One of my close friends just colored her hair for the first time. I know - I shouldn't be publicizing these things (hey - I'm not naming names!) It was a good color job, so at first I didn't even notice. But after a while, I thought her hair actually looked softer, as if the texture had changed.

It had. Her colorist had used L'Oreal Professionnel Inoa on her hair. She had all these wiry gray hairs that were sneaking their way through her locks, and the color had softened her whole head.

Inoa uses an "oil delivery system". Whatever the contents of the patent, it clearly works. It's also ammonia-free (they advertise it as odorless) and it isn't supposed to irritate your scalp.

You have to request Inoa at your hair salon (it isn't an over-the-counter product) and it's a bit more expensive than other options, but me? I'd pay the extra fee to be spared that terrible ammonia smell! They had me at 'hello.'