"My vision for Oak has always been to be a trusted resource for women like myself, and as the brand has grown, that word 'trusted' has come to mean something more specific to me. It means showing up with real expertise, not just beautiful products. The Advisory Council is how we do that—bringing together the practitioners and specialists who can actually speak to what our community is going through and give them genuinely useful, actionable information and guidance." –Jenni Kayne, Founder, Oak Essentials
The Oak Advisory Council exists to help shape how Oak Essentials develops products, communicates with its community, and participates in the broader conversation around women's health and wellness at every stage.
"Brands often look at aging as a problem to be fixed and don't focus on what we at Oak Essentials feel is the right conversation: how to support women through all stages of the aging journey to make space for the joy and confidence that comes with this new era. The Advisory Council is our commitment to changing that, to making sure that when she comes to Oak, she has access to real expertise from people who are active practitioners in the fields that impact her life the most right now." –Lauren Harris, CEO, Oak Essentials
"What's always guided Oak is the idea of simplicity done with real intention, and the Advisory Council reflects that same thinking. We didn't want a long list of names—we wanted the right names: women who are actively practicing, who understand what our customer is actually going through, and who she can genuinely turn to. That's what makes it meaningful to me." –Jenni Kayne, Founder, Oak Essentials
The Oak Advisory Council reflects a broader shift in how Oak Essentials sees its role— not only as a maker of exceptional skincare, but as a trusted source of education, advocacy, and community for women who are tired of being overlooked.
Members are active contributors—advising on product development prior to launch, validating ingredient claims and positioning, and contributing expert perspectives across press, social, email, and editorial content throughout the year. They will participate in panels, interviews, and brand activations, and their guidance will shape how Oak Essentials speaks about skin health, hormonal aging, and women's wellness at every touchpoint.
"The brands women trust have an obligation to do more than sell products—they should give back in a meaningful way. Building a council of licensed, practicing experts across dermatology, gynecology, pelvic health, nutrition, and mental health is how we will use our platform to close a real gap and make resources more accessible." –Lauren Harris, CEO, Oak Essentials
"It was really important to us that this not be a marketing exercise and that every person on this council is actively practicing, board-certified, and chosen because of the specific expertise she brings to the life stage our customer is in. There is no shortage of wellness voices, but there is a real shortage of the kind of grounded, clinical credibility that women in their 40s and 50s deserve to have access to, and that is exactly what we've built." –Lauren Harris, CEO, Oak Essentials
About Oak Essentials
Jenni Kayne founded Oak Essentials in 2021, inspired by her own desire for long-term skin health. Each formula is deeply hydrating, naturally effective, and designed to support the skin as it ages. An extension of her lifestyle brand, the collection is thoughtfully curated and shaped by a belief in simple daily rituals. With luxurious textures and gently lingering scents, Oak Essentials quietly elevates the everyday, while grounding you in the moment. This is clean skincare by Jenni Kayne. This is the art of aging beautifully.
About Oak Essentials Founder Jenni Kayne
Jenni Kayne is a tastemaker and trusted authority on style, spanning the worlds of fashion, beauty, home, and entertaining. As the founder and creative force behind her eponymous brand, Jenni sets the standard for modern, elevated living. From timeless apparel to beautiful home essentials to clean, uncompromising skincare, Jenni's commitment to quality design and lasting beauty defines every element of her world—making it feel both considered and enduring.
Follow along: @oakessentials
Oak Essentials is available at OakEssentials.com, Nordstrom, Amazon, Ulta, Revolve, and FWRD.
Introducing the founding members of the Oak Advisory Council:
JULIA BARNA
Julia Barna is a licensed esthetician and sought-after lymphatic specialist based in Los Angeles whose holistic approach to wellness underlies every treatment. Certified in Vodder's MLD, Sculptural Face Massage, Reiki, and Gua Sha technique, she utilizes the healing power of touch to provide support both inside and out. Her practice bridges clinical knowledge and intuitive care, with a focus on skin ritual, barrier health, and long-term skin behavior— and her perspective on how women experience and interact with their skin over time is a foundational part of how Oak Essentials thinks about product and education.
ESTHER BLUM, MS, RD, CDN, CNS
Esther Blum is a nationally recognized integrative dietitian and menopause expert, bestselling author of five books, TEDx speaker, and host of The Midlife Realignment podcast, with nearly 30 years of experience helping midlife women get the menopause care they deserve. A functional medicine dietitian and certified nutrition specialist with graduate training from NYU, she has appeared on the Today Show, ABC-TV, and Good Day NY and is regularly quoted in Oprah Daily, goop, Forbes, and Well + Good. Her work speaks directly to the Oak Essentials customer— a woman who understands that what she puts in her body is as important as what she puts on her skin.
KASEY CROWN, MA , LMFT
Kasey Crown is a licensed marriage and family therapist and wellness educator with two decades of clinical experience working with individuals, couples, and groups to heal trauma, repair relationships, and bring people into alignment with who they truly are. She holds a BA in philosophy and MA in spiritual and counseling psychology, with post-graduate training in the fields of interpersonal neurobiology, systems approaches to treatment, and trauma-informed care. As founder of Kasey Crown Wellness and co-founder of WellSoul Workshops, her expertise will shape how Oak Essentials communicates about wellbeing, stress, growth, and the emotional landscape of midlife.
DR. SARAH DE LA TORRE, MD, FACOG OB - GYN, DIPA BLM
Dr. Sarah De La Torre is a board-certified OB/GYN with a dedicated focus on menopause medicine and hormonal health. Her clinical practice centers on the physiological changes women experience during perimenopause and menopause—and the direct impact those changes have on skin, sleep, mood, and overall wellbeing. A committed advocate for ensuring women receive informed, individualized care during a life stage that medicine has historically underserved, Dr. De La Torre brings essential clinical grounding to Oak Essentials' approach to skin health and aging.
DR. MELISSA KANCHANAPOOMI LEVIN, MD FAAD
Dr. Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin is a globally recognized, award-winning board- certified dermatologist and the CEO and Founding Medical Director of Entière Dermatology, where she is known for achieving natural- looking outcomes through a holistic, whole-patient approach. She holds the position of Clinical Associate Professor at the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine and is a trusted expert voice for major media outlets on skincare and dermatology. Her clinical depth and decade of strategy consulting on renowned skincare brands make her an essential part of how Oak Essentials approaches skin health at every age.
DR. ALLISON OSWALD, PT, DPT, WCS
Allison Oswald is a licensed physical therapist with a specialty in pelvic health, bringing a dimension to the Oak Advisory Council that few beauty brands have considered: the connection between pelvic floor function, physical recovery, and overall vitality across every stage of a woman's life. Her inclusion is a deliberate signal that Oak Essentials is committed to a vision of women's health that is genuinely whole-body—not just skin-deep.
SOURCE Oak Essentials
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