In the latest episode of the Aesthetics Business Cast, hosts Eddie Hooker and Vicky Eldridge sit down with one of the industry's most respected figures, Lorna Bowes, Founder and CEO of AestheticSource. With over three decades in the sector and a career that has spanned nursing, training, clinic ownership and distribution, Lorna's story is woven into the very fabric of UK aesthetics.
Lorna's journey began 42 years ago as a student nurse, eventually working at Charing Cross Hospital under the wonderfully-named Professor Jeff Cream. It was there that her passion for skin physiology and "appearance medicine" took root, long before the term aesthetics was even commonly used.
A chance article about collagen in the Thursday Telegraph in the early 1990s sparked the next chapter. A phone call to Amanda Cameron led to a role teaching collagen treatments in 1994, and by 1996, Lorna had launched Bose Clinics, her first business venture, while pregnant with her first child. Coincidentally, 1996 was also the year Eddie Hooker founded Hamilton Fraser, marking the beginning of a friendship and professional relationship that has now spanned almost 30 years.
After leading roles with Q-Med UK, Restylane and Wigmore Medical (where she discovered Neostrata), Lorna founded AestheticSource in 2011. Her vision was clear: build a distribution business rooted in clinically proven, science-led products with genuine points of difference. Starting with skincare while keeping an eye out for the right injectable, she's curated a portfolio that has earned the company a stellar reputation.
A major focus of the conversation was the evolution of skin science, particularly around the latest addition to the AestheticSource portfolio, Sunekos. Lorna spoke passionately about moving beyond simply adding volume to truly changing how skin functions. She explained the importance of amino acids, hyaluronic acid molecular weights and supporting often-overlooked collagen types like fibronectin and collagens 4 and 7, all key to maintaining a healthy extracellular matrix.
For Lorna, education is the great differentiator. As she put it, "Okay isn't good enough these days. We need excellence, and excellence backed by education is a winner every time."
Perhaps the most moving part of the episode was Lorna's account of the devastating warehouse burglary in June 2024, when half a million pounds worth of stock was stolen overnight. Lying flat on her back recovering from a back operation, she received the call that could have ended her business.
What saved AestheticSource wasn't just insurance, it was relationships. Suppliers rallied, delaying payments and sending stock urgently. Hamilton Fraser, her insurer since the very beginning, walked her through the claim every step of the way. As Lorna shared, "I will never be able to thank you enough for holding my hand through that."
Her message to anyone building a business is clear: nurture your relationships. With your team, your suppliers, your lawyer, your accountant, your insurance broker. You never know when you'll need them.
Throughout the episode, one theme kept returning, the importance of kindness and human connection in an industry increasingly shaped by technology and AI. Vicky shared a personal story of Lorna quietly supporting her through a period of burnout years ago, sitting with her at 6:00 for meditation before a big event. It's these small, unseen acts that define Lorna's reputation.
At 60, Lorna shows no signs of slowing down. Whether speaking at BCAM, supporting BAMAN as a trustee of the charity, or growing the education arm of AestheticSource, she remains committed to delivering the best outcomes for patients and practitioners alike.
You can listen to the full episode here: Building an aesthetics legacy: Leadership, science and relationships with Lorna Bowes.
To connect with Lorna and the AestheticSource team, visit aestheticsource.com.
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