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Natural Products for Lice

Head lice are small parasites that live in human hair. They eat small amounts of blood that they suck from the scalp. Though not dangerous, they can spread quickly from person to person and often cause the scalp to become itchy and irritated. Head lice crop up most often in school-age children. Getting rid of lice poses a challenge because they lay eggs (called nits) on the scalp; you need to kill all live lice and their eggs to solve the problem. If you don't wish to use harsh chemicals, look instead for natural products to help treat lice.

  1. Mayonnaise

    • Mayonnaise works to smother lice and nits. Using a jar of mayonnaise that has not been refrigerated, cover the scalp and hair, paying special attention to the neck and behind the ears. Leave the mayonnaise on the scalp for two hours and then shampoo the hair in hot water until the mayonnaise is rinsed out completely.

    Vaseline

    • You can use Vaseline instead of mayonnaise to smother the lice and nits. If you use Vaseline, you need baby oil to help get it off the hair and scalp. Then you need to shampoo the hair three times with Dawn dish soap to cut the oil.

    Olive Oil

    • Olive oil works the same way that mayonnaise and Vaseline does. Work it into the hair and scalp, then leave it overnight, using a shower cap on the head to protect sheets and pillows. You can then shampoo with Dawn dish soap to get the oil out. After shampooing the hair, use a metal lice comb to rid the hair of small undeveloped nits. Comb the hair out in small sections, paying attention to the area behind the ears and along the hairline.

    Natural Lice Shampoo

    • You can also make a natural lice shampoo. Using five teaspoons of pure olive carrier oil as a base, add five drops each of lavender oil, tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, rosemary oil and peppermint oil. Add a bit of shampoo to the mixture and massage it into the scalp. Leave it on under a shower cap for one hour, then rinse and shampoo as usual. Do not use this method on children under five, or if you are pregnant; essential oils can cause complications.

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