At a time when most beauty products were still in bottles with brass caps and when pressed powder was used for a perfect complexion, Marilyn Monroe already had a routine that today's beauty influencers would not hesitate to sell as "minimalist luxury."
Marilyn Monroe and her timeless skincare routine: No serums with exotic enzymes, no 12 steps, and no flashy neon labels—just a simple yet thoughtful routine that was based on moisturizing, gently cleansing, and protecting the skin.
And, no – it wasn't random products from the drugstore shelves, but a dermatologically refined regimen that was almost futuristic for the time.
A morning marked by tenderness and balance
Marilyn's day started without glitter - literally. Washing her face wasn't a spectacle with foam and a 3-minute massage with jade rollers, but a very simple ritual: warm water in the sink and bar of soap, made from fatty acids. The soap she used contained ingredients like sodium palmitate – a natural derivative of palm oil – which meant less irritation and more protection for the skin. Today, we would call this “skin barrier-friendly.”
After cleansing, she didn't use a serum with hyaluronic acid, but tinted liquids, which was a kind of toner, powder and mattifying foundation all in one. The product controlled shine, smoothed the complexion and left a feeling of lightness - exactly what we are looking for under the labels "skin tint" or "no-makeup makeup" today.
She further moisturized the delicate under-eye area with a rich cream, while dusting her face and neck with a fine powder that absorbed excess oil and finished the look. Her routine wasn't about layers, but about balance: moisturizing where the skin needed it and mattifying where it needed to be.
Evening: cleaning, feeding and supervision
The evening routine was also amazingly well thought out. Double cleaning, often referred to today as the “holy commandment” of beauty care, was practiced by Marilyn decades ago. First, she dissolved makeup and dirt with an oil cleanser, then thoroughly cleansed her skin with the same soap she used in the morning. The oil dissolved everything that had accumulated during the day, and the soap gave her that fresh feeling of cleanliness – no tightness, no dry cheeks.
Then she used rich night cream, which acted as a protective layer overnight. It was similar in texture to today's balms or cold-cream formulas that lock in moisture. And although the term "slugging" wasn't known back then, it was essentially a very similar practice - a cream as a protective layer that supports regeneration while you sleep.
To top it off, the use of tonic, which regulated oil and helped the skin stay in balance overnight. Nothing overly aggressive, just a gentle conclusion to the ritual that respected the skin's natural rhythm.
Nutrition: Discipline with a touch of old school
Part of her regimen also included dietary restrictions. She avoided foods that could affect her skin: nuts, chocolate, olives, shellfish. While we now know that these are often a rich source of healthy fats and minerals, the approach back then was much more cautious – less oily, fewer reactions, less chance of an unexpected pimple right before a photo shoot.
What can we learn from Marilyn Monroe's routine?
Although the routine consisted of just a few products, it was anything but superficial. Her approach was based on disciplined moisturizing, gentle cleansing and fat regulation – without overloading the skin. And today, as we increasingly return to the philosophy of “skinimalism,” her routine is almost surprisingly modern.
At a time when the ingredients of beauty products were still a secret, Marilyn used products that were – ironically – based on scientific formulations. And while she didn’t have access to today’s super serums or peptides with names like science fiction characters, she achieved what we still desire today: radiant, balanced, flawless skin.
Marilyn Monroe is proof that elegance is not determined by the number of steps, but by the choice. Maybe she didn't know retinol, but she understood her skin better than many people today – and in a world where a new “revolutionary” routine comes out every week, it’s reassuring that simplicity can be so timeless.
