Eliminate lice! The fear of all parents from the start of the school year. Almost 85% of children in school are likely to have lice or nits at least once during their schooling.
These parasites are present all year round, but with peaks in seasonality associated with each start of life in a community. Often, it only takes one case to trigger an entire epidemic. Fortunately, there are several effective natural remedies to eliminate lice and prevent their appearance on our blond heads. Discover our anti-lice plan of attack with our natural tips to get rid of it.
5 tips to fight lice naturally
1. Natural remedy against lice with coconut oil
Coconut oil is a very fine vegetable oil that manages to infiltrate the respiratory openings of the louse and eventually suffocate it. The louse is able to close its pores in water, for example, and can survive there for 24 hours. On the other hand, coconut oil clogs the respiratory openings, so the louse dies quickly.
How to use coconut oil as a parasiticide ?
The tip of your naturopath: Soak the scalp and hairline well, line by line. Leave on for 2 hours in cellophane (or overnight, in this case put a towel on the pillow), then use 2 anti-lice shampoos to remove the coconut oil and eliminate all dead lice and nits.
2. Anti lice solution without insecticide: green clay
The benefits of green clay are endless. Its virtues are numerous due to its absorbent properties. It retains liquids and gases, eliminates toxins. It has an antiseptic and bactericidal action and healing and soothing properties.
On the same principle as coconut oil, green clay will trap the louse and suffocate it and also soothe the itchy scalp.
How to get rid of it with green clay ?
The natural trick: Mix a good quantity of clay in water, once the paste is smooth and homogeneous, apply a thick layer on the roots then leave for 1 to 2 hours under cellophane and under a towel to prevent the clay does not dry out.
3. Anti-lice essential oils: essential oil of Tea Tree and Lavandin Super
Using essential oils is one of the most effective natural remedies to eliminate them.
– Tea Tree essential oil has repellent active ingredients that repel and eliminate lice. It has molecules from the family of monoterpene alcohols (such as linalool), which has this antiparasitic property. The essential oil of tea tree will therefore act by penetrating the cells of the louse, which will alter the cell membranes and the intracellular constituents of the parasite.
– Lavandin Super essential oil contains Linalool as well as camphor (up to 5%) which is a very powerful natural parasiticide.
How to use essential oils against lice ?
In a bottle, mix:
- 60 drops of Lavandin Super essential oil
- 60 drops of tea tree essential oil
The natural anti-lice trick: 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. Reapply for 3 consecutive days. Repeat 8 to 15 days later at the latest (time that the nits give lice).
In prevention, you can also use this mixture: 1 drop behind the neck and 1 drop behind the ears.
4. Natural anti lice treatment with baking soda
Against lice, but especially against nits, baking soda (food!) Is formidable! In fact, there is a part of the bicarbonate which dissolves in water and which acts on the nits and there is another part of the grains which remain non-solubilized, which acts by contact with adult lice.
How to use baking soda to get rid of lice and nits ?
Have your child close their eyes tightly (in case of eye contact rinse well!) And sprinkle the baking soda evenly over their skull. Moisten the hair with a spray and let it act in cellophane as long as possible. Comb the hair with the help of an anti-lice comb then shampoo.
5. Grandma’s anti lice remedy with white vinegar
White vinegar is a natural and particularly effective alternative. More than the smell, its interest is based on its acidity (low pH) and its antiseptic action. But in order not to attack the scalp, it must be diluted. It is formidable to take off the nits.
How to eradicate lice and nits with white vinegar?
Dilute vinegar and water in equal parts, soak your child’s hair with the mixture and then leave for as long as possible under cellophane before shampooing and loosening the nits with a comb.
The best anti-lice solution: prevention!
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, the best way to fight against lice is to protect yourself from it!
For this, we recommend that you wash your children’s hair with a natural anti-lice shampoo 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 have the advantage of strengthening protection and also detangling the hair, ideal for little girls or boys with long hair!
In the event of a declared epidemic, immediately draw your natural anti-lice lotion. Once a week for 3 weeks, apply the lotion to your child’s roots and let it act before shampooing against lice.
Also remember to treat your bed linen, with an anti-lice spray specially designed to treat your environment. These little animals don’t just stay on our heads, they love cozy places such as our pillows or our sofa to come and lounge around and lay their eggs. A louse can lay up to 10 nits per day, or 300 nits during its life as an adult louse, imagine the nest there may be in our cushions and our bed!
Final advice before giving the assault on these parasites:
- Do not use the hairdryer as the heat promotes the development of lice.
- Against lice in sheets, clothes, pillows etc. lock them in an airtight plastic bag with a few drop of lavender essential oil for 10 days, the lice will die. Then wash the laundry at 60 ° C.
- Warn your child not to exchange his belongings (cap, scarf, jacket …) with his friends
- Take 2 granules of Ledum Palustre 5Ch 3 times a day, this homeopathic remedy will modify your smell to make your head less appetizing.
Marie (Naturopath))
