Marilyn Monroe is one of the most iconic beauties of all time and now you can see how she took care of her skin during her heyday.
As part of an exhibition at The Makeup Museum in New York City, there is a physical prescription form that details the blonde bombshell’s bespoke skincare routine courtesy of Hungarian dermatologist Dr. Erno Laszlo. The exhibit was set to open this May but has been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the museum’s founder, Doreen Bloch, gave Refinery29 an exclusive look at some of the historical artifacts, including this slip of paper.
Dated March 17, 1959, for “Mrs. Marilyn Monroe Miller” — since she was married to Arthur Miller at the time —the regimen breaks down step-by-step, day-by-day directions, while also mentioning some dietary restrictions such as nuts, chocolate, olives, clams and oysters.
Using all Erno Lazlo products (of course) the Gentlemen Prefer Blondes star was to start her morning regimen by washing her face with warm water and the Active Phelityl Soap before applying the Normalizer Shake-It with a cotton pad, which she then was to blot off immediately.
Next, she was prescribed to apply two now-discontinued products: the pHelitone Eye Cream and Duo-Phase Face Powder. For formal occasions, she was instructed to apply this eye cream over her entire face, including her neck and décolleté. Then, she was to blot the cream dry with a tissue and finish off with the Duo-Phase Powder.
For those event-free evenings when she was simply “retiring” to bed, Dr. Laszlo said to start with an oil cleanse using the brand’s Active Phelityl Oil. Next, she was to put on a rich layer of the Active Phelityl Cream that was then rinsed off with a cotton pad “dripping” with the Controlling Lotion toner. Once she patted her face dry, she was to reapply the Controlling Lotion only to the nose and chin.
Though there’s a lot of clear detailed instructions, it’s not an insane amount of products, which we honestly find refreshing and endearing.
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