If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, WWD may receive an affiliate commission.
Shop Oak Essentials Beauty Must-Haves at Amazon
After the Black Friday and Cyber Monday rush we all just experienced, it’s time to settle down, slow down, and take stock of the basics. Some questions you should be asking yourself: Am I feeling balanced? Is my skin care optimized for the winter season?
Related Articles
If the answer to any one of these is a “no” for whatever reason, it’s fine time to get acquainted with Oak Essentials: a clean skin and body care brand launched in 2021, by none other than Jenni Kayne, whose California-inspired, minimalist clothing has dressed the likes of Meghan Markle, Selena Gomez, Emma Stone, Sofia Richie Grainge, and beyond. Oak Essentials describes itself as being in the business of creating “deeply hydrating, naturally effective” formulas that are the furthest thing from complicated and have lasting hydration at their core. The scents you’ll encounter here are not overwhelming in the least, and the sumptuous textures of each mask, cleansing milk, and peptide serum are those you’ll want to savor each and every day.
Compelled by what Kayne’s Oak Essentials has to offer? Shopping the brand has never been easier since it landed at Amazon just a few months ago, where beauty bestsellers like the Balancing Mist and Ritual Oil are receiving rave reviews and impressive ratings. If you’re the impatient type, we urge you to score a free Amazon Prime trial today, so as to ensure the goodies get to your door in record time.
“I couldn’t be more excited to share everything we’ve been creating at Oak Essentials with an even wider audience on Amazon,” Kayne tells WWD.
We, of course, also made sure to get the rundown on her personal product suggestions. “My number one recommendation is always Moisture Rich Balm — it’s the product that inspired the brand and embodies our philosophy of deeply hydrating skin care,” says Kayne. “The dense, waterless texture melts into your skin to leave behind a dewy, post-facial glow.” The very same glow, it should be said, that blessed Lea Michele’s face at the 2024 Met Gala (for which her makeup artist used no shortage of Oak Essentials offerings).
Another hot pick you’d be wise not to overlook is the magnesium-powered Microbiome Balancing Deodorant. “I wanted to create a clean deodorant that feels elevated, truly performs, and helps soothe sensitive-feeling underarms,” Kayne shares with us. “I’ve never used a natural deodorant that works on so many levels before.”
Swipe the baby on whenever you break into a sweat or feel underarm odor creeping in: never having to worry about bad-for-you ingredients like aluminum, silicones, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances in the process.
If you’re searching for a gift to treat your mom or wife to (perhaps managing to stuff it in their stocking before Christmas morning), Oak Essentials has its Luminous Body Lotion for the taking, which is not only a crowd favorite but a vital part of Kayne’s own daily routine. “I look forward to smoothing it on every day for its plush, silky texture and beautiful, herbal scent,” she says. “It helps hydrate, soften, and leave behind youthful-looking skin all over. I think it’s the best body lotion out there.” What’s more, you can try it out in two sizes as part of the Luminous Body Lotion Home & Away Duo — one to keep on your nightstand and one to slide into your overnight bag.
Our editors also made sure to add Oak Essential’s Cleansing Balm to our Amazon carts. A high-achieving alternative to makeup remover wipes, the velvety-soft balm dissolves makeup upon first contact, restores essential moisture to the skin barrier, and aids in speeding up cell renewal. So too do we have eyes for the $215 (and totally worth-it) Youthful Skin Routine Set from the brand. A made-for-gifting purchase through and through, the four-step kit features the viral Nourishing Cleansing Milk, Renew Face Polish, Firming Plant Peptide Serum, as well as the Kayne-developed and Kayne-loved Moisture Rich Balm. Taken together, the selections promote plumper, firmer, and more luminous skin outcomes, while working overtime to reduce fine lines and eradicate dullness.
We’d be remiss not to mention that Kayne has many more feathers in her cap of accomplishments, in addition to the celeb-approved Oak Essentials and her eponymous clothing label. The multihyphenate also provides personalized styling and design services as part of Jenni Kayne Interiors, as well as shoppable home decor pieces that reflect her rooted-in-nature, Cali-cool aesthetic. Before you ask, there’s most definitely a through line connecting all of these endeavors.
“Jenni Kayne and Oak Essentials live within the same thoughtfully curated world,” says Kayne. “Where Jenni Kayne brings timeless style to your wardrobe and home, Oak Essentials brings that same philosophy to beauty, with rituals that are simple, luxurious, and designed for skin longevity.”
As for how Kayne wants you to feel after enriching your day-to-day with Oak Essentials? “My hope is that incorporating Oak Essentials into your routine helps you slow down, feel a little more grounded, and rediscover the joy in your daily rituals.”
We’ll toast to that (with our cucumber- and ashwagandha-infused mocktails, of course!).
Sign up for WWD Shop’s newsletter to get the scoop on the best in beauty and style with in-depth reviews of exciting new releases and buyer’s guides to find the products you need to try ASAP.
Oak Essentials Moisture Rich Balm
Price upon publish date of this article: $84.80
Oak Essentials Luminous Body Lotion
Price upon publish date of this article: $56
Oak Essentials Microbiome Balancing Deodorant
Price upon publish date of this article: $26
Oak Essentials Balancing Mist
Price upon publish date of this article: $41.99
Oak Essentials Ritual Oil
Price upon publish date of this article: $54.99
Oak Essentials Cleansing Balm
Price upon publish date of this article: $48
Oak Essentials Youthful Skin Routine Set
Price upon publish date of this article: $215
Oak Essentials Awaken Body Wash
Price upon publish date of this article: $28.50
Oak Essentials Nightly Retinol Serum
Price upon publish date of this article: $84.77
Oak Essentials x Jenni Kayne Advent Calendar
Price upon publish date of this article: $350
Why Trust WWD
Since 1910, WWD — often referred to as “the fashion bible” — has been the leading industry voice of authority for senior executives in the global women’s and men’s fashion, retail and beauty communities, while also informing the consumer media that cover the market. Today, WWD’s breaking news and trend coverage continues to be a trustworthy resource for both fashion insiders and consumers alike. Our shopping editors continue to uphold WWD’s editorial standards and values with quality, expert-backed product selections. Learn more about us here.
Meet the Author
Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly reports on buzzy beauty brands worth readers’ time and money.