15 Most Effective Home Remedies For Lice

  

Are you looking for some effective home remedies for lice? Then this is the place to be!

  

Do you find yourself scratching your scalp more often? Is it an annoying persistent itch that just won’t go away no matter what you do? Found any red bumps lately on your scalp, neck, or shoulders? If yes, then there is a good chance that you have head lice. But don’t you worry we will help you out.

Firstly, don’t freak out. Head lice are the most dreaded hair issue to exist but also fairly common. Even though they are mostly found in children, adults can also suffer from this menace. After all head lice don’t discriminate. They are parasites, roughly the size of sesame seeds, which latch to hair shafts and can multiply rapidly. They survive on human blood and thus, one can find red bumps over their scalp. This bump is the site where the lice decided to have their meal at your expense. Damp long hair is the most favorable living quarters for lice. So, if you are in the habit of tying your still damp hair for long hours, be careful! 

There are many things that you can do as prevention against head lice. Keep your hair clean, don’t tie your hair unless completely dry, never share your personal items like combs, hairbrushes, scrunchies, towels, or pillow covers, and check your scalp for lice every week or two. As for how to get rid of head lice, we have brought for you the 15 best home remedies for lice. These are remedies that are trusted by mothers and experts alike.

You must remember a few things before trying out these home remedies for lice:

• Do a patch test before trying any of these home remedies for head lice. Make sure you are not allergic or sensitive to a particular ingredient. Better safe, than sorry
• Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil like coconut oil, olive oil, or almond oil
• Wash your hair before trying these remedies if your scalp is very dirty
• Combing is very essential to these home remedies. Follow the treatment by combing hair with a fine-tooth comb. If you are not diligent with combing, then it can render the whole treatment useless
• With remedies that include oil, it is recommended that you warm the oil just a little bit using the double boiler method
• If you have thick hair, you might want to detangle them before following the steps of these home remedies for lice. Use shea butter, hair conditioner, or light oil to soften and detangle your hair
• Most of these remedies are smothering treatments. Thus, ensure that you saturate your scalp and hair lengths with the oil mix in the remedy
• If the lice infestation does not go away even after repeated use of the following remedies, say 3 to 4 times, visit a doctor 
   

Now, let’s begin!

   

15 Best Home Remedies For Lice

     

 

1. Tea Tree Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Lavender, And Peppermint Essential Oils For Lice

Ingredients: 5 drops tea tree essential oil, 5 drops eucalyptus essential oil, 5 drops lavender essential oil, 5 drops peppermint essential oil, 30 ml coconut oil

How to: Mix all the ingredients. Apply all over the scalp and hair length. Cover with a shower cap and leave this mix of oils overnight.

Frequency: Twice a week

Why it works: The jury is still out on the efficacy and necessity of essential oils in skincare but rest assured for there are studies that show how effective essential oils for lice could be. Tea tree oil is an effective ingredient for not just killing off lice but also to keep them away. Its impact on lice increases when combined with other essential oils including eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, and lavender oil. Coconut oil, which is used as a carrier oil in this remedy, contains lauric acid that kills the lice and nits.

    

 

2. Tea Tree Oil, Eucalyptus And Clove Oil For Lice

Ingredients: 5 drops tea tree essential oil, 5 drops eucalyptus essential oil, 5 drops clove oil, 30 ml olive oil, 

How to: Mix the ingredients well. Apply on your scalp and hair length. Cover with a shower cap and leave it overnight. The next morning, comb the hair to get rid of the dead lice and nits. Wash with a mild shampoo.

Frequency: Twice a week

Why it works: Here is another one of those popular home remedies for lice. Tea tree oil and eucalyptus oils are well known essential oils for lice treatment at home. They are known to kill off the lice and nits as well as for their ability to keep the lice away. Clove oil on the other hand acts as lice repellant due to the presence of eugenol and beta-caryophyllene in its composition. But, these are not the only champions that you can trust. Olive oil for lice is similarly popular. It is a great treatment when it comes to getting rid of lice. It works by smothering the lice.

   

 

3. Tea Tree Oil And Coconut Oil With Shampoo For Lice

Ingredients: 1 teaspoon tea tree essential oil, 3 tablespoons coconut oil, 30 ml mild shampoo

How to: Mix all the ingredients. Apply it to your hair and cover with a shower cap. Wash with lukewarm water after 30 minutes. Use a fine-tooth comb to remove the dead lice and nits

Frequency: Thrice a week

Why it works: Tea tree oil is considered to be one of the most effective home remedies for lice. It not only kills the lice but also prevents them from reappearing. Coconut oil is another fan favorite when it comes to lice treatment at home. It is good as a carrier oil, kills both the lice and nits, does not damage hair, and has no side effects.

    

 

4. Neem, Holy Basil, And Coconut Oil For Lice

Ingredients: 10 neem leaves, 10 holy basil (tulsi) leaves, coconut oil (depending on hair length)

How to: Grind the neem and tulsi leaves to make a paste. Add as much coconut oil as is required according to your hair length. Mix it all well and apply liberally over your scalp and hair. Cover with a shower cap. Leave overnight. In the morning, comb your hair carefully to remove the dead lice. Follow with shampoo.

Frequency: Twice a week

Why it works: This is a pretty effective home remedy for head lice. Neem is known for its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. But did you know that it contains something called azadirachtin that makes it a great insecticide? This is why it is traditionally used to ward off insects and pests. Neem kills off both the lice and their nits. It also disrupts their life cycle thereby preventing them from multiplying. Tulsi leaves help to improve blood circulation and coconut oil, too, comes with its properties that aid in killing off the lice.  

    

 

5. Salt And Vinegar For Lice

Ingredients: ¼ cup salt, ¼ cup white vinegar

How to: Mix equal parts of salt and vinegar. Pour this mix into a spray bottle. Spray this mix all over your hair and cover it with a shower cap. Let it stay for two hours. Comb hair to remove dead lice. Shampoo and condition your hair afterward.

Frequency: Twice a week

Why it works: Finding effective home remedies for lice is not so tough. This one is easy to do and effective lice treatment. The salt and vinegar mix will extract away all the moisture from your strands. This will dehydrate the lice and ultimately kill them. It will also prevent the lice from multiplying further. The vinegar as a stand-alone ingredient is known to loosen the grasp of lice by loosening the glue that allows them to latch onto your hair. This way you can easily comb them out.

    

 

6. Apple Cider Vinegar And Coconut Oil For Lice

Ingredients: ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup coconut oil, 1 cup water

How to: Dilute the apple cider vinegar with water to create a hair rinse. Use it to rinse your hair. Let your hair dry with the vinegar in them. Once your hair is dry, take the coconut oil and apply it properly onto your scalp and hair length. Leave it on for at least two hours. Comb out your hair with a fine-tooth comb. Follow with shampoo and conditioner as usual. 

Frequency: Twice a week

Why it works: Coconut oil for lice is one of the best home remedies for head lice. It contains lauric acid that can kill lice and also acts as a smothering agent. But on its own, it can only do so much. So, combine its powers with the powers of apple cider vinegar. Like white vinegar, ACV will loosen the glue that allows the lice to latch onto your hair. It can effectively wipe away the young lice and nits.

    

 

7. Eucalyptus Oil And Olive Oil For Lice

Ingredients: 15 drops eucalyptus oil, ½ cup olive oil

How to: Mix the ingredients well. Apply thoroughly on scalp and hair length to drench the hair with this combo of oils. Cover with a shower cap and leave it overnight. After combing your hair carefully, shampoo, and condition as usual.

Frequency: Twice a week

Why it works: Eucalyptus oil is a preferred lice treatment at home as it is a non-toxic way of getting rid of the annoying problem of lice. Mix it with olive oil to create a perfect concoction that not only smothers the lice and kills them but also prevents them from coming back or hatching. These oils make it easier for you to comb through your hair and remove whatever remains of the lice and nits.

   

 

8. Onion Juice And Vinegar For Lice

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon onion juice, 1 tablespoon white vinegar

How to: Apply this mix of equal parts onion juice and white vinegar. Let this mix sit on your scalp and hair for at least an hour. Comb out hair using a fine-tooth comb. Follow it with shampoo and a conditioner.

Frequency: Twice a week

Why it works: Onion juice is not only a good remedy for hair growth. It is also one of the most effective home remedies for lice. Its pungent smell acts as a driving force against lice whereas vinegar helps in breaking out the hold of lice onto their hair. The dead lice and nits will easily come off with the comb and with a few more treatments, you will find yourself free of lice.

    

 

9. Garlic And Lemon Juice For Lice

Ingredients: 8 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon lemon juice

How to: Grind the garlic cloves to make a paste. Add lemon juice to it and mix thoroughly. Apply over your scalp and hair length. Keep it on for 40 minutes. Comb with a fine-tooth comb followed by a shampoo.

Frequency: Twice a week

Why it works: Garlic has been used as a treatment for aches, pains, and certain other minor health ailments. But did you know that it is also one of the proven home remedies for lice? Yes, garlic with its highly pungent smell and rich content of sulfur aids in killing off lice. Lemon juice is anti-bacterial and has astringent properties. Thus, garlic paste mixed with lemon juice is one of the best home remedies for head lice.

   

 

10. Baking Soda With Hair Conditioner For Lice

Ingredients: 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3 teaspoons hair conditioner

How to: Mix one part baking soda with three parts of conditioner. Apply this mix all over the scalp and length of hair. Let it stay for at least 30 minutes. Comb each section of hair diligently with a fine-tooth comb. Rinse with lukewarm water Shampoo and condition as usual.

Frequency: Once a week

Why it works: Baking soda kills adult lice whereas hair conditioner is a great smothering agent. Baking soda is one of those many ingredients that are natural lice repellant. It also soothes the persisting scalp infections and itchiness that might have come as a result of the lice infestation. When combined with hair conditioner, it becomes a sure shot home remedy for removing lice.

   

 

11. Coconut Oil And Camphor For Lice 

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 1 tablespoon crushed camphor

How to: Warm some coconut oil and add the crushed camphor. Mix thoroughly. Apply all over the scalp and the length of the hair. Leave overnight. Use a fine-tooth comb to comb out your hair and remove the dead nits and lice. Proceed to shampoo and condition hair as usual.                                    

Frequency: Thrice a week

Why it works: This is another one of the most effective home remedies for lice. A mixture of camphor and coconut oil can help you get rid of quite a few hair issues. But we are here mainly for their ability to get rid of lice. Camphor has anti-parasitic properties that come in handy when dealing with lice. Coconut oil for lice is a popular treatment and when applied to the head mixed with camphor, it kills them as well as keeps them from hatching.

   

 

12. Shea Butter Treatment For Lice

Ingredients: 3 tablespoons shea butter, 6 drops tea tree essential oil

How to: Melt the shea butter and add the tea tree essential oil to it. Apply with special focus on the scalp. Also, cover the hair length. Keep this treatment on for about 4 hours. Comb hair thoroughly to remove the dead lice. Wash hair with a mild shampoo. Comb again.

Frequency: Twice a week

Why it works: This is one of the gentlest home remedies for head lice. Shea butter is an excellent smothering agent that suffocates and kills lice on one hand, while conditions hair on the other hand. Leaving it overnight allows it to work its magic. Tea tree oil boosts its smothering abilities while also being useful on its own. Tea tree oil is known for its properties as a natural insecticide. It thus kills lice and nits as well as acts as lice repellant. 

   

 

13. Neem Oil Treatment For Lice

Ingredients: 2 teaspoons pure neem oil, 2 tablespoons almond oil

How to: Warm the neem oil using the double boiler method. Apply it on the scalp and hair length. Leave for as long as possible. 6 to 8 hours is generally recommended. Use a fine-tooth comb to remove dead lice and nits by combing your hair section by section. Shampoo.

Frequency: Twice a week

Why it works: This is another one of the best home remedies for lice. Having head lice is an annoying problem and we have brought for you a home remedy that will help you bid adieu to this issue. Neem oil is rich in azadirachtin which is a compound that disrupts the life cycle of insects and parasites like lice. It also has a strong pungent smell that blocks the air passages in lice thereby killing them. So, this is one of the best home remedies for head lice as it not only kills the lice but also the nits and stops their population from growing further.

   

 

14. Mayonnaise Treatment For Lice

Ingredients: Full-fat mayonnaise (enough to cover scalp and hair)

How to: Apply liberally overhead and scalp. Cover with a shower cap and leave for five hours. Use a fine comb to remove lice and nits. Shampoo afterward.

Frequency: Once a week

Why it works: Mayonnaise is generally not recommended as a lice treatment yet it has gained popularity amongst people suffering from head lice and looking for natural alternatives. It is a good smothering agent but doesn’t have any effect on the nits. So, you would have to repeat this treatment again and again. Apart from getting rid of the lice, it will make your hair smooth and shiny. People with oily hair and an egg allergy should avoid it. It is recommended for people with short hair as it can get messy.

   

 

15. Petroleum Jelly For Lice

Ingredients: Petroleum jelly (enough to cover scalp and hair)

How to: Apply petroleum jelly liberally over the scalp and the length of hair. Cover with a shower cap and leave overnight. Use baby oil in the morning to remove the petroleum jelly from your hair. Comb your hair by taking one section at a time to completely remove the dead lice and nits from your hair. Rinse with shampoo. 

Frequency: Twice a week

Why it works: This is one of the most common and also touted as one of the most practical home remedies for lice. Petroleum jelly is a cheap and easily available household item. Everyone has it in their homes. Just a thick layer on hair left overnight can ease your itching and scratching. It works by smothering the lice and nits. Combing with a fine-tooth comb helps to remove the dead lice and nits latching onto your hair. Since petroleum jelly can be messy and difficult to remove like mayonnaise, this treatment is recommended mainly for people with short hair. 

      

     

Frequently Asked Questions

    

  

Q. Why is coconut oil for lice popular?

Coconut oil for lice is an effective and popular remedy to get rid of those little pesky parasites. There have been many studies that show coconut oil’s efficacy as a lice treatment. It kills off lice without being harsh to your scalp and has no side effects (unless you are allergic to coconut oil), thus making it one of the most popular home remedies for head lice.

   

Q. Can shea butter kill lice?

Yes, shea butter when used with tea tree essential oil can help to get rid of lice. 

Prepare a mixture with 3 tablespoons shea butter and 6 drops of tea tree essential oil. For the mixture, make sure to melt the shea butter first. Apply this on the scalp and keep it for atleast 4 hours. Comb your hair thoroughly to remove dead lice later. Wash your hair with a mild shampoo and you are done.

   

Q. Which are the best home remedies for lice treatment?

The best home remedies for lice include coconut oil, salt and vinegar spray, tea tree oil and olive oil, mayonnaise treatment, and petroleum jelly among others.

   

Q. How can one get lice treatment at home?

You can easily get lice treatment at home. You can try wet combing which is a traditional method of eliminating head lice. You can also use a variety of home remedies for lice that are smothering treatments. Don’t forget to comb your hair after these treatments to take out the lice from your hair.  

   

Q. Which are the best essential oils for lice?

Several essential oils can be used for the effective removal of head lice. The best essential oils for lice include tea tree oil, lavender oil, neem oil, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, and peppermint oil among others. These have proven to be effective home remedies but you must always practice caution when using essential oils. Always do a patch to rule out an allergic reaction. Always dilute the essential oils with a carrier oil like coconut or olive oil.

   

Q. Is olive oil for lice treatment a good option?

Yes, olive oil for lice treatment is a good option. This is because like most home remedies for lice, olive oil is a great smothering agent. When you leave enough of it on your hair for long enough hours, it suffocates the lice and kills them.

   

Q- Can camphor kill lice eggs?

Camphor is an effective ingredient which helps to get rid of lice. Camphor has anti parasitic properties that come in handy when dealing with lice. Coconut oil for lice is a popular treatment and when applied to the head mixed with camphor, it kills them as well as keeps them from hatching. 

Prepare a mixture made from 2 tablespoons coconut oil and 1 tablespoon crushed camphor. 

For application, warm the coconut oil and add the crushed camphor. Mix this mixture thoroughly. Apply all over the scalp and the length of the hair. Leave overnight. Use a fine tooth comb to comb out your hair and remove the dead nits and lice. Proceed to shampoo and condition hair as usual.