Coconut, tea tree oil, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon grass, and peppermint are scents popularly believed to repel lice. Using any coconut scented shampoo and conditioner is an easy way to increase your defense. At 1% concentration, tea tree oil killed 100% of
Permethrin lotion, 1%;
Permethrin lotion 1% is approved by the FDA for the treatment of head lice. Permethrin is safe and effective when used as directed. Permethrin kills live lice but not unhatched eggs. Permethrin may continue to kill newly hatched lice for several days after treatment.
But you might be wondering, “does tea tree oil kill lice?” And the answer is: not alone. Tea tree oil is a must-have ingredient for lice prevention, but it's not a remedy that could kill them off since it's not a chemical or pesticide.
Eucalyptus oil is believed to be an ideal treatment because it kills lice as well as their eggs. One study determined that eucalyptus oil kills 100% of lice and their eggs in just one hour. In addition, it was found that only 3% of children treated with eucalyptus oil needed retreatment.
Although peppermint extract for lice is a useful strategy against lice infestation, it has not been proven to kill or eliminate lice in an area. This is a widespread myth, as many natural lice treatments use peppermint oil. However, peppermint oil is ineffective at killing living lice on the head.
Wash any lice-infested item in hot water that is at least 130°F (54°C), put it in a hot dryer for 15 minutes or more, or placing the item in an air-tight plastic bag and leaving it for two weeks to kill the lice and any nits. You can also vacuum floors and furniture where lice may have fallen.
It might keep lice away
On its own, tea tree oil was the most effective treatment tested. Tea tree oil and peppermint appeared to be most useful for repelling lice. Tea tree oil and lavender were also found to prevent some feeding by lice on treated skin.
You can either mix a few drops like three to five drops of tea tree essential oil to an ounce of shampoo or combine three to four tablespoons of carrier oil — like coconut or olive oil— with a teaspoon of tea tree oil and massage onto infested hair for 30 to 40 minutes.
Tea tree oil contains two major constituents with insecticidal activity: 1,8-cineole and terpinen-4-ol. A study in Parisitology Research has found that a 1 percent tea tree oil solution is capable of killing 100 percent of head lice within 30 minutes.
Vinegar contains properties that kill and get rid of nits and lice. This mixture should be applied directly to the whole scalp. Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of warm water. Next, distribute this mixture onto the scalp and cover your hair with a hair cap.
Use neem oil on your hair before going for a hair wash and let it rest for 20-30 minutes. Use a nit comb to remove lice and then rinse hair thoroughly. You can also infuse your shampoo with a few drops of neem oil if you'd like.
Olive Oil smothers and kills active head lice, making nit removal easier and moisturizing the hair and scalp. Part hair and apply the oil directly onto the scalp. Massage into the entire scalp making sure to saturate the hair. Apply a shower cap.
Suffocate the Lice
Soak your child's head in olive oil or coconut oil. Cover with a shower cap for at least 2 hours (or preferably overnight). When ready, remove the shower cap, and separate the hair into small sections, then use a metal nit comb to carefully remove the lice and eggs. Rinse the hair well with shampoo.
They found vinegar was actually the least effective treatment method for getting rid of lice or suppressing the hatching of nits. Vinegar wasn't the only home remedy that didn't do well. No home treatment prevented lice from laying eggs. Even with prolonged exposure, most home remedies were unable to kill nits.
No. The two treatments 9 days apart are designed to eliminate all live lice, and any lice that may hatch from eggs that were laid after the first treatment. Many nits are more than ¼ inch from the scalp.
For Getting Rid Of Lice: Tea tree oil for hair can help get rid of lice, mix about 7-8 drops with a spoon of any vegetable oil and leave it overnight. Wear a shower cap for better absorption into the hair. Next morning, comb your hair with a fine comb before washing it off.
The olive oil will suffocate the lice, but not the eggs and you will need to repeat the treatment several days later until all of nits are removed. Other types of suffocating agents have been suggested, but olive oil appears to be the most effective.
The coconut oil should be at or slightly above room temperature so that it's in a liquid form and easy to spread throughout your hair. Massage the coconut oil generously throughout your hair, and apply the plastic shower cap right away. Leave the cap on for eight hours (or more) to suffocate the lice.
Spinosad (Natroba). Spinosad is approved for adults and children age 6 months and older. It can be applied to dry hair and rinsed with warm water after 10 minutes. It kills lice and nits and usually doesn't need repeated treatment.
Blow dry your child's hair. It has to be thoroughly dry down to the scalp to suffocate the lice. Expect this to take 3 times longer than normal drying. The dried Cetaphil will smother the lice.
Lice Hate Coconut!
Swap out your hair care products for some that are coconut scented or are made with natural coconut oils. Some studies have shown lice are repelled by the smell of coconut. If you're attached to your shampoo brand, you can simply add a few drops of coconut oil to it for a similar effect.
Sometimes it will be easier to remove the nits if you wet the hair with white vinegar while you are combing the nits out. Vinegar helps loosen the "glue" that holds the nits to the hair. Separate and comb small sections of hair at a time.
Can vinegar kill lice eggs? Vinegar is one of the classic home remedies for lice. However, if you are trying to find out how to get rid of nits using vinegar, you should know that using vinegar to kill nits or lice eggs is totally ineffective. Vinegar has no negative effect on the lice eggs.
Dandruff shampoos like Head & Shoulders work by using the active ingredient, zinc pyrithione. It helps protect your scalp from dandruff-causing oleic acid. It's been proven on dandruff, but does nothing to inhibit lice.