Home Remedies For Head Lice

Home Remedies For Head Lice

Home Remedies For Head Lice
By Karen Morgan

With school back in session, that little 4 letter word is back too L-I-C-E. After reading the ingredients on the back of over the counter medicines used to fight lice, many people are hoping for a chemical free alternative. Let's explore one lice preventative and a several home remedies to try if you already have the little visitors at your house.

I have heard Listerine contains essential oils including thymol, eucalyptol, menthol and methyl salicylate, which may help prevent lice. Many people claim success from putting it into a spray bottle and spraying their children's hair once a week. If you do try this, do not rinse the Listerine out of the hair, it will dry and be unnoticeable.

But what if you already have lice? Does washing your hair with white vinegar work? Some say the acid in vinegar will dissolve the 'glue' holding eggs to the hair. This might be a positive first step. Nits are attached to the hair close to the scalp with a glue that can be hard to remove. But you will still need to comb out the nits and kill any lice on the head.

What common refrigerator item can kill lice? Some people believe mayonnaise has been known to help? Two cups of mayonnaise (adjust for shorter or longer hair) massaged in the scalp and left on for several hours with a shower cap may penetrate the exoskeleton of the lice rendering it dead. It is possible that mayonnaise may help smother the lice. A plus to the mayonnaise is it will leave your hair feeling extra soft!

Pure tea tree oil is another home remedy said to kill lice. Some people suggest mixing 8 to 10 drops with olive oil and rub on scalp. Cover with a shower cap and leave on 30 minutes. The trick to getting rid of lice is to make sure you have killed the egg laying bug and removed all eggs from your head. While home remedies may help you get on your way to a lice free head they may not be enough. The right combination of essential oils and enzymes however is a good alternative to chemical products. Some good ingredients are lavender, tea tree oil, neem oil, karanja, eucalyptus, peppermint, and coconut oil.

Karen Morgan is a consultant for Life Organics, a company specializing in natural treatments to remove lice and treat other hair and skin conditions. Life Organics believes that all natural products are always better the body.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Morgan
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13.01.2010. 01:17

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