On Beauty, 1930's Style

I found this gem on Youtube and had to share it. There is a lot that translates to today- keeping it simple is always key.

Where We Are Giving - August 2011

There is so much going on in the world. Along with the usual places we donate on a monthly basis, Apotheca pledges to give a combined 10% of our (admittedly modest) profits in August to two very worthy causes.

5% of our profits will go to Oxfam America to help with their work feeding starving people in drought-stricken East Africa.


5% will go to support Tika Hick, an amazing woman who is going through an incredibly challenging time of home foreclosure, a new baby, a double mastectomy, and recently losing her husband in an accident. Watch below or read her story here, and if you are in San Francisco please think about going to the Michael Franti concert benefiting Tika and baby Indigo at Little Baobab on August 10th.

Every Home Needs a First Aid Kit

Last week I found myself shivering with a 102 fever, a healthy and energetic three year old to mind and a husband out of town on business. Not my happiest hour, and when I put some cold chicken, half-frozen broccoli and a slab of butter on my toddler's plate for dinner at 6pm I knew I had to call on my family for some emergency help. My sister came, made me tea and rescheduled my next day's clients. She also brought me two extra-strength acetaminophen tablets which by 10pm's fit of headachey insomnia had still done nothing to bring my fever down. I wish I had remembered sooner that I have my trusty Urgent Care Kit of 18 different homeopathic remedies for everything from fever to bee stings to food poisoning. I took the recommended dose of Belladonna and by 9am I was still feeling off but was able to walk my kiddo a mile to preschool. Another dose before napping all morning and by 2pm it was as if I had never been sick.


Homeopathy is a fascinating system of medicine that has no side effects and can easily be incorporated into anyone's wellness lifestyle. I'm by no means a trained homeopath but I have successfully used its remedies to treat or support recovery of everything from my own eczema to my son's croup. To learn about this fascinating and safe system of medicine, this web site is a good place to start.

Why it's important to do the research or work with someone you trust

Meet the Therapists: Karly

"As a Licensed Massage Therapist, Registered Yoga Teacher, and student of Ayurveda, I use all three practices to help clients experience a calm and blissful state of balance. Massage sessions blend a variety of modalities and are designed to address each person’s needs and goals. Myofascial Release, Deep Tissue techniques, Swedish & Thai Massage, and Ayurvedic Body Therapies are the guiding influences behind my practice. Any modality can be emphasized if desired."


Karly teaches private yoga sessions and offers Integrated massage sessions at Apotheca. Please read our Yelp.com reviews to find out what her very happy clients have to say about their sessions with her. Here is a sneak peek from one of our favorites:

"Oh man! This cannot wait:

For more than a year I have had a painful problem with my neck and shoulder which has restricted the range of motion I have been able to turn my head. I just got back from my first session with Karly and BAM! I'm moving smooth and easy again! Suffice it to say, I consider myself one lucky chick!"

Be Your Own Apothecary: Rosemary and Tea Tree Foot Bath

This one is fabulous for you marathoners, hikers, and anyone who spends a lot of time on their feet. Use cool water for a refreshing feeling on a hot summer day. Or, for this crazy Winter in July we are getting this week in San Francisco, use very warm water to gently heat your feet and leave the whole body feeling bundled up and cozy.

Fresh rosemary is easy to find at your local grocery store and even at your local park. Take just a little sprig and you won't harm this very resilient plant. Rosemary has tonifying properties for the whole body. It is warming and analgesic (pain-killing), and revives the body and mind. Tea tree can't be beat for its antibacterial properties and helps deodorize tired feet like nothing else.

Are you ready for your foot bath? Here's how to do it:

• Put a sprig of fresh rosemary, broken into small pieces, into a large bowl, dishpan, or basin of water
• Add boiling water to draw out the good oils from the plant
• Let cool enough to comfortably touch.
• For a warm soak, just add 6-10 drops of Tea Tree essential oil and submerge your feet.
• If you prefer a cold soak, wait until your water has cooled and add ice before adding the Tea Tree oil.
• Soak your feet until they are nice and pink. Dry off and follow with a good moisturizer like 302 Skincare Body Treatment Intensive, which we love and sell at our office.

Don't forget our contest for a FREE Strategic Massage Session or Express Facial. Read how to enter here. We will be drawing a name at random this Friday, July 15 so enter now.

Summer Giveaways at Apotheca

Is your neck sore or has testy summer skin got you down? Enter our July contest for a complimentary Express Facial Treatment or Strategic Massage Session. Here's how to enter:

1. Join our Facebook page and comment there that you would like to be entered.
2. Tell us why you need a massage or facial treatment from Apotheca
3. Follow this blog for an extra entry
4. Follow our Twitter page for another extra entry

For those of you who are counting that is a total of three opportunities to win a free facial or massage. The winner will be chosen via the "names in a hat" method by 2pm Friday, July 15th. This contest is open to everyone. Good luck!


Don't forget to visit us for ultrasonic exfoliation add-ons to your regular 60- or 75-minute facial treatment. Regularly $25, this upgrade is available free during the month of July. Book your session online and use "ultra" in the Promotion Code section of your booking form.

How to Be Happy

According to a recent Mayo Clinic article on finding contentment, happy people spend time:

• Devoting time to family and friends
• Appreciating what they have
• Maintaining an optimistic outlook
• Feeling a sense of purpose
• Living in the moment

Great advice and a pretty decent article that can help generate some questions about how we approach our contentedness. Personally, I think keeping a Gratitude Journal is paramount. What do you (oh, ghosts of the Internet) do to cultivate your own happiness?

Yoga at Apotheca

Did your New Year's resolutions have something to do with getting fit and making more time for yourself? How are they coming along? If you could use some support and motivation, come join our resident Registered Yoga Teacher Karly Railsback for private sessions at our convenient downtown space.

Private sessions provide challenge and insight for students of any level. You may be new to yoga and want to develop a solid foundation, or a seasoned practitioner looking to do some fine tuning. You may be shy about yoga studios, or maybe you're "not a gym person." Maybe you need a practice to suit the specific needs of your body. Perhaps you are pregnant or recently gave birth so you're looking for a yoga practice for two. Whatever your intention, private sessions are a great way to get the space and attention you'd like to develop and deepen your yoga practice.

Sessions range from 50 to 90 minutes. Package pricing is available. Come in this Friday, April 8 or on Friday April 22 between 3:30 and 5:30pm for your complimentary 20-minute session. Book your appointments and buy packages here.

About Karly Railsback, RYT

Karly teaches Hatha and Vinyasa Flow yoga with an emphasis on alignment, ease and awareness. Her yoga sessions contain a balance of postures, breathing practices and meditation techniques to awaken the body and ease the mind; creating a refreshing state of balance. She applies principals of Ayurveda to the practice as well.

Karly teaches group yoga classes in San Francisco including: Beginning Yoga, All Levels Yoga, Gentle Yoga, and Vinyasa Flow Yoga.

Karly says, "My study and practice of yoga has been most informed by the Iyengar, Vinyasa, Para Yoga and Anusara Yoga traditions. My intention is to make the powerful and peaceful practice of yoga accessible to all seekers regardless of age, experience or physical ability."

She quotes, “If you can breathe, you can do yoga.” (T. Krishnamacharya)

Spring Has Sprung! It's Time to Detox, Not Botox!

Spring has sprung and we couldn't be more glad! Now that Winter has gone and the urge to shore up and be cozy has given way to longer days we are packing up our bulky sweaters and heading outside. In Ayurveda (the ancient system of Indian diet and healing) as well as in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Spring is a season of new beginnings.
Just as we do a thorough Spring Cleaning in our homes (out with the old and in with the fresh, clean, new!) so should we assist our skin and bodies with detoxification and releasing what isn't needed anymore.

For many of us, all those months of cold weather have led to a stagnant way of being- perhaps we are holding a bit more weight than we'd like. Maybe our skin is breaking out, or bumpy, red and itchy. These are all signs of inflammation, aggravated by artificial heating and cooling and a diet too high in sugars simple carbs. (Bad news, party people. Alcohol = sugar to your body.)

We all know how detoxifying skincare can help get you clear, soft skin. But did you know that massage can actually help you lose weight? Reduced stress means a reduced cortisol levels. Excess Cortisol, the stress hormone, has a direct relationship to excess belly fat. And we know conclusively that massage therapy reduces stress. So it seems that stress-reducing bodywork can help you achieve your weight loss goals. Besides that, taking care or yourself in a nurturing way can make the difference between a grab-and-go lifestyle (that leads to too much snacking, poor food choices, and not enough sleep-- also linked to excess weight) and really slowing down, living our goals and taking good care of ourselves.

Yoga is also an excellent aid to detoxifying the skin and body since it (like massage) helps circulation and lymphatic movement. Yoga can't be beat for stress relief, and is also good for the sort of mental "spring cleaning" that comes from mindful movement and, again, slowing down to breathe.
All that sounds better than a horrid week breaking your metabolism by doing the dangerous, starvation-inducing Master Cleanse, doesn't it?

Kick-start your Spring get-healthy program with our seasonal Detox Not Botox package. What you get:

• One 60-minute detox facial treatment with lymphatic drainage facial massage


• One 45-minute skincare for the back treatment with our amazing new detox mask, le Swamp Thang, featuring Pacific coast seaweed, French green clay and an amazing blend of essential oils sure to banish back acne and get your skin glowing for Spring.


• One 70 -minute massage for stress relief or Integrated/ deep tissue massage with full-body dry brushing


• Two private yoga sessions


• Our own delicious herbal tisane, custom-blended for the season and made from the highest quality organic nutritive herbs, for you to take home.

Regular price: $470. Package price: $423. Buy this package before April 30th for the reduced rate of $399!

Go to our secure booking page and select Detox Not Botox from the package drop down menu. Happy Spring!