These are tough times, what with the crazy weather, political shenanigans in full swing — and the weekend coming up. You don’t want to be caught having a bad hair day.

Then again, what is all that stuff in the ingredients list of store-bought shampoo? And do you really have to unload your bank account to get the products that don’t contain crude oil?

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Fear not, good people. Umbra Fisk, Grist’s green advice columnist, feels your pain, understands your needs, and just wants to help your family. Here she is with a little advice for getting the scare products out of your hair products.

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This year marks the 10th anniversary of our Ask Umbra advice column, and to celebrate, we’re pulling a favorite gem of eco-advice out of the archives each week.

Send your green-living questions to Umbra.

For even more green goodness, you can follow Umbra on Twitter (@AskUmbra) or become a fan on Facebook.