Ah, summer! The sun, surf, and fresh air all do wonders to revive our souls. However, it can be an especially rough time for skin and hair. This ultra-hot summer will be in full swing for at least another month, so I thought I'd offer a few reviews on products I've found to be most helpful in combatting the season's less desirable side effects.

For Hair
A love of swimming and sunshine has done great things for my muscle tone, buy my hair is a different story. All the chlorine and UV exposure results in dry, dull, and brittle hair. I've been coloring my hair for years, and I dread what these elements do to my auburn tresses. This summer, while browsing through the local "Beauty Warehouse", I discovered the Alterna line of hair products. This line is comprised of shampoos, conditioners, and styling products which use the concept of "Enzymetherapy." Hemp oil is used in the formulation of these products because of its rich fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and assorted enzymes which help the hair absorb all these goodies. Knowing how great hemp oil is for the skin (The Body Shop carries a great hemp oil line of skin products I just love), I thought I would give Alterna's line a try. I purchased 2 shampoos, and 2 conditioners - Hemp seed "Shine" shampoo and conditioner, and Hemp seed "Hydrating" shampoo and conditioner for dry, damaged hair.

I couldn't believe the change in my hair after just a week of using these products! I wash my hair every day, so I like to "rotate" the shampoos and conditioners I use. I started with the hydrating shampoo and conditioner, which, after just one use, calmed and softened my frazzled mane. While a bad scent can ultimately make me reject a great product, the smell of this shampoo and conditioner is quite nice, a green apple scent which is fresh and crisp without being cloying. The next day, I decided to try the "Shine" shampoo and conditioner, which promised to bring extraordinary lustre back to my dull hair. Again, Alterna kept their promise. I did notice a marked increase in the surface texture and reflective quality of my hair. The "Shine" shampo and conditoner both have a delicious tart orange scent, which I liked even more than the apple scent of the "Hydrating" line.

I decided that these shampoos and conditoners are "smack-daddy" (as my friend Kella says) and have become my new favs, with my much-beloved Aveda products moving to second place (I was a Shampure user for years!) I use the "Hydrating" line for when my hair seems especially dry, and the "Shine" line when my hair feels fairly soft and more "normal". All the products have full range UVA/UVB protection, and come in 16.9 oz. bottles. While they aren't cheap ($18 for the shampoo or conditoner), they are concentrated, and seem as good a value as most other salon-quality products. My only complaint, albeit a small one, is that the beautiful bottles these products come in, which are colorful, funky, and geometric, can be a little hard to hold in the shower.

If you're interested in more information about the restorative qualities of these hemp-based wonder products, check out their website at www.4alterna.com.