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Kate Somerville says this is the 'most transformative ingredient you can use' on menopausal skin
The brand founder shares the unsung heroes in the skincare world
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Kate Somerville skincare belongs in the beauty hall of fame – its products – from the cult goat milk cleanser (£39, Sephora.co.uk) to the deliKate recovery cream (£72, Cultbeauty.co.uk) – are the stuff of legend. And that’s thanks to the self-titled brand founder.
The Kate Somerville brand launched 20 years ago and offers formulaic solutions for various skin concerns, including sensitive skin and signs of ageing. But having now hit menopause, Somerville has turned her attention to how the symptoms can cause a “massive change” to the skin in that it “typically gets dryer and we see a loss of elasticity”.
Dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite puts this symptom, alongside the potential development of fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, down to “a decline in the number and activity of skin cells, and lowering levels of oestrogen”, the hormone responsible for collagen production in the skin. As levels of this hormone decrease, so too does our skin’s elasticity, plumpness and moisture.
In order to combat these developments, Somerville says that there are three things she recommends to her clients. First of all, “I always recommend some kind of liquid exfoliator and I love lactic acid”, she says before advising you to “stay away from glycolic acid, just because they can be irritating.” This irritation applies particularly to menopausal skin owing to the thinning you may experience.
The most transformative ingredient you can use is vitamin A
Secondly, Somerville says to turn to peptides. “They are the unsung heroes of skin care because they're the most gentle thing to put on the skin and are great for elasticity and overall skin health. Kate Somerville peptide K8 power cream (£135, Spacenk.com) is my favourite one. It has all the peptides, but then it also has all the lipids and the ceramides that you need to replenish the skin.”
As for “the most transformative ingredient you can use”, Somerville recommends turning to vitamin A, be it retinol, retinal or – on the stronger end – retinoic acid. She puts vitamin A’s excellence down to its ability to “treat all signs of ageing” from dark spots and hyperpigmentation to elasticity. How does this work? It “speeds up the metabolism of the skin cell, so you're getting that damage [e.g. dark spots] to disappear faster,” she explains.
For her fourth piece of wisdom, she actually recommends steering clear of one particularly popular skincare habit: a morning cleanse. As we age, our skin’s production of oil decreases, causing dryness, so taking care of the complexion’s natural biome – oil included – is increasingly important as time goes on. Owing to this, she recommends you only “cleanse once in the day, typically at night” – the formula she reaches for is of course her own goat milk cleanser (£39, Spacenk.com).
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Where make-up is concerned, Somerville surprisingly confesses, “I don’t use a liquid foundation. Even though I'm 54 and I'm probably getting to the stage where I should possibly look for a liquid, I don't know if I ever will – I don't like the feeling and I don't want the chemicals on my face, so I use a powder foundation.” The product in question? Chanel’s ultra le teint compact foundation (£44, Boots.com). “I use it every day,” she says.
The interesting thing about Somerville’s choice of foundation isn’t her choice of a powder formula but rather how she chooses to apply it. “My skin has been really dry, so I didn't feel like I looked great,” she begins, before divulging that she remedied this by creating her own perfect formula: “I mixed my goat milk moisturiser (£67, Spacenk.com) with my powder foundation and I got so many compliments on my skin,” she says.
“I did my foundation and then I just took my goat milk moisturiser and I patted it into my skin – and it gave me this dewy glow. I’ve kind of been doing it all last week, you should try it,” she says.
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Owing to hair loss being a common result of menopause, a symptom Somerville has spotted, she’s been using the Grandelash-MD lash enhancing serum (£62, Sephora.co.uk). The serum employs vitamins, peptides and amino acids to encourage thicker and longer eyelashes and, she qualifies, “it really works.”
The NHS tells us that the average age of menopause in women in the UK is 51. To that, I ask Somerville whether there comes an age or time where it’s too late to begin tackling its ageing effects. Somerville’s answer is short, positive and to the point: “It’s never too late.”
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