A Slice of San Francisco: International Orange Bath, Bod and Hair Products

The last time the Spa Boy and I were in San Francisco, we panicked. Or at least I did. See, I was at the wheel, and after a leisurely week of tooling through wine country and up the California coastline, we arrived in the city just as rush-hour traffic was kicking into high gear. I suddenly became THAT lady … the crazy lady driver swerving and swearing in pitches that could break glass. Clearly afraid for his life, the Spa Boy had me pull off on a side street and took it upon himself to navigate us safely to a hotel while I took deep calming breaths into an empty McDonald’s bag that I fished out of the back seat. Previous attempts to get acquainted with the city ended in similar disaster. Once on a business trip, armed with street maps and city guides, my stalwart determination to get to Fisherman’s Wharf landed me squarely in Oakland (the mega huge suspension bridge should have been a sign). So I’m not a city girl. And I’m directionally challenged. And heavy traffic brings out the crazy lady in me. So sue me. Someday I will navigate the City by the Bay with less trepidation but meantime, there’s always the web, which is where I came across International Orange. IO, as it’s called by people in the know, is a day spa and yoga studio in Pacific Heights. It’s also a shop where they sell their own line of organic potions of the same name. From the safety of my home, I sampled the collection of delicious hair and body products and it really makes me want to get my tushie into that spa. A spritz of the Balance deodorant neutralizes odors with a dose of lavender and comfrey leaf. The Cleanse body wash, with bergamot peel and calendula blossom, is a silky milky dream. The Restore hair wash feeds your hair rich botanicals like seaweed extract and geranium flower while Nourish hair cream treats tresses to golden jojoba and tuberose petal. Each product is made by hand with rare organic, wild-crafted or biodynamically grown ingredients. All oils and butters used in the products are fair trade. With starting prices at $38, the beauty balms aren’t cheap but the price tag sure beats navigating the streets of San Francisco. For now, anyway! IO organic products are available online (yay) at www.iowebshop.com or find more about the spa at www.internationalorange.com. P.S., For those of you waiting on the edge of your seat for my book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Girlfriend Getaways,” which hits the streets April 7, yes, I did include an excursion to San Francisco. The section includes fun ways to tour the city with your girlfriends — all by foot!