The fact that we tend to sleep poorly, eat badly and exercise less when we are going through hard times only exacerbates the spiral effect of stress.

Even when the rest of your life seems hard to manage, even if it doesn’t seem like it, you always have some degree of control over how you treat your body’s largest organ, and getting a grip on your skin is just the first step (and a great bridge) to feeling in control of your body and your life.

AGUA
It starts with drinking lots of water.

The whole eight-glasses-a-day thing can be tedious, but I’ve found that spiking my Hetch Hetchy with herbal tea or citrus and then drinking out of an old-fashioned Ball Jar can make it more enjoyable. (Plus, the Ball Jar has ounce markings so I know I’m getting my measurable eight-per-glass. In fact as I write this, I have an 8 ouncer half full of agua con ginger y lemon. I’ve got a ways to go on my daily in-take, but I’m well on my enjoyable way.)

KEEP IT CLEAN
Keeping “cooties” off your skin is also important. We tend to touch our face when we’re nervous or bored. Consciously avoiding the spread of bacteria from your hands to your face helps prevent those unsightly eruptions (yes, pimples).

MOVE THAT BOD
Yoga is great for circulation, and therefore great for your skin. So is a brisk morning walk, or any outdoor time / fresh air you can squeeze into your schedule.

TREAT YOUR SKIN
And when some time frees up in your schedule, consider rewarding your skin. She works hard for you, quietly holding it all in, and she is your biggest organ. I’m partial to rewarding my skin at IO. It sounds like C Magazine agrees by the recent rating in their Best of Summer issue that names our fabulous Custom Enzyme Facial “Best of State Top Five”. But, then again, I don’t need to be convinced.

Keep it simple.

And reward your skin,
Amy

A facial peel is like a really deep cleaning for your face. When I clean my house, I use non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, organic products. Likewise for my face. The Arcona and REN products that Alicia mentions are favorite sellers at IO, and I can testify that they are amazing. I am an avid user.

I save a special place in my heart for our In Fiore products because they are made with love and inspiration by a great friend of mine and they’ve long been a popular staple at IO. The Coveted mentions In Fiore’s Fleur Vibrante balm for soothing dry, parched or irritated skin post-peel. It’s truly good stuff.

The In Fiore motto is “let fragrance by thy medicine”. I adore that. Next time you are at IO, check out one of our tester jars and I guarantee you will fall into rapture over the precious garnet-colored glass vials of balms that smell like heaven itself.

But In Fiore balms are not just skin deep. They are elegant, couture holistic treatments designed to promote long-term skin health and radiance. Most In Fiore products use a base of the highest quality jojoba, grapeseed and vitamin E oils enhanced with precious aromatherapeutic essential oils.

I personally believe that a great, human-friendly product is only half the battle with skin care. Equally important is that you enjoy using the product, and I can’t imagine a more decadent self-pampering experience than In Fiore.

Love,
Amy

In this progressive area we’re blessed to live in, there are so many great sustainable resources that narrowing it down to five was a challenge. I wanted to take this opportunity to expand my list, and I invite you to share your eco-friendly picks with me as well.

1. Green Apple Books – You’ve probably heard me say before that I support the energy of sharing books instead of killing more trees. This is the biggest and most charming used bookstore in the city.

2. Boulettes Larder – This sweet, cozy little restaurant in the Ferry Building is a fundamental player in the global Slow Food Movement. The food is amazing, local and fresh.

3. MUNI – It’s true; I’ve started taking the bus. Currently, I don’t own a car, and the bus is one of the most overlooked and under appreciated remedies of the gas and global warming crises. The people-watching is priceless, and you never have to deal with parking.

4. Sunset Scavenger – The trash company that the city has contracted to deal with our everyday garbage and recycling has made it incredibly easy for city residents to take it one step farther and compost.

5. Ideal Bite – It’s like Daily Candy for the conscious set, with regular and doable tips for living in accordance with environmental ethics. My roommate from college, Heather, is co-founder, but this isn’t favoritism, I got into Ideal Bite before I realized it was my old roomie’s endeavor. Small world, eh?

Love to hear your suggestions and ideas for living more sustainably in San Francisco and around the planet. Do tell.

Earth-friendly,
Amy

Yet, amidst the gloom and doom, when I continue to wait in line for a seat at a restaurant on an average Tuesday night in my neighborhood and see smiling faces and hear laughing, I can’t help but think; wow, people are still having fun.

Many San Franciscans are finding ways to keep joy in their lives. And it’s encouraging. People are simplifying, because they have to, and many seem to be keeping some fun in the mix. Fun and laughter is my light in the dark. Having fun seems to carves out a space deep enough for hope to live in. A fun-well of sorts that I can dip in for a sip of hope when I’m thirsty for it.

At IO, our mission is to be A Bridge to Your Better Side. A subtitle to our mission statement is this: to be A Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Everyday our team at IO attempts this mission by consistently offering exceptional wellness care knowing full well that it’s always important to take care of your body and mind but even more so in stressful times.

Our hope at IO is that we make that a little easier for our community. We have always offered wallet-friendly options for our wellness rituals during weekdays, but we’ve dialed it up to answer the call.

7×7 Magazine listed us in April’s “The Seven: Best Spring Spa Deals”, citing our Massage Stimulus Package (our 60-minute IO Signature Massage for only $89 – a 15 percent savings).

We’ve always got a healthy handful of other spa offers that combine our consistently excellent treatment quality with wallet-friendly rates during off-peak hours. Check out our Spa Specials page for the nitty-gritty.

And remember, no matter what’s goes on in our crazy world, the stability of your own health and well-being depends upon treating yourself with care first. It starts with you and radiates outward.

We live in a world in flux. In our own hearts may we be steady, strong, rich in spirit, and as relaxed as humanly possible.

TLC time,
Amy

San Francisco Magazine sung our praises this way:

“If two hands are better than one, then it stands to reason four hands are divine. International Orange puts the theory to the test… The treatment utilizes two massage practitioners working to bring you to a state of total relaxation and we can put our hands together to applaud that.”

Picture this:

You are sequestered in the calm sanctuary of a soundproof treatment room at IO, with two of our most experienced massage therapists beholden to you for one hour. Soft world music is lulling you into a trance-like state.

The delicate aroma of our heady IO body care products floats across your skin to your nose. You are more relaxed than you ever thought possible, in four capable hands.

Rather than rely on a systematic approach to the treatment, the massage therapists will communicate with each other non-verbally to focus on muscles that need the most attention. You can trust their intuition to provide you with a transcendent self-care experience.

I bet this will be the most decadent massage you’ve ever had. And you might ask for Lisa and Christy. They are a powerful pair and that’s certainly true when it comes to Four Handed Massage.

Ceremonial is the word that comes to mind. Yes, I am laying it on thick. But it’s an amazing experience.

Double your pleasure,
Amy

IO Facials include lavish massage of face, decollete, neck, shoulders, arms and sometimes even feet, plus often double-exfoliation, masks with enzymatic peeling power, serums to tighten and firm, oils to super-hydrate, all beautifully scented and many organic and natural products that really work. I think of a great facial as a health treatment for my body’s most visible, biggest and very important organ: the one that’s exposed to constant stress in the form of solar rays, urban grime and all sort of invasive pollutants that are unavoidable in modern city life.

Our IO facials are all performed with the same supremely high-quality products that we sell in our boutique, and are customized to your particular skin type and situation. We never use generic products, ever. Depending on the treatment, in various ratios a facial will hydrate, rejuvenate, deep-clean, and slow down the aging process. Regardless of the specialty, a facial at IO is meant to restore health to exhausted or ignored skin and give it the confidence and attention to bounce back.

Of course, a facial isn’t a face lift, but it is vastly safer, way cheaper, and feels better. You’ll likely leave the spa with the most radiant skin of your life for at least a few days. Continue to take good care of your skin at home and your friends will certainly comment about your amazing skin and maybe even accuse you of a recent round of Botox. Ha!

From Sonja of The Coveted’s “My Year of Beauty” post in January: “I had my first facial at IO this year. It was the best facial I’ve ever had, which is no small feat, because I’ve had many over the years.”

And to reciprocate, The Coveted is a really great, edgy local blog that has gotten national exposure for its refreshing, sassy coverage of fashion, beauty and style. The all-female bloggers are especially interested in eco-beauty, vintage clothing, sustainable fashion, and all of those green-friendly catchwords we love to hear.

Never underestimate the power of a good facial.

Amen,
Amy

Staycation is the new buzzword for Americans looking to enjoy time-off without leaving their local area. It’s an eco-friendly and economical replacement for a vacation that would otherwise require costly and carbon-emitting travel.

In an effort to simplify, I recently donated my car to Spirit Rock and became a member of CityCarShare so the staycation concept is looking even sweeter to me these days.

Mount Tamalpais is my favorite backyard haven for a close-to-home, healthy dose of nature. Many hiking trails meander through towering redwoods, birds soar overhead and there’s usually prettier weather on Mt. Tam than San Francisco summers yield. Mill Valley can be foggy, but on Mt. Tam it’s often a clear view to the whitewashed San Francisco cityscape and out to the blue ocean expanse of the Pacific. Peace of mind is easy to find just over the Golden Gate.

If you want to make it a sleepover, choose between the spartan West Point Inn nestled on the west peak of Mt. Tam (hiking in is the only option) or for more luxury and car access try the Mountain Home Inn not far from the trail heads.

If your legs are weary from all that hiking, melt into some spa treatments and yoga at International Orange. This week, Style.com and Victoria Traina gave our very own spa and yoga services the thumbs up as a staycation spot for “all things health and beauty… ‘amazing massages’ and Vinyasa yoga classes”.

Read what Style.com had to say.

Staycationing in San Francisco,

Amy