Natural Remedies for Head Lice

Head lice is no fun, but with these natural remedies for head lice, you can get rid of the problem safely, quickly and effectively.

Healthy Scalp Recipes are a necessity if you have kids who are in school.  Even for those that aren’t in school, the older siblings can bring home quite a lot of things with them. 

By taking a few extra [early] measures you can make sure your kids don’t bring lice home with them this school year.

Prevention Spray

Thankfully there are better options than buying the toxic treatments in store, and will help you stretch your money quite a bit further.

Even better, these other options can be used for other things at home making them multi-purpose, too.

The following essential oils are wonderful to have on hand as the school year kicks off:

• Tea Tree Essential Oil (Melaleuca Alternifolia)
• Lavender Essential Oil
• Rosemary Essential Oil
• Thyme Essential Oil

Simply combine 5-10 drops of essential oil in a mini glass spray bottles (find some on Amazon). 

Keep one in the car, your purse, in the kitchen, and in the bathrooms.  This way you have one handy all the time before they head out for school.

If you are in an unfortunate circumstance that they come home with unwanted lice, use the natural remedy below. 

Help treat your family without worrying about toxic ingredients that are expensive and limited to one time use.

Natural Remedies for Head Lice

This easy remedy requires just 3 simple ingredients.  You can expand on them by adding your choice of garlic, lemon or essential oils. 

But even without, this trio is still incredibly effective, not to mention non-toxic.  Natural remedies are so much more effective than a one-time use chemical kit you would buy in store.

• 1/2 C. Apple Cider Vinegar (recommend Bragg’s ACV – organic, unpasteurized)
• 1/2 C. water
• 1/4 C. coconut oil

The Apple Cider Vinegar will not kill the lice, but it will help to dissolve the glue that holds the nits to the hair shaft.  

This means that when you comb through your hair, the nits will come out with the comb instead of sticking to the hair shaft.  It will allow the coconut oil to work and help them slide them right out after a few hours.

• First, combine the apple cider vinegar with the water in a cup and apply to your child’s hair as they sit in the bath tub. Focus on the neck and behind ears.  Allow that mixture to dry thoroughly.
• Once the hair is dry, apply coconut oil (in liquid form) to dry hair and focus on the neck, behind the ears and work to completely saturate the hair and scalp.  If using additional garlic or essential oils, add those before you smother the hair.  All you need is 3-4 drops of essential oil or add crushed garlic cloves or the juice of a lemon).
• Use a shower cap or tie a plastic bag carefully around the scalp to allow the hair to sit for several hours with the mixture. Leave that shower cap on the head along with coconut oil for 5-6 hours.  
• Plug in your hair dryer (optional) and blow dry your hair as it’s wrapped in the shower cap or bag, and that hair dryer will trap heat in (which will help knock out remaining lice).
• Rinse out in the shower and then shampoo as normal (it might take a few washes to get that coconut oil out).
• After you shampoo, add a thick layer of conditioner and comb the hair out.  Once you comb the hair out and check for knits, rinse out the conditioner.  
• Repeat this treatment every 2-3 days as needed.

While waiting for that coconut oil to work on the scalp, take advantage of throwing everything in a few hot laundry cycles.  That means backpacks, hats, gloves, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, etc.  

Nits can hatch within 7 days of being laid. Therefore, it’s important to follow up regularly with additional scalp checks and by washing linens.

Some common misconceptions about these pesky critters..

• They are actually attracted to hair that is clean, and they don’t survive more than 24-48 hours off the head.
• Infestations happen more in girls than boys.
• Spreading occurs through direct head to head contact.
• They are more common in long hair.
• Continue to check your children morning and afternoon – a preventive spray each morning will help keep those critters away.  Simply combine 5-10 drops of essential oil in a 1-2 oz spray bottle and spray heads as they leave for school.

The best way to prevent them is to spray the head/scalp regularly each day as they leave for school, and always check when they get home.

Once the school year starts, lice can happen as early as day one, so by taking preventive measures early, you can avoid having this experience in your home.