Erno Laszlo Blogs

Erno Laszlo’s reputation as a science-backed, ritual-focused skincare brand began with the groundbreaking discoveries of our founder and his personalized approach to skincare. Dr. Laszlo pioneered an innovative skincare philosophy: “observe and listen.” He asked patients about their unique routines and behaviors, then worked to create research-based, efficacious formulations designed for them. A man of innovation, he was the first to introduce the idea of a skincare ritual, double cleansing, pH-balancing skincare, no-makeup makeup, personalized solutions, and more. Nearly 100 years later, Dr. Laszlo’s ritual-based philosophy remains at the heart of everything we do. Decades of research and formulas have shown that a daily routine makes all the difference in overall skin health and well-being. If you’re new to ritual skincare, our experts recommend starting simple, focusing on cleansing, repairing, hydrating, and treating to address your skin’s unique concerns. Cleanse: Double Cleanse Method Cleansing is your essential first step to skincare. Dr. Laszlo famously said, “If you do nothing else, wash your face.” Cleansing thoroughly every day ensures a clean canvas for the rest of your skincare ritual. It allows active ingredients and nourishing moisture to penetrate the skin, so products can perform to their maximum potential. Dr. Laszlo took cleansing to a new level with his signature Double Cleanse Method. What is Double Cleansing? Double cleansing is a two-step process. First, apply an oil-based cleanser to dry skin to break up surface oils, buildup, makeup, SPF, and other impurities on the skin's surface. Next, use a cleansing bar to nourish, balance, and rinse away all residue. Why Choose to Double Cleanse?Thoroughly double cleansing helps unclog pores, diminish breakouts, and purify the skin from dirt, makeup, SPF, and sweat. Today, our double-cleansing systems do more than just cleanse. They target specific skin concerns so your complexion is left not only clean, but supported in all the right ways. Choosing Your Double CleanseDetox Cleansing DuoBest For: Normal to Oily skin typesStep 1 Detox Cleansing Oil: Formulated with Charcoal and Shea Butter Seed Cake Extract, this lightweight clarifying oil deeply cleanses, dissolving surface impurities and makeup without stripping the skin. With Color-Change Technology, the dark oil turns creamy-white upon application for activated cleansing you can see.Step 2 Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar: This detoxifying cleansing bar purifies, unclogs pores, and absorbs excess surface oil. Together, Charcoal and Dead Sea Mud work to draw out toxins and replenish nutrients, bringing skin back into balance. Charcoal absorbs excess surface oil, while Dead Sea Mud cleanses, gently exfoliates, and delivers a rich cocktail of minerals essential to skin nourishment. Together: The oil grips onto the worst impurities and skin stressors, while the bar removes any remaining residue. Skin is left looking and feeling smooth and soft, clear and refreshed. Hydra-Therapy Phelityl Cleansing DuoBest For: Normal to Dry/skin typesStep 1 Hydra-Therapy Phelityl Cleansing Oil: Formulated with our nourishing 10 Seed Oil Blend and antioxidant Vitamin E, this gentle cleansing oil supports skin’s moisture barrier, dissolving surface impurities while delivering a surge of hydration. Step 2 Phelityl Cleansing Bar: This nourishing treatment bar gently cleanses without drying. Ingredients packed with Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) help maintain moisture, bringing skin back into beautiful balance. Safflower Seed Oil and Macadamia Esters infuse skin with essential hydration, boost radiance, and leave skin with a silky-smooth feel.Together: The moisture-rich oil restores hydration as it cleanses, while the bar works to nourish and bind essential moisture to the skin. The complexion is left softer, smoother, and instantly refreshed. Pro Tip: Adjust your cleansing ritual as skin’s needs change between seasons and climates. You might choose a detoxifying double cleanse in oil-prone summer months, or hydrating care in the dry cold of winter. Repair: Phormula 3In your ritual, include products that target your skin’s specific needs. The right formulas can help repair damage and maintain skin health. Dr. Laszlo’s signature restorative treatment, Phormula 3, helped diminish the look of a scar on Marilyn Monroe’s abdomen. Our latest iteration, Phormula 3-10, continues this legacy of repair through the science of Epigenetics.What is Phormula 3-10 and Epigenetics? Phormula 3-10 is our most advanced anti-aging repair line formulated to address the six key signs of aging skin: firmness, elasticity, hydration, tone, texture, and depth of lines. Inspired by the science of Epigenetics, Phormula 3-10 is infused with our proprietary Epigene-6™ Complex. It’s not a miracle—it’s science. Learn more about Epigenetics and Epigene-6 here. Why Choose Phormula 3-10? Phormula 3-10 is a powerful multitasking anti-aging collection, addressing the six key signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles. Because time affects all complexions, Phormula 3-10 is the perfect addition to any ritual focused on keeping skin looking and feeling its best. This is skincare for life. Choosing Your Phormula 3-10Phormula 3-10 Eye IntensiveBest For: Mature skin & suitable for all skin typesAbout: Phormula 3-10 Eye Intensive revives the eye contour, softening the look of fine lines for a smooth, bright-eyed appearance. The formula is incredibly lightweight and fast-absorbing, yet richly nourishing. Results: This powerful yet gentle eye treatment leaves skin renewed and radiant. In a 28-day clinical study, 91% reported that under-eye bags and puffiness looked diminished, while 85% reported a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles around and under their eye.Phormula 3-10 Serum ConcentrateBest For: Mature skin & suitable for all skin typesAbout: Phormula 3-10 Serum Concentrate is a powerful treatment serum that supports skin rejuvenation, improves complexion vitality, and targets the six key signs of aging. Results: This light, refreshing serum leaves skin soft and supple, resulting in a renewed glow. In an 84-day clinical study, 100% reported skin felt softer, smoother, and looked healthier after use. 97% also reported that skin felt firmer. Did You Know? Dr. Laszlo’s 8th iteration of Phormula 3, known as Phormula 3-8, was formulated for Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe for a scar on her abdomen. Nearly 30 years after Dr. Laszlo’s passing, Phormula 3-9 was discovered in a hidden vault. Initially formulated for a mystery client in 1973, the legendary formula was finally released in 2001. Hydrate: Phelityl™ ComplexHealthy skin is hydrated skin. By maintaining optimal moisture, skin looks and feels smooth and soft with improved tone, texture, and the look of lines and wrinkles visibly improved. To replenish and preserve skin hydration, incorporate products that support the moisture barrier, such as those formulated with Dr. Laszlo’s innovative Phelityl™ Complex. What is the Phelityl™ Complex? Our Phelityl™ Complex is a blend of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) and replenishing ingredients that help fortify skin’s moisture barrier to lock in hydration and keep skin soft, supple, and plump. Dr. Laszlo professed that EFAs were manufactured by skin itself, and without them, skin would diminish in moisture, glow, and vitality. Why Choose Phelityl™?While the body naturally produces EFAs that play a key role in skin function and appearance, we start to make insufficient amounts of EFAs as we age. When this happens, we have to look to external sources, such as our Phelityl™ products, to replenish skin’s nourishing EFAs. Choosing Your Phelityl™ FormulaPhelityl™ Night CreamBest For: Normal to Dry skin typesAbout: Phelityl Night Cream is our best-selling, award-winning, tofu-textured cream that delivers moisture by replenishing EFAs. The formula is enriched with moisturizing emollients, helping to nourish and condition the skin.Results: Working overnight, skin wakes up re-hydrated with a youthful tone and glow. Note: You can also use Phelityl™ Night Cream day or night when skin needs an extra dose of rich hydration. Extra Dry Phelityl™ CreamBest For: Extra Dry to Dry skin typesAbout: Extra Dry Phelityl Cream is our rich-textured day-to-night cream that delivers EFAs to help nourish dry skin and replenish the vital moisture and nutrients that daily life depletes. Results: Skin’s protective barrier is left supported, moisture is preserved, and hydration levels are balanced revealing a mattified, velvety-soft finish. Phelityl™ EmulsionBest For: Normal to Combo/Oily skin types About: Phelityl Emulsion is a lightweight, almost-fluid moisturizer formulated with Essential Fatty Acids and plant-derived Antioxidants to boost skin’s moisture barrier.Results: The complexion is left healthy and hydrated with a supple tone and glow.Did You Know?Dr. Laszlo received credit for many of the current skin care technologies seen on the market today, such as the use of emollients. Our iconic Phelityl™ Night Cream, earlier named pHelityl (emphasizing the importance of the skin pH), still utilizes Dr. Laszlo’s emollient complex, now known as the Phelityl™ Complex. Learn more about the Phelityl™ Complex here. Treat: Shake-It Tinted Skin TreatmentYour last step to skincare, Shake-It Tinted Skin Treatment is Dr. Laszlo’s innovative finishing touch to give skin a sheer-matte finish. What is Shake-It Tinted Skin Treatment? With 80% skin treatment and 20% pigment, Shake-It gives a subtle wash of color—available in four blendable shades to personalize your experience. This shake-to-activate, last step to skincare gives an unparalleled feeling of skin confidence while allowing skin’s own radiant personality to shine. Why Choose Shake-It Tinted Skin Treatment? Applied as your last skincare step, after moisturizer and SPF, Shake-It works to even skin for a more-uniform tone, tightens the appearance of pores, controls excess surface oils, and gives skin a shine-free, natural finish. In short, it’s the perfect finishing touch for putting your best face forward. Shake-It Tinted Skin TreatmentBest For: All skin typesAbout: Shake-It Tinted Skin Treatment is formulated with Cosmetic Grade Alcohol to reduce oil and refines pores, Powdered Pigment to help even skin’s tone, and Glycerin to help skin maintain balanced moisture. Results: Shake-It is clinically proven to deliver on its promises. After one use, 98% reported that Shake-It was lightweight & easily absorbed. 95% reported Shake-It controlled shine for a matte-finish look. And 94% reported their skin appeared smoother after use. Did You Know?Dr. Laszlo believed in the “beautifying” part of the skincare ritual, which is why he created his unique finishing product that came to be Shake-It Tinted Skin Treatment—the first no-makeup makeup. Hollywood icons like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Greta Garbo all used Shake-It to perfect their complexions, both on and off the camera. After nearly a century of exceptional advancements in the science of skin, we at Erno Laszlo continue to celebrate results-driven formulas, clinical efficacy, and the confidence that comes with skin wellness.Ready to create your perfect ritual? Our Skin Concern Quiz can help pinpoint your skin’s unique needs and offer solutions, and our Skin Type Guide will help you create a ritual based on skin type. You can also book a personalized Skin Consultation with one of our experts.

An Erno Laszlo icon reinvented, our newly-reformulated Shake-It Tinted Skin Treatment boasts beloved, timeless benefits: evening skin tone, refining the look of pores, and controlling excess surface oil for a sheer-matte, natural finish. With 80% skin treatment and 20% pigment, Shake-It gives a subtle wash of color, now in four blendable shades to personalize your experience. This shake-to-activate, last step to skincare gives an unparalleled feeling of skin confidence while allowing skin’s own radiant personality to shine. As Dr. Laszlo said, “A face represents not only beauty but all the qualities of the heart, soul and brain.” By supporting a confident complexion, Shake-It supports overall well-being. Shake-It: A Cult ClassicLaunched in 1927, this one-of-a-kind tinted makeup-skincare hybrid was prescribed by Dr. Laszlo to top clients like Princess Stephanie of Hungary as well as Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo, who used Shake-It to achieve their signature on-screen glow.  The original Shake-It was discontinued in 2016, but returned due to high demand in 2020. We spoke with Anne McFadden, one of Erno Laszlo’s foremost beauty advisors who has been with the brand for over 40 years. Anne fills in the history: "When Dr. Laszlo was developing his line, he wanted a finishing product. He believed in cleansing, toning, and beautifying. Shake-It was the beautifying part of the ritual. The doctor gave it to every celebrity he waited on." Eventually, Shake-It also came to be available not just to the elite, but to everyone. When this skin-finishing favorite became unavailable in 2016, Anne never heard the end of it. "Every single day, somebody called me to ask if Shake-It was coming back," she says. "There's a great demand for it! I'm excited for its reinvention because there's nothing like it on the market.”It's not just Anne's phone that was ringing off the hook with the devotees yearning for the return of their beloved Shake-It. The online love for Shake-It proved just as strong: "I have been using this for 45 years! Wouldn't change a thing!" Linda J. Sturm posted. "This is flawless skin in a bottle. My Laszlo skin looks perfect with Shake-It on!" says Angel Loza. Science-Backed Formula & Benefits Our unique Shake-It formula delivers clinically-proven results for your last skincare step. Within the formula, you’ll find: • Cosmetic Grade Alcohol: Reduces oil & refines pores• Powdered Pigment: Works to even skin’s tone• Glycerin: Helps skin maintain balanced moistureKey benefits of Shake-It: • Evens skin for a more-uniform tone• Tightens the appearance of pores• Controls excess surface oils• Gives skin a sheer, shine-free finish• 4 shades to suit a range of skin tones • Leaves skin feeling refreshed Shake-It is clinically proven to deliver on its promises. After one use, 98% reported that Shake-It was lightweight & easily absorbed. 95% reported Shake-It controlled shine for a matte-finish look. And 94% reported their skin appeared smoother after use. *Based on a clinical study “Shake-It Tinted Treatment is a toner while doubling as a naturally flattering skin veil to reduce pore size and control excess oil. Best of all, using it was a piece of cake. Once I allowed the solution to dry, my skin neutralized and radiated a natural glow.” – Ruby McAuliffe, ‘The New York Post’Shake-It in Your RitualTo get the most out of Shake-It in your skincare ritual, apply as your last skincare step, after moisturizer and SPF. Anne recommends prepping skin for Shake-It with a moisturizer that suits your unique skin type. For Dry Skin: Choose a rich and hydrating moisturizer like Firmarine SPF 30 or Phelityl Night Cream before applying Shake-It. For Oily Skin: Choose a lighter yet hydrating formula like Mattifying Gel Moisturizer or Phelityl Emulsion before applying Shake-It.Applying Shake-It Getting a flawless finish with Shake-It is easy as 1–2–3. After your moisturizer and SPF, follow these simple steps: Step 1: Shake to activateShake the bottle to mix the treatment and color.Step 2: Press into skinApply to a reusable pad or cotton round and press into skin. ​Step 3: Blend and layerEvenly blend any remaining powdered pigment using your fingers or a kabuki makeup brush. Apply a second layer as desired.For insider tips on Shake-It application, we turn again to our expert, Anne: “I always advise customers to apply Shake-It to a section of their face at a time, to ensure that they get the right blend. If it looks a bit light when you first put it on, wait a few seconds—your skin will warm up to it.”Bring home Shake-It Tinted Skin Treatment to discover the proven benefits and beauty that comes with skin confidence. TIMELINE