Hot Hollywood Treatment

Kate Somerville. She knows skin. She really does.

Kate Rates (At the Top of Skin Care)

In her Cape Cod-ian skin-care retreat tucked away on Melrose Place, Kate Somerville offers skin care to celebrities and regular folk, like BeansTalk. In the Hollywood universe, the competition for facialists is overwhelming. Whatever their real skin condition, celebrities so often are photographed (unless the paparazzi snatches them unawares) with glowing, flawless skin – their very presence in photographs offers a testament to the validity of their esthetician.

But the truth is, many celebrities are blessed with genetically sound skin, but also take great care of it. Like most of us, they’re not running home, splashing soap and water on their faces, and falling asleep the minute their heads hit the pillow. That said, they’re also probably not indulging in the multi-product regime many skin-care specialists recommend, either.

Many celebs with the prettiest skin are going to Kate Somerville, who won’t be Hollywood’s best kept secret for very long. Somerville, who worked for several years in medical offices, is a skilled technician and analyst – she’s not busy berating your bad skin (so you’ll buy many of her products). She’s not self-promoting about how wonderful she is, and discussing her celeb clients (although we know the list is long). Somerville has made appearances on various television shows, but her genuinely low-key vibe and easy manner can make a client feel completely at ease. Somerville is the sister you wish you had, the cousin you want to see more often, the friend who’s advice you seek. Yup, she’s that good.

Trust us, we’ve been around and around the skin-care world. We’ve had custom creams and DNA samples taken.

We had a facial from Somerville herself, as well as a Laser Genesis treatment by a staff registered-nurse (the latter was scary, but with the results we got, we’re so jones-ing for another). (The 411: By harnessing light and heat therapy, this treatment is designed to stimulate collagen production and promote new tissue growth. Nonablative, and painless, this procedure’s gentle warming effect works to soften fine lines around the mouth, eyes, cheeks, chin and forehead. Collagen continues to produce over time and the result is a smoother texture, smaller pores and less lines.)