It would have taken me a very long time to discover the Hungarian heritage science based skin care line Erno Laszlo if it weren’t for my mother. My mom is choosy about her skin care ingredients but in a different way from me. She has been using Erno Laszlo almost exclusively for 35 years and her skin looks fantastic – no procedures or botox, just quality skin care. I love when we get to spend time together and I can smell the subtle aroma of her Erno Laszlo phelityl oil on her face when we hug before bedtime.

Dr. Erno Laszlo essentially invented the idea of a skincare ritual with his splashing technique / double cleanse and has worked with the likes of Marylin Monroe and Jackie O. While their flagship institute in New York closed last summer, you can still find Erno Laszlo at high end department stores and online at Sephora.

The number of brands I can buy at Sephora dwindles year by year as my skin care program becomes more choosy and clean, but I will always love that Sephora offers great samples, minis and exclusive mini sets for several brands. If you’re intrigued by Erno Laszlo, I would strongly suggest buying a set from Sephora.

I pepper Erno Laszlo into my clean beauty routine because it’s got a few things I wouldn’t normally use very often on my largest organ: fragrance and lots of words I can’t pronounce. I can’t say I will ever avoid this brand completely because I’ve seen the results first-hand with my mother’s skin.

I bout the Erno Laszlo White Marble Double Cleanse Travel Set last year and use it about once a week to enhance by hydroquinone-free lightening and brightening program. I love that this White Marble set is free from parabens, phthlates, sulfates and petroleum/petrolatum. And while the White Marble line does have added fragrance, it’s likely the most subtle added fragrance of all high end brands I’ve tried. I’ll put it this way, it may be artificial but it is less fragrant than Tata Harper organic skincare 🙁 And have I mentioned how gorgeous the plastic trellis designed box for this travel set is?

Erno Laszlo White Marble Cleansing Oil Review

You can think of this cleansing oil as a pre-cleansing oil, although it is the least oily oil I’ve ever tried. Peony, lemon peel and bark extracts assist in brightening as this oil prepares the skin for further cleansing. If you are afraid of cleansing oils, I would start your cleansing oil journey with this very lightweight non-oily oil.

Erno Laszlo White Marble Treatment Bar Review

I was pleasantly surprised to find how soft and hydrated my skin felt upon completion of the White Marble dual cleansing routine. Erno Laszlo references advanced “nano” technology in their white marble products that allows for deeper, time-released penetration into skin layers. This cleansing system was gentle, yet effective and had a surprising subtle tingling after use. The citrus, sugar cane and willow bark based brighteners won’t change your skin overnight, but it is a nice addition to my brightening routine and I strongly suggest this $28 set sold by Sephora.