As if we didn’t have enough to worry about with our kids heading back to school, super lice have arrived. What makes these lice particularly “super” is the fact that most are now resistant to the insecticides typically used to eradicate them. A study conducted by the Journal of Medical Entomology collected lice from 138 communities in 48 different states. Their results showed that 132 of the 138 communities contained lice resistant to insecticide. Now is a good time to consider using essential oils as a natural way to kill lice.
Needless to say, lice are a problem, and insecticides are not cutting it. The most common insecticides people are using, Nix and Rid, contain a chemical called permethrin that can lead to rashes, itching, and blisters. Instead of putting potentially harmful chemicals in your child’s hair, think about using essential oils. Essential oils derive from plants that naturally create insecticides that stave off parasites without the use of synthetic chemicals. In other words, using essential oils is a safe, effective, and natural method to get rid of lice.
If you are concerned that your child’s itchy scalp might be connected to lice, here is how you can use essential oils to treat head lice.
Note: Make sure you have a fine-toothed lice comb to comb through your child’s hair daily. Keep the comb sanitized by soaking it in rubbing alcohol between uses.
- Add 5-20 drops of a pure tea tree-based essential oil to regular shampoo. Use the shampoo every day.
- Create a mixture of tea tree essential oil and coconut oil. Massage the mixture into your child’s scalp, let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Repeat the process every morning and evening.
- As a preventative strategy, put a tea tree essential oil in a small spray bottle, and spray it on your child’s hair before and after school and other occasions with potential lice exposure.
- Apply a healthy amount of tea tree essential oil to the scalp just before bedtime, and leave it overnight. In the morning, comb out the dead lice.
Experiment with these different approaches and see what works best with your child. Those so-called “super” lice won’t know what hit them. Opting for a natural way to kill lice can prove more effective and certainly safer for your children.
