Living In The Green World

I want a green shampoo, not green hair. Yet, I'm an avid swimmer, and every summer the sun and chlorine give me chartreuse streaks. I've tried conventional swimmers' shampoos that claim to remove chlorine, but they contain potentially harmful ingredients such as SLS, DEA, phthalates and parabens, which are on The Green Guide's "Dirty Dozen" list. So I was delighted to discover Aubrey Organics Swimmer's Normalizing Shampoo and Conditioner For Active Lifestyles, which are free of these ingredients and available in 2-oz refillable, recyclable #2 plastic bottles ($3.25/2 oz. and $9.98/11 oz.; www.aubrey-organics.com).

Another great summer shampoo, perfect for the outdoors, is Liggett's Old-Fashioned Bar Shampoo, which comes wrapped in paper, not plastic, and is also "Dirty Dozen" free. Like Aubrey's, Liggett's sidesteps phthalate-spiked synthetic fragrances by using all-natural plant oils such as almond, olive and hemp. It leaves my hair soft and clean without conditioners ($5.95/3.5-oz. bar; www.canarycosmetics.com/personal_care.htm).

Both are sold at Whole Foods Whole Body and other natural product stores.

For more info on chlorine in pools see "Is Chlorine Safe For My Pool?"

For "Dirty Dozen" ingredients to avoid, see Dirty Dozen