Natural Remedies for Head Lice

Head lice are a common problem, especially among school-age children. Lice are passed from one child to another by sharing brushes, combs, hair accessories, or other items that touch the hair such as headphones or cell phones. What do you do when your child comes home with a case of head lice? There are many natural remedies that do not contain toxic chemicals that can effectively treat head lice.

Essential Oil in a Carrier Oil

Essential oils effectively kill head lice, but they are very potent and should not be used undiluted on the skin or scalp. Dilute essential oils in a carrier oil such as olive oil. Two essential oils that work best for head lice are neem oil, which comes from the neem tree that grows in India, and tea tree oil, that comes from a tree native to Australia. Both are available at health food or natural food stores.

Add one teaspoon of neem oil or tea tree oil to a cup of carrier oil and mix thoroughly. Coat the hair and scalp with the oil, cover with a shower cap or plastic wrap and leave on for 2-3 hours. Then wash the hair with shampoo. While it is still wet, comb the hair thoroughly with a fine-toothed metal lice comb or flea comb to remove the nits and dead lice.

Mayonnaise

Coat the hair with mayonnaise, cover with a shower cap or plastic wrap, and let sit for 2-3 hours. Wash the hair with shampoo and comb with a lice comb as above.

Vinegar and Listerine

Wet the hair thoroughly with white vinegar, cover with a shower cap, and leave on for 1-2 hours. Rinse with warm water, and then saturate the hair with Listerine mouth wash. Cover and leave on for an additional 1-2 hours. Then wash with shampoo and comb out with a lice comb. This treatment can be combined with the oil or mayonnaise treatments for particularly bad cases of head lice.

Coconut Scented Shampoo

Lice are repelled by the smell of coconut, so using a coconut-scented shampoo along with the above treatments will make them more effective. Coconut scented shampoo is available in several different brands.

Clean Contaminated Clothes, Bedding and Upholstery

To avoid re-infestation, thoroughly vacuum floors and upholstery, including car seats. Wash all contaminated bedding, towels, clothing and accessories such as hats and scarves in hot water. For items such as stuffed animals that cannot be washed, seal in a plastic bag for three days. Lice cannot survive without a host for longer than three days.

References:

http://www.susangaer.com/studentprojects/lice.htm

http://pestcontrol.about.com/od/controllingworkplacepests/ht/NatrlCntrlLice.htm