The founder of haircare brand Crown Affair is on the road nearly 200 days a year, and somehow never gets sick or seems to have a bad hairday. She shared her secrets: a go-to trifecta of immune-supporting supplements, in-flight haircare tips for landing with silky smooth strands, packing advice for quick turnaround trips, and the anchoring wellness practices that keep her centered whether she’s at home or hopping between three cities in a week.
Tell us a bit about you and Crown Affair — how did you get started down this path?
I grew up in South Florida, where haircare was woven into the rhythm of everyday life thanks to my mom—combing through knots after the pool, weekly hair masks, brushing my hair before bed. It was never about perfection; it was about care. Those early rituals taught me that taking your time with something—especially something as personal as your hair—can be an act of love.
Years later, working as an early team member at places like Into The Gloss and Away, I witnessed the power of product and storytelling to not only build community, but to help people feel more like themselves. That idea stayed with me.
Crown Affair came from the desire to build something that felt both deeply personal and widely resonant. A brand that could transform not just the health of your hair, but your relationship with it. For so many of us, hair has been a source of frustration or control—I wanted to create something that felt like a soft, empowering invitation back to yourself. Every product is designed to be intuitive and effective, yes—but also beautiful, tactile, and grounding.
How do you view the connection between haircare and self-care?
Haircare, to me, is one of the most tactile, immediate ways to reconnect with yourself. Something as simple as brushing your hair at the end of the day or massaging in an oil for five minutes can completely shift your state of mind. It’s not about control or achieving perfection, it’s about building rituals that invite you to slow down and care for yourself consistently.
There’s also nothing quite like the feeling of your hair looking and feeling its best. I hope to empower people to experience that—not just in a single moment, but through the daily practices that add up over time. Whether it’s haircare, journaling, movement, or meditation—these rituals become anchors. They help us feel more grounded, more present, more like ourselves.
How do you approach staying healthy and relaxed when you travel by plane? Do you have a typical travel-day wellness routine?
This year, I’m on the road nearly 200 days out of 365, so I’ve really learned how to bring my rituals with me wherever I go. Travel can be disorienting, but having little anchors makes all the difference.
If I can get in some movement before a travel day, it completely shifts my energy. I love Melissa Wood Health for quick, effective flows I can do anywhere. I also bring my Bala weights with me almost everywhere—just having them nearby makes it easier to commit to a few mindful minutes. Before a flight, I swear by beet root powder to support circulation—it’s become one of my non-negotiables. I stay relaxed by keeping things in their place. I’m a pouch person, through and through. I use a Cuyana pouch for cords and tech, an MZ Wallace for extras, and of course, our Crown Affair Travel Case for all my beauty staples—Dry Shampoo, a hydrating face mist, and The Comb always come with me. I also never travel without hand sanitizer, wipes, a great snack bar, headphones, and a book (something inspiring or fiction to get out of my head). A reusable water bottle is always with me, too.
I keep a sleep mask and earplugs in my bag so I can rest no matter where I land, and I basically live in the same uniform when flying: my Suzie Kondi set, a LESET tee, and an easy pair of sneakers. And a little tip that’s saved me more than once—if I’m checking a bag, I always pack 1–2 days of clothes in my carry-on, just in case.
Do you take any particular supplements before or during travel?
I have a trifecta I swear by: Elderberry Serum, Biocin TS, and Viracid. I take these daily to make sure my immune system is in top form. I rarely get sick even though I’m always on the road, in different malls and Sephoras across the country, and constantly meeting new people. I also take my usual supplements as instructed by my functional medicine doctor, which are entirely determined by bloodwork. I also love Broc Shot to keep my gut healthy and feeling not bloated when traveling.
Do you do anything for your skin or hair during (or before) a flight?
For skin, I keep my makeup light and use a face mist like SOS spray often. I also love the hand moisturizer from La Mer. For hair, it depends on if it’s going to be a wash day or not when I land, but I always prep a flight with some dry shampoo to absorb oils from my scalp, if it’s a long flight I’ll put in the overnight repair serum at the ends. When I land, my hair is silky and smooth. I also always have my mini brush and a comb on me to help with detangling and keeping the volume in my hair nice when I land.
Any strategies you swear by for dealing with jet lag?
I love the app Timeshifter—it helps you start to adjust to your time zone on both sides before a trip. This is particularly helpful for a larger time shift (8+ hour time zone difference). Eye mask for the flight,pop a melatonin, hit the ground running, and make a plan. No naps! Keep it moving. Lots of water.
Do you have rituals you use while on a trip to reset and ground yourself in a new place?
I try to keep my morning rituals no matter where I am. I journal my three stream-of-consciousness Morning Pages every day, followed by a nice stretch (I love stretching), and if there isn’t a foam roller at the gym where I’m staying, I love this little rolling device to wake up my body. No matter where I am, I immediately unpack, hang my clothes, and set up my bathroom station. I’m one of those people who prefers to unpack the moment I get somewhere, as it helps me feel grounded in a new space.
Are there any items you always pack for your wellness routine?
Beet root powder for circulation, Broc shot, seed, gua sha tool.
How do you organize your cosmetics in transit—do you decant, use minis, buy things on the ground, or just check a bag? (And do you have a cosmetics bag or reusable containers you like?)
For things that I love and use, I’ll buy a travel-size luggage and have a case ready to go with travel size of everything, and if they don’t make a travel size, I’ll put it in a Cadence container. I sometimes only have a day between when I land and when I leave again, so having prepped cosmetic items that are separate from my ones at home makes this easy. For anything that is 5-6 days or less, I try to do a carry-on with a larger-sized personal item, but if I’m traveling for a week or more and need to have specific outfits for events, etc, I check a bag. I usually also have a cabin bag, too, with my essentials. I’ve learned the hard way to always prep a few days of outfits in a carry-on in case your bag is trailing behind.
Your air-dry “twist and clip” method is famous—do you have any other haircare rituals or habits you rely on?
Brushing before bed is a consistent ritual—brushing distributes oils, keeps the scalp healthy, and is grounding for me. I’ll do that, followed by the Dry Shampoo (also a pro-move to do before bed!) it absorbs oils while I sleep and I wake up with amazing volume in my crown. I also always, always pack my own hair towel. Part of launching Crown Affair was to get people as excited about haircare as they are about their skincare rituals. You would never go to a hotel and expect them to have your skincare, why are we doing the same with our haircare? So I always pack the haircare that I can rely on to make my hair look and feel the best.
Do you have any hair tools you bring along when you travel?
I’m fairly low-maintenance with tools if I’m traveling for holiday. I actively try to give my hair a break from heat on vacation—I swear by my twist and clip air dry method with our Air Dry Mousse, Leave-In Conditioner, Clips.
They come with me everywhere, and that’s really all I need. That said, I NEVER never forget my hair towel. It comes on every trip with me. Trust me, once you use the Crown Affair hair towel, you’ll never be able to wrap your hair in a hotel towel again.
When I do reach for tools, I’ll just dial my air-dry with a curling wand, like the T3 wand. And because our Leave-In Conditioner has a heat protectant, I don’t need to add additional products for my ‘air dry plus.’
Do you have a favorite hair treatment worth traveling for? (could be anywhere in the world!)
In Tokyo, I love the meticulous hair spas—they approach hair with the same reverence as skincare. Anywhere that treats hair health as integral to overall well-being is worth seeking out. I went to a head spa in Shibuya in 2019, and it opened my eyes to a whole new way of haircare — the opposite of a blowout bar, basically. It was magical, and I was inspired to continue that reverence in how I care for my hair when I came home.
How does your interest in beauty and wellness influence your travels?
I enjoy booking new workout classes when I travel—I’ll do 1 – 2 classes, and I feel more like a local and get a sense of the place. You learn a lot about a place by going to a workout class, and you get a better understanding of the community.
I love going to beauty supply places. When in the EU, the pharmacies are my favorite. I’m nostalgic for them. Also, I love exploring fragrance. I remember getting my first Byredo Gyspy Water at Le Bon Marche in 2010 and also Ex Nihilo a few years after that—before both were really into the states in a big way. Those felt like special experiences, and I enjoy discovering new fragrances when I travel.
What are some of your favorite beauty or haircare “bring-backs” from your travels?
I’ve been a Buly fan for a long time—we use the same vendor to make our combs in Switzerland. They always have fun, new objects I love to use and look at. I also bring back products that you can’t get in the US for FDA approval reasons—sunscreen in particular. Haircare from Japan and Korea, there’s so much innovation that’s very inspirational.
What are a few of your favorite wellness destinations (and why)?
My husband jokes that I follow a bathtub or sauna. The onsen culture in Japan is everything, I would spend time in an onsen every day if I could. We went to a few in the mountains of Niigata and it was the most serene experience in nature.
In the states, I always enjoy Sedona. Mii amo is one of my favorite properties. If I can go there every few years for the rest of my life, I would be so thrilled. Also I haven’t been to Finland, but in Sweden and Denmark, the sauna culture is divine.
Where are you dreaming of going next?
Ireland is high on my list—my Grandma’s side of the family is from there and it’s definitely calling me. I’ve also never been to Korea—my CEO is from there and goes at least once a year to see family and do product research, so that’s high on my list. I’m also being called to the Red Wood Forest and would love to spend more time in nature in the Pacific Northwest.
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