2012
Summer Skincare: Eleanor’s must-haves for Hawaii
Each summer flocks of us San Francisco city dwellers head to the islands of Hawaii. Lush, tropical, humid, rainy, sunny or dry, Hawaii’s multi-faceted and different climate can reward our soul, yet blast our skin with a new set of issues (if we’re not careful).
This month our very own San Francisco spa esthetician Eleanor Bagley, heads to Hawaii with a carry-on full skincare products, tested for the Hawaiian elements. Mahalo Eleanor for sharing! Here are Eleanor’s summer skincare picks:
In Fiore Fleur Vibrante ($58): The ultimate healing floral balm. Great for healing over exposed or sun burned skin with soothing calendula and sea buckthorn.
Kahina Argan Oil ($36 for 30mL): Used for centuries by the Berber women of Morocco to combat the suns harsh rays with its high concentration of vitamin E.
Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate ($39.95): Great mixed with any sunscreen, moisturizer or body lotion to give you that sun kissed glow.
IS CLINICAL Pro Heal Serum ($78 for 15mL): Super antioxidant for daytime wear. A mixed blend of 15% vitamin C and olive leaf extract to protect the skin from damaging environmental stressors and heal the skin topically. This formulation can even be used on insect bites!
SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion Defense SPF 50 ($32 for 50mL, $64 for 125mL): Sweat and water resistant for all your activities with a perfect tint for all skin shades to give your skin a vacation and stay makeup free! Our new 125mL size is available now for a limited time only! Stock up.
Kai Body Lotion ($37): Because we never want to leave Hawaii and you don’t have to with this blend of exotic scents.
Aloha,
Sofia
Just as porous as your skin: Nails + RGB Cosmetics
The skin’s cousins – nails and hair – are oft-overlooked in world of toxic-free products. Despite the difference in texture, our nails serve the same function as our skin – they protect, filter, and repulse harmful bacteria from entering our bodies.
So, what’s the skinny here? Examine your nail polish. Not all nail polishes are created equal.
That is until we recently found RGB Cosmetics (NEW AT IO for $16 each), a modern, green, cruelty-free, vegan and sophisticated nail polish collection FREE of the 5 known carcinogenic ingredients commonly found in your average nail polishes: formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, DBP, and camphor.
Let us count thy ways in which RGB nail polishes are the way forward. Formaldehyde, the very same ingredient used to keep dead corpses looking “alive”, is used in your average nail polish simply to ensure a long shelf life and also to retain its color. Personally, I think this is enough reason to simply stop applying the others.
However, if you’re looking for more reasons why RGB reigns supreme in our skin and nail care world, the product is vegan, cruelty-free and made in the USA. Unlike the other “green” water-based nail polishes currently on the market, RGB outlasts the competition in what I call the “chip factor.” With a drying time of under 3 minutes, RGB polishes, with 2 applications, are just as long lasting as your average joe nail polish.
RGB Cosmetics (which stands for “red, green, blue” – the 3 elements used in graphics) believes in sophisticated nail color, so you’ll never find crazy colors in the line, and is a cult-favorite among celebrities and the red carpet awards.
Perfect for everyone, I especially think RGB is a must for expecting mothers who should be watching what they are putting in and on their bodies.
The following 6 colors are available for purchase at IO: Pink, Doll, Haze, Toast, Coral, and Dew (from left to right).
Now that we’ve covered the whys, stop by the SHOP at IO before your next mani ped and rest assured you’ve thought your nail care through.
Think about your nails too,
Sofia
Yoga Student + Teacher of the Month
Spring has sprung in the yoga studio. No two better than to bring in spring energy are Kari Zabel, who teaches an all levels vinyasa class on Monday at 7:45PM at our San Francisco yoga studio and Paige Prichard, a dedicated IO yogi who off the mat makes “wicked pancakes” and loves pigeon pose.
NAME Kari Zabel
HOMETOWN Twin Cities
YOUR IDEA OF HAPPINESS Anything involving adventure and moving my body and TRAVEL!
YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC TO PLAY IN CLASS Depends on my mood – anything from Iron and Wine to Gift of Gab to Krishna Das
YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS Andy Warhol, Jean Michael Basquiat, Banksy, Barbara Kruger
YOUR FAVORITE WRITERS Tom Robbins, David Sedaris, John Irving, Jack Kerouac, Simone de Beauvoir
YOUR FAVORITE VACATION Corn Islands, Nicaragua and Rajasthan, India
BEST AFTER YOGA SNACK Fruit or chocolate, but never the two together
YOUR FAVORITE POSES Hanumanasana (splits) and pincha mayurasana (forearm stand)
YOUR HEROES Too many to list – people who live with integrity and passion
YOUR OFF-THE-MAT PASSIONS Travel, reading, running, chocolate-making, creating, adventuring
YOUR MANTRA The one I most often use is “It is what it is,” which can seem like a kind of annoying phrase, but I think it is actually just a reminder that you can’t force things to be something that they are not. And have to accept/hold what is in front of you, hopefully with some compassion.
NAME Paige Prichard
HOMETOWN Salem, Oregon
PROFESSION Financial Editor
FAVORITE VACATION Bend, Oregon in the summer
SUPER-HERO TALENT I can make wicked pancakes
YOUR HEROES My parents
FAVORITE POSE Pigeon
AFTER YOGA SNACK Yogurt and fruit
FAVORITE ARTISTS Neil Young, Bob Marley, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Josh Ritter
5 THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY My dog, sunny days, live music, road trips with my husband, and cooking for friends
YOUR MANTRA Life is too short to diet
For more tidbits on Kari and Paige, read their complete profiles on the yoga board located outside of the studio. For our complete IO yoga schedule, please visit our yoga schedule here.
If you’d like to nominate a student, email Lindsay at lindsay@internationalorange.com
Namaste,
Sofia
Spring Cleaning with Kai Linen Wash
At our San Francisco spa, we clean our faces with products we believe in. Can you say the same for your home cleaning products?
Just this month, we’re proud to introduce a handful of new Kai products to our shelves, including Kai’s newest aluminum-free deodorant ($24).
However, we’ve been head over heels in love with Kai’s Fine Linen wash (16 oz. for $42), which is a wholly clean and peace-abiding product. No need to worry about harmful agents infused in your clothing – or better yet your water!
If you’re a fan of Kai’s signature scent of a light blend of gardenia and white exotic florals, then you’ll love wrapping yourself in Kai-scented clothing, post wash.
The linen wash is perfect for your delicates and your towels. The proprietary formula is infused with silk proteins, which strengthen fibers in fine fabrics each time it is used. The best part? The solution is biodegradable, so no need to worry about what your putting back into the environment.
Like all of Kai’s products, the Fine linen wash is paraben, sulfate and phthalate free. Never tested on animals, made in the USA and packaging is 100% recyclable.
Smell the gardenia,
Sofia
Our first line of defense: Antioxidants
Let’s face it. Aging is inevitable and here at our San Francisco spa, we believe that aging gracefully and naturally is the golden ticket to age-appropriate, swoon-worthy skin.
How to get there? Apply a topical antioxidant religiously and daily. Antioxidants are our 1st line of defense against the major skin-aging culprits like sun, pollution, free radicals, and collagen depletion.
Think of this image: cut open an apple and leave it on the counter for 1 minute. What happens? The skin browns and shrivels slowly over time due to oxidation, a process that damages the cells of the fruit. However squeeze a lemon on the surface, and the apple retains its white untouched surface.
This is same process that occurs with our skin over time. By applying our “lemon juice” or an antioxidant, the skin’s naturally occurring aging process begins to slow down.
In addition to preventing damage from the inside, antioxidants supplement the UVA + UVB protection against the sun’s rays. Fact: sunscreens block up to 55% of the damaging free radicals responsible for hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and lackluster skin tone, giving us even more reason to prevent against the elements.
Unfortunately, there’s no single antioxidant that will do the job, so it’s important to get a variety. Look for adequate percentages of each topical antioxidant (e.g. at least 10-15% of Vitamin C). A few of the well-researched effective antioxidants:
Vitamin C: vital for collagen production, the substance responsible for providing skin its plumpness and elasticity, alleviates inflammation
Vitamin E: known to protect against sun damage and promote healing of scars, prevent loss of moisture, and improves skin tone
Ferulic Acid: anti-inflammatory properties when combined with Vitamin C + E, helps to project against UV damage
Phloretin: Provides advanced protection against photo aging when combined with Vitamin C + Feurlic Acid
When to apply?
Apply to clean skin, pre-moisturizer and pre-sunscreen.
Some of our favorites all available at IO:
iS CLINICAL Super Serum ($140)
Arcona Youth Serum ($87)
Skinceuticals Phloretin ($152)
In Fiore Soliel Fleur ($115)
Go get your antio’s,
Sofia
Yoga Student + Teacher of the Month
April brings forth abundance and delight with this month’s featured teacher and student profiles: Jason Gillenwater, who teaches an all levels vinyasa class on Wednesday at 7:45PM and Saturday at 11:30AM at our San Francisco yoga studio and John Carney, a dedicated IO yogi who off the mat is a Financial Analyst who loves to practice his Malasana squat.
NAME Jason Gillenwater
HOMETOWN Iowa City, Iowa
YOUR IDEA OF HAPPINESS Spending time with my wife
YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC TO PLAY IN CLASS Radiohead, Jai Uttal, Krishna Das, John Coltrane
YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS Max Weber, Henri Matisse
YOUR FAVORITE WRITERS Jack Kerouac, Michael Pollan
YOUR FAVORITE VACATION French Polynesia
BEST AFTER YOGA SNACK Vegan donut from Pepples
YOUR FAVORITE POSE Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand)
YOUR HEROES John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Joe Henderson
SUPER-HERO TALENT I’m good at directions. Kind of like a homing pigeon.
YOUR OFF-THE-MAT PASSIONS The saxophone, jazz, coffee and hiking
YOUR MANTRA So Hum
NAME John Carney
HOMETOWN Boxford, Massachusetts
PROFESSION Financial Analyst
FAVORITE VACATION Europe with a half-plan
SUPER-HERO TALENT Muscles big enough to lift cars
TEACHERS WHO INSPIRE YOU Lindsay Jean Thomson
FAVORITE POSE Lately, Malasana squat
OFF-THE-MAT PASSIONS Photography
YOUR IDEA OF HAPPINESS Good food and really cold beer
BEST AFTER YOGA SNACK Coconut water and trail mix, assuming the trail mix has M&Ms in it
GO-TO SING IN THE SHOWER SONG The Right Stuff
YOUR FAVORITE WRITERS Colum McCann, Peter Carey
YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS Ryan Muirhead; Ozzy Garcia; Medeski, Martin & Wood
YOUR IDEAL SUNDAY Lots of coffee and meandering
For more tidbits on Marie and Scott, read their complete profiles on the yoga board located outside of the studio.
For our complete IO yoga schedule, please visit our yoga schedule here.
If you’d like to nominate a student, email Lindsay at lindsay@internationalorange.com
Namaste,
Sofia
Inspired: Katharine of Kahina Giving Beauty
At our San Francisco spa, we’re constantly inspired by our clients, products, and team of healing experts. Inspiration comes from near and far, yet no closer to our hearts is the story and soul behind Kahina Giving Beauty, one of our beloved Argan-oil based skincare lines.
With a mission of “women helping women through shared beauty rituals,” we couldn’t be more inspired. Here’s what Katharine L’Heureux, founder and beauty extraordinaire at Kahina had to share with us on a recent visit to San Francisco.
Describe the Berber women, their beauty and their skin and why Argan oil is the liquid gold of Morocco.
The Berber women are known for their mysterious beauty. There is much speculation as to their origins, but it is believed they migrated from the Orient and they often have beautiful almond-shaped eyes and complexions of that heritage.
I hesitate to generalize, but the Berber women I meet in the countryside are mostly very poor. Because of their religion and their economic situation, beauty regimens are limited to traditional remedies using natural ingredients such as argan oil, which comes solely from their region. As a result, despite the harsh conditions in which they live, they have beautiful radiant skin and lustrous hair.
What about the Berber women inspires you the most?
Their simplicity, their generosity, their happiness, their artistry.
Sustainable – is apparent in your philosophy, packaging and product extraction process. How has the argan tree provided not just a source of well-being for the Berber women but also the earth?
The argan forest is situated at the Northern edge of the Sahara desert in a region with very little vegetation. The tree loves to grow in the dry conditions of the region and has resisted efforts to be cultivated in other parts of the world. The deep-growing tree roots help to keep the growing desert at bay. It also serves as an important food source for the people and animals of the region.
How long is extraction process, start to finish?
First the argan fruit is harvested from the argan tree. The women need to gather approx.. 15.5 lbs of fruit to obtain the material for one liter of oil. The fruit is then dried in the sun, peeled and the seeds are cracked to get to the tiny interior “almond”.
The work of cracking the nuts is extremely labor-intensive and can take one woman approximately 8 hours to crack the nuts to produce one liter of oil. The oil is then cold-pressed by machine to ensure there is no bacterial contamination.
How many Berber women are now employed through the coops that you work with? It is hard to know exactly as some women choose to work from home to crack the nuts rather than go into the cooperative, and many women work only when they are able to. I work with several cooperatives and each of them employs approx. 50 to 100 women.
What does wellness mean to you?
Wellness is finding balance through optimal physical, mental and spiritual health. When one of these areas is out of whack in our lives, we aren’t “well”. In our culture, it is easy to take for granted that we are in good physical health and have access to food and clean water, and in seeking to have more material things than we need we tend to neglect our spiritual well-being by letting stress get the better of us.
What are your top 3 wellness tips?
It is so obvious to do the things we need to do to stay healthy – eat properly, get plenty of rest and exercise, but sometimes we need to be reminded. In addition, embrace some sort of spirituality in your daily lives by being grateful for what you have, act consciously, and help others. Practice gratitude. I was always told that you can choose to be happy. I never thought it was as simple as that, but we can choose to be thankful for what we have every day rather than dwell on the negative.
What is next for Kahina?
We have some exciting new product launches planned for this year – hello soap and brightening serum! I am hoping to extend the line to body care soon.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Love International Orange! ☺
Thoroughly inspired,
Sofia
Giving Beauty Well: Reclaimed Sari Throws
Some things just are special.
One of our obsessions as of late at our San Francisco spa are our one-of-a-kind Sari Throws from Bangladesh and India. Each is a handcrafted gift of love straight off the backs of women on the other side of the world. Not to mention, they are eye-catchingly beautiful!
Hand-stitched from 6 layers of reclaimed cotton saris, these fair-trade throws can be used as blankets, bed covers or shawls. (When Parker Posey stopped in, she also couldn’t resist and scooped one up for herself!)
The sari is the traditional dress and symbol of India and is known for their bright colors and intricate patterns. Each throw is unique and hand quilted together by women living in impoverished areas of Calcutta, India and Bangladesh.
The best part? In addition to preserving traditional handiwork, the purchase of each throw provides the necessary educational, social, spiritual and vocational support to the women so they can rise above their circumstances to create a better livelihood for both themselves and their families.
What better way to adorn your home and give back to those who need it the most?
Each throw measures approximately 40” x 79”. Available for purchase at the SHOP at IO for $78.
Just like us, no two are the same.
Choose wisely,
Sofia
