Erno Laszlo Active pHelityl Oil & Sea Mud Soap Review

The Erno Laszlo skincare regimen was the first comprehensive luxury beauty routine that I ever used. At seventeen I moved at warp speed from Bonne Bell 10-0-6 Lotion, Lip Smackers, and Maybelline Kissing Potion to Erno Laszlo's "1 O'Clock" skincare routine (which was quite a different time-zone from my 10-0-6 Lotion), YSL eye crayons and Chanel lip glosses. My first foray into this world of luxury skincare and makeup happened with my mom at the legendary I. Magnin on Union Square in San Francisco.

We would walk through the left pair of doors directly to the Laszlo counter where we would be happily greeted by Joan Atanous- our extraordinarily gracious and lovely Laszlo Consultant. She always treated us as though we were honored guests in her home, rather than customers in a store. She would thoroughly examine our skin, modify our routine if necessary- and give us any refills that we needed, and load us up with very generous samples. After our shopping extravaganza we would go downstairs to Narsai's Cafe and have a lovely lunch and either continue shopping afterward or gather our bags and go home. Once we got back home we would immediately empty our bags and look at the spoils of our shopping trip together. We would open bottles and jars, sniff and try everything. Often our self-restraint would get the better of us and we would run off to use our new products. We loved this whole bonding ritual that we shared. We continued this tradition for years, and when my sister was old enough she was brought into the fold as well. These are some of my most cherished memories from that time in my life, and as a result the familiar smell of the Laszlo products that I used then brings back a flood of memories now.

I was faithful to Laszlo for many years, but somewhere along the line I drifted away, much like what happens with some friendships that fade over time because you go away to college, or simply have changed and grown apart rather than together. But like an old friend that you reconnect with, Laszlo somehow made its way back into my beauty product orbit.

So one day I decided to revisit a few of my most used products over the years. While some of my skincare needs have changed through the ravages of time some of my core needs have not. I still have normal to combination skin (normal everywhere but the T-Zone which is combination). The logical things for me to try were a few cleansing products- so I purchased Active pHelityl Oil (a pre-cleansing treatment for dry to slightly oily skin) and the legendary black Sea Mud Soap (a bar soap for normal/combination to oily skin). It has been quite a long time since I have used either of these products so I didn't know how I would respond to them, or how well they would work on my now older skin.

As soon as I opened up my two packages and smelled the Active pHelityl Oil and Sea Mud soap I had a powerful visceral reaction that transported me back to a different time in my life. It was a very nostalgic feeling that I didn't expect to have-- like catching a fleeting smell that reminds you of something that your grandmother used to cook.

Anxious to try these two products again I filled my sink with hot water, while I was massaging the Active pHelityl Oil into my face. Afterward I dipped my virgin bar of Sea Mud Soap into the now cooling water and I felt kind of gleeful. I rubbed the gritty textured soap over my oily face and then started to lather it up which caused the lather to emulsify once it incorporated with the oil. What a fabulous feeling. The next step was the famous "splashing technique" that was the key to Doctor Laszlo's deep cleansing, hydrating, and firming philosophy. First you must splash your face 20 times (by leaning over the sink cupping your hands and splashing your face with the water in the basin). Then drain the oily soapy water and splash 10 times with fresh clean warm to hot water to thoroughly rinse your skin. Afterward pat your face dry with a clean soft towel and continue with your treatment products.

 

Be advised that it takes some time to get used to this technique, and sometimes a little longer than that not to get water all over the floor and walls. However, once you become an adept "splasher" there is really no turning back. In fact, I never stopped using the Laszlo splashing technique- even when I had stopped using Laszlo products. 

So how did my skin feel after trying these two products again after so many years? It felt absolutely fantastic. My skin was deeply cleansed, but not stripped. I noticed that it had whisked away a few whiteheads that I had on my chin, and made my skin feel baby-bottom soft. It also didn't hurt that it transported me to many great memories from my days as a teenager and young adult. There is a definite reason why there are so many Laszlo devotees who have used this line for 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years! Some people stay married for 50 years, some people bounce around until they find the "right one." I guess I am in the latter category (both in life and in my choice of skincare products).

I am very happy with my purchase and will really enjoy using these two products. 

Active pHelityl Oil  costs $40.00 for 6.8 oz.

Sea Mud Soap costs $40.00 for a 6 oz. bar

Both will last you a remarkably long time.

I purchased mine from Nordstrom (not all Nordstrom stores carry it, but they do have it online). It is also available through Erno Laszlo directly as well as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.