Actor reveals Marilyn Monroe's bizarre beauty hack that she did every morning for glowing skin
Even though it's been more than six decades, the fascination with Marilyn Monroe's life is not going to stop anytime soon. Renowned for her blonde bombshell persona, Monroe ruled millions of hearts with her ethereal beauty, making many wonder about the secret behind her youthful appearance. Talking about the same, an actress has disclosed some bizarre facts about Monroe's beauty regime.
The veteran actress Renée Taylor recalled Monroe's unique skincare routine during a speech at an event celebrating 50 years of the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, as reported by Page Six. "Marilyn Monroe had the most luminous skin I ever saw," Taylor said. She came into class with Lee Strasberg one day, and I just had to ask what she did."According to Taylor, Monroe shared her beauty secret, saying, "I rub my entire body down with Vaseline and then get into a three-hour hot bath every morning. It gives my skin a shiny glow." Taylor decided to try it herself but admitted, "I almost drowned."
On another occasion, Taylor shared that Monroe advised her of a diet plan as she said, "I asked, 'What do you eat, to look like that?'" as per the New York Post. Monroe's response was simple as she replied, "Grapes." Taking her advice to heart, Taylor ate grapes, "lots and lots of them." But when she gained weight, Monroe corrected her, saying, "You're just supposed to have a few!" Taylor also attempted Monroe's "master cleanse diet," which consisted of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup. However, she admitted, "I put in too much maple syrup." Her attempts to follow Monroe's beauty and diet secrets humorously backfired, but the stories remain memorable.
Reportedly, Monroe's skincare routine was detailed in a 1959 letter from her dermatologist, Erno Laszlo. In the morning, she was instructed to wash her face and neck with Active Phelityl Soap (now the Phelityl Cleansing Bar), apply Shake-It Tinted Skin Treatment in Neutral, use pHelitone under her eyes, and finish with Duo-Phase Face Powder on her face and neck, as per Glamour. This regimen was part of Dr. Laszlo’s carefully tailored skincare advice for Monroe, offering insight into her Old Hollywood beauty routine. For formal events, Monroe was instructed to apply pHelitone on her face, under her eyes, neck, and décolleté, followed by Duo-Phase Face Powder. For her bedtime routine, she was to use Active Phelityl Oil on her face, let it dry, and then apply Active Phelityl Cream and Controlling Lotion.
Dr. Laszlo also advised her to avoid nuts, chocolate, olives, oysters, and clams, possibly due to food sensitivity or skin concerns like rosacea. Monroe was ahead of her time in skincare, using Vaseline under her makeup in a method now known as 'slugging' to keep her skin radiant, the same routine Taylor talked about. She worked closely with Dr. Laszlo, who even developed Formula 3-8 specifically for her. Monroe praised him, saying, "Erno Laszlo not only heals my skin, but he soothes my soul."