My name is: Shannon Davenport.
My stomping ground is: Austin, TX.
I’m known for being: The Founder of Esker Beauty, former trend forecaster and mama of two little girls.
I’m talking about: My bathing and body care brand, Esker.
You can find it at: eskerbeauty.com.
Before I launched this, I was: Working as a trend forecaster for 12 years, traveling around the world working with corporate brands and retailers.
My interest was sparked when: I got my aromatherapy certification and learned the foundation of working with plant-based ingredients for skincare.
What inspired me to start this was: I realized my work-life balance was untenable and I wanted to start a family with my husband. After working with beauty brands for so long, I had a really specific idea of what type of brands were in the market and how I felt I could add something new.
The idea behind it is: A brand that gives you all of the permission (and products) to take warm, luxurious baths and turn your bathroom into your self-care sanctuary.
What makes it different is: We are setting out to reimagine the lost art of bathing. Our body care products, tools and bathing accessories are all designed not only to help you achieve your most healthy, glowing skin, but also to create rituals that promote better sleep, mental health, and overall wellness.
Our secret ingredient is: Everything we do is inspired by nature and tried and true rituals. We believe that the best ingredients and wellness practices are the ones that stand the test of time.
My favorite lesser-known detail is: There is no wrong way to take a bath! Whether you have 20 minutes or the whole weekend, there’s a way for you to find wellness when you reimagine your bathroom to be a place of self-care.
The product I personally can’t live without is: Our Body Plane tool. It’s inspired by an ancient Greco-Roman body scraping tool called a strigil. My husband and I redesigned the tool with a different form factor, but the tool does the same thing, physical exfoliation.
Rest is so important because: It helps our brains function! I took a class once called, “Learning How to Learn,” which was taught by two neuroscientists. They explained how when you haven’t slept, it’s like there’s sand in the gears of your brain. Your mind isn’t functioning at full capacity.
My bedtime ritual is: After our little girls go to bed, I’ll often take a bath to wind down, using bath salts and candles. After that, my husband and I usually watch a few episodes of whatever our latest show is and I’ll do my skincare routine. No matter what, I always wash my face, moisturize and floss my teeth. I don’t think I could actually go to sleep without those steps!