Beauty Spotlight on Elaine Sack

Welcome back to the Maya Chia Beauty Spotlight series! We use this series to showcase rad women who are doing amazing things in the world, like New York Times Bestselling author Jasmine Guillory, US Open winner Sloane Stephens, wunderkind bookstore owner and literacy advocate Annabelle Chang, and writer/podcaster/tv star Caissie St. Onge.

This issue, we wanted to shine our spotlight on someone who lives and works closer to home, specifically Maya Chia’s home base of Charleston, South Carolina! Maya Chia products are formulated, produced and perfected in our Charleston solar-powered laboratories, but we are not the only clean, green, indie brand who has made this city our home. Groundbreaking, pioneering clean beauty brand RMS is also based here in Charleston, so of course, we love to cheer each other on.

Helming the Charleston office of RMS is Chief Strategic Officer Elaine Sack, who has been with the brand for sixteen years (and counting!), so we asked if she’d answer our Beauty Spotlight questions and become one of our amazing, featured women we adore! She said yes, and we made it happen, and now thrilled to share her thoughts with you!

Please welcome to this month’s Beauty Spotlight the amazing Elaine Sack!

MCB: What is one thing you do every day?

I start my day with a ritual that's part mental gymnastics, part sibling bonding: Wordle. It’s like a daily party where the guest list is very exclusive; my Sister.  My longest streak was a heroic 403 days until it was tragically interrupted by an international flight and a time zone betrayal.

MCB: Where would you go if you could travel somewhere right now, all expenses paid?

South Africa. It’s a bit of a trek—think epic journey with a side of "Is this flight ever going to end?"—but Cape Town had my heart. My husband is from South Africa and I love seeing him on his own turf.  We plan to move there eventually, and I will definitely be doing a lot of those “I can’t believe I live here!” posts.

MCB:   Who is the person you wish you could talk to more?

My 11-year-old son is now so grown-up and so busy. Between sports, friends, and school, he’s got the schedule of a mini adult. When he’s not calling me “Bro” or flexing his “riz,” I’m just trying to grab a glimpse of our remarkable kid who is growing up way too fast.

MCB:  What are your favorite Maya Chia products - and why?

The Maya Chia travel set is like a facial in a suitcase—thanks to Susanne for the perfect curation on that one.  The Straight A Retinol is so gentle for my sensitive skin, ideal for when you’ve overdone it on other products or testing new formulas. The Mane Agent is my hair’s superhero after heated tool abuse, which I’m a habitual offender. And the Mint Mask is wildly addictive. 

MCB:  What's your "sliding doors" moment? Some time when your life almost took a totally different direction.

My first job was for a congressional campaign. We were meant to win, so I was looking at apartments in Washington DC to continue to work with the congresswoman. Well, as things often do in politics, it didn’t go as expected so I needed to pivot. I ended up finding my way to Charleston about two weeks later—and never looked back. 

MCB:   What is the biggest challenge you face now or have faced in the past? How did you overcome it?

Building a brand in a sea of competition is something that anyone in the beauty industry can tell you is what makes this industry challenging. Rose-Marie and I decided that rather than being the loudest voice or the biggest company, we’d focus on creating the most exquisite products and staying true to our brand’s pillars of clean beauty thru accessible artistry. That commitment has kept us grounded and focused, but the challenges we faced as a this small duo were nothing short of epic.

MCB:  What do you wish you knew/learned sooner?

I wish I’d learned sooner that "less is more" doesn’t just apply to makeup—it’s a life philosophy. Simplifying and prioritizing can be the key to avoiding unnecessary stress and confusion.  Right now I’m focusing on just letting things go. 

MCB:   What is one easy thing you do to be more "green" or eco-conscious?

We are lucky to have running water, as I’ve seen places where that’s a complete luxury. So I’m very particular about our water consumption at home. There will be no 25 minute showers in our house. 

MCB:  What's the best advice you've ever received - and think other women might benefit from?

Take a mental health day if and when you can. PTO should NOT be reserved for a cold or the flu. We need to prioritize taking care of ourselves and acknowledge that a day off to either pamper ourselves or just knock out a long list of personal errands isn’t selfish. Women, particularly mothers, are way over run. 

MCB:   What is something you're really proud of?

While the obvious answer is “my family” (and it certainly is), let’s not forget my Wordle skills and my great friendships.  I have some of the best girlfriends and am so proud of the circle of people I’ve been lucky to surround myself with. 

Elaine, you are truly wonderful. Thank you. You put goodness into the world, and make so many peoples’ lives a little brighter all the time. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Elaine and RMS. And speaking of what’s next, she’s excited for the launch of their new Suncoverup SPF 50 and lip oils coming this October—be sure to check them out! We can speak from personal experience that the products are just as amazing as you would expect.

And if you enjoyed this piece, check out some of our other Beauty Spotlight interviews, such as another brilliant, funny comedy writer Wendy Molyneux, artist Jessica Durrant, and multi-hyphenate actor/writer/director/podcaster Lynn Chen.