Interview | Shannon Davenport of Esker

Before launching Esker, Shannon Davenport spent a decade in the high-pressure world of New York trend forecasting, helping global giants decode what was ‘next’ in beauty, art, and design. But after years of shaping everyone else’s identity, she decided it was time to build something of her own — a clean, plant-based beauty brand rooted in the kind of integrity and honesty she felt the industry was missing.

Her pivot into bodycare came when she was pregnant with her first child. While looking for products to support her changing body, Shannon found that effective clean skincare was hard to come by, and that bodycare was consistently treated as an afterthought.

In seeking expertise, Shannon enrolled at the New York Institute of Aromatherapy to earn her certification and become a NAHA-certified Aromatherapy Advocate. Armed with a deep understanding of botanicals, she unveiled Esker in 2018. The brand debuted with three custom-crafted body oils designed to nourish the skin using only the most responsibly sourced ingredients.

Fast forward to today, and Esker has evolved into a full-blown lineup of elevated bodycare and wellness essentials — from restorative body washes and bath soaks to lymphatic drainage dots and candles. It’s no longer just a routine; it’s a total body ritual.

We sat down with Shannon to discuss the origins of the brand, the transformative power of lymphatic care, and why a solid ritual is the real foundation of a successful beauty routine.

What inspired you to create Esker? 

I was coming off years of trend forecasting and nonstop travel, and my nervous system was fried. Bathing became the one place where my body actually downshifted. At the same time, bodycare felt either overly cosmetic or overly clinical. Esker came from wanting products that do something real for the body — circulation, texture, tension — while also restoring ritual. Not self-care theatre. Actual care.

What product makes the best introduction to the brand?

The Body Plane. It’s immediate, a little surprising, and very honest. You see what comes off, you feel the difference right away, and it reframes exfoliation as a body ritual, not just maintenance.

What has been the biggest highlight?

We just launched at Credo Beauty. Their standards are no joke, so being on their shelves feels like real validation. We’ve been obsessive about ingredients and packaging since day one, and it’s nice when that rigour is recognised. I’m also genuinely inspired by their education program and excited to bring Esker rituals to that community. But the deeper win? Hearing someone say they finally feel like they can exhale. Or that they bought a gift that made someone feel taken care of. That’s the whole point.

What advice would you give to those wanting to launch their own beauty business?

Do your homework — and then do more. Make sure you’re creating something genuinely new or solving a problem that isn’t already being addressed. Test in the market, test online, get as much real feedback as you can before you go all in. It took me two years of nights and weekends before Esker was ready to launch. Patience isn’t glamorous, but it’s everything.

What’s next for Esker?

We’re expanding deeper into body rituals that support regulation — circulation, lymphatic flow, and magnesium replenishment. I have a background in aromatherapy, so scent as a nervous-system tool is a big focus. Less ‘newness for the sake of it,’ more building a system that actually works together.

What does your daily bodycare routine look like?

Simple and repeatable. Dry brushing most mornings. At night, a hot shower or bath, often with a shower steamer, then body oil while skin is still warm. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s helping my body land at the end of the day.

What are three beauty products you can’t live without?

• Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Glow SPF 50: This uses mineral actives and gives you this incredible lit-from-within boost. It feels like it’s going to be too much at first, but it settles beautifully and looks stunning under foundation.
• Iris & Romeo The Reset: I’m obsessed with this hyaluronic serum spray. I reach for it the second I get out of the shower because I try to moisturise within five minutes, before my skin starts to lose moisture. The hyaluronic acid gives me a really good seal and a nice hydrophilic base, allowing me to slow down and do the rest of my routine at my own pace.
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze: I prefer tinted and laminated brows, but I try not to overdo it to avoid the hairs getting fried. This styling wax bridges the gap — the hold is incredible, you can really control the shape, and I keep one in my makeup bag at all times.

What’s the best beauty lesson you’ve learned?

If a product lives under the sink, it won’t get used. Visibility matters. Ritual beats intention every time.

Which person or brand would you love to collaborate with?

Kohler — they’re doing serious work around water therapy and I think there’s real alignment there. Or a sauna brand. Someone building rituals around heat, water, and recovery the way we’re building them around touch and scent.

What’s not getting the attention it deserves in the beauty industry right now?

Lymphatic care. I’m going through perimenopause, and the more I learn about how the lymphatic system affects circulation, water retention, skin elasticity, etc., the more I realise it’s the invisible engine behind bodycare. We focus on the surface, but lymph is powering everything beneath it. I’m excited to see more people start paying attention.

UK customers can find Esker at Free People and eskerbeauty.com, with the brand available in the US at Credo Beauty, Bergdorf Goodman, and Ulta Beauty.