All-Natural Head Lice Treatment

Anyone with school age children, or those in any organized sport or care environment, has known the horror of the note home. The note warning that someone has been found to have head lice and mass washings and high alerts must be observed. My son started preschool last year, and we received that notice twice. I lived in fear because of my daughter’s hair. She has thick, curly hair that strangers often comment on. Everyone raves about it, but brushing time in our house is quite the ordeal. I imagined lice in our house, more specifically in her hair, and was literally having nightmares. I remember the nasty shampoos and horrid little nit comb from my childhood, and dreaded having to do that with her hair. The very idea still sends shudders down my spine.

With those nightmares in mind I did some research, and some testing at home, to come up with a better solution. There are a million tips and tricks out there for avoiding lice, none of which seem to be consistent, so I concentrated of figuring out the best way to handle lice if or when it makes itself known to our household. I discovered that some of the essential herbs I have been using for other things, can be handy in the fight against lice as well. This mixture can be used to kill lice already present, or as an occasional treatment to prevent the little pests.

Unlike the treatments sold in stores, there are no chemicals or pesticides, but rather all natural ingredients. Even though using natural ingredients is almost always preferable to chemicals there is always a risk of allergies. So please take some time before using to test for allergic reactions. Getting rid of lice or preventing them is not worth spending a day at the doctors to deal with allergy related issues such as rashes or shortness of breath.

Ingredients:

½:

1. Pour the sweet almond oil into a bowl, or for easier application a squeeze bottle.
2. Add the essential oils to the carrier oil and stir well, or if in a bottle seal and shake well.
3. After dinner, or just prior to bed time, thoroughly brush the hair so that there are no knots or tangles. I suggest using the finest toothed comb available.
4. Apply the oils to the hair and massage into the scalp.
5. Comb the oils through the hair. Make sure all of the hair and scalp are completely covered with the oil.
6. If there is any oil left over you can use it on any combs or brushes as well.
7. Cover the treated hair with a shower or swim cap. This is only to keep the oils on the hair and scalp, and to keep it from getting the pillowcase oily.
8. Wash your hands well, and clean away any of the oil that has settled on the forehead or ears.
9. Let the oil sit for around twelve hours, which is why I suggested applying a nighttime.
10. In the morning, or when time is up, remove the shower or swim cap and comb through the hair again.
11. Wash the hair thoroughly. I suggest doing this in a sink or by leaning into a bath tub because you do not want the essential oil getting into the eyes or the more sensitive areas of the body.
12. Wash the comb and any brushes you have been using in this process or have applied the oil to as well.
13. Comb through the hair again, making sure the comb you use is clean. Again, use the finest toothed comb available.

Every time I get one of those letters, or worry about an imminent attack, I do this treatment as a preventive measure. It is a good alternative to worrying about an infestation before it happens, or when one does arise, to the chemical laden products available at the pharmacy or grocery store. The lack of that nit comb is a huge plus for me, however it would not hurt to use one in the final combing since it can remove any lice and their eggs better than regular fine tooth combs. Combining this treatment with a nit comb, regular combings with a fine tooth comb, and a diligent eye will negate the effect of head lice in your home.