If you've been clued in to the problems with conventional shampoos- the potential endocrine-disruptors like parabens (used as preservatives), phthlates (often disguised as "fragrance") and triclosan (also found as a plaque-fighter in toothpaste) and potential carcinogens like diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA), not to mention irritants like sodium lauryl sulfate and propylene glycol-, than perhaps you've begun the hunt for that perfect, chemical-free-yet-effective shampoo.

While there are plenty of "green" shampoos on the market today, oftentimes it's tough to decipher exactly what is in them or they cost a bit more than you'd like to spend. For those who'd prefer not to refine their science skills deciphering just how "natural" some of the ingredients in these eco-shampoos really are, there are plenty of homemade shampoo options, and some of them actually work.

Basically, with our conventional shampoos we've gotten away from the age-old use of soap to clean our scalp and have begun to use harsher detergents. The problem with this is they strip not only any dirt or hard water buildup from our hair, but also some of the good natural oils.

Recently, there've been trends toward using simply soaps- like Dr. Bronner's natural soap or soap bars- or cutting back on shampoo. “There’s this whole new breed of young fashionable girls who are getting that once-a-week shampoo and blow dry and just milking it,” salon owner Johnny Lavoy told the New York Times in 2008. He expalined they're the same people who used to think "you have to wash your hair every time you shower, but they’re realizing that natural oils are good for the hair.”

There's even a "no shampoo" trend, popular in places like New York and Sydney, Australia. When Sydney radio host challenged his audience to go without shampoo for 6 weeks, 86% of participants said their hair felt better or the same. Grover explained part of the allure of the tendency as anti-consumption. “We’re tired of feeling like cogs in the machinery of consumption. There’s this feeling of liberation to be able to say no to an entire aisle of the supermarket.”

If you'd prefer to do more than rubbing your scalp to loosen dirt, here is one very basic and very easy homemade shampoo, plus rinse.

Ingredients:

• Baking soda (aka bicarbonate of soda).
• Apple cider vinegar or one lemon.
• A container (a recycled shampoo bottle works well).

Steps for the baking soda shampoo:

1. Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with a cup of warm or hot water in a container and shake thoroughly. If you need more, add more water, but be careful of using too much baking soda as it can dry out your hair.
2. Apply to hair and work it into scalp. Comb it through hair. Alternatively, you can apply baking soda directly to wet hair (though this works better with short hair).
3. Rinse.

Steps for the rinse (not necessary with every shampoo):

1. Mix a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar with one cup of water in a container (*For lighter hair, try using the juice from one lemon instead of the vinegar. This will help to bring out highlights, though be sure to rinse thorougly or it could cause hair to lighten more in the sun).
2. Apply it to hair and comb through.
3. Rinse.