Eliminating head lice! The dreaded head lice of all parents at the start of the new school year. Nearly 85% of schoolchildren are likely to have lice or nits at least once during their time at school.
These parasites are present all year round, but with seasonal peaks linked to the start of life in a community. Often, it only takes one case to trigger a whole epidemic. Fortunately, there are several effective natural remedies for eliminating head lice and preventing them from appearing on our little ones. Find out more about our plan of attack against head lice, with our natural tips for getting rid of them.
1. Natural head lice remedy with coconut oil
Coconut oilis a very fine vegetable oil that infiltrates the louse’s respiratory orifices and finally suffocates it. Lice are able to close their pores in water, for example, and can survive there for 24 hours. Coconut oil, on the other hand, clogs the louse’s respiratory orifices, so it dies quickly.
How can coconut oil be used as a parasiticide?
Your naturopath’s tip: Soak the scalp and hairline well, parting by parting. Leave for 2 hours under cellophane (or overnight, in which case place a towel on the pillow), then shampoo twice to remove the coconut oil and eliminate all the dead lice and nits.
2. Anti-lice solution without insecticide: green clay
The benefits of green clay are endless. Its many virtues are due to its absorbent properties. It retains liquids and gases and eliminates toxins. It has an antiseptic and bactericidal action, as well as healing and soothing properties.
On the same principle as coconut oil,green clay will trap and asphyxiate lice and also soothe itchy scalps.
How can you get rid of lice with green clay?
Natural tip: Mix a generous amount of clay with water, and once the paste is smooth and homogenous, apply a thick layer to the roots, then leave on for 1 to 2 hours under cellophane and a towel to prevent the clay from drying out.
3. Anti-lice essential oils: Tea Tree and Lavandin Super essential oils
Using essential oils is one of the most effective natural remedies for eliminating head lice .
– Tea Tree essential oil has repellent active ingredients that repel and eliminate head lice. It contains molecules from the monoterpene alcohol family (such as linalool), which have this anti-parasitic property. Tea tree essential oil will therefore act by penetrating the louse cells, which will alter the cell membranes and intracellular constituents of the parasite.
– Lavandin Super essential oil contains linalool and camphor (5%), which is one of the most powerful natural parasiticides.
How to use essential oils against head lice?
Mix in a bottle:
- 60 drops of Lavandin Super essential oil
- 60 drops Tea Tree essential oil
Natural anti-lice tip: When your child is infested, apply 5 drops of the mixture twice a day to the scalp, then wash the hair with an anti-lice shampoo. Repeat the application for 3 consecutive days. Repeat 8 to 15 days later at the latest (while the nits are still producing lice).
For prevention, you can also use this mixture: 1 drop behind the nape of the neck and 1 drop behind the ears.
4. Natural anti-lice treatment with bicarbonate of soda
Baking soda (for food!) is formidable against lice, but especially against nits! In fact, some of the bicarbonate dissolves in water and acts on the nits, while other grains remain unsolubilised and act on contact with adult lice.
How do I use bicarbonate of soda to get rid of lice and nits?
Ask your child to close his eyes tightly (if he comes into contact with his eyes, rinse them out!) and sprinkle the baking soda evenly over his head. Dampen the hair with a spray and leave to work under cellophane for as long as possible. Comb the hair with an anti-lice comb , then shampoo.
5. Grandmother’s anti-lice remedy with white vinegar
White vinegar is a natural and particularly effective alternative. More than its smell, its interest lies in its acidity (low pH) and its antiseptic action. But to avoid damaging the scalp, it must be diluted. It is formidable for removing nits.
How do you eradicate lice and nits with white vinegar?
Dilute vinegar and water in equal parts, soak your child’s hair in the mixture and leave it for as long as possible under cellophane before shampooing and removing the nits with a comb.
The best solution against lice: prevention!
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and the best way to fight head lice is to protect yourself!
To do this, we recommend washing your children’s hair with a natural anti-liceshampoo once a week. The natural active ingredients will protect your children from a possible infestation. You can even complete the action with an anti-lice conditioner , which will reinforce the protection and also detangle the hair – ideal for little girls or boys with long hair!
In the event of an outbreak, draw on your natural anti-lice lotion straight away. Once a week for 3 weeks, apply the lotion to your child’s roots and leave to work before shampooing.
Also remember to treat your bed linen with an anti-lice spray specially designed to treat your environment. These little bugs don’t just stay on our heads, they love cosy places like our pillows or sofa to come and bask in the sun and lay their eggs. A louse can lay up to 10 nits a day, or 300 nits during its adult life, so imagine the nest they can make in our cushions and beds!
One last piece of advice before you go on the offensive against these parasites:
- Don’t use a hairdryer, as the heat encourages lice to develop.
- To combat lice on sheets, clothes, pillows, etc. seal them in an airtight plastic bag with a few drops of lavender essential oil for 10 days, and the lice will die off. Then wash the clothes at 60°C.
- Warn your child not to exchange his or her belongings (cap, scarf, jacket, etc.) with other children
- Take 2 granules of Ledum Palustre 5Ch 3 times a day. This homeopathic remedy will change your smell to make your head less appetising.
