Natural Lice Remedies

Natural Head Lice Remedies And Prevention

It really is possible to get rid of head lice & nits fast naturally and easily.

Which is great news because :

Lice shampoos often don’t work & nits are back before you know it.
Too many natural head lice remedies are crazily complicated!!

The natural remedies for lice in this guide are all very simple and will not only get rid of lice fast naturally but also prevent them taking hold again.

The lice remedies are also all based on stuff in your cupboards so you can act fast without rushing out to spend a small fortune on lice sprays & shampoos you just don’t need!!

I do hope this guide helps. Let me know what works best for you.

I’m going to start with a quick guide to why lice shampoos don’t work.

But if you just want to act fast, jump to my step-by-step instructions on how to Get Rid of Lice Fast Naturally.

I will then also cover :

Preventing Head Lice
Best Oils For Head Lice
Best Essential Oils For Lice
Best Shampoos For Lice.

Problems With OTC Head Lice Treatments & Shampoos

Expensive OTC head lice shampoos promise to get rid of head lice fast.

In my experience they don’t and can in fact cause more scalp itching and irritation than the actual lice!!

It is a pretty common experience.

Research suggests the effectiveness of permethrin based lice shampoos fell to 20-30% as lice grew resistant.

New lice shampoos are now on offer but as a parent it is impossible to understand what they contain.

A lice shampoo like Nix, for example, contains over 28 ingredients. Whilst Lyclear contains “Osmolone” an unspecified “hypertonic complex”.

The majority of OTC lice shampoos come – if you look carefully – with warnings of side effects including :

“Eye irritation, itching and irritation around the eyes, flaking of the scalp, contact irritation and redness of the scalp, ears or neck”.

Natural lice shampoos are available. But they are seriously expensive.

And I found we could actually get rid of head lice fast naturally with just a few cups of oil from my kitchen cupboard PLUS a nit comb!!

This quick, cheap DIY lice treatment also improved scalp & hair health.

For me, it is now a no brainer.

I never buy OTC lice shampoos and just use these simple steps to get rid of head lice fast naturally.

Simple Steps To Get Rid Of Head Lice Fast Naturally

There are 5 key steps to getting rid of head lice fast naturally :

Comb out lice & nits with oil
Apply 1st overnight treatment
Shampoo out in morning
5 minute daily comb through
2nd treatment & shampoo.

Follow these steps on how to get rid of head lice naturally as soon as :

You spot any lice or nits
School or friends report nits
Anyone has a sudden itchy scalp.

Gather up this stuff you’ll need and get started. It will take 20-30 minutes per child – all head lice remedies do.

You needn’t wait until evening but your kid’s head will be covered in oil until morning so take a call on it!!

If you have had a persistently itchy scalp check out these itchy scalp remedies & treatments as well.

What You Need To Get Rid Of Head Lice & Nits Naturally

What You Need To Get Rid Of Head Lice Naturally

To get rid of head lice you will need :

A nit or other fine tooth comb
Any of these combing oils
These essential oils (optional)
Cling film or a shower cap
An old towel
5-10 hair bands for long hair.

As with so many home remedies it is best to act fast with what you’ve got.

Combing Out Head Lice

Step 1 to get rid of head lice is simply to comb out lice, eggs & nits with oil.

You can add essential oils.

The oil suffocates the lice and also detaches lice and eggs from hair :

Brush hair well to detangle
Half fill bowl with cool water
Take first small section of hair from lower on scalp next to face
Put a blob of oil on it
Comb through close to scalp
Inspect & rinse comb each time to spot and remove lice & nits
Comb section 4 or 5 times
Repeat for section of hair above
Progress through all sections of hair as systematically as you can.

In just 20 minutes I have cleared horrifying numbers of lice this way!!

But one top tip – it is horribly dull for your kids so put on an audio book.

Get Rid Of Head Lice Fast Naturally - Wet Combing

I find it easier with longer hair to separate the sections into plaits :

Do 5 plaits with upper scalp hair
Then 4 plaits with neck line hair
Leaving 1 loose section by face
Comb this loose section first
Then undo plait above & comb
Then plait both sections together so they are out of the way
Move onto next lower plait etc.

Next step is the overnight treatment.

Overnight Lice Treatment

Step 2 to get rid of head lice is just:

Take a big dollop of oil
Comb it all through hair
Make sure neck line gets plenty
Cover hair in cling film or bath cap
Leave in overnight
Using old towel to protect pillows.

The oil suffocates remaining lice, relieves itchy scalps and deep treats hair so its harder for new lice to attach themselves and their eggs.

Shampoo Out Treatment

Natural Head Lice Remedies - Shampoo Out Overnight Treatment

In the morning wash hair thoroughly.

You can use your regular shampoo or if you have an assortment in the bathroom see if you’ve got one of these best shampoos for head lice.

You can add a few drops of these lice killing essential oils to shampoo.

A tiny drop of gentle dish or Castile soap will help clear heavier olive oil.

Blow dry hair well making sure you direct heat at the nape of neck.

We’ve now done the bulk of the work, the next step is nice and quick.

Daily Comb Throughs

Step 4 is simply :

Spend 5 minutes once a day
Wet combing hair sections
To clear any errant lice & eggs.

Quick wet combing daily is doable and really does break the nit cycle.

Stick to it!!

Follow Up Overnight Treatment After 7 Days

The last step in getting rid of lice is the day 7 follow up treatment. It is absolutely essential with both OTC shampoos and natural remedies.

As any missed eggs will now hatch.

If you have time, go back to step 1 and re-comb sections but if you don’t, do repeat step 2 & 3.

I then follow up with super quick wet comb throughs for 7 more days.

Now we have cleared the nits let’s learn how to prevent them returning.

How Do You Prevent Head Lice Returning Naturally

Lice have a habit of coming back.

That can be due to skipping the 2nd treatment or lice resistant shampoo.

But usually another kid at school shared them just as we got clear!!

And that is the problem : everywhere there are kids, there are head lice.

So we need a really simple doable routine to prevent them taking hold. These are the 8 highest impact ways to stop head lice coming back :

Quick Weekly Wet Comb
Lice Repellent Shampoo
Plaits For School
Don’t Share Brushes & Combs
Don’t Share Head Gear
Wash Hair Less
Eat Less Sugar!!
Monthly – Or So – Scalp Treatment

Quick Weekly Wet Comb

Get Rid Of Head Lice Naturally With A Nit Comb

A quick weekly wet comb before hair wash keeps on top of lice and eggs before they get established.

Most weeks you won’t see a thing.

But those few minutes are time well spent to prevent lice coming back.

If you can’t keep it up all year, focus on August to October and January.

Lice Repellent Shampoo

Switching the family to the best natural shampoos for lice can help.

These shampoos are all great for scalp health and will also treat dandruff and dry itchy scalps.

Plaits For School

It is lovely to have long hair loose but do plait it everyday for school. It cuts contact with other kids’ hair.

Wash Hair Less

We might think frequent hair washing prevents lice. It doesn’t!!

It actually damages our scalp and many of us suffer with dandruff and dry itchy scalps plus horribly dried out frizzy hair from over washing.

It is easier for eggs to hide from treatment in a damaged scalp.

Eat Less Sugar!!

Surprising as it seems sugar can be behind repeat lice problems.

Excess sugar is a big trigger for psoriasis, itchy scalps & dandruff.

Horribly eggs get lodged in crusty damaged scalp & are hard to clear.

Try to cut sugar between meals.

Prevent Head Lice - Do Not Share Brushes

I’m all for sharing – less clutter!! – but everyone needs their own brush.

And train your kids up to know we just don’t share brushes and combs.

Also try to avoid sharing hats, caps, helmets, headbands, hoodies etc.

Or any other head gear at all a little lice or nit might be hiding on!!

Monthly Scalp Treatment

Simple natural oils like coconut are amazing for scalp health. A quick scalp massage and deep condition for 30 minutes every month or so keeps on top of hair lice and nits.