The Little Black Dress of Serums
Meet the surgeon who thinks you’re perfect as-is.
Cassandra Grey wields the power to shift the beauty industry in mere keystrokes. Her taste is notoriously flawless. Her intriguing personal lore, paired with a knack for discovery and an editor’s eye, means that when she puts something new on the shelves at Violet Grey, people know they should listen — because she doesn’t select just anything. The discriminating world she moves through wouldn’t allow it.
That credibility led me to discover Eighth Day, then just one Regenerative Serum in a curiously minimal black bottle. I purchased it knowing nothing about the brand but that I could trust it since it was on the shelves at her Melrose Store.
Since then, the serum has been a stalwart in my routine, now built into an expanded ritual of the brand’s other products. I think of it as my “little black dress” serum. It’s a classic I can always reach for that complements almost everything else in my skincare wardrobe.
Given we’re on the cusp of a new year, something regenerative feels apt. The serum is powered by a patented formula featuring the brand’s “Peptide-rich Plasma,” a secret sauce composed of 24 potent bioidentical actives — Hyaluronic Acid to moisturize and plump up the skin, Niacinamide to reduce redness and inflammation, Glycolic Acid to improve skin texture, and other potent peptides and antioxidants.
I’ve become somewhat of an evangelist of this stuff among friends, gifting it to people over the years who both gobble it up and playfully curse me for the gift of an expensive habit. (Ask Joyce Lee who recently included it in her skincare edit—an honor, given that she has absolutely perfect skin.)
I fell in love again when Eighth Day released their Resurfacing Tonic a year or so later. Filled with rich acids that sweep away dead skin, brighten, and tone, it quickly knocked p50 (and just about every other chemical exfoliant) off my vanity. I’ve worked myself up to using it every other day, swiping it on with a cotton pad. Sometimes, I’ll swab my legs with it and wrap them in hot washcloths to let it steam and sink into my pores, which is a wonder for ingrown hairs and dull winter skin.
The mind behind these potions is Dr. Antony Nakhla, a board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon. He is a leading authority in skin cancer treatment, reconstructive surgery, and wound healing. Eighth Day is inspired by what he observed over the course of 10,000+ surgeries: that human skin is regenerative — it knows what to do.
I love how Dr. Nakhla spoke about the line's inception in an August New York Times article. “I was taken aback by how much [most skincare] costs and what was actually in them,” he said. “If you buy a Lamborghini and you look under the hood, I can tell you why it costs this much,” he added. “With luxury products and skin care, when you look at the ingredient list, there’s nothing in there of real value.”
Dr. Nakhla wanted to develop something worth the money to enhance what he believes are the already beautiful faces his patients were given. Despite his cosmetics background, he isn’t big on renovations, facially speaking. So, he is choosing an adaptive reuse philosophy instead—and, in the case of his more complicated patients (he concentrates on facial reconstruction post-skin cancer surgery, treating many complex facial wounds and advanced tumors), he returns them to themselves.
When a doctor like that puts something on the market, people listen.
The Boxcutter Shopping Questionnaire: Dr. Antony Nakhla, Eighth Day Skin
My best wardrobe investment was: A black cashmere beanie.
A skincare treatment I consider essential is: Fractional laser resurfacing. I prefer procedures that focus on the quality of your skin vs. chasing down a wrinkle with fillers or neurotoxins. This is my beauty philosophy with my patients - that you look best when you look like yourself.
I love collecting: Vintage watches, particularly from the 70s and 80s. That kind of Gordon Gekko, wall street gaudy vibe with a matte, unpolished patina.
Eighth Day adds something new to the market because: We use bioidentical ingredients - those that are biologically identical to molecules already present in skin - designed to mimic the natural repair and renewal mechanisms already part of human skin. In this way I like to say that we speak the language of skin, communicating to cells in their own native code, signaling the innate healing and renewal processes.
If I had to pick one gateway product from my line, it would be: The Regenerative Serum. It targets 10 visible signs of aging and has the highest concentration of our Peptide-rich Plasma®, which I formulated with 24 bioidentical peptides, amino acids, and growth factors. It’s actually patented and it really packs a punch; I designed it to replace a lot of products in your vanity.
Something I just bought for my home is: A built-in sauna and cold plunge. Recovery and renewal are pillars in my approach to wellness.
Something I am always re-purchasing is: Roadie hair pomade by Jillian Dempsey.
To me, the greatest luxury is: Time and fine tea.
To me, getting dressed is about: Understanding the venue, the context, the company, slightly underdressed, slightly over fragranced.
Something I’m giving this holiday season is: A box of Partagas Lusitanias cigars, a.k.a “Jordans.”
My favorite place to shop at home in Orange County is: B. Candy Store, which features hard-to-find, novelty candy from my childhood and makes you appreciate the whimsical art of sweets. It’s fun to see your own kids in a candy store.
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P.S. Thank you for the “Shop My Bag” feature, Violet Grey! Read it here.
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