Head lice… just hearing those words can make your head itch. Head lice seems to be more of a problem today than it was when I was a child but I have had an experience with those little ‘buggers’ after coming home from a rented cottage; I was horrified! My children were getting lice from classmates in primary school years ago and I was determined to find a better way to get rid of them as I became frustrated with the drug store treatment when it did not even kill the bugs on my daughter’s head.
Aromatherapy is a passion of mine and I knew there had to be a better way so I did some research from my trusted sources such as Robert Tisserand, Eve Taylor and Salvatore Battaglia and I wanted to share the recipe that worked for me and my children.
First I want to say, I get very frustrated (angry even) with pinterest posts that make outrageous claims like ‘lemon juice and honey will get rid of wrinkles’ because natural is good, but it can only do so much. But I do want to tell you that this recipe along with a routine of ‘nit-picking’ and treating your bedding is a powerful weapon against head lice if you are diligent in all areas.
Essential oils useful for head lice are rosemary, lavender, geranium and eucalyptus. Everyone has been jumping on the ‘tea tree bandwagon’ when it comes to warding off head lice, but it has not been found as a useful oil in my research.
The base of the blend is mouthwash (any kind will work) and oil (again, use any kind you have in the house).
Head Lice recipe:
In a 5 oz (120 ml) bottle, mix the following:
- 4 oz mouthwash
- 1 oz oil
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops geranium
- 5 drops eucalyptus
- 5 drops rosemary
Shake this mixture and apply on dry hair, coating all of it. Wrap the head with plastic or a shower cap and leave for one hour. Shampoo to remove.
Continue to nit-pick and repeat this treatment every 5 days.
For small children or short hair you can cut the recipe in half.
This treatment feels cool on the scalp and does not irritate; it also smells great. Be careful by the eye area as it will sting if it gets into the eyes.
If you do not have all of the essential oils on hand, just use the ones you have and adjust the recipe drops to total 20. I welcome any questions or comments!
Thank you for stopping by and have a beautiful day 🙂
Melanie.
the esthetician's nest 