in candlelight and you get the picture. The two-tone palette means I can use the lighter shade over the high points of my face – nose, cheekbones, around my hairline – and the deeper tone to sculpt or just add a little more warmth and definition where I need it. It’s as close to a believable faux tan as you can get. Scratch that - it’s foolproof. Bonus points go to the chic refillable packaging.

SkinCeuticals P-Tiox Serum, £135

Serums normally involve 28 days of blind belief that they’re actually doing something to nudge your collagen production up a gear. Not so with P-Tiox, which is why I really believe it’s worth the eye-watering price tag. It’s probably the first serum I’ve used where my skin looks visibly smoother within just a few days of use. I’m not saying this will change your face, but a blend of punchy peptides helps to reduce the appearance of contraction lines – a tiny adjustment that actually has a major impact, especially if you wing it up under the eyes, which is my new favourite hack. In fact, the impressive roll call of ingredients is another reason why it’s been found to help bolster the results of Botox (hence the name). P-Tiox is the serum I’ve reached for over the past six months and I’ve certainly found that it’s coaxed out my very best dewy, glazed skin.

Keren Bartov The Wand, £1,650

I’m a big believer that skincare alone isn’t transformative. Gravity’s a downer - literally - but throw in a high-tech device and it’s suddenly possible to hoick up your cheeks to where they sat in your teens. Red light is the technology du jour thanks to evidence-backed studies that applying different wavelengths of light to the skin recharges the ‘battery’ in cells. But consistency is key and that’s where I tend to fall down when it comes to those heavy, Stormtrooper-esque masks. Too. Much. Faff. Enter The Wand. True, it isn’t cheap, but it’s clinical grade, which is essentially what you’re paying for. It combines three different therapies into one easy-to-use device: infrared, red-light and radio frequency, all with the aim of boosting blood flow, cell renewal and your skin’s collagen-producing efforts. Best of all, the treatment lasts a mere seven minutes and you can simply move the wand around your face while watching TV or reading a book. I use The Wand religiously three times a week and find it turbocharges the ingredients in my skincare, has an immediate lifting effect but is also an ally when it comes to the long-term health of my skin.

Jo Malone London Sea Salt & Bergamot Cologne, £125

Anyone who has ever sat close enough to me to catch a whiff of my perfume will know that I have been a years-long fan of Jo Malone’s Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne, a scent that conjures up all the charm of a wind-whipped British beach, white-capped waves, the mineral tang of rock pools and salty air. The new Sea Salt & Bergamot Cologne is like it’s summery cousin and leans more into the aromas of a hot day with the unmistakably bright scent of bergamot on a bed of crisp sea salt and warm driftwood. It smells like damp, bare skin with a crust of saltwater warming in the sun. It billows in nostalgic and, above all, joyful with a touch of whimsy. I can’t get enough - and neither can my fellow commuters given the number of times I’ve been asked what perfume I’m wearing.

Shark ChillPill 3-in-1 Fan, Mist & InstaChill System, £149.99

My best discovery of the summer has been the Shark ChillPill. Cue demos on the bus, at Wimbledon and in coffee shops of how to interchange the attachments and switch up the speeds. Because this isn’t just a viral fan - it’s a really sexy high-speed fan with 10 different airflow strengths that you can dial up or down. There’s even an ultra-fine misting attachment to reset your makeup or revive hot skin. But my favourite is the cooling plate, which feels like you’re holding a sweating can of ice cold Coke to your forehead (this apparently reduces your skin’s temperature by up to 9°C*, according to the brand). Oh, and it’s compact enough to fit into your handbag and can be twisted so it sits hands-free on your desk. I honestly never thought I’d wax lyrical about a fan but given I’ve even used it to blow-dry my hair, it’s proved to be the gift that kept on giving during the hottest days.

Mollie Burdell, Beauty Editor and Broadcaster

Medik 8 Hydra8 B5 Intense Serum, £48: Medik 8 is one of my all-time favourite skincare brands, and I've always got one product (or more) on the go. Since having my daughter my skin has been so much drier—The Hydr8 B5 Intense serum is the gold standard of hyaluronic acid formulations, and works absolute wonders at instantly blessing me with a much needed hit of hydration.

Botox at the Taktouk Clinic, from £250: Now I’m in my 30s, I’ve really started to prioritise the time for in-clinic facial treatments and one of my favourite spots to visit is the Taktouk Clinic in Knightsbridge. Dr Christine Hall is one of the best in the game when it comes to maintaining my Botox in the most natural-looking way, which I top up every 3-6 months. I’ve also been struggling with hormonal acne, and senior aesthetician Nadia Aminian has created a bespoke treatment plan which involves monthly extractions with booster serums and LED light therapy. Shoutout to my skin-enhancing fairy godmothers.

Curaprox Hydrasonic Pro, £190: If you use something every day, it’s always worth spending the money. For me, an electric toothbrush is an essential piece of kit and I’ve been recommending the Curaprox Hydrasonic Pro far and wide. It makes my teeth feel squeaky clean with minimal effort required and the battery seems to last for yonks.

Joonbyrd Big Time Body Wash, £39: As much as I’m into my budget bodycare buys, sometimes a spurge is justified. We’ve just done up our bathroom and there’s nothing like cracking open a fresh bottle of something boujee to elevate the space even further. I’ve been loving the Joonbyrd Big Time Body wash that makes my skin feel and smell incredible –it’s scented with notes of creamy banana, peach and cacao.

Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner in Cocoa, £33: As a beauty editor and makeup artist it would be remiss of me not to shout out a makeup favourite. I’m never seen without my trusty winged liner, which has evolved from a thick line of jet-black liquid liner in my teens to today’s soft feathered out brown kohl. Nothing works as good at the Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner in Cocoa – the highly pigmented formula blends with ease right after application, then sets and becomes waterproof.

Zeynab Mohamed, Beauty Writer

Spotlight Oral Care Sonic Pro Toothbrush, £75: At the top of my list is good oral care. Obviously that starts with the basics: regular dentist appointments and hygienist visits. But it also means having a really good toothbrush. I'm obsessed with the Spotlight Oral Care Sonic Pro Toothbrush. I didn't know you could get your teeth that clean at home, and I notice a huge difference whenever I don't use it, my teeth are not as white or don’t feel as clean. Replacing the heads can get expensive but definitely worth it.

Shreddy Superwoman Supplement, £36: Supplements can be expensive, and we're constantly being sold the latest thing we apparently need. I think it's worth investing the time (and money) to work out what your body actually needs, then sticking with those instead of chasing every trending supplement. I've been using the Shreddy Superwoman supplement and the Zooki creatine, and they've become real game changers in how I feel.

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel Illuminating Vitamin Melting Cleanser, £32.80: Finding products that actually work for you is worth every penny. Beauty is already expensive, and endlessly buying products that don't suit your skin only wastes more money. I'm lucky that I get sent lots of products and have access to specialists and dermatologists, but seeking good advice, rather than all the advice has been the best thing I’ve done for my skin. I feel really confident and good, knowing what works for me, and having that go to products you just know will never fail you. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Serum, the Clarins Double Serum and the Oskia gel cleanser never let me down and are always worth it.

Shark SilkiPro Straight Hair Straightener + Dryer in One Tool, £199.99: Good hair tools are another worthwhile investment. I'm obsessed with my Shark tools. I have thick but fragile hair, so I have to be really careful about what I use. The last thing I want is snagging, breakage or unnecessary damage. I also love the SilkiPro Straight, which was created specifically for Type 3 and 4 hair. It works so well for hair, it leaves my hair smoother, straighter without it taking forever.

Venus Wong, Beauty Writer

Monthly Acid Facial Treatments at the Park Hyatt, £165: I travel frequently for reporting assignments, and while it’s a thrilling part of the job, it often leaves my complexion looking dull and tired. What has made a big difference lately is going for a monthly Acid Glow Facial featuring Omorovicza’s signature Acid Milk. This gentle exfoliating tonic from the luxury Hungarian brand utilises a blend of glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids to resurface and brighten the skin. The treatment concludes with a tightening massage with Cryo massage balls. The spa at the Park Hyatt London River Thames is currently the only place you can experience this facial in London. My skin always looks more “snatched” and lit-from-within, which makes the £165 investment entirely worth it.

Le Labo’s Thé Matcha 26 Eau de Parfum, £140.80

Having Chinese roots, I spend a lot of time traveling across East Asia with my family each year, and Le Labo’s Thé Matcha 26 Eau de Parfum never fails to take me straight back to Tokyo. I’ve never encountered a scent that so accurately captures the essence of matcha. The zesty opening of bitter orange and bergamot delivers an invigorating rush (much like that first caffeine hit of the day), before settling into a cosy, nutty embrace of tea and sesame that clings comfortably to the skin. I catch myself sniffing my wrists whenever I’m aching for an Asian getaway, but a vacation isn't quite on the horizon yet.

Shark CryoGlow LED Mask, £269.99

I’m usually quite low-maintenance when it comes to beauty devices, but the one gadget I’ve consistently built into my daily habit is the Shark CryoGlow LED Mask. It pairs red and blue light therapy, which can help target discolouration, redness and increase collagen production in the skin – with chilling under-eye pads, which instantly depuff and soothe under eyes.

Medik8’s Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream, £50

This has been in heavy rotation for me ever since its launch in 2024. It relies on a trio of ingredients I often look for in my skincare: prebiotic peptides to rebalance the skin’s microbiome, hyaluronic acid to draw in hydration, and ceramides to fortify the protective barrier. The featherlight formula melts instantly into my skin without a trace of heaviness, keeping my skin pillowy and hydrating all day, without ever forming that uncomfortable and sweaty sheen in the heat. I breeze through tubs of this so quickly, so the eco-friendly refill pods are an absolute godsend.

Madeleine Spencer, Beauty Editor

Hygienist appointment at London Smiling, £200: This sits at the intersection between beauty and health – but I always invest there where I can; I think you cannot possibly look good if you don’t feel good. In this case, clean and healthy teeth make me confident to talk and smile without worrying about how they appear.

Boadicea The Victorious Valiant Eau de Parfum, £950: This is so expensive that I dread telling people about it. But I do, because they ask so frequently that I’ve realised this warm, nuzzly spicy floral is pleasing to many noses beyond my own. You’ll find me wearing a spritz nearly every day, or two, if it’s a very special occasion.

Facials with Pam at Mortar and Milk, £250: Each time Pam touches my skin, it gets better. She does that rare thing of making it smoother and bouncier in the instant, but also fosters healthier, stronger skin over time. I’ve been devoted to her since she cleared up my acne around ten years ago and replaced it with glossy skin.

Margaret Dabbs Medical Pedicure, £85: Another maintenance thing here – but one I will forever bang the drum of. Think of your abject misery when having to walk or, worse, dance in a pair of uncomfortable shoes. Now reverse that. That is what medi pedis do to feet, making them not only look but feel oodles better.

Lash Lifts at I Love Lash, from £45: Teresa is an artist, discussing the angle and spray of the lash fringe, and every time I see her my ultra-straight, non-event lashes become things of beauty. In turn, that makes my eyes sparkle, framing them perfectly. It also cuts down my make-up time; it’s remarkable how much heavy lifting a halo of black lashes does.

Bethan King, Beauty Editor

Teoxane Baby Glow skin boosters at Le Petit Saint, from £800: Think of this next gen skin booster as an injectable highlighter - it’s injected at eight key points on the face where the light naturally catches, think cheekbones, temples etc, and after a few days, the glow and luminosity is better than any make up and lasts a few months.

Suquu The Liquid foundation, £75: I’d normally call someone crazy for spending this on a foundation but this J-beauty brand have nailed the most natural-looking, semi-sheer and lasting formula I’ve ever tried. It stays looking perfect all day, even in a heatwave.

Revive Renewal Elixir Oil, £250: Yes, I was skeptical about this too given the price - but it’s been formulated by a top plastic surgeon who designs skincare for post-treatment recovery and everyone in between. I apply this last thing at night over my skincare and it leaves skin plumper and dewier than anything I’ve tried.

Cloud 9 Air Shot Pro Hairdryer, £369: this powerhouse dries my hair to silky smooth in five minutes flat - the price is worth it for the time I save in the mornings.

Merchant of Venice Renaissance perfume, £288: this bougie Italian brand create the chicest scents in the most jaw dropping bottles and I feel like I’ve got my life together every time I wear a spritz of their latest creation, incense-heavy Renaissance.

Earlier this year, Laura Reilly of the popular Substack Magasin sparked furore after launching a new newsletter, High Touch, in which she detailed the tweakments and longevity and wellness practices she had recently undergone. The list was staggering. "In January alone,” she wrote, “I’ve done Botox, Emface, IPL, scheduled Moxi / broadband light, seen my orthodontist, cardiologist, GP, OBGYN, ophthalmologist, dermatologist, plastic surgeon, trainer, and pilates instructor." She also injects peptides, has a six- to eight-step skincare regimen, a supplement stack of 17 pills, and uses a slew of at-home devices. While the list was roundly criticised, Reilly identified something key: “I am not alone here.”

The Rise of Treatment Stacking

In 2026, the tweakment industry has gone mainstream. Once the domain of celebrities and the ultra-wealthy, procedures like Botox and filler have become democratised and are routine in many of our quarterly regimens. Data shows that average annual consumer spending in this category has increased by 28 per cent over a two-year period; and specifically, non-surgical treatments are expanding faster than traditional surgery. This is in part due to a rising interest in "prevention" from clients under 30: roughly 1 in 5 young adults aged 18 to 25 have already tried Botox and fillers.

Poppy*, 29, tells me that she has been treatment stacking for the past two years, after trying Botox. "It was like a gateway drug. I first started to notice some fine lines and then after seeing Instagram before-and-afters of people getting Botox to lift their brows and open up their eyes, I tried that too." In the past year, she's undergone tear-trough filler, lip filler, a round of polynucleotides for undereye rejuvenation, and is considering Endolift to "snatch" her jawline and remove what she refers to as her double chin. "I didn't realise I was treatment stacking, but once you start it's hard to stop, even though it's probably the most costly thing I've done all year."

She adds that all the tweakments have set her back more than her two long-haul holidays.

“I definitely think patients are more aware of the sheer number of aesthetic treatments available than they were five or ten years ago,” comments Dr Ahmed El Muntasar, who has clinics across the country. “Previously, somebody might come in asking about Botox or filler. Now patients arrive having researched skin boosters, polynucleotides, biostimulators, lasers, radiofrequency, ultrasound and regenerative treatments, sometimes wanting several of them at once.”

Per the doctor, in certain cases and amongst the right demographic, this is actually the correct approach. “Ageing is multifactorial. We lose collagen, skin quality and fat changes, as well as muscle. Addressing different aspects of ageing can produce a much more natural result than simply putting more filler into the face. The problem comes when ‘combination treatment’ becomes ‘everything, all the time’.”

The practitioners I speak to highlight that, interestingly, more men are opting for this approach, as they tend to prefer device-based tweaks with little-to-no downtime and more natural results. Certainly, recent research shows inquiries for men rose by roughly 30 per cent in 2025.

As Poppy touches on, our preference for “more is more” has been massively influenced by social media. “It has completely changed the entry point into aesthetics," says Dr Tony Kaliya of the Neu Clinic. "People are coming in far younger, far more informed (and sometimes misinformed), and with much more specific requests than they used to have, often referencing a filter, an influencer, or a fox-eye or doll-face filler. I have seen a noticeable rise in enquiries, particularly from people in their twenties. The reasons vary: some are genuinely curious about prevention and want to start early with light-touch treatments; others are responding to comparison; constant exposure to filtered or heavily edited faces online, which resets what feels like a “normal” appearance."

Plus: “We’re constantly seeing ourselves on our phones, on video calls and in photos, notes master facialist Iris Magnolac. "You start noticing things you probably wouldn’t have thought twice about before.”

Entering the Beauty Pilgrimage Era

Then there's the growing prevalence of “beauty pilgrimages” to Seoul, where celebrities or influencers fly to the South Korean capital for a packed, often week- or two-week-long schedule of treatments, starting early in the morning and ending late at night. It’s become aspirational, agrees nurse Teresa Tan, one of the few practitioners performing these cutting-edge Korean treatments here in the UK.

“It has normalised the idea that we should be doing several procedures at once. The prices can look enticing, but people don't always factor in flights, accommodation, aftercare or what happens if a complication develops once they're back home,” she explains. The other issue, she adds, is doing everything at once without a long-term plan.

"You can't necessarily tell what helped if seven to ten different procedures have been performed in one sitting. When travelling abroad for treatment, additional considerations include language barriers, understanding the practitioner's qualifications, informed consent, and continuity of care. If a complication develops after you've returned to the UK, accessing appropriate aftercare from the original treating clinic can be much more difficult."

When Tweakments Start to Distort Our Perception

It’s no surprise, then, that facial dysmorphia is becoming a growing concern for aesthetic practitioners. I can speak for myself: I’ve spent the last few months undergoing all manner of tweakments in the name of journalism, from microneedling and polynucleotides to radiofrequency and ultrasound-based treatments. While I haven't done anything invasive, it has made me more aware of the finer intricacies of my face. It’s an easy rabbit hole to find yourself down, especially if you have a history of dysmorphia.

Too many treatments absolutely can influence dysmorphia, in both directions, comments Dr Kaliya. “It can be a symptom of an existing body dysmorphic disorder, and repeated treatment without satisfaction can also entrench it further. The pattern I watch for is someone who is never quite happy with the result, who wants just ‘a little’ bit more immediately after a treatment has settled, who compares themselves to a filtered or edited image, or who becomes distressed by asymmetries so minor that most people would never notice them. I use structured questioning around this, and if I see those signs I won’t proceed — I’ll pause treatment, and where appropriate refer to a psychologist or GP. A good practitioner should be willing to say no, even to a paying patient.”

I ask Poppy if she thinks she's developed any form of facial dysmorphia. "Maybe," she hesitates, "I'm definitely a lot more conscious of what I look like, and when I'm pleased with the results, I feel like I should do more to keep it up. Looking at all these influencers and celebrities on Instagram does create a lot of pressure. We feel like we should look like them, but we don't live their lives."

* Names have been changed

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice - always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before treatment decisions.

Obsessed, as I was, with The Odyssey this summer, though, I still wanted the fantasy — with less turmoil and fewer “deathless gods” (yes, I’ve read the book, too) — of days spent coursing along an impossibly blue coastline.

Enter Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast. Stretching along the country’s south-western edge, it offers much of what draws the hordes to the Mediterranean’s more famous playgrounds: ancient ruins, crystalline water, excellent food and glamorous hotels, but with stretches of untouched coastline and rugged, forested terrain.

In fact, as we wound our way down the mountain from our first stay at Perdue — a clifftop bolthole perfect for honeymooners or, in my case, the newly engaged — I realised the glistening waters below were disappearing beneath great umber plumes. A wildfire was burning through the landscape, one of more than 1,600 to have blazed across Europe and the UK this summer.

It was a sobering puncture to the Mediterranean idyll. Helicopters carrying Bambi Buckets hovered overhead as we left the forested mountains behind and headed towards Homer’s “wine-dark sea” — a reminder, too, of how precious the landscape is; how much it needs protecting.

Further along the coast, secluded bays house a new generation of design-led hotels making the area a serious alternative to the usual Mediterranean circuit.

One such hotel is Yazz Collective, an Ibiza-meets-Turquoise-Coast retreat accessible only by boat and almost invisible from the sea until you enter its private bay, it feels less like a resort and more like a Bond lair.

The Vibe

As part of a new, slower approach to travel I’ve been trying to adopt (to middling success), I avoided researching Yazz Collective. But on the occasions I did have to search something, I’d invariably clock those all-too-ubiquitous travel buzzwords — ones I’m equally guilty of using — like ‘barefoot luxury’ and ‘polished ease’. Both felt slightly incongruous with an arrival that saw us chauffeur-driven from our hotel, ferried to a waiting port and deposited by yacht at what is essentially a private island. Barefoot, sure, but understated?

And yet, as I weaved past the outdoor watersports centre and art therapy area, I kinda understood what everyone was getting at. The aesthetic is barefoot but considered: natural materials and earthy tones against pine forest and dazzlingly blue sea, while just 16 guest houses keep things intimate (read: exclusive) rather than resort-like.

By day, the pace is slow: swims in the bay, long, wine-soaked lunches and afternoons on sunbeds as superyachts drift in and out of view. Suffice to say, the people-watching is excellent. Then, as the afternoon sun slips towards the horizon, things become more convivial, as those aboard the yachts — freshly gussied up after a hard day sunning themselves — come ashore for dinner.

Yazz began life as a beach club, and occasionally would-be revellers pull into harbour, ruddy-skinned, and ready to party. I witnessed as much on my first night. As I was twirling a forkful of linguine vongole and not feeling particularly glamorous (blame the day drinking), three women in matching white outfits tumbled off a docked boat, joined by a single man, trim, tanned, and with an appetite for rakı. The quartet seemed to know their way around the restaurant, so perhaps they knew precisely what they were doing. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling they were chasing a night Yazz wasn’t particularly interested in giving them.

For the most part, though, the crowd is more relaxed: well-heeled couples, Turkish families and yacht-dwellers are happy to let lunch bleed into dinner rather than dance around the DJ booth.

The Rooms

The same aesthetic runs inside: earthy tones, linen, wood, stone, and huge picture windows. All suites come with king-size beds, private outdoor space and walk-in rain showers. Mine also had an added outdoor shower and a private chill-out pool, though the ocean was within skipping distance.

Early mornings were for coffee on the terrace, or, if I was really early, on a lounger, letting my toes tap the pool like a piano before the sun beat down too heavily.

There are thoughtful details, too: a pillow menu, yoga mats and widescreen TVs with Netflix and YouTube (we watched Jason and the Argonauts while unpacking, which was pleasingly campier than I remembered). The bathrooms are cool and spacious, stacked with Le Labo products.

Food & Drink

Breakfast is quite the undertaking. The options are dizzying and we dedicated ourselves to exploring them (it’s a tough job etc, etc.) The Turkish breakfast was a table-swallowing spread of freshly baked bread, cheeses, dips, fruit, sucuk and great slabs of honeycomb. Then, we’d order from the hot menu, too. Menemen one day; meats and eggs the next.

The wider menu is mainly Mediterranean. At lunch, we ate ceviche and crab crudo with a crisp local white; for dinner, I found myself eating more pasta than I’d expected on a trip to Türkiye. Not that I was complaining.

There are, however, moments when Yazz’s superyacht clientele makes itself known. One evening, I almost ordered the lobster linguine before doing the currency conversion and realising it hit around the £250 mark.

Though we rarely had room, sütlaç, Türkiye’s creamy rice pudding, was a favourite.

The Facilities

There is plenty to do at Yazz, though the longer I stayed, the less inclined I felt to do it. I enjoyed a gentle hatha yoga class beachside and signed myself up for paddleboard yoga. Then, I fell victim to the aforementioned breakfast, lay down under the shade of a pine tree and slept through the hour-long session.

I was, in theory, equally tempted by everything from canoes (especially the glass-bottomed ones), waterskiing and wakeboarding to SeaBobs, wakesurfing and E-Foiling; you know the watersport famously loved by Mark Zuckerberg, if you want to go full billionaire cosplay. All come at an expense, but the main cost I wasn’t willing to fork out for was losing snoozing time, and so I skipped the water hoverboard (and most everything else).

Back on dry land, there’s an outdoor gym and personal training, plus pickleball, badminton, beach volleyball, and table tennis. There’s workshops aplenty: ceramics, candle-making and, on the day I arrived, straw hat painting. Everything is outdoors and open, including the spa where treatments are performed by Balinese therapists overlooking the ocean in secluded treatment rooms seemingly carved into the rockface.

But the best facility is arguably the bay itself. With nowhere you need to be and almost everything arranged within a few minutes of the water, Yazz makes it all-too-easy to build a full itinerary only to abandon it completely.

Don’t Miss

Contrary to everything I’ve just said about relinquishing plans to Yazz’s slower pace, the standout moment of our stay did, in fact, involve one such plan.

On our penultimate evening, we stepped aboard Moonday for a private sunset cruise. Yes, we went full Bond. As we pulled away from the bay, champagne was poured (and quickly quaffed), and cherries and pistachios were nibbled at as we cruised along the coastline to watch the sun slink into the Mediterranean.

How to book

Rates at Yazz Collective start from £500 per night for a Deluxe Room on a bed-and-breakfast basis, with a minimum two-night stay. Boat transfers to and from the hotel are included in the room rate.

Private sunset boat trips start from £380, while non-motorised watersports start from £60 and motorised options from £80.

What to pack

We are, after all, very busy people. There are jobs, partners, children, ageing parents, life admin and approximately 38 WhatsApp conversations we are already failing to keep up with. Friendship can start to feel like another thing on the list. Something we’ll get to when everything else is done.

Except, it turns out, friendship might not be a nice-to-have at all. It may be one of the pillars of staying well; a biological necessity.

One look at the research, and that post-friendship exhale starts to make perfect sense. A 2010 meta-analysis of 148 studies found that people with strong relationships had a 50% greater likelihood of survival than those with weaker social connections. The researchers also found that the mortality risk associated with social isolation was comparable to - and in some cases greater than - risk factors such as obesity, physical inactivity and heavy alcohol consumption. In other words, your friends are, quite literally, either adding years to your life or taking them away.

And for women, the story gets even more interesting. Because friendship doesn’t just make us feel better - it can change what's happening inside our bodies. Neuroscience research suggests that close friends can begin to synchronise with one another - their brains, emotions and even psychological responses falling into step. In a sense, spending time with someone we trust creates a shared version of the world: one that can feel safer, more familiar, and crucially, easier to navigate.

So that feeling after a two-hour catch-up and you walk home lighter than you arrived; it turns out - it isn’t just in your head - your body has been asking for her all along.

Hooked? Before you rush off to text one of your 38 unopened WhatsApps with “I’m so sorry for the slow reply”, let me throw one more thing into the mix: if female friendship is so deeply wired into us, what happens when we stop making time for it? Why, despite knowing how much we need one another, do so many of us push our closest friendships to the bottom of the list? Experts, come forward. It’s time to find out what we’re risking when we do. Keen to read more? See how one Health Writer got on treating friendship as a wellness habit, and scroll through expert-backed healthy ageing habits and Blue Zone tips while you're here.

Why a Behavioural Scientist Thinks Friendships Are One of the Most Powerful Health Tools

The Biological Reason For Needing Friendships

“Friendships can actually influence our neurochemistry and change how we perceive the world, experience stress, how threatening the world feels, and even how demanding a task appears,” explains behavioural scientist Ghazal Moenie.

It is a deceptively big claim for something we tend to think of as fairly ordinary: a quick coffee, walking home together, sitting on the sofa talking absolutely nothing. But there is growing evidence that the presence - and quality - of our closest relationships can change the way our bodies respond to the world around us. Research has found that people had lower blood pressure and heart rate reactivity when facing stress with a supportive friend than when alone. TDLR: friendship can really alter how difficult we perceive life to be.

The implication is not that friendship magically takes all our stress away. Rather, close relationships can act as a buffer: making the same challenge feel less threatening, and perhaps more manageable.

For women, there may be an additional layer. 26 years ago, researchers at UCLA proposed the idea of “tend-and-befriend” - essentially, that women may respond to stress in a slightly different way than the familiar fight-or-flight response. When something goes wrong, our instinct isn’t necessarily to run or retreat. We might call a friend. We might gather the women around us. We might talk it through, look after someone else, or simply need to be near people who make us feel safe.

Naturally, there’s biology behind that instinct, too. The research suggested that oxytocin - sometimes referred to as the “bonding hormone” - plays a role in encouraging social connection and helping regulate the body’s stress response. “Oestrogen can enhance the effects of oxytocin, which may help explain why this response is particularly relevant to women,” says Moenie.

Evolutionarily speaking, the theory goes, women were encouraged to both “tend” - protect and care for offspring - and “befriend": make those social connections that could offer all of the above.

It gives a rather beautiful biological explanation for something most of us already know: the friend we call when everything feels too much may not be distracting us from the stress; she may be a part of how our bodies know to carry it.

The hidden health cost of feeling disconnected

I can’t be the only one who feels heavily lost - emphasis on the heavy - when I don’t spend quality time with my girlfriends. Nothing light; I’m talking sitting down, opposite one another, discussing the woes of the world. I know that once I’ve had this, I feel like I’ve been pieced back together. The more I researched, the more one question kept cropping up: what happens to our health when we don’t have connection?

​If we are, as research suggests, biologically wired for closeness, the absence of it matters significantly. “There is lots of research now showing that being lonely is linked to poor mental health, high anxiety and high stress,” explains neuroscientist Antonia Hamilton. “In older people,” she says, “loneliness is also associated with dementia and heart disease.”

​And the physical effects appear to run deeper than feeling low or lonely. A 2024 systematic review of 24 studies, representing almost 300,000 adults, found that social isolation was linked with higher levels of inflammation, frailty and cognitive decline, as well as disrupted sleep and a higher risk of death.

​But Hamilton is keen to point out: “Connection can be protective, too. For young people with mild depression or anxiety, she says, joining a structured social group once a week for at least six weeks can have benefits comparable to antidepressants. It doesn’t much matter whether that’s a choir, walking group, dance class or book club. The important thing is the regularity of the connection.”

​Time to welcome a mindset change? Connection isn’t something we simply have. Going off what the experts have to say, it’s something we have to keep doing.

Why keeping close female friends gets harder as we get older

There’s a rather boring reason keeping close friendships gets harder as we get older: we stop seeing each other by accident. “Friendships need time, availability and repeated contact, and adulthood often removes all three,” says Psychologist Dr Sophie Mort. “Work, relationships, children, caring responsibilities and simply having less energy can mean that the spontaneous contact we had earlier in life becomes much harder to maintain.”

​Which explains my newfound ability (I thank my fully developed prefrontal cortex for this) not to be offended when a friend doesn’t reply for two business days. We have jobs, partners, children, admin, ageing parents, and occasionally, absolutely nothing left to give. However, be aware of the subtle trap here: giving each other grace can quietly morph into giving up.

“Friendships rarely disappear because somebody consciously decides, ‘I no longer value this person,’” says Moenie. “More often, tiny moments of friction accumulate.” Time. Distance. Competing Demands. We can start interpreting a missed message as evidence of how much someone cares, when sometimes life is simply getting in the way.

Not to mention there’s a bigger cultural problem at play: “We tend to overrate romantic relationships compared to platonic friendships,” Moenie says. “Friendship is often treated as a sideplot, by accident.”

The Irony: the busier our lives become, the easier friendship is to prioritise - and the more important that friendship may become. “There is a danger in continually placing our friendships on the back burner,” says Moenie, “because these are often precisely the periods when that support becomes most important.”

How to prioritise the friendships that actually matter

Trying to be a better friend takes up a huge, unrented space in my mind. So, I wouldn’t be doing my journalistic duty if I didn’t ask the question we all want answered: without turning friendship into yet another self-improvement project, what actually makes the biggest difference to maintaining friendships that matter - and, given what we now know, perhaps even living longer?

The answer, according to behavioural science, may be less about trying harder and more about making friendship harder to lose. “Changing the environment often works better than relying on motivation alone,” explains Moenie. Her advice is to make friendship “Easy, Attractive, Social and Timely - the EAST framework. Pair a catch-up with something you already enjoy. Make plans recurring rather than renegotiating them every time. Reach out when the cue naturally appears, rather than waiting for the mythical moment when everyone is free.”

There’s also what Moenie calls an “implementation intention”: deciding in advance when and where something will happen. “We should catch up” is a lovely sentiment. “I’ll call you on my commute home Thursday” is a plan.

And I like her suggestion to lower the threshold for what “counts” as connection. “One of my favourite areas of research looks at weak ties” - the work friend you see in the kitchen, the neighbour you chat to, the person at the pet shop who remembers your cat. These small interactions can boost happiness and feelings of belonging, too.

A case for showing up

I started this piece wondering whether I was spending enough time with my friends. I’m finishing it wondering why we ever decided friendship was something we could afford to put on hold. Because the women we make time for, inconvenience ourselves for and show up for aren’t a nice addition to our lives. They are part of what keeps us well, and quite possibly, on this planet for longer. So, consider this your sign to hug your friends that little bit tighter. You’ll find me doing the same.

Shop MC UK's Connection edit:

The Designer Drop

Louis Vuitton's Multipass Bag

Few fashion houses have been able to create a logo as iconic as the Louis Vuitton monogram. Whilst it’s instantly identifiable, its simultaneously understated and refined in equal measure. This season, the Multipass bag is the newest addition to Louis Vuitton’s handbag collection and new Monogram canvas style. Designed with versatility in mind, it features multiple straps and ways to carry it, with all the hallmarks of a timeless everyday carryall.

Spotlight On

Autumn Jackets

Whilst the last three months have felt like we've all migrated closer to the sun, following a summer of endless heat and a worrying lack of rain, thankfully the weather gods have answered our prayers, and rain is finally on the cards. With unpredictable weather comes the need for transitional jackets that are as polished as they are practical. This season offers a rich variety of styles to suit every mood and taste. Reformation’s Eleanor jacket, in a rich brocade, will gently transition me from the bright colour palette of my summer wardrobe into autumn. Whilst the COS belted peplum jacket jacket can be worn as a coverup and layered under a shirt or knit when the temperatures drop.

Shop my edit:

New In This Week

Net-a-porter

As a new season approaches, I always take a mental inventory of my wardrobe. What am I not wearing anymore? Which pieces need replacing, and which gaps need filling? This week, the Net-a-Porter New In page had me genuinely excited for cooler days: wearing jeans once again after a three-month hiatus (this Toteme stonewash pair is the wash I’ve been searching for) and swapping my designer handbag for German label Valesque’s dreamy crushed velvet shoulder bag. After much demand, cult shoe label Jude has finally added a lower heeled version of it's Blade pumps to the collection, and Magda Butrym's fur-trim jacket is the splurge item, I'm finding hard to resist.

Shop my edit:

On My Radar

60 Years of Notting Hill Carnival This Weekend

In London this weekend is the 60th Notting Hill Carnival, marking six decades of celebrating London’s rich cultural tapestry and community. Many London residents and visitors to Notting Hill Carnival still don’t know about its origins. Founded in 1966 by social worker Rhaune Laslett, the Carnival began as a children’s street party designed to unite a neighbourhood affected by racial tensions and violence. These tensions were heightened following the murder of Kelso Cochrane, a young Antiguan man who was killed in a racially motivated attack in May 1959.

A spontaneous procession led by Russell Henderson’s Steel Band helped spark the tradition that has become one of the world’s largest carnivals, second only to Rio Carnival. The Carnival contributes an estimated £400 million to London’s economy, and having taken part multiple times myself, I can say it is not to be missed.

In Case You Missed It...

Bloating, constipation, discomfort, irregularity. Even when that wasn’t the original reason they had come to see me.

It made me realise that we can be very quick to treat health as lots of separate compartments. We think about our skin over here, our mood over there, our digestion somewhere else. But the body doesn’t work like that. The gut is involved in digestion and nutrient absorption, but it also communicates constantly with our immune system and brain.

So now, if someone tells me they are bloated, my first thought isn’t simply, “What food should we remove?” I want to zoom out. Are they getting enough variety? Are they stressed? Sleeping? Moving? Are they constipated? How quickly are they eating? Often the symptom is only one piece of a much bigger picture.

That is probably the biggest lesson I wish more people understood: don’t just chase the symptom; look at the whole system.

I come from a family of cooks and grew up around food in a really hands-on way, and so a huge amount of my gut health philosophy started at home without me realising. We ate a lot of variety because that was simply how my family cooked. Vegetables, beans and lentils were used to stretch meat, make meals go further and keep food affordable.

Below, I share my top tips for improving your gut health: simple, actionable hacks that'll slot easily into your day-to-day. Because boosting your wellbeing needn't feel complicated or like a chore.

Em The Nutritionist's 7 Top Gut Health Tips

1. Aim for diversity over perfection

My first tip is diversity over perfection. Rather than obsessing over one “superfood”, look at how many different plants you eat across a week. Vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices all count. One incredibly easy trick is to stop automatically buying the same five vegetables every week. Swap one or two each time you shop.

2. Train your gut like your body

The second is to train your gut like you would a muscle in the gym. If you’ve been eating very little fibre and suddenly double your intake overnight, you may feel bloated and uncomfortable. That doesn’t automatically mean fibre is “bad for your gut”. Sometimes you simply need to build up gradually and let your digestive system adapt.

3. Think about how you eat, not what you eat

Third, think about how you eat, not only what you eat. People spend hundreds of pounds changing the contents of their plate while eating lunch hunched over a laptop in six minutes. Sit down when you can. Slow down. Chew. Give yourself a moment before rushing onto the next thing. Digestion is a physical process, and the state you eat in matters too.

4. Don't overcomplicate it

Some of the most fashionable gut-health advice right now is actually based on very old-fashioned ways of cooking. Bulk your bolognese out with lentils. Throw beans into a soup. Add frozen peas to a pasta. Use herbs generously. These are inexpensive habits that naturally increase the number of plants and different fibres you’re eating.

My nutrition training gave me the science behind why those habits matter, but I think the practical lesson is really simple: you don’t need an expensive “gut health” shopping basket. Some of the cheapest foods in the supermarket are some of the most useful.

5. Focus on addition, rather than restriction

I always like to think about gut health through the lens of addition, rather than restriction.

Instead of looking at your lunch and thinking, “What should I cut out?”, look at it and ask, “What could I add?” Could you add a handful of rocket to your sandwich? Some chickpeas to your salad? Seeds to your yoghurt? Frozen vegetables to your dinner? An extra piece of fruit during the day?

Those tiny additions accumulate. You’re increasing diversity without completely changing the way you eat.

This is an important shift, because gut health has become associated with long lists of foods people think they shouldn’t eat. For most people, constantly removing foods is not the answer. I’d much rather somebody ate a broad, enjoyable diet consistently than followed the “perfect” gut-health diet for two weeks and hated every minute of it. Think nourishment before elimination.

6. Prioritise food first

My rule is: food first, habits first, then supplements should make life easier, not more complicated.

I launched Epetōme because I felt the supplement aisle had become unnecessarily complicated and also very untrustworthy. Do we know what's actually in these things? Are you getting what you pay for? Huge ingredient lists, different powders, multiple capsules, things that needed refrigerating. It can make people feel as though looking after their health needs to become another full-time job.

With my gut health supplement, I wanted the opposite: something simple enough that people could actually stick to it and also a brand they can trust. One a day, no refrigeration, carefully selected probiotic strains and a capsule system designed to deliver them effectively so you get what you pay for.

But I’m also very clear that a supplement is exactly that: a supplement to the foundations, not the foundations themselves. I would never want someone taking a probiotic while thinking they can ignore their diet, sleep or lifestyle.

7. Look beyond food

Last but by no means least, make sure you remember to look beyond food altogether. Sleep, movement and stress are gut-health behaviours too. You cannot optimise your way out of being chronically stressed and exhausted with a spoonful of fermented vegetables.

The advice I would deliberately leave out is anything suggesting you need to “detox” your gut, fast for days or remove enormous numbers of foods without a clinical reason. Your gut generally needs consistency, diversity and nourishment, not punishment.

Final thoughts?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that gut health is only relevant if you have digestive symptoms. Your gut is doing something every single day, whether you’re thinking about it or not. It helps us digest food and absorb nutrients, interacts with our immune system and communicates with the brain through the gut-brain axis.

Think of looking after your gut a bit like brushing your teeth. You wouldn’t brush your teeth intensively for a two-week “reset” and then stop for the rest of the year. Gut health is similar. It’s not about a January detox or a cupboard full of supplements. It is the boringly brilliant things you repeat most days.

Eat a few different plants. Add rather than remove. Move your body. Sleep. Slow down when you eat. Then do it again tomorrow. That consistency is where the magic really is.

Sharp, pine-scented air, the distant clang of cowbells, and jagged mountain peaks set to a background so breathtakingly beautiful your brain can’t quite compute it’s real are my idea of a truly perfect holiday. There’s something about being in the mountains that’s unlike anything else—to me, it's the ultimate spiritual and physical reset.

Which is why I’ve been absolutely chomping at the bit to visit the Dolomites, a mountain range in northern Italy that sits across the regions of Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. You’ll likely have noticed the influx of holidaymakers hiking in this European destination this year—Google searches for the destination are up +5,000%, and the mountain range has become an undeniable hotspot thanks to the many TikToks bringing the sheer beauty of the destination online.

So when an invite to Sensoria Dolomites, an adults-only, all-inclusive, design-led wellness destination in the mountains, landed in my inbox, I couldn’t wait to try. With an extensive spa offering, breathtaking mountain views, and a focus on ensuring you leave feeling refreshed, revitalised, and rested, it ticked all the right boxes.

If the above sounds like your kind of break, then you’ll want to add Sensoria Dolomites to your bucket list. We spent two nights there in May, chasing that particular Dolomite quiet, and it was so good, I'm already planning my trip back.

Inside Sensoria Dolomites, the Alpine Hotel Capturing the Wellness Zeitgeist

The vibes

I know we're in for a treat from the second we step out of the car. Sitting in Seis am Schlern, right by the Alpe di Siusi, pine trees, wildflower meadows, and the Sciliar mountain provide an undeniably beautiful and relaxing backdrop.

Paired back, minimalist decor echoes the nature outside, and the hotel’s interiors are basic yet considered; think plenty of Alpine natural wood, muted colours, and stacked bookshelves for you to peruse. It’s not grand or showy in the way you might expect a luxury Alpine hotel to be; rather, the design team has crafted a lobby that feels like a design-conscious, intimate living room. Pale spruce, natural stone and tactile fabrics make you feel like you should enjoy the space with a glass of natural wine or a good book, and the atmosphere is calm, intimate, and unhurried—it feels like a retreat destination, rather than a hotel.

Every element has been considered; floor-to-ceiling windows immediately invite nature in and draw your eye to the stunning mountain panoramas just behind you; piano music drifts through the lobby; and each area has a distinct scent, designed to help you unwind. The lobby smells unbelievable: a heady mix of bergamot and cedarwood, which reminds me of one of my favourite Aromatherapy Associates essential oils.

Staff are attentive but never overbearing; many are happy to chat about the local area and things to do, switching from German to Italian to English with ease. From the get-go, I can tell that this is going to be an experience centred around feeling present; of seeing, feeling, and switching off.

The rooms

With 47 rooms and suites to choose from, the hotel errs on the intimate side, reaffirming its ethos of quiet luxury, personal connection and space to slow down and switch off.

On the design front, the rooms mirror the calm of the rest of the hotel and prioritise natural, tactile materials like local wood throughout. The king-size beds are spacious and comfortable, the minibar is stocked with local essentials, and the bathrooms are kitted out with rainfall showers and Aesop products.

The mountain views are, of course, the main attraction; our room has a balcony overlooking Schlern, making the landscape feel like part of the room.

If you want to go all out, be sure to book The Suite—a 125m² space with its own private spa, Finnish sauna, freestanding bath, outdoor whirlpool and terrace.

The food

One of the main USP’s at Sensoria Dolomites is its all-inclusive offering; something which I usually steer well clear of, but that’s done really well at this location. Rather than it feeling like a traditional resort-style all-inclusive or package holiday, it feels like a thoughtful add-on to ensure you fully switch off for your stay.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included, with a “snack” bar open during the afternoon for when you're feeling peckish. Breakfast was a standout for us—choose from fresh local breads, honeys from the valley, cheeses, meats, salads, cakes and more or order off the menu. I had an omelette both days, with fresh rye and local salted butter, and it was divine.

The star of the show is the six-course gourmet dinner, with the menus changing daily and taking inspiration from the Alps, Mediterranean and French cuisine. Local produce is prioritised, as are regional dishes. Each of the courses is delicious, but our standout favourite was the Schlutzkrapfen, a traditional South Tyrolean half-moon pasta filled with spinach and ricotta and served with melted butter and Parmesan.

Drinks are included, too, and you can choose from South Tyrolean wines, beers, spirits, aperitifs, local soft drinks and spring water. We loved the Kerner wine, a crisp, aromatic white wine from South Tyrol, but also the freedom to try so many local drinks as part of the package.

The facilities

This is where Sensoria Dolomites really comes into its own, with an extensive spa offering that’d relax even the most uptight of people. There’s ample to choose from, including an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, and a pine bath house with some of the best views of the mountains.

The spa is extensive, and a cosy rabbit warren of offerings. Head to enjoy a large Finnish event sauna, an organic sauna, and a steam sauna, plus dedicated relaxation spaces and plenty of treatments, if you'd like to add them on.

They also offer guided hiking tours, mountain biking, and other activities for during your stay. We hiked to the Alpe di Siusi, taking the cable car (around a 5-minute walk from the hotel) with the hotel's tour guide Patrick, and it was a really memorable day out. The hiking trails are breathtaking, and you wind past sheer rock faces, turquoise lakes, and sweeping alpine meadows. Don’t miss Antonio’s Sauna Shows, either—a traditional Aufguss ritual that he guides you through (he's one of only a handful of trained Aufgussmeisters in the whole of Italy). He themes each night, making it entertaining, relaxing, and undoubtedly unique.

Sensoria isn't just a hotel with a spa attached—it's a genuine wellness philosophy, built around the kind of stillness that's almost impossible to manufacture back home.

Your need to knows:

Stay at Sensoria Dolomites from £408 per night. 39040 Seiser Alm, South Tyrol, Italy, sensoria-dolomites.com. Flights with SKY ALPS go direct from London Gatwick to Bolzano, which is a short 25-minute taxi ride from the hotel.

Which is probably where the idea of incorporating resistance band workouts into my routine appealed to me. I've used them on and off over the years, but never fully committed to them. But when I was looking for a new way to fit strength training into my week, I realised resistance bands tick a lot of boxes - you can do them almost anywhere, you don't need lots of equipment, and they're convenient enough to fit into a busy lifestyle.

And if the evidence is anything to go by, they're effective, too. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that elastic resistance training can produce similar strength gains as using weights or machines. Translation: you don't necessarily need a gym full of equipment to get stronger.

Rebecca Bossick, physiotherapist and founder of One Body LDN, explained why they could be the ideal solution to fit into my lifestyle. "Their adaptability, portability, and lower cost are a big reason why they’ve become a mainstay of workout regimens, especially among busy mums," she said.

With this in mind, I decided to get serious about adding resistance bands to my workout routine. For two weeks, I committed to fitting 10-minute resistance band sessions into my routine several times a week to see if they could be the low-effort strength training session I'd been looking for. Keep scrolling to see how I got on, and while you're here, we've got plenty more resistance band content, including our guides to the benefits of resistance bands, how to make resistance bands effective, best resistance band leg workouts, best resistance band core workouts and best resistance band arm workouts.

Resistance Bands Promise to Build Strength in No Time: I Tried for 2 Weeks

Can a 10–15 minute resistance-band session genuinely improve strength?

If, like me, you're often strapped for time, the good news is even a short resistance band session can make a noticeable difference. In one seven-week study, published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, participants who added heavy elastic bands to their strength training saw improvements in upper-body strength similar to those using more traditional resistance-training methods.

"Even if you can only do a 10-15 minute workout routine each day, adding resistance bands into the mix will improve your overall strength," says Samantha Cubbins, strength and conditioning coach and Lifting Club Ambassador at Gymshark.

Bossick agrees that short sessions can be worthwhile, and says that regardless of your fitness level, resistance bands are a great way to build muscle. "Even though working with them does look rather simple, bands actually have quite the advantage over free weights: the more you stretch, the higher the resistance, meaning that you get genuine tension right through the whole movement rather than just at the hardest point."

One of the main appeals to me was that resistance bands don't take up much room - they're small enough to live in a kitchen drawer or tote bag. "Using resistance bands means you don't need a gym membership or even much floor space, and even ten to fifteen minutes is more than enough to recruit and build various muscle groups properly," adds Bossick.

What are the best resistance band exercises if you only have 10 minutes?

“The great thing about resistance bands is the versatility," says Cubbins. "They can be added into so many different movements, meaning for many, you won’t even need to create a whole new workout routine."

If you're really short on time, Bossick recommends choosing movements that hit multiple muscle groups in one exercise.

1. Banded squats

What? Stand with the band looped just above your knees or under both feet and held at shoulder height, then sit back into a squat as if lowering onto a chair before pushing back up through your heels.

Why? "This works the major muscle groups within your lower extremities like glutes, quads, and hamstrings with an extra focus on your hip abductors and stabilisers, covering all your lower body’s biggest muscle groups in one time-efficient movement," says Bossick.

How many? Aim for 12 to 15 reps.

2. Banded rows

What? Loop the band around something secure at chest height, or anchor it under your feet if seated, and pull both handles towards your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together before releasing slowly.

Why? "This engages the whole of the upper back and rear shoulders, so it's brilliant for posture alongside strength," says Bossick.

How many? Aim for 12 to 15 reps.

3. Glute bridges

What? Using a shorter band, looped just above your knees, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Push your knees outwards against the band as you lift your hips towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top, then lower slowly.

Why? It works your glutes and also challenges the muscles around your hips, helping to build lower-body strength.

How many? Aim for 15 reps.

4. Bicep curls or overhead press

What? Stand on a longer band, holding a handle in each hand. Bend your elbows to bring your hands towards your shoulders, and again, start with your hands next to your shoulders and push straight overhead for a rep.

Why? "These moves combined can help you build upper and lower body strength with minimal transitions between moves, so perfect for those in a time crunch," says Bossick.

Cubbins adds that you can try this during a wall sit for added heat.

How many? 10 to 15 bicep curls.

My experiment: Trying resistance band workouts for 2 weeks

Week 1

The focus during the first week of my experiment was simply to get into a flow with resistance band training and make it part of my routine.

One piece of Bossick's advice resonated with me before I'd even practised any of the exercises: "With these moves there's zero setup, meaning no weights to load or equipment to move around or clean up, which is essential when you have limited space or children to look after."

On days when I'm stuck in with the kids and struggling to get out, I'll often rely on my walking pad for getting some movement in, but I'll be honest, sometimes having to set it up can feel like it's eating into my (often limited) workout time.

So whether I had a spare 10 minutes first thing in the morning, or later in the day when it was the kids' mealtimes, with no preparation involved, there wasn't really any room to talk myself out of it.

I kept the actual exercises themselves fairly straightforward to begin with. Using a set of three loop bands - light, medium and heavy - I started with the lightest and alternated between glute bridges and squats for the first few sessions. The light band felt manageable on the bridges, but I noticed the tension on squats by around rep 10, and my thighs were starting to feel noticeably shaky by the last few reps.

By day four, I started to feel the physical effects - DOMS in my glutes that I wasn't expecting from such a short, equipment-light session. While it wasn't anything dramatic, I could definitely feel the burn walking down the stairs the next day.

Bossick had said the more you stretch, the higher the resistance, meaning that you get genuine tension throughout the whole movement rather than just at the hardest point. I could feel what she meant, particularly on the banded rows, where my upper back was working the entire way through rather than just at the squeeze.

Week 2

By week two, I started mixing things up and experimented with the medium-strength resistance and then the heavy band. I wasn't suddenly spending an hour lifting weights; I was still doing short sessions, but I liked the fact that I could make them more challenging if I wanted to, without making the workout itself any more complicated.

One of the things Cubbins told me stuck with me, too. "You need to be progressively overloading your muscles, meaning you continually challenge your strength, increasing weight, reps and time under tension." For me, that didn't suddenly mean spending longer exercising. It was as simple as swapping the light band for the heavier one when I wanted a more intense workout.

I was predominantly using a set of shorter loop resistance bands, but for arm workouts I did keep an elasticated tube band to hand, as the loop bands don't have enough give for a proper curl. Lifting my toddler the following day was the proof that I was starting to see results - the aching in my arms was real.

I wasn't expecting two weeks to produce a dramatic physical transformation - and if I'm honest, I can't say I felt noticeably stronger. But what I did notice consistently was how much better mentally I felt for having done it. Just carving out 10 minutes felt like a small sense of achievement on days when it would be easy to do nothing at all. Plus the mild, lingering aches I started to feel were actually a reassuring payoff.

It was my mindset that shifted more than anything. Rather than feeling like I'd failed to fit in a 'proper' workout, I started to see how valuable these small pockets of exercise were for me mentally and physically.

My verdict? Resistance band workouts haven't magically created more time in my day, but I realised they're a great way to make the time I have feel more useful.

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A world away from FOMO, which had us saying yes to everything just in case we missed out, soft hermitting embraces the exact opposite. We're not talking about enjoying the occasional night in (like JOMO, or the Joy of Missing Out), but deliberately creating more space away from socialising.

After years of hustle culture telling us to stay busy, say yes and never switch off, it's easy to see the appeal. Research suggests there's a fine line between restorative solitude and social withdrawal. This 2023 study found that spending time alone was associated with less stress and greater feelings of autonomy, but also greater loneliness and less satisfaction.

So could soft hermitting be a healthy way to set boundaries - or could we be getting a little too comfortable socially withdrawing?

I spoke to two industry experts for their take on the latest lifestyle trend, as well as their tips for practising soft hermitting without becoming isolated. Keep scrolling for the need-to-know. And if you're keen to read more wellness content, check out our latest expert-led wellbeing guides on how to improve joyspan, prioritise micro-recovery, Blue Zone living and metta meditation.

Soft hermitting is gaining traction–is it healthy or are we becoming too comfortable with isolation?

What is soft hermitting and why is it trending?

Soft hermitting is essentially about deliberately creating more space from social interaction.

As qualified psychotherapist and author Eloise Skinner puts it: "This phrase is being used to describe scenarios where people are deliberately turning down plans or social occasions, and preferring instead to stay at home and avoid interactions with others."

Skinner believes the appeal could partly be a reaction to the feeling that we're constantly switched on. "The world can feel overwhelming and exhausting for many people, and social interactions can feel as though they add to this, especially where we're constantly on our phones, responding and checking notifications," she explains. "Withdrawing socially may be a way to restore more calm, balance and peace."

There's also a cultural element at play. As we push back against hustle culture and the expectation to always be doing more, soft hermitting can feel like another way of rejecting the pressure to be constantly available.

Dr George Sik, a psychologist at eras, agrees that there's something appealing about deliberately reducing stimulation. "Social interaction can be mentally demanding," he says. "Having periods where we deliberately reduce stimulation can give us an opportunity to recover and reflect."

In other words, cancelling plans doesn't automatically make you antisocial. It might just be what you need.

Is soft hermitting actually good for us?

In the fast-paced world we live in, there are plenty of reasons to embrace a little more solitude. Choosing to stay at home can give you space to decompress, reconnect with yourself - and perhaps most importantly - do things because you actually want to, and not because you feel obliged to.

And while the experts agree that spending time alone isn't inherently a red flag, the reason behind it matters more than the behaviour itself. Dr Sik says that wanting to spend more time alone isn't a negative behaviour, but the line to watch is between choice and avoidance.

"The important distinction you should determine is: are you choosing solitude because you genuinely enjoy it, or are you avoiding something that feels uncomfortable?" he says.

If turning down an invite leaves you feeling rested and more enthusiastic about seeing people next time, that's likely a healthy boundary. But if avoiding plans starts to feel like the easiest way of escaping social anxiety or discomfort, that's when things can get complicated. "It’s worth asking yourself whether you’re genuinely recharging, or simply avoiding," adds Sik.

It's also worth weighing the trend against what the research says about connection more broadly. As Skinner notes, longevity research - including the famous 85-year Harvard study of Adult Development - consistently shows that close relationships play an important role in long-term health and happiness.

So perhaps the goal isn't to become a full-time hermit. It's to become a little more intentional about when we socialise, and when we don't.

How to practice soft hermitting without becoming isolated

So, if it's a fine line between protecting your social battery and withdrawing altogether, how do you strike the right balance? Here are a few expert-approved ways to embrace soft hermitting without isolating yourself.

1. Ask yourself why you're saying no

Before automatically turning down an invite, Skinner says it's worth checking in with yourself.

"I'd encourage anyone adopting the trend to get clear about what purpose or value it fulfils in their life," she outlines. "For example, if someone tries a hermit-style retreat practice and finds that it brings them more mental clarity, focus and peace, it could be a great part of a routine, when combined or balanced with other activities."

2. Protect your social battery

Instead of accepting every invitation, prioritise the people and plans that matter most to you.

As Dr Sik points out: “Healthy social connection doesn’t necessarily mean being the busiest person. You can have a very small social circle and still have meaningful relationships."

3. Make your time alone intentional

If you're going to stay at home, make it count. Whether that's reading, having an everything shower, cooking a nice meal, going for a walk, or simply doing nothing, the point is to use solitude to recharge and not dwell on cancelling your plans.

Skinner suggests paying attention to how time alone makes you feel. If a period of retreat provides you with care, space and time-out, it could be a valuable part of your routine.

4. Know when to step back out

Rather than an all-or-nothing approach to soft hermitting, both experts suggest trying to maintain a balanced approach.

"Many people could benefit from adopting elements of the concept into their routines," says Skinner. "Perhaps experimenting with small amounts of social retreat, combined with other times of stepping into social situations."

The aim, she says. is to balance self-connection with connection with others.

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First, we have to understand how the hair cycle works. "At any given time, most of your hair, around 85 to 90 per cent, is in the growing phase, while the remaining 10 to 15 per cent is in a resting phase called telogen that ends with the hair being shed," explains Dr Aamna Adel, Consultant Dermatologist and founder of haircare brand, rhute. "A study of more than 800 women found that the proportion of hairs in this resting phase peaks over the summer, and because that phase lasts roughly three months, those hairs are then released a few months later, which is what leads to the shed in late summer and autumn."

This is due to several factors. It's thought to be driven by seasonal cues, like summer UV, changing daylight, and their effect on hormones like melatonin, the dermatologist notes. And of course, a few months of sun, heat, seawater, and chlorine can leave hair more fragile, so natural shedding can feel more substantial than it actually is.

How Do Heatwaves Affect Hair?

So, how do the many heatwaves we've experienced this summer factor in? Well, rather than making the hair fall from the root in the way a big physical stressor does, extreme heat can damage the hair fibre and put the scalp under strain. This adds breakage and can make the overall loss look and feel worse.

"UV degrades keratin, which is the main structural protein in hair, and that leaves the fibre weaker, drier, and more prone to breakage and split ends, while also breaking down the pigment so colour fades faster," says Dr Adel. "The scalp is skin, so it can burn and become dry, irritated, or inflamed, none of which makes for a happy environment for the follicles. Chemically treated or bleached hair is affected the most, because the cuticle is already compromised and less able to protect the inner part of the hair."

TLDR? " A summer of heatwaves tends to leave hair in poorer condition going into the natural autumn shed, which makes it more of an aggravating factor layered on top rather than the root cause."

How Much Shedding Is Normal During the Summer?

If you've noticed more shedding during this time, the expert advises not to panic. If it is seasonal, remember it's temporary and tends to settle on its own as the follicles move back into their growth phase. "You can't really switch it off, as those hairs committed to shedding months earlier, but you can make sure your scalp is in good shape for the regrowth that follows, and avoid piling other triggers on top."

Losing somewhere between 50 and 100 hairs a day is completely normal, so don't fret if you see more hair in your brush or drain—it's just part of the cycle.

"What I'd pay attention to is a real, sustained change from your own baseline, so noticeably more hair than usual over weeks and months, more scalp showing through, or a ponytail that feels distinctly thinner," Dr Adel explains. "Seasonal shedding should be a modest, temporary increase that settles. The things that suggest it's more, and worth seeing someone about, are hair coming out in patches, shedding that carries on past three or four months, hair that isn't growing back, or shedding alongside other symptoms like fatigue or changes in your periods. Those can point to something like iron deficiency or a thyroid issue."

How to Look After Your Hair in Summer, Going Forward

This is where supporting your scalp environment helps, says the derm, so use ingredients that encourage the hair to stay in its growth phase for longer. She recommends rhute's Density + Repair Scalp Serum, enriched with peptides to support the follicle and help reduce shedding.

"But, it's also important to be honest with yourself about whether something else might be contributing," she adds. "Stress, a recent illness, rapid weight loss, or a low-protein or restrictive diet can all cause shedding through the same pathway and mimic the timing of a seasonal shed."

Prepping for next year is key too, as hair shedding and scalp health are never a quick fix. When it's warm out, ensure you're protecting your hair by wearing a cap and using SPF on the scalp and lengths. Otherwise, opt for a daily serum to look after the barrier, and on the lengths, prioritise gentle hydrating shampoos and conditioner that have volume-boosting effects, as well as a bond-repair treatment. Per the derm, this can help undo some of the sun and chlorine damage, if you have it.

"I'd also look at the basics from the inside, particularly your protein intake and your iron and vitamin D levels, as these often sit behind shedding, and vitamin D in particular tends to dip as the daylight fades into autumn," she concludes. And again, if the shedding is heavy or persistent, you should see a professional. The right treatment always depends on determining the actual cause behind it all.

Marie Claire Approved Hair Products

Then there's Topshop, a relationship that goes right back to the start of her career. Cara first modelled for the brand in 2010 and became its solo campaign star by 2014. Last year she returned as the face of its comeback, sat front row at the Trafalgar Square runway that told everyone Topshop was well and truly back. This week brings the next chapter, and arguably the most personal one yet: her first co-designed collection, a 16-piece capsule built almost entirely from denim.

It is exactly the wardrobe you'd expect from fashion's favourite cool girl. The slim 'Ultimate Cara' jean, a cropped trench, a pinstripe denim suit – all of it very Cara: confident, effortless and unmistakably London. And London felt like the only place to start when we sat down together. This is Cara Delevingne's life in London.

Which London borough do you feel most like yourself?

You get to be a different part of yourself, we all have different shades to the piece of art that we are. The chaos of Soho is where I feel most myself, even though I’ve never lived in Soho, only for a second when I was rehearsing for Cabaret. I love how alive Soho feels, especially when people are spilling out from one place and you hear music coming from another, and maybe you don’t know where you’re going to end up.

Best-kept London secret?

It's You Me Bum Bum Train. It's so hard to get into, but that's always been the thing I talk to people about most as a life experience, not just as a London thing. It is incredibly London, because that's where it originated and where it's always been, but for me it was the most incredible life experience. Somewhere easier to actually get to? Trisha's.

Most memorable Topshop outfit?

I think I probably wore my Joni jeans every day, until a day it was so ripped, I was safety-pinning the inside leg from the inside from the leg to the bum. They were iconic. You'd have caught me in them everywhere, all over East London. I probably took them to a festival too.

How would you describe your London style? Does it change when you're dressing anywhere else?

No. There's something about my style that will never change, and that's something about me that will never change. You can never take away the fact that I grew up in London, and I'll never not be proud of that. I think I'll always love a leather boot, a leather jacket and a skinny jean, even though they're so uncomfortable and I'd never really wear one now. I've saved all mine just in case they come back around. But I'm obsessed with the Cara slimline jeans, because they're skinny but not at the same time.

What makes a perfect pair of jeans for you?

It's always about wash, colour, fit, and then memory. Whatever you get up to in those jeans makes them your favourite jeans. I look at a pair and think, I had some really amazing times in those. They're smart, but they're comfier than a smart trouser. I love a jean. I absolutely love denim, if you can't tell by this collection.

Go-to outfit formula when you're on stage?

For me I just wanted it to be very comfy, and that was jeans and a tank top, because I wanted it to be about the music and less about the fashion. Who knows what will happen with the fashion in future, because I've got so much I want to play with, but I wanted it to feel as casual and comfy as possible.

Favourite part of London Fashion Week?

There's something about London Fashion Week that's just different. I love the up-and-coming designers. London Fashion Week champions them like no one else, and it's pretty special in that sense.

Favourite piece from your new Topshop collection, which one feels most ‘London’?

My favourite is the pinstripe denim suit. In this modern era, I’m not a young buck anymore, and I think it’s beckoning in this era where young people are using fashion to experiment. The new generation in London is doing so much more with fashion than they ever did at that age. I don’t know why the pinstripe denim suit sticks out so much. I also love the cropped trench – it’s just kind of major. I love the architecture of it. A lot of the architecture of this collection really mirrors London, which I love. It makes me feel at home, even if I wear it in another city.

What did you love most about the design process?

It was a pinch-me moment being asked to do this with Topshop, having had such a long relationship with them. It made me talk to my younger self and think, how wicked is this. It also got me to step outside my comfort zone and really put on a designer cap, thinking about what people would want, not just what I would want to wear. Trying to be a bit less selfish, more selfless, in making a collection that all looks good together.

London in three words...

Home, Fun, and cosy. Fun is such a boring word, but whatever. London is fun. It's all of it in one.

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Since the brooding Byronic hero, we’ve digested a catalogue of literary male protagonists defined by distance, hidden trauma and a reluctance to connect, who are marketed as the ultimate romantic hero. But are they? Mr Darcy (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice) is cold and proud to the point of arrogance. Mr Rochester (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre) is the definition of secretive; he hides a wife locked in his attic! Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë) is, in fact, a cruel, angry and unreachable man.

These tropes continued into the 20th century. The idea that unavailable equals desirable was cemented, often by male writers too, and not just in the UK. Think Albert Camus’s novel The Outsider: the protagonist, Meursault’s, emotional detachment is entrenched, but as he is radically honest about his lack of conventional feelings—his indifference to his mother’s death and his girlfriend’s love—he is considered attractive and compelling. Maxim de Winter (Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca) is completely emotionally unreachable to his new, young wife because he is utterly consumed by the dark secrets and memory of his deceased first wife. What’s going on? Why can’t they just be loved and love in return? Why do we continue to think they are romantic, even when they are basically horrid?

Despite our 21st-century developed emotional intelligence, I can still find numerous examples where we seem to idolise the unavailable, perpetuating the trope that tells us inaccessible is attractive. Christian Grey (Fifty Shades of Grey, E. L. James) uses extreme control and a specialised BDSM contract to avoid genuine emotional and physical vulnerability. Nick Dunne (Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn) is emotionally checked out, deceitful and completely disengaged from his marriage long before his wife's disappearance. Connell Waldron (Normal People, Sally Rooney) is crippled by anxiety and social pressure, and so constantly fails to articulate his love or commit to Marianne despite their deep connection. And yet these men are so wanted.

Many of these ‘heroes’ are written by women. It’s natural and understandable that we were/are writing out our experiences, but somehow literary and popular culture has perpetuated the myth that this unavailability is desirable, expected and acceptable. Surely, Mr Darcy, the proud, unknowable and impenetrable, was not supposed to be held up as the ideal; Jane Austen was team communication. Yet somehow, popular culture did not absorb these books as warnings, but instead we continue to associate dark and dangerous with sexy and desirable. How is it that men with a profound lack of empathy, a flagrant disregard for the rights of others, extreme distrust or disrespect of partners, even violent behavioural patterns directed at people and animals become our heroes?

If we acknowledge that there is an enduring appeal of emotionally unavailable literary males, where does that leave the female protagonists? Well, she has no choice other than to carry the emotional load for them both. She must diligently work to second-guess what isn’t being communicated. She endures his snubs, his outbursts, his remoteness. I’m not sure I like the sound of that.

We often read that she must earn his trust, respect and love through her long-suffering; she might eventually be rewarded with reciprocal emotion and/or a fortune. Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Eyre, Ana Steele and the second Mrs de Winter all win the rich man after persevering, by being the most witty, virtuous or sexy. Goodness, are we absorbing a model that tells us that these tricky men are desirable and complex puzzles which must be solved? I’m concerned that we’re hearing that the cleverest woman in the room wins the dysfunctional man. Whoop, what a prize! The emotional needs of the female protagonist are rarely met.

There is evidence in the texts to argue that if we met these guys in real life, we’d identify an assortment of complex disorders, including—but not limited to—Antisocial Personality Disorder, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Paranoid Personality Disorder and Intermittent Explosive Disorder. The question is, would we then identify this behaviour as red flags and insist he attend therapy or end the relationship? Or has literature taught us to note that inaccessible men hide deep pain behind a harsh exterior? Would we think we alone could fix him, as our female literary heroines do?

Personally, I don’t believe writers ought to feel responsible for causing a dysfunctional dynamic between impressive women and distant men. I believe that it is frequently written about because it reflects a dynamic that happens all too often in real life. Psychologists and therapists tell us that finding ourselves attracted to emotionally unavailable guys usually isn't bad luck; it's a subconscious attachment pattern. It occurs when the nervous system mistakes the intense anxiety and unpredictability of an unavailable partner for "sparks" or chemistry.

I was aware of all of this when I constructed Amy and Oliver in my novel Eyes on You. Oli is the ultimate in emotionally unavailable, and Amy, as a brilliantly clever but traumatised being, does view him as a challenge that she wants to conquer, a prize she wants to win. The problem for them is that weak communication leads not just to a broken heart but to a life-threatening situation. Does Amy even know Oli, or is she obsessively filling in the gaps where actual knowledge is missing?

There is a contemporary shift: modern writers’ books increasingly critique the toxic nature of chasing distant partners, moving away from rewarding poor communication towards seeing it for what it is: at best unfulfilling, at worst dangerous. Remember, readers, unknowable does not necessarily mean desirable; it might mean plonker.

Eyes on You, published by HQ HarperCollins, is out 27th August 2026. You can pre-order it now.

Any base that claims to be more skincare than make-up immediately appeals to me. I want something that keeps my skin hydrated, moisturised and comfortable while still delivering on coverage. L'Oréal's new solid foundation contains 80% skincare ingredients and promises to do exactly that, plus buildable coverage and easy, on-the-go application. I’ve been putting it to the test—and the results genuinely surprised me.

How We Test

I’ve been wearing this every day for over a week now, both at home and out and about, paying close attention to how it applies, how it wears throughout the day and, crucially, how my skin feels both immediately after application and 12 hours later.

I’ve also tried applying it with the included compact sponge (don’t even bother), a foundation brush and a beauty blender to work out which tool gives the best finish. Essentially, I’ve done the trial and error so you don’t have to—and can decide whether this foundation is genuinely worth your time and money.

First Impressions

I’ve got to be honest—the compact packaging and solid foundation format were giving me serious early ’00s flashbacks, when we (or at least I) used to slap on base with a firm ‘more is more’ mentality. On first impressions, it wasn’t exactly filling me with confidence. But oh, how wrong I was.

The product comes in a two-tier compact, with the foundation on top and a mirror and applicator tucked underneath. From the first swatch, I could immediately see where that 80% skincare claim comes in. The formula feels incredibly buttery and silky, yet surprisingly lightweight, with no noticeable scent. Any initial reservations quickly disappeared, and I found myself very keen to get it onto my face.

It comes in 12 shades, ranging from 1 Very Light to 12 Deep (I wear Very Light). Admittedly, 12 doesn’t sound like a particularly extensive shade range, but the formula is surprisingly adaptable, with each shade designed to work across several different complexions. That said, I’d definitely recommend swatching it in store first to find the best match for your skin tone.

From the first swipe, I knew I was going to like it. It blended beautifully into my skin, leaving it looking dewy, plump and hydrated, but what really impressed me was the coverage. For something that looks and feels so natural, it conceals an incredible amount.

How to Apply

Through trial and error, I’ve found that the best way to apply this for the most even, natural-looking finish is with a foundation brush. A beauty blender works too, but because the texture is more buttery than liquid, I find you need that sweeping motion of a brush to really work the product into the skin and blend it seamlessly.

A little goes a long way, too. The coverage is described simply as ‘buildable’, but I’d put it firmly in the medium-to-full category. Start with a small amount and blend it out across the face before going back in anywhere you want a little more coverage.

The Verdict

This solid foundation melts into the skin on contact, making it incredibly easy to blend. The coverage is impressive, especially in how it evens out skin tone, but what surprised me most was how lightweight and breathable it feels. I’d usually expect this level of coverage to come with a certain heaviness, dryness or greasiness, but there’s none of that here.

Instead, my skin feels hydrated, moisturised and comfortable, thanks in part to the formula’s hyaluron emollients. I was particularly impressed by how plump it made my skin look, even helping to soften the appearance of the fine lines around my eyes.

Despite that buttery texture, it never looks or feels greasy, and I think it could work well across a range of skin types. I was initially worried that, on a hot day, it might quite literally melt off my face, but its staying power is surprisingly impressive. And when it does start to wear away over the course of the day, it does so evenly rather than disappearing in patches.

I also wouldn’t recommend setting it with powder, as I found it immediately dulled that beautiful dewy finish and made the result look less smooth and natural. Instead, let the foundation melt into the skin and become one with it, then finish with a setting spray if you want a little extra longevity.

More to Try

Admittedly, the more I thought about it, the stranger the premise seemed. When did dopamine become something we thought we could manage with a five-point list? Online, we talk about it as if we can simply top it up, turning one of the brain’s most complicated chemical messengers into shorthand for pleasure, motivation and feeling good - and apparently decided we can curate our way to more of it.

But can we? Naturally, after having been thoroughly seduced by the concept, I did what any sensible person (and intrinsically curious journalist) would do: made one for myself, then asked actual neuroscientists and psychologists whether I’d been completely taken in.

Ultimately, I wanted to know what a menu like this actually does to the brain, whether it can genuinely support our wellbeing, and whether we’ve started overcomplicating the simple things that make us feel good, and, if so, whether I could build a better menu - without chasing the classic ‘dopamine hits.' For that and more, keep scrolling. And don't miss our guides to low dopamine mornings and dopamine fasting here.

Do Dopamine Menus Work? We Asked Top Experts

What Is a ‘Dopamine Menu’ Actually Doing To My Brain?

In the interest of time (my next dopamine fix waits for no woman), I wanted to first understand what a menu like this would actually be doing to my brain.

Because while I joke about dopamine constantly - usually when I’m stressed and reaching for my phone, a coffee or something sweet - I've never really stopped to think about what it actually is. I’ve treated it as a one-way ticket for feeling good, when, as neuroscientist Farah Qureshi explains, it’s doing something far more complicated.

“The brain is energy efficient and doesn’t necessarily like change,” she tells me. “It likes familiarity and predictions.” Dopamine, she explains, "is not simply a chemical signal for pleasure, but one of the brain’s gears that helps us recognise what is worth pursuing, learn from rewards and anticipate what might happen next."

That means when I see a friend, listen to music or finish something I’ve been putting off, I can absolutely talk about dopamine being involved, but it isn’t quite the “hit” I’ve been imagining. “This felt valuable, remember it and do it again,” is closer to the message, says Qureshi.

And this is where my very simple idea of dopamine starts to shatter slightly. It isn’t just about how good something feels; it’s also helping our brains learn what we value, what to expect and what might be worth doing again. A 2024 review in Nature Neuroscience found that while dopamine plays a key role in learning this, the familiar idea that it simply signals a “reward prediction error” doesn’t tell the whole story.

Can Choosing The Right Things Actually Make Me Feel Better?

When I sat down to curate my dopamine menu, I felt an almighty pressure to choose the “right” things. What genuinely brought me joy, rather than simply distracted me? What made me feel my most rested self? Suddenly, a list of things I liked doing felt like a surprisingly serious exercise in self-reflection - and I wondered whether this was genuinely useful or just another fad destined to disappear by next week.

Perhaps the answer partly comes down to how easy it is to follow through. Psychologist Tara Quinn Cirillo tells me that when we’re overwhelmed, even things that are good for us can feel overwhelming too. “There is a relationship between anxiety, mood and motivation,” she explains. “When our brains reach capacity, even deciding what might help can become another task. Preparing a list of restorative activities in advance can reduce that cognitive load and make us more likely to engage with them.”

​And those things don’t have to be big. She points to a 2024 randomised controlled trial of 349 people that found that encouraging everyday behaviours - from meaningful activities to healthy habits to social connection and making plans - led to moderate reductions in depression and anxiety.

​It’s an idea that Quinn Cirillo describes through the lens of “marginal gains”: rather than waiting for one big intervention to transform how we feel, small changes across different areas of our lives can, collectively, make a meaningful difference.

How To Stop Your Dopamine Menu Becoming Another Thing To Optimise

Now, I’m going to do something that feels slightly rebellious: strip away all the dopamine language. Why, I hear you whisper? Because the more I hovered over my list, the more I worried I was turning this experiment into another way to optimise my own wellbeing, to prove I was capable of looking after myself.

“Our brain chemistry is constantly responding to how we live: our relationships, movement, sleep, purpose, connection, stress levels and the things we enjoy,” Qureshi tells me. “So rather than constantly chasing a dopamine hit, I think it’s more about creating a life and habits that support the brain naturally.”

Enter science, which suggests the value of my menu might have less to do with getting a dopamine buzz, and more to do with making these small, intentional choices easier to reach for. A 2024 study put five simple wellbeing habits to the test: connecting with others, being active, taking notice, learning and giving. After 10 weeks, participants reported greater improvements in life satisfaction, positive emotions and overall wellbeing than the control group, alongside reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms.

So, it goes without saying, we don’t need one big wellbeing overhaul. The little things matter too - which made me feel better about the decidedly unscientific process of filling in my own menu.

That being said, Quinn Cirillo warns that focusing too heavily on dopamine can create a “tick-box” mentality, and this is exactly what we need to avoid. “We can start expecting every activity to deliver a hit of happiness, then feel deflated or self-critical when we don’t complete the list. And, she reminds me, rest and spontaneity matter too.” And, as she reminds me, rest and spontaneity matter too.

Perhaps, then, the real test of my menu isn’t whether it gives me a dopamine hit. It’s whether it makes choosing the things that support my wellbeing feel a little easier.

Forget Dopamine. Here’s What I Put On My Wellbeing Menu

By no means do I think I’ve created the perfect menu for every mood and moment - I’m not sure such a thing exists. But after two weeks of putting mine to the test, I have this to report back: forget what’s supposed to “boost” your dopamine. Think instead about what your brain actually needs. What calms you? Give you energy? What makes you feel connected, gets you out of a rut or leaves you genuinely restored?

That’s the structure I’ve followed: how I want to feel, rather than which dopamine hit I’m chasing. If you’re looking for inspiration, these are the things I’ve found myself reaching for - hopefully to support myself on the harder days, rather than give me something else to optimise.

When I'm Overwhelmed

Being told to “just sit in silence” when you have the hum of 47 tabs open can feel less like self-care and more like psychological warfare. So, when I’m overwhelmed, I’m not necessarily looking for nothing; I’m looking for the right kind of something.

Warm Light: There’s something about switching off the big light and replacing it with a warm, low glow that makes my entire body exhale. I’m not claiming my bedside lamp is a neurological intervention; there’s good reason to think light matters: brighter, blue-enriched light can promote alertness, while dimmer, warmer light can feel far less disruptive. So, when the atmosphere needs a change, I reach for the little amber lamp rather than adding another blast of stimulation. No fancy wellness gadget required.

Pick up a book: When my world feels particularly noisy, I like giving my brain somewhere else to go. A good book lets me swap the 17 tabs currently open in my head for one fictional universe - preferably one involving other people’s problems.

Learn something while moving. When I’m not obsessively reading about the latest innovation in women’s health, my other great love is history. So, I’ll take the dog for a walk and put on a history podcast or audiobook. Somehow, teaching myself about a 16th-century monarch while picking up after my dog is enough to make the modern world feel considerably less urgent.

When I'm Restless

This is the category for when I’m not overwhelmed exactly - I’m just itchy. I need stimulation, but the kind that leaves me feeling satisfied rather than like I’ve spent 45 minutes scrolling.

Change my environment. Sometimes I don’t need a new activity; I just need to stop looking at the same four walls. A café, library, park or even a touch of people watching can be enough to give my brain a reset.

Journal. As a self-proclaimed journaling fanatic (a stationery shop hates to see me coming), I’ve put this one on a fairly high pedestal. Sometimes, I’ll give myself five minutes to write whatever is rattling around in my head; other times, I’ll spend an hour collaging a page. There’s no productivity goal here. It’s simply somewhere for my restless brain to put itself.

Make something. At the moment, that means watercolour painting. I am not, I should stress, particularly good at it, but perhaps that’s the point. There’s something wonderfully absorbing about giving your hands a task when your brain is desperate for entertainment.

When I Need To Recharge & Detach

The things I reach for when I don’t want to take in an influx of information, stimulation or productivity.

Give a hobby a time slot. Rather than waiting until I magically have “free time”, I set a timer and give one of my interests my full attention for a set period. There’s something really liberating about knowing I only have to do one thing for the next hour.

Start a project. I’ve recently started knitting again. I’m no expert - I can produce a scarf or blanket and little else - so I tend to pick a friend in need of either and give myself a deadline. It gives my brain something to work towards without the slightly exhausting requirement of it turning into a side hustle.

Book an exercise class. There’s something about having a commitment I actually have to show up for that switches my brain off. At the gym, I can spend 20 minutes wondering what I should train. In a class, someone else makes the decisions. My only job is to arrive and do what I’m told. Bliss.

Go outside. No headphones. Emphasis here on the no headphones. Sometimes, detaching means resisting the urge to fill every spare second with noise and companionship. A walk where I can hear the traffic, birds, my own footsteps - and, in my case, my dog yapping at every man in her peripheral area - can be surprisingly restorative.

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How do we know this? Consider this: when was the last time you reached for your phone? Chances are, it was within the past few minutes - and this constant dopamine-driven habit isn't doing us any favours. Our attention spans are worse than ever, and many people report feeling lower in mood after hours of doomscrolling than before.

While it's not entirely our fault - don't forget that back in March, Meta and YouTube were found to have deliberately designed apps to be addictive - the research is stark. Studies show that excessive screen time has negative implications not only for mental health, but physical wellbeing too (take a look at this research, from the Journal of Education and Health Promotion).

So, it's no surprise, then, that we're all on the hunt for ways to limit our scrolling - and it's a problem I've been increasingly confronted with amid the screen-time ban for kids that's due to come into force next year. There's nothing quite like children to force you to confront your flaws - and if I want them to be off screens more, I need to start leading by example.

This being said, I rely on my phone and my laptop for work, so I know it's unrealistic - and unnecessary - to go cold turkey and lock my screens away, but I also absolutely don't want to spend money breaking this habit with one of the plethora of device-blocking apps and gadgets on the market right now. There's only one thing for it: I'm going to have to try and summon up my own willpower and instil some expert-backed screen-time resets.

Would going old school with reducing scrolling work? Keep reading to find out what I would - and wouldn't recommend, but in the meantime, don't miss our wellbeing guides to improving joyspan, Blue Zone Mediterranean health tips and how to hack your longevity from home, plus - find out how one Health Writer got on when she tried a phone detox device for a month, here.

I Tried The 3 Science-Backed Screen-Time Resets Experts Swear By—My Review

What are screen-time resets?

Screen-time resets are pretty self-explanatory, but in case you missed it: they're all about intentional breaks from tech - no fancy gadgets required, and don't confuse them with digital detoxes, either.

"A screen-time reset is essentially a deliberate period away from phones, tablets, computers, televisions and other digital devices, with the aim of breaking up habitual or excessive screen use rather than necessarily trying to eliminate screens altogether," explains GP and medical advisor for IQ Doctor, Dr Suzanne Wylie. "I would generally frame it as a reset of our habits rather than a detox, because screens are now an unavoidable and often useful part of work, education, communication and everyday life.

"The important question is therefore less about achieving an arbitrary number of screen-free hours and more about whether screen use is beginning to displace things that are important for our physical and mental health, such as sleep, exercise, social interaction, time outdoors and proper rest."

What are the benefits of screen-time resets?

Keen to cut down your screen time and interested in knowing how it might make you feel? You're in the right place - and the benefits are compelling.

1. They encourage us to move

If there's one more disadvantage to prolonged screen time, it's that we're generally sedentary while working/watching/scrolling. It makes sense, then, that having some time out might just encourage us to move more.

"There are several potential benefits to screen-free resets," notes Dr Wylie. "One of the simplest is that regular breaks encourage us to get out of the chair and move, which is particularly relevant when so much work and leisure now involves sitting down. UK guidance encourages adults to reduce prolonged periods of sitting and to break them up with activity, even if that activity is simply standing up and walking around for a few minutes."

2. They can help improve our sleep

"Sleep is another particularly important reason to consider a reset, especially if someone has got into the habit of scrolling, watching programmes or checking messages late into the evening," shares Dr Wylie. "I often suggest starting with a simple screen-free period during the hour before bed, rather than trying to impose a complicated digital detox, as this gives the brain and body an opportunity to wind down and makes it easier to establish a consistent bedtime routine.

"NHS advice similarly recommends avoiding smartphones and screens in the hour before sleep when tiredness or sleep problems are an issue, and for children, keeping screens out of the bedroom and switching them off around an hour before bedtime can be particularly helpful."

3. They reduce eye strain and mental fatigue

Dry, tired eyes are an unwelcome side effect of screen time - having some time out is as good for our peepers as it is for our brain and body.

"Regular screen breaks can also reduce eye discomfort, headaches and the feeling of mental fatigue that can come from prolonged close-up screen work," shares Wylie. "Stepping away from devices can also create opportunities for conversation, fresh air, exercise, or simply doing something that does not demand our attention."

4. They improve connection and perspective

If you've ever taken a walk and left your phone at home, you may have noticed that by the time you get home, your brain has shifted away from the constant checking - leaving more time to think.

"Screen-free resets work to increase your mind-body connection," explains psychologist Eloise Skinner. "Where there are fewer distractions, it might be more possible to feel present in one's body. Additionally, there's an increased likelihood of connecting with those around you, as well as more present-moment awareness or mindful awareness. Put simply, it can help to make time feel more meaningful and as though it lasts longer, rather than slipping away.

"In addition, they help to restore a sense of perspective, allowing us to remember what matters, and increase our sense of autonomy - which is typically a central factor in feeling fulfilled in the long term."

Who are screen-time resets best for?

As touched on above, we could pretty much all benefit from a reduction in our screen time - but some of us in particular might find them invaluable.

"Screen-time resets can benefit almost anyone," notes Dr Wylie. "However, they are particularly worthwhile for people who find themselves reaching for their phone automatically, repeatedly checking social media or emails without really intending to, losing track of time online, using screens right up until bedtime, or noticing that screen use is taking the place of exercise, hobbies, family time or face-to-face conversation.

"They can also be useful for families, because having periods when everyone puts their devices away tends to be much easier than asking children to reduce their screen use while adults continue looking at their own phones."

This being said, there's no point in making screen time another thing to feel bad about, especially when so many of us rely on them for work.

"I would not, however, suggest that people feel guilty about necessary screen use for work, study or maintaining relationships," agrees Dr Wylie. "The objective should be healthier use rather than perfection."

What are the best ways to incorporate screen-free resets?

While it might sound like a challenge to have screen-free moments in the day, the key is to fill those pockets of time with something that really counts, and (hopefully) you won't even notice how long you've been off your phone.

Skinner advises that resets can include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Screen-free commuting (reading a book instead of checking emails, or even simply looking out the window and focusing on present-moment awareness).
• A few moments of simple breathwork or meditation through the day.
• Connected or IRL fitness classes, instead of live classes on a screen or following an online workout.
• Dedicated deep work sessions without notifications or checking emails - maybe even scheduling this into the calendar where possible, so that it's more likely to form a commitment.
• Choosing to get news through a paper rather than online notifications - can be especially good with the weekend papers, really taking time to absorb news instead of feeling panicked or overwhelmed by it.
• Nightly reset where you avoid all screens for around an hour before bed.

I tried these 3 science-backed screen-time resets for two weeks - and my focus and sleep improved tenfold

1. Screen-free mornings for focus and productivity

If the thought of not immediately reaching for your phone the second you wake up makes you break out in a cold sweat - listen up. I won't lie: I found it tough - not to mention, my friends and family found it frustrating - but for a week, I didn't check my phone or laptop for the first hour of the day. A completely tech-free hour might sound endless, but trust me when I say it sets you up for a way more productive day.

"A simple morning reset is one of my favourites," notes Dr Wylie. "You avoid looking at your phone for the first 20 to 30 minutes after waking. Instead, get up, open the curtains, have some water or breakfast, wash and dress, stretch, go outside briefly or simply start the day without immediately exposing yourself to a stream of notifications and social media. This can be particularly helpful for people who feel that their phone dictates the pace of their morning."

Instead of mindlessly picking up my phone every few minutes (ok, seconds) in the morning rush, I left it charging in the kitchen and spent some time sipping tea in the garden (dreamy - only really possible as the kids are off school right now), sorting washing, generally tidying and writing my lists for the day.

Suffice to say, I felt much better at the end of the hour than I would have, had I been juggling all these things and scrolling at the same time. As I got used to it, it could get to 10 am before I looked at a screen - unless I needed to log on for work - and there were days when I almost forgot entirely about it (cue a volley of messages and missed calls, naturally!)

I found it worked best for me to leave my phone downstairs overnight, too - this way, I wasn't tempted to pick it straight up on waking.

2. Screen-free nature walks for stress relief

I've said it before, but I'm so lucky to live in a beautiful part of the country with fields and woods right on my doorstep - making nature walks a wonderful part of my everyday life. However, I usually spend these walks (either with or without my dog) listening to a podcast, music or even (I know) replying to emails.

Not so this week. In order to manage this one, I did have to just leave my phone at home - going old school might only work for you if you have a partner at home with kids, or someone knows where you'll be - but it really is possible, and trust me when I say: you notice so much more when you're engaging with your surroundings instead of your tech.

"Nature walks without phones are one of my favourite screen-free resets," shares Skinner. "Try going with a friend or family member, or simply walking with increased attention on the surroundings."

3. Screen-free mealtimes for overall wellbeing

This is one I was actually quite relaxed about trying, as I attempt to have screen-free meals anyway. But focusing on it did make me realise that, in fact, I do reach for my phone without thinking - perhaps when one of the kids asks a question I'm not sure about, or I remember I've forgotten to order something/book someone into something/insert chore here.

"Another very practical reset is a screen-free meal, whether that is breakfast, lunch or dinner, where phones and television are switched off and put out of reach, giving people an opportunity to concentrate on the food and the people they are with," explains Dr Wylie. "For families, having a phone-free bedroom and a device-free meal can be much more sustainable than trying to impose a strict daily screen-time allowance."

In reality, while this did take some getting used to, after a couple of days it was pretty easy - and it gave me loads more credibility when asking my kids to follow suit, too.

Will I continue with my screen-free resets? In a word: yes. I absolutely noticed I felt calmer and had less of a sense of urgency - both signs my nervous system was shifting out of its constantly high-alert state - while I looked forward to my screen-free daily walk, too. Of course, it helps that the weather has been glorious - ask me again in November, and I might tell you a different story - but for now, these habits are working for me. And I haven't spent a single penny.

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And with innovation and research moving at an extraordinary pace, that level of expertise has never been so important. From sophisticated new formulations and emerging ingredients to groundbreaking treatments and technologies, skincare is evolving fast—and distinguishing genuine innovation from clever marketing requires people who really know their stuff.

That’s where our judges come in. From leading dermatologists and aesthetic doctors to product formulators, beauty experts and no-nonsense content creators, our panel represents an incredible breadth of knowledge and experience. Together, they put this year’s entries through their paces, scrutinising the claims, assessing the results, and ultimately deciding which products and treatments truly deserve a Marie Claire UK Skin Award.

So, with this year’s entries in and judging underway, it’s time to meet the brilliant people deciding the winners…

Dr Alia Ahmed

Dr Alia Ahmed is a Consultant Dermatologist with a specialist interest in psychodermatology, bridging skin health and psychological wellbeing. Passionate about holistic, patient-centred care, she helps individuals navigate the emotional and physical impact of skin conditions with compassion and expertise. Through her clinical practice, education, and advocacy, Dr Ahmed champions a more integrated approach to dermatology that recognises the profound relationship between mind and skin. She founded The Psychodermatologist and shares evidence-based insights with a wider audience through her platform, @the_psychodermatologist, empowering patients to feel confident in their skin and overall wellbeing.

Alice Hart-Davis

Alice Hart-Davis is a journalist with 25 years’ experience researching – and trying out - skincare and cosmetic treatments, so she knows what really works. She’s the founder of thetweakmentsguide.com, an online encyclopedia of independent information and videos about non-surgical procedures like fillers and lasers. Alice launched the site in 2019 to help people find out what cosmetic tweakments involve, which ones might work for their concerns, and to locate the best practitioners around the UK.

Alice Henshaw

Alice Henshaw, Founder and Medical Director of Harley Street Injectables, is a leading figure in the global medical aesthetics industry. Registered in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia, Alice has transformed from a cardiac nurse into a celebrated expert in advanced cosmetic procedures.

Since founding Harley Street Injectables in 2014, Alice’s injection expertise and dedication to personalised care have made her a key opinion leader in aesthetics. Her accolades include multiple awards for Best Clinic and Skin Treatments in London, and finalist nods for Best Aesthetic Nurse and Clinic in the UK.

Alice's success, marked by a diverse international clientele, stems from her commitment to delivering natural, long-lasting results through individualised care. She now extends this ethos to her latest venture, SkinCycles—a cosmeceutical skincare brand designed to support post-treatment skin rejuvenation, bringing clinic-level anti-ageing effects into the home.

Alicia Lartey

Dedicated to debunking misinformation within the booming business of skincare, Alicia educates her audience with detailed testimonials and honest reviews. Her frankness about the lack of inclusivity within the skincare space brought The Lartey Scale of Hyperpigmentation to life: an in-depth glossary into post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation on all complexions. Alicia’s philosophy of efficacy and science backed ingredients is evident through her work as Head of Education and NPD at Supernova Body. More than this, her words can be found in publications like Cosmopolitan and Refinery29 where she unpacks beauty trends and how she’s come to find her footing within the industry.

Andrew Donaldson-Wheatcroft

Andrew Wheatcroft, unapologetically unfiltered, skincare aficionado and content creator. Known for his honest reviews, quick-witted humour and no BS approach.

Caroline Barnes

Caroline Barnes is one of the UK's most established and celebrated make-up artists. Known industry-wide for her passion, skill, and professionalism, she has built a reputation for approachable beauty that has helped her attract an enviable roster of clients, including Diane Kruger, Ruth Wilson, Rebecca Ferguson, Emma Watson, and Olga Kurylenko, as well as Kylie Minogue and Kelly Rowland. Caroline takes great satisfaction in creating beautiful red-carpet glamour and pushing creative boundaries for video and photo shoots.

Editorially and for advertising campaigns, she has worked with many of the world’s most famous photographers such as Rankin, Walter Chin and Ellen Von Unwerth, creating beauty and fashion shoots for publications like Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire & Glamour, and campaigns for clients such as H&M, Max Factor, Olay and Maybelline.
Commercially,

Caroline has a YouTube channel, Speed Beauty by Caroline Barnes, offering expert beauty advice that is receiving well-deserved recognition. She also gives her time to the beauty industry charity Look Good Feel Better, using her ‘Midas touch’ to help restore confidence and wellbeing in women with cancer.

Debbie Thomas

Debbie Thomas is a leading laser expert and founder of the D.Thomas Clinic, renowned for science-led, results-driven skin treatments. With over 26 years in the industry and 40,000+ hours of hands-on experience, she’s known for pioneering advanced protocols across all skin tones. A British Beauty Council board member and key opinion leader, Debbie works closely with top manufacturers to drive innovation, safety, and regulation in aesthetics. Her expert approach blends cutting-edge technology with deep skin knowledge, making her one of the most trusted names in advanced skincare.

Dr Derrick Phillips

Dr Derrick Phillips is a leading consultant dermatologist based in London, seeing patients at OneWelbeck and Skin55 Dermatology. After graduating from UCL Medical School in 2011, he spent over a decade in the NHS, including a role as a consultant at the world-renowned Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, where he combined patient care with clinical research. Recognised for his work on sustainability, he received the British Association of Dermatologists’ Green Prize in 2022. As a spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation, Dr Phillips is a go-to expert for Harper’s, British Vogue, Marie Claire, Women’s Health, and has also shared expert insights on TV and radio.

Dr Ahmed El Muntasar

Dr Ahmed El Muntasar, an award-winning GP and renowned aesthetician, is revolutionising cosmetic medicine. A graduate of St. Andrews, Manchester, and UCL, he combines rigorous medical expertise with a passion for patient-centred care. Dr Ahmed owns three clinics across London, Leeds, and Cheshire, offering advanced non-surgical treatments rooted in science and safety. Also known as The Aesthetics Doctor on social media, he has over 1 million followers and is celebrated for championing diversity and inclusivity in aesthetics. Dr Ahmed is also dedicated to raising industry education standards, with plans to launch a teaching academy to train future practitioners.

Dr Anjali Mahto

Dr Anjali Mahto is a consultant dermatologist, bestselling author, and founder of Self London, an award-winning clinic specialising in intelligent, device-led skincare. With over 20 years of experience in both medical and aesthetic dermatology, she is known for her evidence-based approach and clinical integrity. Anjali is passionate about cutting through beauty industry noise to highlight what truly works, championing products rooted in science and real-world results. Her work focuses on acne, scarring, and skin ageing, with a deep understanding of both skin biology and patient psychology. She is widely respected for her honest, informed, and discerning voice in beauty.

Dr Ash Soni

Dr. Ash Soni is a fully qualified, UK- and US-trained aesthetic doctor and founder of The Soni Clinic. Trained at institutions including Imperial College London, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and The Royal Marsden, he specialises in non-surgical aesthetics and has locations in Ascot, Berkshire, and has recently taken up residency at Surrenne Belgravia at The Emory Hotel in London.

Dr BeiBei Du-Harpur

Dr Beibei Du is a Consultant Dermatologist and Clinical Lecturer at St John’s Institute of Dermatology, King’s College London. Her clinical practice focuses on acne and hidradenitis suppurativa, while her research explores the genetics and skin biology underlying inflammatory skin disease and inflammaging. She leads clinical trials and translational research to develop more personalised treatment approaches.

Alongside her academic work, she has collaborated with the skincare industry on evidence generation and product evaluation, with a particular interest in bridging advances in skin science and consumer skincare. She is passionate about promoting evidence-based dermatology and improving patient outcomes.

Dr Christine Hall

Dr Christine Hall is a GP and aesthetic doctor at the Taktouk Clinic in Knightsbridge, and one of the UK's leading voices on Korean beauty. Half Korean, she has been talking about K-beauty since 2016, long before it reached British shelves, and travels regularly to Asia working with brands. Named by Tatler as the medic of the moment in 2024 and the doctor who brought glass skin to the UK, she trained as a pharmacist before studying medicine, giving her a rare depth on ingredients and how they really work. Alongside her clinic practice, she works in NHS Emergency Medicine.

Dr Cristina Psomadakis

Consultant dermatologist Dr Cristina Psomadakis, known as Dr Soma, specialises in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology and practises at Welbeck and within the NHS. She holds a Master’s in Skin Ageing and Aesthetic Medicine and is Medical Director at Klira, a bespoke prescription skincare service. She is also the creator behind @dr.somaskin and has extensive experience in skincare product development, brand consultancy and education.

Dr David Jack

As one of London’s most influential aesthetic doctors, Dr David Jack is known worldwide for his subtle and tasteful approach to non-surgical cosmetic treatments.

Over his 15-year clinical career in plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine, Dr Jack has travelled extensively and gained experience across a wide range of surgical and medical specialities to hone his skills. He undertook rigorous training in specialist posts, including burns, microsurgery, internal medicine, hand surgery, surgical dermatology, and skin cancer, during his time in the NHS. He is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Dr David Jack has a unique approach to aesthetic medicine, based on surgical rationality, and always opts to treat in a way appropriate to the individual’s anatomy, rather than the cookie-cutter approach so commonly seen today.

Dr Elizabeth Hawkes

Dr Elizabeth Hawkes is a leading Consultant Oculoplastic Surgeon with an international reputation in blepharoplasty and aesthetic eye rejuvenation. An award-winning surgeon she is based in London and highly specialised in the delicate periocular region. Known for her meticulous surgical technique and holistic approach she combines medical, surgical and skincare strategies to achieve natural results. With her background as an Ophthalmologist, Dr Hawkes is passionate about eye health and is a strong advocate for safety in aesthetic practice. She is a trusted voice of authority in the media and among peers.

Dr Kemi Fabusiwa

Dr Kemi Fabusiwa is a London-based doctor, skin enthusiast, and content creator making beauty make sense. She runs the skincare platform Joyful Skin and creates content that blends clinical science with cultural relevance—smart, unfiltered, and always skin-first.

Dr Marwa Ali

Dr Marwa Ali, is a distinguished aesthetic doctor based in London and the resident expert at the prestigious Wellness Clinic in Harrods. Trained at St George’s and holding a postgraduate diploma in cosmetic dermatology, she brings many years of advanced experience to her practice. Known for her nuanced, “less is more” approach, Dr Ali offers bespoke treatments including Botox, dermal fillers, HIFU, microneedling/ RF and laser therapy. She is passionate about enhancing, never altering, natural aesthetics and frequently employs tailored, multimodal strategies for facial and body rejuvenation.

A recognised leader, Dr Ali speaks at industry events across the globe, educating and shaping future-facing skin solutions. Dr Ali’s mission is to offer patients a convenient, easy way to book treatments and stay informed with her trusted skincare insights, always in a discreet and supportive environment.

Dr Maryam Zamani

Dr Maryam Zamani is the founder of the multi-award-winning MZ SKIN brand and a globally recognised expert in Oculoplastic Surgery and Facial Aesthetics, with over 20 years of clinical experience in the US and UK. A pioneer in modern skincare and an exceptional surgeon, she is known as "the eye doctor" for her unmatched expertise in eyelid surgery and skin rejuvenation. Dr Zamani combines medical precision with a deep understanding of the female aesthetic, delivering natural, elegant results. Her innovative approach bridges science and beauty, cementing her status as a true leader in aesthetics and skincare innovation worldwide.

Dr Sophie Shotter

Dr Sophie Shotter is the Founder & Medical Director of Illuminate Skin Clinic in Kent and Harley Street, London. Her passion is for helping people to age as the best version of themselves, inside and out. Through a combination of skincare, longevity measures and in clinic treatments, Dr Shotter takes her patients on this journey.

Dr Sophie has been widely recognised in the UK as one of its top injectors by the likes of Tatler, Vogue & Harper’s Bazaar, and works closely with Allergan as part of their International Faculty, as well as being a Key Opinion Leader for numerous other brands. She was proud to be awarded the Aesthetic Medical Practitioner of the Year Award at the Aesthetics Awards, 2023. Dr Shotter also launched a podcast—Age Well with Dr Sophie Shotter—in November 2023, which is already in the top 10% most listened to podcasts globally.

Dr Stefanie Williams

Multi-award-winning Dermatologist Dr Stefanie Williams is founder and Medical Director at Eudelo Dermatology & Skin Wellbeing in Central London. She is a GMC registered doctor, German qualified dermatologist, author, international speaker, and key opinion leader in the industry. With a special interest in the management of adult acne, rosacea and skin ageing, Dr Stefanie has published in-depth reports on these topics, and in 2019 she founded Delo Rx, a revolutionary anti-ageing skincare range for women with breakout-prone skin.

Dr Wassim Taktouk

Dr Wassim Taktouk is an award-winning aesthetic doctor and founder and Medical Director of Taktouk Clinic in London. A member of the British College of Aesthetic Medicine, he has a Postgraduate Diploma in Dermatology and is known for his expertise in injectables and a natural-results approach to aesthetics. He also co-founded the London Academy of Aesthetic Medicine, where he trains and mentors medical professionals in aesthetic practice.

Dr Emma Craythorne

Dr Emma Craythorne MBChB FRCP is a Consultant Dermatologist and Mohs micrographic and laser surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust and One Welbeck. She is the founder of Klira, a digital platform delivering personalised, effective luxury skincare through bespoke epigenetic SkinSize™ analysis and medical-grade formulations. Emma is widely known as the host of The Bad Skin Clinic, aired in over 100 countries, and presenter of TLC’s Save My Skin, treating complex skin conditions. She also hosts the After Hours Skin Clinic podcast, making dermatology relatable through science-led discussion. She is a former President of the British Cosmetic Dermatology Group and a Trustee of the Cosmetic Practice Standards Authority.

Fiona Brackenbury

With a career spanning over 35 years in the Skincare industry, Fiona Brackenbury has worked passionately to become a true expert in her field and one of the authority leaders of skincare in the UK. Fiona has played a multi-faceted role in the skincare industry from treating celebrity clients to designing facials and treatments. With an encyclopedic knowledge of the skin, ingredients, and products, and working with the labs on global product launches & education her passion and heart truly lies in the skincare industry.

Madeleine Spencer

Madeleine Spencer is a journalist and broadcaster who has contributed to titles including The Times, Grazia, Glamour, InStyle, The Independent, Stylist, and The London Standard, as well as offering commentary for the BBC, Sky News, and ITV.

M

Creating new, modern approaches to skin health, Melanie Grant has distinguished herself as a passionate advocate for innovation and holistic education in aesthetic skin improvement.

Across her practices in Sydney, Melbourne, Los Angeles, New York City, and London, Melanie specialises in bespoke treatments designed to improve and enhance skin. With more than 25 years of experience working with clients across a range of demanding professions, Melanie is renowned for her deft touch and refined aesthetic, earning her a devoted following and recognition as an authority in her field.

Michaella Bolder

Michaella Bolder is known for “The Bolder Method” bespoke facial massage treatment. After 18 years of industry experience, she shares her advice and tips with her community both online and in the clinic. Catch her behind the scenes skin prepping for TV, Film and red carpet in between client clinic days.

Mina Lee

Mina Lee is a South Korean skincare expert, aesthetic practitioner and founder and creative director of MinaLee.London, her Chelsea-based facial studio. With more than 20 years’ experience, she previously worked as a laser therapist, head therapist and trainer at a leading London medical spa, and was the first UK national trainer for Biologique Recherche. She is known for combining advanced aesthetics with Korean healing practices and highly personalised, holistic treatments.

Nausheen Qureshi

Nausheen Qureshi is a biochemist and product innovator behind many of the high-profile figures and cosmetic brands worldwide. She is known for her creative formulations and designs technologies and helps manufacture cosmetic products. The beauty products that she designs and creates have won multiple awards worldwide. Her modern upgrades and expertise in product creation, innovation and technology have achieved unprecedented results in independent clinical trials.

Ola Awosika

Ola blends relatable comedy and expert skincare and beauty knowledge into his brutally honest product reviews, insider tips, and pop culture commentary. From skincare reviews to cultural talking points, he strikes the balance between education and humour, breaking down complex beauty topics in a way that’s approachable and fun.

Paige Tracey

Paige Tracey is the Consumer PR Manager at Soil Association Certification, leading on the consumer education on what organic is, how it answers to consumer’s concerns as well as spotlighting organic brands doing innovative things in the sector. Paige began her career at SA Cert in 2021 on the Organic Beauty and Wellbeing working her way up to becoming Partnerships Manager for Beauty and Textiles. She has been recognised for her strong impact to date in the world of organic, being named one of Natural Product News’s “30 under Thirty” finalists for two years running.

Ruby Hammer MBE

Ruby Hammer MBE is one of the beauty industry’s most respected and enduring voices, with over four decades of experience as a makeup artist, brand advisor, and product innovator. Renowned for her modern, inclusive approach, she combines deep technical knowledge with a discerning eye for quality and performance. Ruby’s career has spanned editorial shoots, global runways, and television, giving her a rare, 360-degree perspective on what truly works. As a judge for the Marie Claire Skincare Awards, she brings expert insight, integrity, and a passion for intelligent beauty—championing products that deliver both real results and meaningful impact.

Dr Sarah Tonks

With degrees in both medicine and dentistry, Dr. Sarah Tonks developed a deep appreciation for the delicate architecture of the face and the emotional power of aesthetic treatments. In 2013, she established TLC (The Lovely Clinic) to offer a more thoughtful, honest, and innovative alternative to the 'standard' medispa—instead, TLC focuses on treating people as whole individuals, not just fixing isolated concerns.

Dr. Tonks has performed over 45,000 procedures and built a reputation for her advanced work in regenerative injectables like JULÄINE, and Sciton laser technologies including BBL, HEROic, MOXI, and HALO.

Teresa Tarmey

Teresa Tarmey is one of the UK’s leading skin experts, with over 27 years of experience and more than 50,000 hours of hands-on skin treatments. Known for her results-driven approach, Teresa is trusted by some of the world’s most recognisable faces and industry insiders. Her treatments are celebrated for blending cutting-edge technology with deep skin knowledge, and her namesake product line reflects the same ethos: science-led formulations, real results and expert-level quality. Teresa’s approach focused on healthy skin that looks and feels its best, refined by her many years of experience treating real skin.

Dr Thivi Maruthappu

Dr Thivi Maruthappu MA PhD FRCP ANutr is a Consultant Dermatologist, Nutritionist and Researcher. As the UK’s first dual-qualified Dermatologist and Nutritionist, her pioneering expertise bridges the gap between diet and skin health.