Finding The Efficacy Of Natural Oils Against Lice For A Better Health

The infestation with head lice, especially in school children, leads to great tension among parents.

The mother in particular is always very concerned about the physical and mental health of her children and wants to rid them of all problems, big and small.

What parents can do

Now parents have three options to go about this. You can either buy over-the-counter products without an authentic prescription from a qualified doctor or pharmacist, a well-prescribed drug from an authentic health care provider, or some natural home remedies.

We have done thorough research in this area and have concluded that natural home remedies are best to follow. They're cheap, easy to follow, natural, non-toxic, and most importantly, most effective.

The role of essential oils in treating lice

We have developed some essential oils against lice infestation for you and we can assure you that they will be effective if you use them with the greatest care and attention. Nature created lice and the best remedies against them.

The use of essential oils is one of the most important in this regard. There are various shampoos fortified with essential oils for parents to choose from on the market.

However, the AAP does not approve the use of essential oils to kill lice or nits. Let's go.

1. Tea tree oil

This oil has proven to be wonderful against head lice over the years. There has also been promising research from trusted sources such as the NIH on the effectiveness of tea tree oil.

Terpinen in various forms is the main insecticide and has been shown to kill lice and nits. You can mix three to five drops of pure oil to each ounce of shampoo.

The other option is to mix three tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil as a carrier oil with one teaspoon of tea tree oil and apply this mixture to the scalp or infected hair for 30 to 40 minutes.

Then you can wash out the hair with a fine shampoo and comb out any lice and nits with a reliable fine-toothed comb.

2. Neem oil

This oil contains the compounds that disrupt the life cycle of lice and kill them. Studies have shown that this oil is also very effective against lice and nits.

It is a natural insect repellent. Parents can buy neem oil-based shampoos over the counter. You can also mix 8 to 10 drops of this essential oil with an ounce of regular shampoo and apply it to infected hair for at least 20 minutes.

The hair can then be washed with a high-quality shampoo or conditioner and all lice and nits can be combed with the help of a fine-toothed lice comb.

You need to remember that neem oil always smells bad.

3. Lavender oil

This is another very effective essential oil against head lice, fungi and many other insects, but not nits.

Parents can dissolve two drops of this oil in ten milliliters of water for a good shampoo. You should apply this shampoo to your infected child's hair once a week for three weeks.

The plus point of this oil is that it has been shown to be an excellent deterrent against lice.

The other side of the picture

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The other side of the picture is not equally bright. The evidence to support the use of essential oils as a lice treatment is still not strong enough for all to safely and confidently advise and use these oils.

There is an urgent need for more and more studies to be done before companies can claim that the use of essential oils in lice products is truly effective. There can also be many drawbacks to using essential oils for lice infestation.

One of the worst drawbacks is that using essential oils increases the irritation and itchiness in the skin, already from scratching the scalp with your fingernails for the sensation caused by the crawling of the lice.

The final wording

It can be said that a victim might be lucky enough to use essential oils for head lice infestations, but the experts still go with the tried and true methods like using OTC medication to be on the safe side.

Another fact that these essential oils can only be applied topically and never taken orally limits their use against head lice on a large scale. The long and short of this discussion is the fact that this great natural remedy is still not completely reliable, despite being used by many around the world.

However, much research is still ongoing and much better and more reliable results are expected in this regard. The world is looking forward to it with great curiosity.

About the author:

Kyle Moore is a South African writer with a love of all natural things! When he doesn't spend time wandering through a forest, he's finding ways to live his best life.