In the case of shampoos, if you color your hair, you should spend the extra money on shampoos that protect your color. Unfortunately I have found most inexpensive shampoos and conditioners contain alcohol, and even some of the more pricey (like Pantene)have alcohol. Look at the ingredients. If it has alcohol, it will strip your color and ultimately dry out your hair. Many inexpensive conditioners make your hair feel conditioned because they contain wax which does nothing but coat the hair. The combination of wax and alcohol will ultimately require you to use more product and wonder why your hair is so dry without it. There was a special on one of the news shows (I think 60 minutes) that exposed the fact that many of the products we buy today like conditioner and lotion actually contain ingredients, like alcohol, that do the opposite of what you think they should. What good is a moisturizer or conditioner that drys you out?

Glad to see that my olive oil suggestion is working for your daughter. Wearing a hat will not only protect her hair from further damage but also keep her cooler in the sun. Wearing a scarf around the face can filter out particlates from the air that can be breathed in. Desert sand is very fine like dust and not like the sand we associated with beaches and kiddy sandboxes. When I was in AZ it didn't take much wind to blow it into our mouths while we talked. I always thought the gritty sand was going to wear the enamal off of my teeth as I could always feel it if I put my teeth together. If flies are a problem I would not be using honey in the hair as I think that could attract them. It is also known that flies are attracted to scented products so it makes sense not to use them. It's nice to see that you've found a penpal to share things with. The email capbilities at GW have never worked for me either. For some reason only some accounts are affected and not others. I think it has something to do with when one sign up here. Maybe writing to GW and asking will help resolve it for you.

I use (from Whole Foods) Alaffia's Coconut & Shea shampoo and conditioner. No sulfates or anything nasty, and the ingredients are virtually all in "English": Herbal infusion of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), Vegetable Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride (and) Cetearyl Alcohol, Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) Butter, Virgin Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Oil, Panthenol (pro-Vitamin B5), Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, Potassium Sorbate, Essential Oil of Lavender, Fragrance, Limonene (from essential oil), Citric Acid. We use Alaffia everything. Their moisturizers are miraculous, doing wonders for my oily/dry skin, DH's dry/cranky skin, and my mother's crazy/angry/irritable skin. Ditto the face wash. Their body wash (labelled as "Everyday Shea") is outstanding and cheap: a huge bottle is well under $10.00. Here is a link that might be useful: Coconut & Shea

Hope I can get some! There are quite a few I buy on there. Usually we get the Smart Source or P&G.