Kate Somerville is known in Beverly Hills as an expert on skin treatments. At her Medi-Skin Clinic, she is aesthetician to celebs such as Jessica Alba, Paris Hilton, Sandra Oh and Debra Messing. But she's not sun-shy; in fact, she conducted our interview on the phone from the beach at the Four Seasons Maui.

You just have to be smart about sun exposure, Somerville said.

Sunscreens, uber-moisturizers and skin-savvy vitamins are among her priorities. Somerville has created her own line of skin care, sold in Hawai'i at Neiman Marcus and the spa at the Four Seasons Wailea.

IF YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A TAN

Somerville prepped for a Maui beach visit by using her own self-tanning product in advance, and wearing an SPF 65 serum while outdoors.

"For Hawai'i, you also have to protect internally by taking antioxidants," she advised. "It helps you fight off the free radical damage you can get from all that exposure."

She said, "Nutrition is the No. 1 thing we can do for our skin," and recommends a multi-vitamin made with whole-food ingredients.

"Go to a health food store and get B vitamins to help fight stress. Also omega-3 and -6. Eat a lot of fish. Salmon is the best fish for omegas. Broccoli is really good for skin."

Her company manufactures vitamins for day and for night. The a.m. vitamin is high in antioxidants and builds the immune system, she said. The night vitamin has calcium and magnesium as well as flaxseed to nourish and help relax the body, and hyaluronic acid, which is good for the joints and skin.

"As we age, we lose the chemistry to create hyaluronic acid that helps hold the water in our cells," Somerville said.

For those who have already damaged their skin with too much sun exposure, Somerville said intense pulsed light, IPL, can help. "But you have to stay out of the sun prior to treatment and for a few weeks after or you could get bars of white skin across your face," she said. Avoiding the sun could be a challenge in our climate.

She notes that a glycolic peel can turn over skin cells rapidly, but also requires sun-avoidance.

"Another thing I see a lot of in local women is pigment issues, especially during pregnancy. So do high-vitamin-C products like serums for that," Somerville advised.

FOR STRESSED SKIN

Stress is a major enemy of skin and of course we're experiencing a lot of stress these days.

"The first sign of stress for sure is a breakout or eczema or rosacea," Somerville said. "Our cortisol goes up and it's like a fight or flight response and the skin gets inflamed. Nutrition is the No. 1 thing we can do for our skin.

"Eating things that are high in antioxidants like blueberries and lean protein and staying away from the comfort foods you may want when you're under stress, like sugar and breads and macaroni and cheese, are a must."

Rosacea can wreak havoc with the complexion. Somerville advises her clients with rosacea to stay away from ingredients that can dry out skin, such as cinnamon, and glycolic and salicylic acids.

Diet is critical in combatting rosacea, Somerville said, and she advises avoiding alcohol, caffeine and acidic foods.

Somerville got involved with skin care because of her own history of eczema as a child. Now she's made it her mission to bring her expertise into people's homes with her skin care line and soon a hand-held laser for home use. "I'm taking what I've learned in my clinic and trying to duplicate what I can do in the clinic at home," she said. "That's my goal."