Now that school is back in full swing, it could be a really good time to start thinking about head lice defence. Essential oils can be a great, natural, chemical free way to help with both prevention and removal of nits and their eggs, and could possibly be even more effective than some off the shelf products as lice become more resistant to insecticides.
Tea tree, lavender, clove, eucalyptus, aniseed, oregano, cInnamon Leaf, and peppermint essential oils have all shown in studies to be successful in killing and combatting both eggs and adult lice.
As lice are transferred from head to head contact, a leave in hair spray would be an excellent preventative measure that can be used every day without loading your children’s hair with chemicals.
For a daily spray, try mixing together in a bottle…
50 drops of your chosen essential oil(s) from the list above
20ml Jojoba oil
2ml Polysorbate 20
Top up with 100ml distilled water and spray the hair every morning before school.
If the lice have already invaded here is something you can try. In a personal study, Biologist and Journalist Lowana Veal tested various essential oils in a laboratory setting, to see the true effectiveness of certain oils in killing both eggs and adults. Her recommendation was to add 10 drops of essential oil to 50ml of an alcohol base, such as vodka or perfumers alcohol, rubbing it into the scalp and leaving it over night before washing it off in the morning with shampoo. Then rinse through with 100ml of 50:50 vinegar and water solution with 2 drops of the same chosen essential oil added. Her research found aniseed and oregano to be extremely effective. The full article on her research can be found here http://www.wingedseed.com/Agora/Lice_page.htm