Jackie Kennedy's beauty secrets revealed: Dermatologist's notes reveal the First Lady applied facial toner to her armpits and kept walking to a minimum for fear of developing varicose veins
by Hayley Richardson For Mailonline- Former First Lady was known for her perfectly coiffed hair and tailored skirt suits
- New York-born Jacqueline was a client of New York dermatologist Erno Laszlo
- Laszlo, from Hungary, treated stars like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe
- Skincare consultation notes for Jackie, dated May 1, 1963, have been released
- They reveal her skincare regime and products she used
- Many of the products are still available to buy today
With her sun-kissed complexion and perfectly coiffed hair, Jackie Kennedy Onassis was a style icon of the 1960s - and now people in the modern day can replicate at least an aspect of her appearance after her strict beauty regime was revealed to the world.
The former First Lady and widow of Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis was born in New York and was a regular client of Hungarian dermatologist Dr Erno Laszlo, who was based in the city.
Unearthed consultation documents released by the Dr Erno Laszlo Institute, which are on loan to New York City's Makeup Museum, offer a never-before-seen glimpse at Jackie's tailored skincare routine.
The typewritten notes, which were dated May 1, 1963, detail the personalized regimen given to the mother-of-three, who died in 1994 aged just 64 - and even include some tips for her husband John F Kennedy, who was assassinated just six months after the date of the dermatologist's notes.
Beauty tips fit for a First Lady: Jackie Kennedy's skincare regime revealed
FACE
Never apply 'more oil or creams on the face than what he had advised' otherwise the 'bumps' will never disappear and blackheads and pimples will reappear.
BODY
Massage oil into the arms and legs.
UNDER ARMS
Apply Light Cont whenever she applies it on her face
EXERCISE
Walk on the golf course in Cape Cod, even though the exercise 'bores her in the first place' and she is 'afraid of getting vericose veins'.
SUN EXPOSURE
'Sun is good for her, and she should not be afraid of getting brown spots' because the doctor 'will make them fade in the fall'.
FOR JFK
Apply oil before bathing (he takes four a day) and toner afterwards to reduce pimple breakouts. Use bronzing oil in the sun.
DIET
Breakfast: Two boiled eggs, Hollywood toast with honey, tea, skimmed milk
Lunch: Beef, broiled; cottage cheese or something of the like, skimmed milk
Dinner: Meat; watercress salad or whatever vegetable there is
They reveal the glamorous First Lady was plagued by blackheads and pimples, and offer specific guidelines based on the fact the couple were heading to Cape Cod on holiday - their final vacation together.
The highly personal document, shared on Makeup Museum's Instagram, begins bypass pointing out that the instructions are meant to be followed whenever the temperature is 'over 70 degrees, until the end of September'.
Dr Laszlo goes on to instruct Jackie to use a facial toner on her armpits whenever she applies it to her face - recommending his Light Controlling Lotion which is still on sale today for $68.
He also advises a protein-heavy diet, presumably with her skin in mind, with two boiled eggs for breakfast and plenty of fish 'no matter what kind'.
Dr Laszlo also, somewhat controversially, urges Jackie to ditch her hat because the sun's rays are 'good for her', adding that she should 'not be afraid of brown spots' because he will 'make them fade in the fall'.
The papers also reveal that the former First Lady found walking 'boring' and feared she'd develop varicose veins if she spent too much time on her feet, but Dr Laszlo insisted the exercise was good for her.
To placate him, she 'promised to stroll on the golf course in Cape Cod'.
Dr Laszlo stressed the importance of Jackie not applying more oils and creams to her face than he advised - otherwise her 'bumps' will never disappear and her 'blackheads and pimples will reappear'.
He also recommended she massage pHel oil - aka Erno Laszlo Phelityl Oil ($58), a pre-cleansing oil that is still available today - onto her legs and arms - with the notes revealing Jackie gave the product to her husband to use on his back because it was 'so dry and breaks out in pimples because he has to take four baths a day'.
Dr Laszlo suggested JFK used bronzing oil in the sun and that, like his wife, he should also use the Light Controlling Lotion after bathing - with the notes explaining that 'Mrs K' agreed to speak to him about it.
As well as offering specific product tips, the dermatologist also set out a suggested diet plan for the former First Lady, which consisted of two boiled eggs, 'Hollywood toast' - buttered bread cut into circles and grilled on a low heat with an egg broken into the middle of it - with honey, and tea with skimmed milk for breakfast, followed by broiled beef and cottage cheese for lunch and meat with a watercress salad for dinner.
It also stated that she should drink champagne, because 'that is about the only thing she drinks'.
When he asked if she liked sweet treats, the notes state that Jackie replied no, adding: 'I eat an apple once in a while, like when I have lunch with the children.'
She also stated that she 'hates compote' but does like juice.
Doreen Bloch, co-founder and executive director at the Makeup Museum described the document as a 'a historical gem'.
'It speaks to the role of women in society, and the importance of beauty and flawless imagery in politics in the 1950s and 1960s,' she said.
Who was Dr Erno Laszlo?
Dr Erno Laszlo was born in Hungary in 1897 and studied skin pathology and disease under Professor Max Joseph, dubbed the 'father of modern dermatology'.
He opened his first institute in Budapest, complete with a lab where he developed bespoke treatments, before moving to New York in 1938 with his wife Iren, where he set up an institute on Fifth Avenue.
Some of his early well-known clients included Katherine Hepburn, Otto Preminger and the Archduchess Franz Josef. Greta Garbo paid her first visit in 1940, one year after the Institute was opened. Other famous clients include Audrey Hepburn - who once said 'I owe 50 per cent of my beauty to my mother and the other 50 per cent to Erno Laszlo' - and Marilyn Monroe.
He pioneered a number of innovative products and introduced specific formulas to treat a range of skin conditions. Dr Laszlo developed products containing SPF and an acne-prone skincare line to help cure the ailment.
He introduced the concept of a 'ritual' skincare routine, offering prescriptions for his clients, and was the first to introduce cleansing oils, bars, and the concept of the 'double cleanse'.
After becoming a master of medicine, Dr. Laszlo developed the groundbreaking Phormula 3 line for his private clients. Phormula 3-1 was customized for healing the acute acne of Princess Stephanie of Hungary.
Phormula 3-8 was created for Marilyn Monroe to heal the scar on her stomach. Today, reintroduced in the early 2000s, Phormula 3-9 is used by hundreds of women to repair and protect their skin from inflammation and stress.
Source: Erno Laszlo New York