Hmm,- I am not quite sure as to what exactly you are trying to avoid about "shampoo", so I'll just throw a couple of ideas at ya:

I once posted a question in this tribe as to what to do with my wood ash, and someone pointed me to a really cool link where I could learn about making my own soap with it.. (punch in a search within this tribe)

or I could suggest getting some indian wash nuts,- indian women have been using them for thousands of years to wash their hair, and clothes incidentally (you need to google that)

also black tea is a great rinse for hair, or vinegar

does any of this help?

Maybe you don't have dandruff. could be psorises. I have it. I don't use anything but unsented, undied soap. Pine tar soap ( Grandpa's brand) works well. but makes my hair a little poofy, I also brush my hair twice a day giving my scalp a good massage, keeping the naturail oils, and blood flowing.

I've used a baking soda solution, with good results.

Dissolve 1 tablespoon of baking soda in 1 cup of warm water. Wet your hair, then pour the solution over your head, working it into the hair with your fingers. Rinse. That's it.

The alkalinity of the baking soda causes the hair shafts to open up, releasing trapped dirt and oils. You can use a mild vinegar rinse after you're done with the baking soda to close them again, which will make your hair look shiny, but some people with oily hair (like me) find that a vinegar rinse makes their hair get oily-looking again in no time.

soap?

You can also just use conditioner EVERYDAY. It has emulsifiers to help break up the oils in you hair. If this is not enough, the baking soda first sounds like a good idea.

Beware, my brother stopped using shampoo, and really started to smell like sour milk. It was pretty gross. You might want an honest friend to work with you on this one.

Your average bar soap is no more natural or filled with goodness than your average shampoo, plus bar soap will dry your hair and scalp and do your hair no justice.

Of course the marketing of shampoo is all hype. It is artificial product differentiation. That's an economics term that describes attempts to cause consumers to think nearly identical products are unique and superior.

Shampoo is a form of soap that is well suited to washing your hair. All you need is a mild, basic shampoo. And that does not mean baby shampoo. Baby Shampoo is very harsh, I have heard. If you are sensitive to perfumes and dyes and all that crap, get a natural shampoo. Maybe Dr. Bonner makes one. You can dilute Dr. Bonner's brand of pure natural liquid soaps and wash your hair with that if you want.

If you want to pay extra for wheat germ oil and rare essence of jojoba or what not in your shampoo, hey, life's short, and if it makes you feel sexy and gives you an orgasim to use that shampoo, just like they show on the commercial, go for it!

I think your hair will benefit a lot more from eating wheat germ than putting it on your hair, but again, life is too short to eat wheat germ!

"1 Tablespoon baking soda
"1 cup warm water

"Combine above ingredients in a spray bottle and shake.
"Wet, condition, and blot-dry hair.
"Spray with mixture.
"Allow to sit for a minute or so, then rinse with cool water.
"Blot dry again, "style" as usual.

"The baking soda will remove dirt buildup and leave your hair feeling shiny and clean."

********************************************************************************************************
"1-3 teaspoons olive, peanut, or sweet almond oil
(depends on length and/or thickness of your hair)
"2-4 drops pure lavender essential oil

"Combine oils and apply to the ends of your hair.
"Wrap hair with clear plastic wrap and leave on for 30 minutes.
"Rinse thoroughly with 'Lemon Aid' (juice of 1 large lemon with your usual amount of conditioner)

"A revitalizing oil treatment that nourishes the ends of your hair. It's especially useful in winter, when hair constantly rubs up against wool and other heavy fabrics."

Both recipes excerpted from "Curly Girls" by Lorraine Massey.

Diluted Dr. Bronners or theres some other stuff that's biocompatible, but I can't remember it's name.

Clean sand or mud

Then there is always the option of very short or even no hair ?

There is soooo much available online to make your own, natural shampoo, you just have to sift through it. This site looked good to me: www.pioneerthinking.com/hair.html

I totally agree with paula, BEWARE of the smell (stink!) when you don't use shampoo at all. My teenager tends to skip washing his hair (even when he takes a shower) and I can always smell it, especially when we are in the car together.

On another site, there was a similar question. They suggested putting a beer on your hair, massaging it in, rinsing it out. Then putting yogurt and honey in leaving in for a few, and rinsing thoroughly... as a conditioner. Just retyping the info I heard!

massage coconut oil through. its light and smells nice

then rinse with watered down ving to cut out the excess grease.
the ving also makes your hair shine and kills druffies


white ving is less smelly.
also that rinse in the shower will improve you skin (ving)

if its really greasy i use strait ving
otherwise 50|50 or 25ving|75

it stings a little strait if you have sensitve skin


you can also brush cornstarch through to do quick cleans.