As CEO of Pamela Anderson’s skincare brand Sonsie , Kailey Bradt maintains a down-to-earth travel wellness routine that’s about figuring out what makes her feel good wherever she lands. She shares her strategies for beating jet lag, why she loves a long-haul water fast, the detox shampoo and supplements that always make the cut, and the Greek beauty finds she brings home.
Tell us a bit about you and your company—how did you get started down this path?
I joined Sonsie initially as an early-stage advisor focused on product development and operations strategy. I love working with founders and founding teams, especially on product, because they get so excited about making tangible products for the first time. It inspires me to fall in love with the process over and over again. As the business grew, I continued to get more involved. The Sonsie team was just as excited about sustainability and building better in beauty as I was, so there was true mission alignment between myself and the brand. I really enjoyed working with the team and the people I work with are really important to me, so taking on the CEO role a year ago came quite organically. I couldn’t be more excited to lead this next phase of growth for the brand.
How do you approach staying healthy and relaxed when you travel by plane? Do you have a typical travel-day wellness routine?
I absolutely love traveling. My mind is most creative when I change my environment, so I don’t have any travel anxiety at all. It’s such a blessing to be able to travel the way I do, and that grateful mindset keeps me incredibly grounded and calm. I also am not the person who shows up to the airport last minute. I like to arrive early, pop into the lounge for a coffee and a snack, if taking a domestic flight, and load up on hydration. If I am jumping on an international flight overnight, I do a water fast, which helps me adjust to the time change.
Do you take any particular supplements prior to traveling or during?
I always have supplements with me when I travel—Arrae tribiotic and Arrae bloat—always, always. Then, I have my daily vitamins as well. I have been taking the Ritual multivitamin for years and I just started on their omega-3 to supplement my diet in case I can’t get enough healthy fats while traveling.
How do you manage sleep, jet lag, and staying energized while changing time zones?
Doing a water fast for long haul flights really makes a difference for me—there is always a S’well traveler in my bag. I stick to the time zone I’m landing in by immediately aligning my sleeping schedule and meals to the local time. If I feel groggy upon waking up, I get outside first thing and don’t linger around the hotel room or house.
Do you have a workout or movement routine you stick to while traveling?
I call it a bop. I’ll bop around a new place endlessly. I define a bop as a walk without a destination or duration. I explore a new place and just keep walking around until I feel good. Of course, I love a step goal, but it can be mentally taxing if you’re forcing it. It should be pleasant. This usually lands in my late-morning time frame after high-priority items for the day and between my team getting online—I tend to travel to the UK and EU frequently, so I’m ahead of EST + PST, where my team is.
First thing in the shower is good water pressure and hot, hot water. My shower routine varies, but let’s assume a girl shower after a long flight. I like to use a detox shampoo, especially when traveling internationally because the water hardness tends to vary so greatly—I like the L’Oréal metal detox. I usually do this wash once a week in New York to keep away brassiness in my blonde hair, so it’s not too different from my usual routine. I actually don’t use a conditioner, I’ve just been using hair masks. I alternate between two—this Gisou one, which is more focused on moisture and shine, and the other one by Apivita is more focused on hydration. I love a great smelling body wash, especially Chora by Naxos Apothecary.
On my vanity is the full Sonsie Bundle—always, always. I use the Adapt Cream morning and evening all year round, and I cannot go without it. I usually end up traveling with 3 lip balms, one of which is usually a lab sample. If I’m on a longer stay, you’ll find A313 and prescription 10% Azelaic Acid in my bag. I also like a face mist as the first step of my skincare routine when I’m traveling so an extra hydration boost.
How do you organize your cosmetics in transit—do you decant, use minis, buy things on the ground, or just check a bag?
I have so many tiny, little bags that I use to organize everything. I use everything from dust bags that came with purchases I’ve made, to stasher bags for bottles of liquids, to my mini red Saie Vanity Case for makeup and my Hermès Bride-a-Brac toiletry case for my skincare. I usually buy one mini of a product and refill it for my carry-on travel. I’ll do just a carry-on if I can. Otherwise, for sure a checked bag is with me with full sized everything!
Have you discovered any beauty or wellness rituals abroad that you’ve adopted?
I’ve gotten back into drinking tea in a big way, so now I always come home from Greece with different blends of loose leaf teas or even just herbs and spices that I use to make my own blends. They’re delicious and functional.
There’s also a beach on Paros, Kalogeros Beach, where you go and scrape clay off of the rocks and put it all over your face and body. I don’t bring it back with me, but I had just ordered some red clay from a raw material supplier and I use just that as a detoxifying face mask that I mix with water and apply at home.
What are some of your favorite beauty bring-backs from your travels?
From Greece this summer: teas, Chora Shower Gel, and Moni perfume from Naxos Apothecary in Athens; Apivita SPF for Body; Apervita Hair Mask; coriander, cumin, and cinnamon sticks for tea and all my spices from Bahar in Athens; The Body Buffing Bar from Korres; pumice stones from the center of Athens; and wild Lavender from the mountains (for the scent and calming).
Is there anything else you always pack for your beauty/wellness routine?
I bring Velcro rollers, always, because no matter where I am I can roll up my hair, fall asleep and wake up looking like I had a fresh blowout. I like the larger ones for the length of my hair. Kind of weird to sleep in, but I’ve gotten used to it.
Is there a place that surprised you with its wellness culture, or where you felt especially balanced and restored?
I say I have an annual requirement that I have to visit the island of Hydra. There are no cars. The sounds are mules trotting around, the waves of the sea and people chatting and laughing…and the occasional boat coming into port. It’s really a special place where I leave feeling more myself each year. Very centered. Very confident. And just very excited about life.
What are a few of your favorite wellness destinations/spas (and why)?
Although I do love a spa day, maximum relaxation for me isn’t so static. I like to be doing. And my perfect day of doing is built for a place like Hydra. I need to be able to pop outside to a cafe and have my morning cappuccino. Then I like to take a very long walk or even a hike in the morning, followed by a dip in the cool, salty water of the Mediterranean. This is followed by a light lunch with friends, popping in and out of the water off of some rocks between bites and sips. If only to be followed by a little beach nap in the shade or back at home. There is no better sunset than from the carved cliff of Hydroneta. But ultimately I like to wind up at home cooking with friends—being in the kitchen and around a table with good food and great people. That’s a day that recharges me.
Where are you dreaming of going next?
I love picking a new Greek island to visit each summer, and I’ve been wanting to go to Kea. There is this restaurant there that looks absolutely incredible and I’ve been dreaming of eating there. It’s called Lygaria. It’s farm-to-table style that’s open from April through October. It’s an easy day trip from Athens, so maybe this year! There is also a week-long cooking retreat where you learn to make Greek food and that’s in my future somewhere as well.
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