One late fall day when I was in the third grade, I remember each of the kids in my class being called down to the nurse’s office. As I waited my turn, I wondered why many of those kids didn’t return back to class for the day. I soon learned the reason as the nurse put a comb through my hair and promptly called my mother to come pick me up.
The rest of that day, I sat with a mayonnaise concoction on my head, a cap over it, and then, many hours later, with my mother carefully combing through it to remove the lice bugs and their eggs.
Being that it wasn’t so pleasant, I am happy to report that the natural lice treatment plan below is quicker and doesn’t involve the smell of wet mayonnaise!
Thankfully, I haven’t had the pleasure of having to comb lice out of any of my children’s hair. At ages 9, 7 and 4, though kids in their classrooms have had lice, our preventative measures have worked like a charm!
So, when Ariadne of Positive Parenting Connection offered to write a guest post about treating head lice naturally based on her experience, I was thrilled!
Head Lice is a Hassle!
Head lice can be a hassle and to some parents, it may be embarrassing or totally gross. When lice struck in our house last year (eek!) what worried me most wasn’t being embarrassed, but rather exposing my three young children to the neurotoxins found in most of the commonly used treatments available at the pharmacy.
Why You Don’t Want to Use A Standard Chemical Based Treatment
Permethrin is a pesticide and is the most widely used treatment for head lice. While permethrin is considered by regulating agencies to be an ‘OK’ risk, it is a highly toxic substance to both freshwater and estuarine aquatic organisms. What’s more, recent research and trials showed that it is not actually the most effective method for getting rid of lice.
An applied research study conducted in the UK (link to study here), released in 2010, compared the use of natural, oil-based treatment to the permethrin-based treatment and concluded that the natural alternative was more effective.
Concerned about the potential toxicity to my 1,3 and 5 year-olds, I spoke with my pediatrician. Since I was still nursing my little one, the doctor highly recommended that we avoid exposure to the Permethrin and so we agreed to try a very natural oil and vinegar based alternative. Here is what we used as our natural lice treatment plan. Thankfully, it worked quickly and the lice were gone for good. Since then, we use a natural lice prevention spray that has kept them away.
Materials Needed:
- Olive or Coconut Oil: Oil drowns the lice, making them unable to crawl around to deposit eggs.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: The vinegar dissolves the ‘glue’ that the eggs use to attach to the hair.
- 15 Drops of Tea Tree Oil: KILLS the lice and the eggs, as shown in this study.
- Fine tooth comb: To properly comb out the lice and the eggs.
- Shower caps: I found it easiest to have 2 for each head being treated / cloth is ok but might soak through.
- Masking tape or hair pins: to fasten the shower caps completely closed.
- Shampoo: A shampoo specifically made for prevention and treatment of lice is best. Most of them out there are toxic, but there is a great and effective one that’s not here: Lice Prevention Shampoo.
- Towels: We used these to protect the children’s clothing from stains.
The 5 Step Natural Lice Treatment Plan
Step 1
Pour 15 drops of tea tree oil into 1/4 cup of olive oil and then apply the mixture generously to the hair and scalp. Place a shower cap over the had, useing a bit of masking tape to keep it really closed tight. Set a timer for an hour.
Step 2
After an hour, comb out the hair using a very fine tooth comb and pick out any lice and eggs.
Step 3
Rinse hair with warm water and a dash of dish soap.
Step 4
Soak the hair with the apple cider vinegar, ring the hair out a bit and then place a shower cap over the head. Wait 45-60 minutes.
Step 5
Comb hair out very carefully to pick away any eggs then rinse again, using a nice shampoo, to get rid of the vinegar smell. That’s it, the hair is done.
Follow Up & Prevention
I recommend checking hair daily for at least 7 days after treatment and possibly repeating the process if there are many cases of lice at school or in the community.
After this experience I also learned a few preventative measures that we take whenever we hear of any cases of lice at school or in our community:
- In winter leave coats and hats in the car overnight; the freezing temps kill any stray crawlers.
- Apply a lice prevention spray on the kids’ heads as they walk out the door. We love this one, as it is the most natural we have found. Unfortunately, Fairy LiceMother’s is not as natural as they suggest.
- Do a lice check every evening until the break out seems to have passed.
Want to prevent lice? Check out this post: Preventing Lice so that You Don’t Have to Deal With Them
If you find this post useful please share it with others so that they can treat head lice naturally too. Thank you!
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About the Author
Ariadne is a happy and busy mama to three children. She practices peaceful, playful, responsive parenting and is passionate about all things parenting and chocolate. Ariadne is a certified Positive Discipline Parenting Educator, and has completed several graduate courses in Psychology and Family Counseling. She created the Positive Parenting Connection, a website dedicated to collecting and sharing resources, ideas, tips and helpful information with other parents that are striving to have connected, peaceful relationships with their children. Ariadne’s family currently lives in Switzerland on top of a beautiful mountain with their spunky dog and blue fish. You can connect with Ariadne on Facebook.
My poor 4 year old got lice from a coworkers daughter at the end of December.. We had treated her head and cleaned the house.. Then did a re-treatment along with “prevention” spray made from essential oils… now over a month later she had new nits and only one adult. Poor kid is going through this all over again. No one else in the house has gotten them but I am at a loss on how we went from having cleared it all up.. to her suffering through it again. She doesn’t go to daycare.. and my coworker claims she has not found anything on her daughter since the beginning of January… I am at a loss and feel so bad for her, especially because she has curly hair.. so the combs tangle even when her hair is nice and wet… Just wish I could get rid of these dang pests…
that must be so frustrating! She could have gotten them again from being out just about anywhere.
Good to hear there are other things to fight with less than those chemical preparation.
I have a lot of hair. Will 1/4 of olive oil be enough for me? Or can I add more oil?
you can always add more!
How much Apple Cider Vinegar? I didn’t see anywhere on your post how much to use.
Thank you for sharing I am in the process of doing this method.
as much as it takes to soak the hair, so have a full bottle ready.
Should i dilute the apple cider vinegar before use it to 3 yo kid? Thank you
nope!
Has anyone ever let off a bug bomb in the house? We just found lice on 2 heads and want to make sure there’s no eggs in the house . Is this necessary?
No not necessary. Head lice don’t live very long off the head because they require heat and blood to live. Vacuuming places where infected heads may have laid and drying anything for 30 minutes that will fit in the dryer is more than sufficient!
This helped so much… Thank you. We had our first and hopefully last case. I ordered the every day spray as well. Here is hoping for good results!
I have done this and found it does work, although I haven’t been able to comb out every egg because my daughter is 3 years old and her hair is very fine but thick, she’s got a lot… So I’m wondering could these eggs still be alive even after all of these steps? I feel they will come out eventually or fall out but what it they are living??
Yes, I think they still could be alive and you may want to repeat the process again before they hatch…
What kind of oil can I substitute for the tea tree oil?
Why do you need to?
Maybe oregano. It is very strong also. Very antibacterial and antimicrobial.
Hi I have a question about lice treatment. You mention Olive oil. Is it the cooking oil? Or is there olive oil for the hair?
Thank you
The same you would use for cooking – you want extra virgin cold pressed.
Does the hair need to be dry before soaking it with the vinegar? Or directly after rinsing the oil mixture?
no, it does not need to be dry.
15drops of tea tree oil is way too much. My 3 year old grandson was salivating excessively during the first stage of the treatment and i have just read that excessive salivation is a symptom of tea tree poisoning!
I have never heard this before and took some time to consult 2 aromatherapists who have also never heard this. Can you please share where you read this? Thank you!
Thank you for your reply. I read that excessive salivation was one of the side effects of tea tree poisoning in pets at http://www..poison.org
It is therefore obviously what caused my 3 y.o grandson to suddenly have a continuous bubbly flow of saliva dribbling down his chin during Step 1 (which immediately stopped after washing).
Otherwise I am very happy with the tesults of the treatment thankyou and would use again rather than using harsh chemicals (but with say 5 drops of tea tree oil).
Regards
Glad it worked. Tea tree oil can be toxic to cats. it would not cause a “bubbly flow of saliva dribbling” unless maybe he swallowed some, or at the least some got in his mouth. Could this have happened? The only other thing I can think of is maybe the brand used wasn’t pure and had something else in it?
Everyone is different when it comes to essential oils. Some experience side effects or reactions mean while others simply do not. It all depends on tthat person. Everyone is different. Always. When it comes to everything in life. This is why before using the essential oils or anything you should do a small oatch test on the skin. Somewhere such as the hand. Same way you would do a ‘Strand Test’ before dying hair or a ‘Patch Test’ before using certain cleaners. Most essential oils (Especially Tea tree oil) are fairly strong in odour and should be used in a well ventilated area (Not in a enclosed room). Also when it comes to children (Especially the younger children) you should almost always chose the ‘Natural’/’Homeopathic’ method. I guarentee you that using this ‘Natural’ method that you used compared to using the ‘Traditional’ toxic method is still more safer for children.
Apple Cider Vinegar DOES NOT dry your hair!!!!!!
Is it necessary to put a shower cap on, my 2 year old will refuse to keep it on
I saw this too late – whatever came of it?
Do what you can 🙂 Of course, the cap will help keep a mess from occurring if he is running around, but if you can get him to sit still to do a craft or read, it should be fine.
I used plastic cling wrap as the shower caps were way too big for my 1 year old and both kids kept trying to take it off. They hardly noticed the cling wrap and happily sat and played with them on for the entire treatment 🙂
great tip!
Thank you so much i have tried everything this is great
I use vinegar first has it detaches eggs and breaks down their protective coating. Then follow with Olive oil to suffocate the babies and adults. As the eggs are no longer sticky and the lice within them are now dead them simply wash out. No need for combing.
Brooke, do you still leave the vinegar on for the 45-60 minute time frame? And is the hair wet before the vinegar? So you need to rinse the vinegar out before applying the oil?
Is it necessary to use. A special shampoo (lice) duribg the treatment and can i use coconut oil confitioner or does it have to be coconut oil???
would have to be coconut oil – to smother them
Is it ok to,use white vinegar or aplle cider vinegar …??
apple cider vinegar is better
A non-chemical approach is the best one . A good wet-comb technique AND some natural ingredients can do the trick. You can use any tipe of oil and the effect will be the same as the coconut’s one.
Stacey has a point, the use of vinegar does remove the glue from the eggs.
http://www.slugbugliceremoval.com
Apple Cider Vinegar will not dry out your hair! It is known to “condition” hair, making it soft and shiny. During the Great Depression this was a common product to use on your hair. My grandmother recommended it when we ran out of our regular commercial conditioner and it really does work.
How long do you leave apple cider via agar in?
45 minutes to an hour.
Yes I agree with you wholeheartedly!! I grew up in the age of vinegar 101! LOL I will also say that I have used vinegar for many other things in my 64 years. Another thing vinegar works for is as a fabric softener in the laundry. I put it in the downy ball as a softener with and without the fabric softener and it does work. Another reason to believe it softens hair.
I couldn’t find the shampoo as the link didn’t work for me. What is it? Thanks.
Lice Prevention Shampoo: https://rnk.poofyorganics.com/products/1268-lice-prevention-shampoo.aspx
Love your natural approach to lice removal however as a professional nit picker with Simple Head Lice Solutions I can make this way easier for you.
1. Saturate the hair with a product of your choice. Coconut oil is great but really expensive. You can use any kind of oil or thick conditioner to saturate the hair to kill all of the live bugs. Lice can hold their breath for up to 2 hours so once you saturate the head with the product of your choice cover the heads with a shower cap and leave it on for 2 hours or more. You do not have to tape the cap just tie it in the back you’ll be fine!
2. Comb the hair out with a fine tooth comb. The Nit Free Terminator comb is the best! Make sure you detangle the hair with your regular brush or comb. Then use your nit comb to remove all the nits and bugs possible. Make sure you literally scrape your scalp with the comb! If you are not keeping scalp contact with the teeth of the comb you will not remove all of the nits and you will get re-infested. This is sooo important I cannot stress it enough.
3. Skip the vinegar!! It will only dry out your hair and make you stink! Trust me it does nothing to help with releasing the glue from the eggs your oil or conditioner treatment will do that for you.
4. Continue combing daily with conditioner until no nits or bugs are found three consecutive days in a row, then repeat the entire treatment process in one week. If no nits or bugs are found then you are officially lice free. If you do pick up a few nits or a few bugs don’t panic you probably just missed a few and if you continue to comb again daily until no nits or bugs are found three consecutive days in a row you will be lice free.
I really don’t think ur way works I think you should use the vinegar it’s a scientific fact that it removes the glue from the egg
Thanks to you and Dawn for al these tips. I am trying them now.
My sisrer ,who is 62! Still has head lice using the conditioner technique. I know because if im near her i get them ,im 67,age dont matter to headlice. Shese been doing this since her kids at school! This is the way,she would say. I say ,,ill keep you away ,i say! She is always ,always scrattin,round her ears head. Makes me scratt. The cider vinegar or the white vinegar are spot on. And a lovely co ditioner,hair grows faster. Oil also,the lice can live without air for a long time. They roam around for a long time off the head and hide in furniture or whatever is in their path. Dont forget the hair on your neck,even as far as your collar,they roam around on yourbody also and clothes,were you sit. Ive enjoyed all your comments. Thankyou.