Brand I’m Loving: Kate Somerville

Kate Somerville

Skincare is a tricky thing. Do you go for a natural line free of parabens, sulfates, etc, but sacrifice effectiveness? What if you have competing issues, like dry patches on your cheeks and oiliness in your t-zone? And how do you treat acne (and wrinkles, boo!) when all the best treatments seem to dry and/or thin skin?

I get sent more skincare than any other kind of beauty product. While I’d love to pat myself on the back and explain that this is because I am recognized as a skincare blogging GENIUS, the truth is likely because the market is simply over-saturated. Every other doctor has a skincare line. The aisles at Sephora are clogged with products promising Younger! Healthier! More Glowing! skin.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate exfoliating treatment

Let’s be honest: there’s very little difference between most of these products. If you’re feeding your skin proper moisture and antioxidants, use a broad-spectrum, non-pore-clogging sunscreen, and have a night treatment that combats acne and/or wrinkles (ideally with retinol or salicylic acid), you’re golden. As long as you’re using something, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s $500 and features the extract of Himalayan mountain blossoms hand-picked at night by virgins, or is mass-produced in Schenectady and on sale for $11 at your local CVS.

So, once you have the “Yes, this works” factor out of the way, a skincare product distills down to that ephemeral je ne sais quoi. Does the sunscreen sink in quickly under makeup? Do you look forward to applying your serum at night? When you’re washing your face in the morning, is there a burst of yummy goodness and a refreshing, clean-but-not-tight feeling? Do you love your skincare?

Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash

I’m fickle, of course, and switch between zillions of lines to test out products, but there’s one brand I’ve been behind-the-scenes loyal to for the past several months, and that’s Kate Somerville.

Kate’s an aesthetician who created her line based upon the needs of real women in her clinic. The products are, quite simply, fantastic. There’s ExfoliKate, a fruit enzyme exfoliator that smells divine and leaves skin baby-soft. The Gentle Daily Wash is made for sensitive skin, but takes off all makeup and leaves even my oily complexion happy. And, just FYI, my tanning-aficionado roommate is SO obsessed with the 360 Tanning Towelettes that she begs, pleads and bribes me for them, repeatedly explaining that they’re her favorite tanning product, hands-down.

Kate Somerville 360 Tanning Towelettes for face and body

I’ve only tried a few of the products in her vast line, but I’m already hooked. Check it out for yourself–you won’t be disappointed!

Kate Somerville skincare is available at KateSomerville.com .