You may already know this, but we’re really into our grooming here at Mankind, so when we found out we were soon to be stocking the ingenious Erno Laszlo brand, we were more than just a bit excited. A Hungarian-born American dermatologist who studied pathology and skin disease at the Royal Hungarian Elisabeth University of Medical Sciences in Budapest, Erno later completed his studies in Berlin with Professor Max Joseph, otherwise known as “the Father of modern dermatology”. Not bad.

Who did Erno Laszlo treat?

Following on from his training, the Erno Laszlo Institute was opened in 1927 after his success healing Princess Stephanie of Belgium’s acute acne. Continuing his research and learning of other skin disorders and complaints, Erno travelled to Hollywood in 1937 and was offered a job at Warner Bros Studios; a position he declined however he did quickly build up a star-studded Hollywood clientele, treating iconic stars such as Katharine Hepburn, Ava Gardener, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe.

Hollywood legends Katharine Hepburn & Marilyn Monroe were amongst Erno Laszlo’s celebrity clients

Erno Laszlo’s Black soap

Erno died in 1973, but his legacy lives on, and the company he built up still produces some of the best skincare products on the market, including his infamous Black soap which will forever be memorialised in Woody Allen’s rom-com, Annie Hall, with the line: “I found this in the apartment. Black soap. She used it to wash her face eight hundred times a day with black soap. Don’t ask me why.”

The principles of Erno Laszlo products are based on: The 4 step skincare programme, The 30 Splashes, Clocking and The Seven Skin Personalities. To find out more, stay tuned to the Mankind blog. And don’t forget, we will be stocking the whole Erno Laszlo range – including the Black soap!

Have you used Erno Laszlo products before? Let us know in the comments if so!