Savannah Sachs has been called one of the most talented leaders at growing brands. In her five-year tenure as CEO of TULA Skincare, she steered the digitally native brand to new heights, establishing it as a leader in the “clean-ical” space, driving rapid growth for its omnichannel business, and leading the company through its 2022 acquisition by Procter & Gamble. In January of this year, Sachs was named CEO of Eighth Day, the luxury skin care line founded in 2021 by dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon Dr. Antony Nakhla. With its cult favorite status and fiercely loyal following, Eighth Day is exactly the kind of innovation-led, budding superstar that Sachs loves to build and scale into a powerhouse brand. Prior to TULA, Sachs honed her strategic growth skills as COO and U.K. General Manager at Birchbox. Earlier in her career, she worked in management consulting at Booz & Company, where she advised Fortune 500 companies in the retail, personal care, and pharmaceutical sectors. An industry veteran known for building high-performance teams, Sachs spoke with CEW about the growth trajectory for Eighth Day, what it takes to create a winning brand in today’s market, and why luxury skin care is on the rise.

CEW: What drew you to Eighth Day?

 

Savannah Sachs: I first heard about Eighth Day through friends in the industry. There was buzz around the brand’s cult following and everyone was talking about their hero product, The Regenerative Serum ($325). When I got my hands on a bottle, I just fell in love — I felt like it truly transformed my skin. In the summer of 2023, I was introduced to Eighth Day’s founder, Dr. Antony Nakhla — or Dr. T, as he’s known. He is a dermatologist, dermatologic surgeon, and scientist, and when he outlined his vision for the brand to me, it just felt like kismet. It was one of those connections that felt so natural and energizing, and I thought there could be something very special in us partnering to bring his vision to life.

CEW: To succeed in today’s crowded market, what do you feel a brand needs?

SS: For a skin care brand to win, it needs two things: deep clinical credibility and innovative, next-generation formulas. Eighth Day has both: first, Dr. T is a practicing dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon who has a unique approach to formulating skin care around bioidentical actives, which are synthesized ingredients that are biologically identical to the molecules already found in the skin. Second is our Peptide-rich Plasma™, our patent-pending technology that powers all our formulas and is made of 24 bioidentical peptides, plus growth factors and amino acids.

CEW: What is the foundation of Eighth Day’s approach to skin care?

SS: Our name reflects our philosophy, which is that beauty transcends time. The cycle of time is measured in seven days, so Eighth Day is synonymous with transcending time, as well as timelessness and renewal. The idea of renewal extends to our formulation philosophy, which is to renew, restore, and regenerate the skin by tapping into its innate healing powers.

CEW: When you arrived at the company, what did you want to address first?

SS: I started here a few months ago, when Eighth Day was in the early innings of building a forever skin care brand for the modern luxury consumer. What’s great about joining at this relatively early stage is that I can build things strategically from the ground up. I’ve been in listening mode, immersing myself in the brand, listening and learning from Dr. T while also taking things off his plate so he can continue his dermatology practice. I’m focused on laying the right foundation and am starting to lean into building brand buzz and awareness. For our long-term strategy, I like to say we’re building the airplane while flying it. The top priority right now is attracting and onboarding rockstar talent across brand marketing, digital, and retail so we can really level up in this next chapter.

CEW: How are you drawing on your past leadership experience in your current CEO role?

SS: I had the privilege of leading TULA Skincare for five years, building up the brand from an early stage. My leadership purpose is to build happy, high-performing teams by nurturing the right culture and setting up everyone for success. While I certainly draw from my past experiences and knowledge of the skin care category, I believe that every brand, business, team, and even market has its own context. For Eighth Day, which is its relatively early stage, I am grounded in today’s consumer, today’s luxury market, and Dr. T’s vision.

CEW: In September 2023, private equity firm L Catterton acquired a minority stake in Eighth Day. How is the company utilizing this investment?

SS: I worked with L Catterton at TULA as well. I appreciate how they partner with founders and leaders to advise, and they will jump in to help as needed. They have a deep knowledge of the beauty category and serve as a strategic thought partner along every step of the journey. With L Catterton’s significant minority investment, Eighth Day can scale our team and invest in building brand awareness while continuing to lean in on product innovation and next-generation ingredient science. It’s very exciting to have the capital to focus on building in the right ways. Now, we can be in heads-down growth mode.

CEW: What is the retail plan for Eighth Day?

SS: We launched exclusively with Violet Grey in 2021 because they have a deep understanding of both the luxury consumer and high-performance skin care. They are the ultimate tastemakers in the space, and we give them a lot of credit for establishing The Regenerative Serum as this incredible cult favorite.

It’s important to partner with the right retailers at each step of the brand journey. Over the past year, Eighth Day has gone into Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Net-a-Porter, and we also have a strong direct-to-consumer business. We are very committed to an omnichannel approach that meets the luxury customer where they’re shopping, and we are excited to grow within our existing footprint.

CEW: The brand just released its seventh product, The Rejuvenating Moisturizing Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30. What is unique about this formula?

 

SS: Skin cancer is on the rise, especially in young women. As a skin cancer surgeon, Dr. T wanted to bring something truly innovative to market: a multitasking, skin priming SPF that’s as potent and luxurious as your other skin care. He worked for years on the formula and developed a proprietary zinc technology called EpiZinc, a non-nanoparticle, mineral-based, zinc oxide UV filter. Zinc oxide is regarded as the safest and most effective UV filter, but it’s hard to formulate with. What’s incredible about The Rejuvenating Moisturizing Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($140) is that it has natural pigments to neutralize the white cast often associated with using mineral sunscreens, so it’s suitable for all skin tones. As with all our products, it’s powered by our Peptide-rich Plasma™, so it has potent anti-aging benefits and delivers a beautiful sensorial experience.

CEW: From your vantage point, what is the outlook for advanced skin care?

SS: We’re seeing a return to science, especially in the luxury category. Dr. T. believes bioidentical actives are the future of skin care, and we’re excited to help educate this discerning community about the power of this technology.

CEW: What’s next in terms of innovation from Eighth Day?

SS: We’re strategic about building the brand at this stage, so we’re being very thoughtful about our innovation roadmap and launch ethos. This year, the focus is our patented hero, The Regenerative Serum, and our new The Rejuvenating Moisturizing Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30. Our next big innovation will be in 2025, so I hope everyone will follow along with us to see what the future brings.