I don’t like to admit this considering it’s my job to recommend skincare, but I’m feeling in an honest mood—so here goes. It is surprisingly difficult to find a skincare brand that delivers products that actually do what they promise. It’s not that skincare doesn’t work; it’s more that skincare brands have a tendency to massively over-egg the capabilities of their products. One brand that I can hand-on-heart say never does this, however, is Kate Somerville.
The aesthetician founded her namesake brand after her post-procedure facial services became A-lister favourites. Celebrities such as Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Olivia Wilde, Eva Mendes, Demi Moore, Lucy Hale and Paris Hilton are all touted as fans and have visited her LA-based clinic. Meghan Markle is even reported to be a fan. In fact, there is barely a celeb in LA that doesn’t have Somerville to thank for their glowing complexion.
The story goes that way back in 2005, one unnamed celebrity asked Somerville if she could bottle her iconic, clinical super facial so that the client could take it with her whenever she was filming on location. As a result, Somerville created the Kate Somerville Exfolikate Intensive Treatment, and a cult skincare brand was born.
Since then, the Kate Somerville product offering has expanded massively, and each product is considered cult in its own right. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that Kate Somerville is probably one of the most adored skincare brands by beauty editors and skincare insiders. The products are the very definition of efficacious—from exfoliators to hydrating face creams, every single product works.
Having said that, the products are really quite pricey, and I’m all too aware of the immense letdown you feel when you spend your hard-earned cash on a product that isn’t right. So to help you decide what Kate Somerville products are worth the money for your skin’s needs, keep scrolling for my rundown of the 18 best. Trust me—I’ve spent years getting to grips with every single one.
Whatever your skin type, this creamy cleanser makes for the perfect morning cleanse. It’s light enough to not leave a film on the skin but hardworking enough to get the job done. With nourishing manuka honey and rich oils, it offers a deep cleanse without stripping the skin of essential moisture. I have used this cleanser for many years and often find myself reaching for it when my skin is having a meltdown.
Speaking of products that are always on my shelf, ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment is possibly one of the most iconic skincare products of the 21st century. Sensitive skin types, beware. This stuff is powerful. Formulated with a concoction of alpha-hydroxy acids, fruit enzymes and fine silica granules, it offers a three-pronged approach to exfoliation. It’s so effective, in fact, that you really don’t want to be leaving it on your skin for any more than two minutes. What you’re left with is a beyond-radiant glow that lasts for days.
This month, Kate Somerville took the powerful exfoliating properties of ExfoliKate and put them in a body scrub. As someone who takes great pride in her body routine, I can safely say this is one of the best body scrubs I have ever tried. Unlike most, it doesn’t slip off the skin and wash away down the drain. Instead, it sloughs off dead skin cells to reveal noticeably smoother and softer limbs.
Another new launch from the brand, this cleanser has become my go-to for evening cleanses. Formulated for those with oily skin that is prone to congestion and breakouts (it’s probably not great for dry or sensitive skin), this gel cleanser contains salicylic acid to slough away dead skin cells as well as hero ingredient niacinamide to help regulate oil production and refine the appearance of oversized pores. Plus, it has a super-refreshing herbal, minty scent that truly makes it a joy to use.
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I can’t name a single beauty editor who didn’t fall head over heels for this face cream when it launched. If your skin is dry, tight, red, irritated or stressed in anyway, I challenge you to apply this cream and not see an instant improvement. Jam-packed with barrier-restoring ceramides, it helps to deliver the essential moisture that upset skin craves. It’s rich, so I wouldn’t recommend it for everyday use if you’re prone to breakouts, but it’s helped me get through a number of sunburn situations.
Speaking of sunburn, here’s yet another product I don’t want to ever be without. Applying factor 50 every day is all well and good until you need to apply makeup. With experts saying that sun cream should be reapplied every few hours to get the protection guaranteed on the bottle, the quandary of what to do when you have a full face of makeup has never really been addressed. This makeup-setting spray, however, delivers SPF50 protection. I put on my usual SPF cream, apply my makeup and pop this in my bag for midday touch-ups. It’s truly genius.
Along with the Goat Milk Cleanser, this cream has long been one of Kate Somerville’s best sellers. Enriched with goat milk, which has been used for thousands of years (really) thanks to its skin-loving properties, it helps to deliver essential nourishment while also very, very gently exfoliating the skin to leave an enviable glow. It’s the perfect face cream for those who struggle with congestion and sensitivity.
In all honesty, this product is very take-it-or-leave-it. However, I can’t ignore the opinions of countless beauty editors and customers who swear by it. It contains sulphur, salicylic acid and zinc to dry up and take down the appearance of spots overnight. Just dip in a cotton bud and dab the product onto your spot. (Resist the urge to shake the bottle, it’s supposed to be separated.) If your spot is juicy and ripe, this stuff will definitely help take things down. Does it work on deep, cystic spots? Certainly not. But then, I’m not sure it claims to.
The thing I really love about this product is that it champions a youthful-glow approach to anti-ageing rather than promising total reversal of fine lines and wrinkles. With a peptide-infused ceramide complex containing hyaluronic acid, glycerin, jojoba seed oils, squalane and vitamin E, it really helps to nourish the skin and restore a youthful, plump, hydrated complexion. Plus, it delivers those all-important antioxidant benefits to help fend off skin-damaging and fine line–inducing free radicals. The thing I really don’t love about this product? The £110 price tag.
Physical exfoliants aren’t for everyone, and this is something Kate Somerville herself knows. But just because you’re not a fan of scrubs doesn’t mean you can’t reap the glow-boosting, exfoliating benefits of ExfoliKate. This stuff houses all of the benefits of the intensive treatment, just in the form of a leave-on liquid.
While we’re on the topic of leave-on, overnight exfoliants, let’s move on to this. With a game-changing blend of retinol, glycolic acid and niacinamide to approve skin ageing from every angle, you are guaranteed to wake up more glowing. Many experts say that mixing retinol and alpha-hydroxy acids like glycolic shouldn’t be done, but this formula expertly demonstrates how to do it right. Over time, skin looks smoother, brighter, more even in tone and feels silky soft.
Not only is this my favourite Kate Somerville product, but it’s also in my top three beauty products ever created. While plenty of people love the DeliKate cream, this serum is perfect for those whose skin might not always require a thick, rich moisturiser. It delivers those all-important skin-soothing ceramides, just in a lightweight serum formula. I have been through bottles of this stuff. Whenever my skin is freaking out, I apply it by the bucketload every morning and night to get things mellow, and it works every single time.
If your skin is feeling particularly sore, dry, tight or sensitive, you should really consider trying this cleanser. It takes the skin-nourishing effects of the aforementioned Goat Milk cleanser one step further. (It doesn’t contain the exfoliating benefits of lactic acid, making it even better for sensitive skin.) Use it every morning and every night as your first cleanse to remove dirt and impurities but soothe and repair damaged skin at the same time.
On the other end of the cleansing spectrum is this. Jam-packed with hardworking exfoliants, including glycolic acid, lactic acid and papaya, pineapple and pumpkin enzymes, it’s the ultimate glow-boosting cleanse. Due to its high acid content, I’d only recommend using this in the evenings and making sure you’re extra vigilant with your SPF the next morning. While it says it’s suitable for daily use, I’d recommend starting off by incorporating it into your routine once or twice a week.
Everything about this eye cream is truly magnificent, except for the price. No eye cream can justify a £110 price tag. It’s hydrating, fine-line plumping and brightening thanks to vitamin C, which really does make the results exceptional—but not exceptional enough for the eye-watering amount of money it costs.
If you’re looking for a non-irritating mineral sunscreen, this will certainly do the job. It’s a super-hydrating formula, which makes it great for dry skin. My main gripes? It does leave a white cast that takes a few minutes to settle, and I feel as though other formulas of a similar price do a slightly better job. It’s not not worth the money (it’s still a great formula); it’s just not as good as I want it to be.
This eye gel is still expensive but drastically cheaper than the previously mentioned eye cream. I actually really love it. It contains three different molecular sizes of hyaluronic acid to offer deep, plumping hydration. It feels silky to apply and is pleasantly refreshing. All in all, it’s a winner.
Going out on a high, this new launch is quickly becoming one of my favourite skincare products to use. As someone who suffers quite badly from acne scarring, I have found this gel to be a lifesaver at reducing the chances of my active spots scarring. Formulated with salicylic acid to shorten a spot’s lifespan and niacinamide to help tackle breakout-related discolouration, it does exactly what I need it to.
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