“Our focus was the circadian rhythm - the body’s internal clock - and how working in harmony with it can optimise every aspect of wellness. This rhythm governs far more than sleep. It influences when our hormones rise and fall, when we are most alert, when we build strength - and when our cells regenerate.

In simple terms: we are designed to protect during the day and regenerate at night. Dr. Gábor Sobel - an expert in women’s health and longevity (the science of living better, longer) -spoke about sleep, muscle health and hormonal balance, all of which are governed by our circadian rhythm. He explained how this internal clock orchestrates when we build, when we repair and when we are most resilient - and the discipline required to protect that rhythm. Not discipline as restriction, but as structure.”

“What I love about these evenings is that I never quite know where the conversation will go. The most meaningful discussions are never scripted. They are sparked by expert insight - and then shaped by the questions in the room.

And so the discussion moved naturally beyond our circadian rhythm… There was something deeply reassuring in how similar we all are. The same themes surfaced again and again: AI and social media, sleep and nutrition, beauty and resilience, raising teenagers, caring for ageing parents.

Different lives. Different stages. But the same quiet desire - for a sense of vitality in mind and body, built through small, informed decisions guided not by trends, but by evidence.”

“One insight from Dr Sobel that truly made me sit up was around exercise. I have had a mixed relationship with it over the years - naturally sporty, then periods of intensity, followed by stretches of doing very little. I have always believed in doing something. Even a seven-minute workout. Movement as momentum.

Dr Sobel reframed the question. Not 'Are we moving?'- but 'What will help us in pursuit of longevity – living better, for longer?' Loss of muscle. Loss of bone density. Instability (beyond looking and feeling fit). He distilled the evidence into three essentials each week: full-body resistance training to protect muscle and bone; steady, conversational cardio to support cardiovascular health; and brief high-intensity intervals to preserve resilience. The body has natural peaks in strength across the day, but the research is clear – regular, structured movement matters more than perfect timing.

It shifted something for me. Not more exercise - better designed exercise.”

“Stephen shared insights into how the Circadian rhythm governs our skin, too.

During the day, the skin’s primary role is protection - which is why antioxidants such as Vitamin C are so valuable. At night, the skin shifts into regeneration mode, making ingredients like retinal particularly effective. Midnight Renewal was formulated with this rhythm in mind. It uses Retinal - significantly more potent than traditional Retinol - and our Midnight Renewal is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles by 28% overnight. The same rhythm. Protection by day. Regeneration by night.

On the table, we placed Mimosa blossoms - one of my favourite scents. An evergreen tree with bright yellow pom-poms that bloom at this time of year. We are lucky to have one in our garden. Mimosa is also what we use in our Midnight Renewal and our Rejuvenating Night Cream.

For me, this is the point of Beauty in Progress. Not more information. Clinically backed clarity - so that the progress we make is real, visible.”