Marilyn Monroe's Skin Care Routine Revealed!

Ever wanted to know the secret to Marilyn Monroe‘s beauty? Well, thanks to The Makeup Museum in New York City we now have a little piece.

As part of their exhibit Pink Jungle: 1950s Makeup in America, the museum was set to display their crown jewel: the actual physical paper with the prescription for skin care written for Marilyn Monroe Miller (then the wife of playwright Arthur Miller) by famous Hungarian dermatologist Dr. Erno Laszlo.

Video: Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty Tutorial!

Unfortunately the museum could not open the exhibit to the public as planned due to the coronavirus quarantine, but as a special treat to any and all curious, the museum posted a video showing the historic document over the weekend!

View this post on Instagram

One of the many unique items on display at the Makeup Museum’s “Pink Jungle: 1950s Makeup in America” exhibition is a collection of artifacts presented to the public for the first time ever from @ernolaszlonyc, including the personalized skincare prescription of Marilyn Monroe dated March 17, 1959. Erno Laszlo’s chief historian and branding officer Patricia Schuffenhauer shows here one of the products prescribed to Marilyn Monroe, the “Normalizer Shake-It,” a tinted toner treatment. Erno Laszlo decided to re-launch the Shake-It this month to celebrate the expected opening of the Makeup Museum. Shake-It is available on Erno Laszlo’s website, and the Makeup Museum will share more history about this iconic product and brand throughout the month as we give you a sneak peek look at the artifacts that comprise the “Pink Jungle” exhibition!

A post shared by MAKEUP MUSEUM (@makeupmuseumofficial) on May 2, 2020 at 10:29am PDT

Obviously we can learn a lot about the history of makeup and skin care here, but what about things you can actually use today?

While you can’t get some of the discontinued products listed, but you can try out some of the techniques for yourself — and if you’re really hardcore you can follow Marilyn’s severe dietary restrictions, which included a ban on nuts and chocolate! So Nutella would be right out!

Read the fascinating full routine, which covered occasions from morning to bedtime to red carpet moments (below)!

Morning:

Wash face and neck in warm water with ACTIVE pHELITYL SOAP in the following manner: fill basin with warm water, wet face and neck, and rub on soap making a lather. Make a separate lather in hands and rub well into skin. Rinse thoroughly in the same soapy water and dry with towel. Apply well=shaken NORMALIZER SHAKE-IT on entire face, – except around eyes, – with a large piece of cotton saturated to the dripping point. Blot off with tissues immediately. Apply pHELITONE under eyes only in tiny dots, spreading it gently over the surface. Blot off with tissues. Dap DUO-pHASE FACE POWDER amply on entire face and neck; after one minute brush off superfluous powder with a large piece of cotton.

Evening before dressing:

Follow Instructions for “Morning”.

On formal occasions:

After blotting off NORMALIZER SHAKE-IT, apply pHELITONE on top of it on entire face, also under eyes, on neck and decollete. Blot off with tissues. Apply DUO-pHASE FACE POWDER.

Evening before retiring:

Apply ACTIVE pHELITYL OIL on entire face, lips and neck with a large piece of cotton saturated to the dripping point. Wash immediately oily face and neck according to instructions for “Morning”. After drying, apply ACTIVE pHELITYL CREAM on entire face, lips, neck and decollete. Wash off cream immediately with a large piece of cotton saturated to the dripping point with well-shaken CONTROLLING LOTION, – except around eyes and on lips where you shall blot cream off with tissues. Dry face and neck with towel. Reapply on nose and chin with another thoroughly saturated large piece of cotton, covering thickly and let dry on overnight.