REMEDIES: LICE - Natural Remedies and Info (HEALTH, OILS)

January 6, 2003

Hello all,

My cousins kids have gotten lice from school (AGAIN) so I compiled this

info to help her deal with it. Since I had it all together I thought I

would share it with you guys too.

Mouse

***************

Getting rid of lice, scabies and mites with natural remedies

(sources/website sited when known)

***

Safely Eliminating Head Lice

by Annie Berthold-Bond, Care2.com Producer, Green Living Channels

A reader wrote in that a bad case of head lice inspired her to go to all

sorts of toxic and nontoxic extremes to eliminate the pests.

Simple Solution:

The methods she used included using hormone-disrupting pesticides,

gasoline, kerosene, all over-the-counter measures, olive oil, baby oil,

mayonnaise, tea tree oil, bombing the home, shaving of the head and body

of most of her hair, going away to Pennsylvania for weeks, along with

the usual recommended environmental controls.

She said that most of these worked … for a while. She asked, “Do you

have a solution that is not suicide?”

While this reader had been successfully killing the lice, she had been

missing their eggs. A successful way of ridding the head—or in her case,

her whole body—of lice and their eggs without poisoning yourself with

dangerous pesticides and hydrocarbons, is as follows:

1.) Lather hair with a coconut-oil castile soap. Add a few drops of tea

tree oil and neem oil to the lathered hair. (Health food stores sell

castile soap and tea tree oil.)

2. Rinse and rewash with this same mixture.

3. After rewashing, do not rinse, but wrap a towel around the head and

wait for half an hour.

4. Comb with a nit-removing comb, strand by strand, until all nits are

removed (this takes a while). Dampen hair as needed. To order a comb,

.

5. Wash and rinse the hair. Once dry, check, thoroughly, for any missed

nits.

6. Thoroughly clean the comb, hands, bedding, and clothing. Pillows can

be placed in the freezer overnight. You can comb a lice-repellant

essential oil through the hair. The best choices of repellent essential

oils are tea tree, neem, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, and rose

geranium. Add 10 drops of essential oil to 1 oz. oil. Comb through the

hair. Or make a tea tree oil shampoo by adding 10 drops of tea tree oil

to 1 oz. of shampoo.

PRODUCTS

Alternative Lice Treatments

The fear of head lice resistance to the pesticides pyrethrin and

permethrin has led many consumers to turn to alternative methods of

treating head lice. Retail Pharmacy News offers an extensive list of,

and a look at alternative treatments to toxic pesticides.

Not Nice To Lice contains no pesticides. Ingredients: Filtered and

purified water, and natural enzyme cleaners including Protease, Lipase,

Cellulase and Amylase.

LiceOut water-based gel contains no pesticides and is nontoxic. Click

here.

http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/372

***

Lice can be treated by placing drops of tea tree oil on a fine toothed

comb, and comb the hair thoroughly every day for two weeks. Wash the

hair nightly with a mild shampoo that has oil of thyme and tea tree oil

added.

Alternatively, you can mix together 4 cups of apple cider vinegar, 4

cups of water, 1/2 ounce oil of thyme; use nightly as a shampoo.

***

Herbal Lice Treatment

2 oz. Olive Oil

20 drops Tea Tree Oil

10 drops each Rosemary, Lavender, Lemon EO's

Combine, apply to dry hair, and cover with a plastic shower cap (small

trash bags & a paper clip work well too). Wrap head in a towel, leave on

for two hours. Work shampoo into dry hair to cut oil, rinse, shampoo

until all residue is gone.

***

Try cider vinegar. Dilute it with 50% water and rinse hair with it twice

a week. Use swimming goggles if need be to protect eyes.

***

How do I treat head lice safely?

The effective elimination of head lice requires radical eradication. If

you kill 99.99% of the lice, for example, but leave 0.01% alive and

kicking, you have the makings of yet another unfortunate infestation - a

real lousy problem. In order to achieve control, you must kill the

active adults and remove all of the nits. According to parasitologist

and lice expert Dr. Robert Dalgleish, " the manual or mechanical removal

of lice and nits from the hair is crucial no matter what treatment

regimen is chosen, " a finding recently echoed in the New England Journal

of Medicine.

It is neither safe nor necessary to use pesticide shampoos or lotions to

exterminate lice. With some patience and the proper technique, a

combination of safe shampooing and lice combing will eradicate head lice

problems without exposing your child to the hazards of pesticides. To

treat head lice safely, you will need:

-coconut-oil or olive-oil-based shampoo (or bar soap or pure oils)

-2 bath towels

-books or videos

-large-toothed comb

-special metal lice comb

-hair clips

-tweezers or safety scissors

-double-sided scotch tape

-tissue

-bowl of hot water and detergent

-bowl of ammonia water

-nail brush or old toothbrush.

Follow these ten nit-picking steps for head lice success:

Step 1. Wet hair thoroughly with water that is as hot as is safe and

tolerable (lice are repelled by heat). Since young children's scalps may

be very sensitive to heat, start with lukewarm water and increase the

temperature gradually.

Step 2. Apply a coconut-oil or olive-oil-based shampoo (not one with a

conditioner). If you can't find a shampoo, use a bar soap with a coconut

or olive oil base, or pure coconut or olive oil. Both of these oils are

safe, but demonstrate effective, natural insecticidal properties. Rather

than poisoning the insects, olive oil kills active lice by smothering

them - an action they can't develop resistance to. Parents also report

that olive oil makes nit removal easier, and remoisturizes the scalp.

Scrub hair and rinse thoroughly.

Step 3. Repeat the shampoo application and scrubbing, but this time do

not rinse the shampoo (or soap or oil) out.

Step 4. Wrap a towel around your child's lathered head for 15-20

minutes, and another around shoulders. Find a comfortable spot by a

window, outside in full sunlight, or next to a bright, flexible lamp.

Seat your child with his or her head just below your eye level, and make

sure a good supply of engrossing books or videos is available.

Step 5. Remove the towel (do not rinse shampoo), and use a regular

large-toothed comb to remove snarls and excess suds.

Step 6. Separate a 1 inch hank of hair in one hand. With the other,

position a special lice comb at a 45 degree angle, with the curved side

of the teeth toward the head. Lice combs have specially tooled metal

teeth to remove nits. Plastic combs - even the fine-toothed ones sold

with lice shampoos - are not adequate.

Step 7. Insert the comb as close to the scalp as possible, and pull it

through hair slowly, removing all the nits you can see. Continue with

one 1-inch section at a time, checking each section thoroughly for nits

or lice. Clip finished sections out of the way. If hair dries during the

combing process, rewet it.

Step 8. Use fingernails or tweezers to remove any nits missed by the

comb, or use safety scissors to snip out individual nit-bearing hairs.

Double-sided scotch tape or tweezers can be used to catch adult lice.

Step 9. Clean the comb periodically with a tissue, placing soiled

tissues in a bowl of hot water and detergent. When the bowl is full,

flush the contents down the toilet and replace the hot water and detergent.

Step 10. Rinse fully-combed hair thoroughly with water as hot as is safe

and tolerable. When hair dries, check your child's entire head for stray

nits and lice, and remove them individually.

To clean up, soak the comb in hot, soapy ammonia water (1 teaspoon of

ammonia in two cups of hot water) for 15 minutes, or boil for 15

minutes. Scrub the teeth of the comb with a nail brush or old toothbrush

to remove debris before storing.

Combing should be repeated weekly during the time lice are a problem at

school. Normal shampooing with a coconut or olive-oil-based product

should be done 2-4 times a week. If reinfestation occurs, combing will

have to be repeated more frequently.

During the entire process, make sure your child knows that he or she

isn't " dirty, " and didn't do anything wrong. As a final note, long hair

has not been shown to be more attractive to lice. While cutting it may

make combing easier, it is also likely to make an uncomfortable

situation more traumatic and won't prevent reinfestation.

More great info available at website...

http://www.crisny.org/not-for-profit/nycap/headlice.htm

***

I have been fighting head lice for a while now with my grand-children.

The best thing I have found is to put straight tea tree oil on their

hair and leave it for about an hour (with shower cap works better). It

virtually kills all the lice. But you must comb through the hair several

times over a period of two weeks after to get rid of the eggs. Also, put

a small amount of tea tree oil at various locations on their scalp after

shampooing and just leave it. Lice hate tea tree oil!

*

Has anyone ever tried Sunlight liquid soap (dish detergent)?? It works

with so many other bugs on plants and for earwigs, etc. I took a few

samples (yes from my kids heads and put them in some soap. They were

lifeless in minutes so as I write their heads are drenched in Sunlight -

here's hoping! Nothing else seems to work and I've used as much chemical

stuff as I dare. If anyone else has tried please respond and I'll post

the outcome of my own experiment. Two hours later .... all heads have

been rinsed, regular shampooed and cream rinsed (to help with the

combing!) and then of course the wonderful combing! Well it worked on

the lice - they are dead! Many of them rinsed right out and the rest

combed pretty easy. I can't find any nits left (but haven't given up on

them yet). The lice and nits also rinsed off the comb fairly easy - or

much easier than they did with the drugstore products. I won't put the

jury in on it yet but you certainly have nothing to lose - except for, I

expect, some dry hair and scalps (grease-cutting formula of Sunlight!!).

I'll let you know in a week or so if we are still lice free. Cindy

*

My daughter has had reoccurring head lice for over a year. I had tried

everything and was fed up. I combed her hair hours at a time, everyday,

she cried and i hated it. So I took any info that I knew and came up

with a way to get rid of them on my own and I was so surprised when it

worked. I know that if they can't breath they can't live, so I mixed,

olive oil, hair gel and sunburn cooling gel (the sunburn gel has a

menthol in it). 1/4 cup oil, 1/2c cooling gel and 1/2 c hair gel. This

does two heads, can be saved if not all used. All mixed together makes

a nice gel that goes on easy, and is very easily washed out. I applied

it and put a plastic shower cap on, over night and it washed right out

in the shower with shampoo in the morning. Note: the oil can seep out

of the cap while your child sleeps, so i would just use on old pillow

case.

*

O.K. last night I tried the idea with the olive oil and tea tree oil. We

went very slowly through the hair with the nit comb. After an hour of

looking for nits without the oil and only finding a few eggs I was

amazed at how many live and dead lice came out with the oil treatment.

We put a live lice in the bowl of oil. Within seconds it died. My

daughter slept with this stuff (although she did not want the shower cap

on) with towels under her head.

*

I have been a teacher for 5 years and last year was the first time I

encountered lice. And it ended up being one of the worst years. We had

case after case. Parents were having a really difficult time getting rid

of the lice, they were trying everything. But much to everyone's

amazement the bugs are becoming immune to the shampoos you can purchase.

From what I have read on the site they have a lot of suggestions, but

the first and foremost is the importance of nit pickin'. You can use

the suffocation method but in order for the to work properly you need to

get on there hatching cycle. The bugs must have a human meal within 45

minutes after hatching, and it takes 7-10 day for an egg to hatch. I

read someone's method of Tea Tree Oil, which is what sparked me to

write. The method we found most effective was this, SEA BREEZE, you

cover the head (soak the hair) and place a shower cap over, let it on

over night, and when you take it off the next morning you will actually

see the DEAD bugs laying in the cap. REMEMBER nit picking is still very

IMPORTANT. But Sea Breeze has Camphor Oil in it and Camphor Oil is a

NATURAL BUG REPELLENT. I used it personally every morning I sprayed my

head with it until it was good and wet and than fixed my hair as normal.

I was in contact with it enough that I do believe that is the only

reason I did not bring it home myself. Not to mention the fact the I

have Psoriasis on my scalp and after spraying my head for a while the

condition of my scalp actually improved. I also use the protective

measurement with my own children, when school start, and the weather

break (tis the season) I spray their hats, jackets, heads, etc. with Sea

Breeze to protect them.... Hope this was helpful to some of you who are

having the horrible battle with these nasty critters.

above comments from message boards at http://www.naturalmom.com/

***

Holistic Treatment of lice

Holistic. Several natural oils can also be used in the treatment and

prevention of head lice if you're uncertain about using a chemical-based

product. Purchase natural alternatives containing a mixture of olive oil

and coconut oil, lavender and tea tree oil, or coconut oil and ylang

oil. You can also make your own chemical free treatment by following the

recipe below.

CHEMICAL FREE TREATMENT

Ingredients:

2 ounces vegetable oil

20 drops tea tree oil

10 drops rosemary oil

10 drops lavender oil

10 drops lemon oil

Directions:

Apply mixture to infected person's head and cover with towel for one

hour. Follow with regular shampooing. Repeat this process next day.

HOUSE

Even after all lice has been removed from the hair and scalp, there is

still a danger of re-infestation if your living space has not been

treated. Lice can survive in home environments for up to four days. Nits

can lie dormant for several weeks, then hatch and re-infect the family.

All articles of clothing, bedding, towels, and furniture that the

sufferer used should be washed in hot water and detergent, machine

dried, or dry cleaned. Combs and brushes can be disinfected by soaking

in a solution of bleach and hot, soapy water. On items that cannot be

washed, use the vacuum cleaner. Vacuum draperies, upholstery, carpeting,

mattresses, and any other area where you fear lice and their eggs may

have been deposited. Be sure to wrap the vacuum bag in a plastic bag

after cleaning and immediately discard.

http://www.tipking.com/Tips/publish/tip_53.shtml

***

Head Lice Herbal Information

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) oil kills lice and takes away itching of

the head.

Try pure essential oil of hyssop. You can probably find it in an herb

shop or health food store. Mix equal parts of the essential oil of

hyssop and a carrier oil. Olive oil or canola oil are good choices as a

carrier. In other words, if you purchase 1/4 ounce hyssop oil, mix it

with 1/4 ounce carrier oil. Pure essential oil of thyme would be a good

second choice. Mix it in the same manner as the hyssop, but not in

combination with it.

Apply the hyssop mixture or the thyme mixture directly to the scalp.

Wrap the head with a scarf and wait for at least one hour then shampoo

as usual. This treatment should be repeated once a week until all signs

of infestation are gone.

This should do the trick! According to the noted herbalist, Nicholas

Culpeper, hyssop oil will kill the lice.

http://members.aol.com/abbysherbs/lice.html

***

Massage a capful of liquid Nambucca Tea Tree Oil directly into the hair

and scalp. Wrap the hair in a hot towel and allow to stand for

approximately 10~ minutes. This will ensure that the vapors of the oil

permeate all areas of the scalp. Follow by washing the hair in with your

regular Shampoo mixed with Nambucca Tea Tree Oil. To prevent

reinfestation, wash clothing and bedding very carefully.

(see this site for ways to fight fleas, mosquitoes, and other great uses

for tea tree oil)

http://teatreeoil.net/__LICE.htm

***

Short snippet of an Article Taken from the Summer/Fall 1998 issue of

Making Scents Magazine

The Benefits of Tea Tree by Cynthia Olsen

.......snip....

The following treatment for removal of head lice is recommended: Add

five to ten drops of pure tea tree oil to a shampoo and wash the child's

hair, massaging the mixture thoroughly into the scalp. Do this every day

until the eggs are removed. In between shampoos, a few drops of the oil

can be massaged into the scalp. Do not rinse out.

To help sterilize and prevent further lice infestation, brushes, combs,

bedding and towels may be soaked in a tea tree oil solution of 1/4 oz.

of oil added to a tub of water. You may also spray a dilution of tea

tree oil in the clothes hamper to help control infestation.

.......snip....

This was an excerpt taken from Australian Tea Tree Oil Guide published

by Kali Press - P.O. Box 2169, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 (888) 999-5254,

fax (970) 264-5202, email: kalipres

(See website for rest of this article and other uses for tea tree oil.)

http://aztec.asu.edu/makingscents/articles/Tea_Tree_Article/tea_tree_article.htm\

l

***

Head lice infestation is predominantly found on the scalp. In addition

to using the following recipe on the scalp, you should also do a

complete body wash. You need to completely wash all clothes and bedding

using 1/2 to l teaspoon of Tee Tree oil in each load of wash. Wash the

entire body with shampoo fortified with 2 teaspoons of Tea Tree oil.

Rinse hair with a hot water solution containing 1/2 teaspoon of the oil

plus 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. After drying, saturate a nit

comb with Tea Tree oil and run it through the hair. Do this for at least

a couple of days.

Tea Tree oil is superior to the products you buy in the pharmacy for

lice and scabies. It dissolves the lice and egg on contact, stopping

reproduction in its tracks. It will not harm the central nervous system!

Make sure you always have 2 bottles of Tea Tree Oil for your home or

first aid kit.

Aroma

The smell of Tea Tree is hard to put into words, but it is quite

characteristic and recognizable, fresh, clean, antiseptic, slightly

earthy - not unpleasant at all!

Blending: Often used alone, but may be blended with Lavender, Pine,

Cinnamon or Clove.

(see website for more great info...)

http://www.femhealth.com/teatreeoil.html

***

Natural Ways to Keep Lice Away

Every child in school or daycare needs lice prevention. If it's too late

and your child has lice, we've also got lice cures. All the natural way.

No one wants to ever think about lice. But, even the cleanest child can

bring them home. School, the playground, parties, and daycare are just a

few of the places where a child can get lice.

Learn the natural ways to get rid of lice. AND, more importantly, the

natural way to prevent a lice infestation from occurring!

We have a natural formula that actually keeps lice away and drives them

away if they get in your child's hair. We have also listed many pieces

of prevention information that every parent and teacher should read.

Combs and Brushes

The first order of business is that each person in the household has

their own comb or brush. If one of you gets lice, there is a good chance

that the others will not if they are not sharing combs or brushes. Your

child must learn that they may not share a comb or brush at school or in

the neighborhood.

Clothes, Hats, Etc.

Your child must also be taught that they can never wear anyone else's

jackets, sweaters, barrettes, hats, helmets, etc., and that no one else

may wear their things. If someone at school puts your child's hat on,

your child must know to not put the hat on but instead bring it home for

washing or bagging. Hats, sweaters and jackets must be kept isolated at

school when your child is not wearing them. These items should go into a

zipped up backpack or deep into their own " cubby. " If all of the coats

in the classroom are touching each other while hanging on a rack or

hangers, lice could be marching from one to the next. It is a game of

Russian roulette as to who would be the next child to bring the lice

home - if not all of the children.

The Playground

Keep your child out of the sandbox - or at least keep your child's hair

out of the sand (and the sand out of your child's hair). If a child with

lice puts his head in the sand, some lice could stay in the sand. Lice

can stay alive for 24 hours or so, which is time enough to infect lots

of heads when kids pour sand over each other. We have found that the

kids who are always playing in the sand are also the first ones to be

sent home with lice in every outbreak.

Shampoos and Conditioners

One of the best things to use to prevent lice is the right shampoo.

Coconut oil and olive oil contain fatty acids that break down the bodies

(exoskeletons) of the lice and kill them. Try Tom's of Maine Aloe &

Almond Shampoo with coconut oil, Home Health Oliva Shampoo with olive

oil, Rainwater Herbal Shampoo (Normal to Dry Hair) with olive oil,

Rainwater Henna Shampoo (enhances natural highlights) with coconut oil,

or Gently Yours/Tearless Shampoo with coconut oil - just to name a few

from MotherNature.com (they have even more to choose from).

Some shampoos and conditioners contain tea tree oil, peppermint or

eucalyptus oil, lavender oil, and rosemary oil (and lice hate the smell

so they stay away!). All with tea tree oil also relieve dandruff and

cradle cap. These include Daily Replenishing Shampoo with tea tree oil,

lavender oil, rosemary and eucalyptus oil, California Baby Shampoo &

Body Wash (tearless) with tea tree oil and lavender, Paul Mitchell Tea

Tree Shampoo, Jason Natural Cosmetics Tea Tree Oil Hair & Scalp Therapy

Shampoo and Jason Natural Cosmetics Tea Tree Oil Hair & Scalp Therapy

Conditioner. Shampoos and conditioners that contain tea tree oil are

also great for use after a lice infestation because it heals and soothes

all of those little bites and sore skin from scratching.

Testimonial

Lice seem to detest menthol or eucalyptus - either will keep them away,

send them away quickly, or kill them. While we were in the middle of a

lice crisis at home, we were checking hair every day and using these

shampoos. We finally found one new egg (obviously new because it was

close to the scalp) - but only the one. We looked daily for weeks and

never saw another. The louse that laid that egg either died from the

mixture of tea tree oil, menthol and rosemary in the Giovanni Tea Tree

Triple Treat Shampoo and Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Conditioner or

left from the menthol smell it left in the hair. (These are the same

essential oils that are used in aromatherapy, they are totally natural

and have been used for centuries as healing agents. If you look for

these in your neighborhood store, you need to be sure they are pure

essential oils.)

UPDATE: Success again! There was another outbreak of lice in the

classroom so we checked heads. One adult louse was all that was found,

and it was either almost dead or highly intoxicated from our homemade

shampoo and conditioner (see the next paragraph)!! No eggs!! Just in

case any more lice were hiding, we covered the hair with mayonnaise for

a little more than one hour and used a special rinse we made (see the

next paragraph). After more than two weeks of daily checking, no more

lice were ever found and there were still no eggs.

Make Your Own

If you don't want to buy any of these shampoos or conditioners, you can

make your own rinse. First shampoo the hair. To a base of five teaspoons

of Virgin Olive Oil Carrier Oil, add five drops of Lavender Essential

Oil, five drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil, five drops of Rosemary

Essential Oil, five drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil, and five drops of

Peppermint Essential Oil. Add five drops of this mixture per 8-ounce

glass of water or to the bottle of shampoo or conditioner. This is the

last rinse. Lice just hate it and will stay away!

You can add these essential oils to any shampoo or conditioner

containing coconut oil or olive oil when your child is near an active

outbreak of lice (to keep the lice away and start killing any one that

might be brave enough to climb aboard). In between outbreaks, you can

use any shampoo as is, add these essential oils to any conditioner, and

skip the final rinse mentioned above (to keep lice away). Simply add

five drops of each essential oil to five teaspoons of shampoo or conditioner.

The following is a ratio for adding essential oils to a carrier oil,

shampoo or conditioner.

ESSENTIAL OIL CARRIER OIL, SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER

0-1 drop 1/5 teaspoon

2-5 drops 1 teaspoon

4-10 drops 2 teaspoons

6-15 drops 1 tablespoon

8-20 drops 4 teaspoons

10-25 drops 5 teaspoons

Notes:

1) The respiration of a baby can be slowed down or even stopped if

peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil is close enough for the baby to even

breathe either.

2) High blood pressure may be elevated by peppermint essential oil.

3) Peppermint or rosemary may be harmful during pregnancy.

http://www.lacetoleather.com/keepliceaway.html

***

Herbal Lice Treatment

12 drops Eucalyptus essential oil

25 drops Rosemary essential oil

13 drops Geranium essential oil

25 drops Lavender essential oil

5 drops Tea tree oil essential oil

5 drops Cypress essential oil

5 drops Citrus essential oil

3 oz. vegetable oil

Shake ingredients in a shaker ie: cruet. Let sit on hair for 2-3 hours.

Wrap hair in saran wrap or put a plastic shower cap over the hair. This

should do 2 treatments. This is a very effective method of getting rid

of these bugs (At least it worked well for my family). Put this

treatment on dry hair for best results and then cover with a shower cap.

*

Beer is another thing that works well in getting rid of lice. After

whatever treatment you use, rinse with beer. Let stay on the hair for 30

minutes to an hour and wrap head in a towel. Then rinse it out.

*

Another method is using Suave Coconut shampoo. I don't know how

effective this is, I would only use this on a young child who doesn't

have it too badly.

*

Vaseline will suffocate them. This is said to be one of the best

treatments. Plaster the hair right down to the roots. Leave on for 30

minutes. Shampoo with dish soap or any other degreasing soap. It takes

about 6 shampoos to get it out. The chemical solutions are not working

at all, do not use them, they are harmful.

*

The most important thing to do to get rid of the lice is to make sure

that you get ALL of the nits out. They are the eggs and will hatch. This

is the one thing that is not killed by any treatments, even the store

treatments. You must pull them out by hand. When my children had lice, I

spent hours and hours pulling the nits and the bugs out by hand. We used

the beer and the essential oil treatments. If you have any suggestions

to add, please email.

*

Olive oil (extra virgin) works the same as Vaseline.. put it on at

night. put on shower cap.. see if they can sleep in it.. in the

morning.. wash a few times.. then pull out all the nits as a

preventative measures..

*

Lice HATE tea tree oil. Use Paul Mitchell's tea tree shampoo.. or add a

couple tablespoons of tea tree oil to your favorite shampoo and

conditioner..

You can also add to your rinse water in your laundry.. as well as Skin

So Soft. They also hate Skin So soft so you can use it as a fabric rinse

in your clothing (mosquito's hate this as well.

Don't forget to boil brushes and combs and rub them down with tea tree

oil as well. (Helps repel those bugs!) Also, Bugs love nice clean

hair.. you can use mouse and gel in your child's hair.. and this helps

to repel the bugs too. -- Contributed by: Erika Houlton

*

-Mayo .. used like the olive oil or Vaseline

-Crisco (used the same way)

-Goop (used the same way)

-Vinegar - used to help loosen nits. Mix with conditioner (50/50) and

spray on. -- Contributed by: Erika Houlton

*

I read that if you mix Listerine and water 50/50 and spray the hair with

a light mist after every shower it will help re-infestation -Anonymous

*

We've found that the most effective way to combat lice is to put a good

amount of white hair conditioner on dry hair work through and use nit

comb. This should be done every day for 7 days. Seems to be working well

as the conditioner stuns the lice. -Best wishes Debbie from Australia

http://www.homemakingcottage.com/health/lice.html

***

Use Tea Tree Oil To Easily Control Pesky Scalp Conditions

Research and findings indicate that tea tree oil is generally

non-irritating, non-sensitizing and non-toxic. To determine if you or

your child have any sensitivity to tea tree oil, do a patch test. ---

The Tea Tree Oil Bible

Tea Tree Oil Combats Head Lice

Even school officials are now recognizing the power of tea tree oil in

addressing one of the education systems major health concerns -- the

never ending problem of head lice and scabies.

For any type of parasitic infection, The Tea Tree Oil Bible recommends

using tea tree oil soaps, and household cleansers to disinfect all

contaminated materials; clothes, bedding, combs, brushes, hats.... To

rid your child's hair of lice:

-Mix 1 ounce of glycerine with a half ounce of tea tree oil, then add a

half ounce of water.

-Shake the mixture vigorously before massaging it into the scalp and

hair.

-Leave it on for an hour, then rinse.

-Comb hair with a fine tooth comb to remove eggs.

-Repeat daily until the infestation is gone.

This is only one of a number of formulations detailed in The Tea Tree

Oil Bible for dealing with head lice. There are also handy tips on

making your own tea tree oil shampoos and rinses to better combat

parasites, to strengthen preventive measures and improve your general

health and well-being.

http://www.800line.com/ages/art0003.html

***

Remedies for Head Lice

What are lice and nits?

Lice are small, brownish grey, six legged creatures. It is difficult to

see them because they are light sensitive but sometimes you can spot

them as they crawl through the hair. They are capable of moving from

head to head, thus no one is immune. Anyone's head of hair can become a

home to lice. Lice live by biting the scalp and sucking out the blood.

Their saliva contains an antiseptic, which can cause a mental slowing

down if the host is continuously bitten over a long period of time. This

is thought to be the original meaning of the term " nitwit. " Nits are the

empty egg shells of the hatched lice. They look a bit like dandruff and

are stuck firmly to the hair shaft. Nits are much easier to spot than

lice.

How can we tackle the problem?

It is now generally accepted that regular use of organophosphate based

head lice treatments on children is not a good idea. The scalp is a

sensitive and highly absorbent area of skin. It is astounding that

parents are recommended to use such products when some of their

ingredients have been banned for use on animals. Do not despair! There

are safer plant based alternatives. The most commonly used plant based

head lice treatments tend to be based on essential oils. Essential oils

are highly concentrated volatile oils, extracted from plants. They are

exceedingly potent - it is not recommended that you use any essential

oil (excepting lavender and tea tree in tiny amounts) undiluted. Off the

shelf treatment based on herbal tinctures, offer another option. For

younger children (five to eight years of age) it is best to stick to

using either lavender or tea tree oil in combination with the Quassia

bark rinse as described in the DIY Lice Treatment later on this page. As

with all health problems PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.

Preventing head lice from " settling in "

If your child has long hair - tie it back, or even better plait it, when

they are in the company of other children.

When brushing your child's hair in the morning before school, put one

drop of either lavender or tea tree oil (whichever smell they prefer)

onto the brush. The oil rests on the hair (not the scalp) and deters

lice from settling into the hair.

Brush the hair before bed as well - regular brushing dissuades nits from

hanging around.

Once every two weeks do a quick nit check. Look behind the ears, under

the fringe and at the nape of the neck for the cream coloured,

dandruff-like nits. Follow this with a shampoo and then comb through the

hair with a fine tooth nit comb. Using conditioner will make the job

easier. Rinse the conditioner out and then follow with a quassia bark

rinse (see later section.) It is a good idea to treat the whole family

once a week, particularly those with long hair.

You may choose to use a tea-tree based shampoo. Some of the essential

oil shampoos are rather strong and may not be suitable for those with

sensitive scalps. The Urtekram tea-tree shampoo is one of the more

gentle ones. The Desert Essence Scalp Treatment Shampoo is strong enough

to treat a mild case of head lice (in conjunction with the Treatment

Conditioner).

Methods for getting rid of eggs and lice

For convenience we have a number of off the shelf treatment for head

lice. These are ideal for more serious infestation - where there are

eggs throughout the hair.

Biz Niz is an essential oil based treatment, which contains a mixture of

several strong essential oils. It can be used as a treatment, by

applying it to the scalp, or as a preventative - a small amount of the

product is rubbed through the hair before contact with other children.

Bioforce's Neem Care Riddance based on an extract of seeds from the Neem

tree, widely used in India. According to recent tests, a shampoo

containing Neem seed extract was found to clear head lice infestation in

children after only two applications.

Delacet is a herbal based treatment containing tincture of Larkspur. The

active ingredient of the plant is called delphinine and is a strong

insecticide and parasiticide.

Chinese Whispers is a product based on a blend of Chinese parasiticidal

herbs.

Dessert Essence Treatment shampoo and conditioner may be used to treat

mild to moderate infestations. Regular use of essential oil based

shampoos may not be suitable for those with sensitive scalps.

Do It Yourself Lice Treatment

Add about ten drops of essential oil to a cupful of olive oil. Massage

the oil into the scalp and leave for about two hours. Shampoo the oil

out of the hair and then, using conditioner, comb the hair thoroughly

with a fine-toothed

comb. Try to get the nits off the hair shaft. Rinse out the conditioner

and then rinse through the quassia bark infusion. Leave this in the hair

and dry as normal.

To make the infusion soak a large handful of quassia bark chips in a one

and a half litres of cold water overnight. Strain through a colander and

then it is ready for use. If you catch the rinse in a bowl it can be

used to treat two or more heads. The rinse is very safe, yet it might

dry out the scalp a little. The day you use the olive oil blend is day

one. Do a quassia rinse (on dry or wet hair) for days 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10.

This covers the cycle of any hatching eggs that might have been missed.

Make up a new batch of the rinse for each day. Treat everyone in the

family at the same time.

http://www.haelan.co.uk/print-Head_lice.htm

***

Natural lice treatment

Lice: the very word horrifies parents. Many lice myths exist and create

shame for kids and parents alike. The truth is that lice actually prefer

clean heads over dirty, so lice is not a sign of poor hygiene. Also,

like many insects, lice seem to be building up a tolerance to some of

the chemicals used to kill them. So while it seems to be easier to get

lice in our crowded classroom conditions, it also seems to be tougher to

get rid of them. Plus, lice killing pesticides have begun to be

scrutinized by parents – how safe are they? Do you really want to be

dousing your young child with pesticides, especially since most lice

infestations seem to require treatment again and again?

Actually you can rid your child completely of lice without commercial

lice killers – in fact, without pesticides at all. All you need is a big

bottle of olive oil, a bottle of Dawn dish soap and a nit comb.

First, dress your child in old clothes as olive oil can leave oil

stains. Tuck a paper towel collar around your child’s neck to catch

drips. Sit your child in a high seat (perhaps using phone books or

plastic covered cushions to raise seat height) over the sink. Then,

slowly saturate hair with oil working on one small section at a time.

The scalp must be very oily.

Then, leave the oil on the hair for about 30 minutes. The oil covers the

lice and eggs, preventing them from breathing. Unlike pesticides,

suffocation does not seem to be something lice can build up immunity

against! If you are working with long hair, you may want to put it up in

a clip during the wait time.

After 30 minutes, comb hair with a regular plastic comb. If you are

working with long hair, section it and put the sections up with clips.

Then, with a metal nit comb, (found in most drugstores) comb through the

hair in one-inch sections. Rinse your comb often in very hot soapy

water. Watch for lice trying to escape the oil by coming to the surface

or hanging out around the hairline.

After combing completely with the nit comb, wash hair in Dawn

dishwashing liquid to cut the grease. Rinse hair and then wash with

regular shampoo and follow with conditioner. Repeat the oiling every

other day for two weeks. You will not need to use the nit comb during

these subsequent oilings.

At the end of two weeks, repeat the first olive oil process, complete

with the nit comb. If no live lice are found during this comb out, you

can consider your problem cured. You will need to eliminate any possible

infestation of pillows, bedding or soft toys also. Lice cannot live away

from a host for more than 48 hours, so toys can be treated by placing in

a large plastic bag and secured tightly for two days. Also, lice can be

killed in pillows or bedding by washing in hot water and drying in a hot

dryer for at least 30 minutes.

Check children weekly for possible re-infestation from contact in

school. Early detection makes lice killing much easier. Teach you child

not to share hairbrushes, combs and hair decorations or hats…but if lice

do happen, don’t panic, just get oily.

http://kyky.essortment.com/naturallicetre_rigf.htm

***

TIPS TO TREAT HEAD LICE

Head lice has become a common, if unsavory, topic of conversation among

parents everywhere. Here are some treatment and prevention tips

collected from parents, newspaper articles, Internet chat forums, the

National Pediculosis Association (NPA) and the Canadian Pediatric

Society:

Tea tree oil is currently the most talked-about alternative lice

treatment. Shampoos are available in health food stores; however,

parents (and pharmacists) can make their own shampoos and rinses using

the oil itself.

The occasional use of a diluted tea tree oil shampoo, or alternatively,

a spritz of water to which a few drops of the oil has been added,

reportedly has a prophylactic effect.

Another natural lice treatment that is expensive for parents to make

(but a great alternative for pharmacists to offer): 2 ounces of

vegetable oil, 20 drops of tea tree oil and 10 drops of each of the

following essential oils: rosemary, lavender and lemon. Test for

sensitivity before using. Leave on for one hour, then shampoo. Repeat

again in four to seven days.

Some people swear by the occasional use of Selsun Blue shampoo as a

prophylactic measure (lice apparently hate the smell).

Another recommended preventative is to apply hair gel, mousse or

temporary hair colouring to children's hair when they go to school.

Again, lice apparently are repelled by the smell of the stuff.

Most hair conditioners and all combination shampoo/conditioner products

are a no-no. These products, which coat the hair with a waxy residue,

also coat lice and nits, protecting them from pesticides.

Regardless of the treatment used, remove as many nits as possible and

re-apply the pediculicide in two to 10 days (this varies according to

the product).

A rinse of half vinegar and half water helps loosen the " glue " that

attaches the nits to the hair shaft. Use the rinse before nit-picking.

A quick word to parents in an infested class or school on the importance

of proper treatment is more effective than a letter, which often doesn't

make it home, let alone get read.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of

permethrin as a prophylactic against lice infestation, the NPA, public

health researchers and epidemiologists warn that overuse of pesticides

creates resistance in some strains of head lice.

A lice infestation has nothing to do with personal hygiene or hair

length. All they need is a human scalp to survive and thrive on. Washing

and cutting hair won't head off head lice.

The world wide web site of the National Pediculosis Association features

a " Call to Pharmacists " urging pharmacists to counsel every patient

about the correct use and dangers of misuse of pediculicides (go to

www.headlice.org and click on the News button).

(see website for full article...)

http://www.pharmacyconnects.com/content/phpost/1997/09-97/f23_features.html

***

ALTERNATIVE LICE TREATMENTS

OLIVE OIL, MAYONNAISE, BABY OIL:

Apply to the scalp and hair. Leave on at least 8 hours (may be covered

with a shower cap if done over night- but use caution when doing this

with small children to avoid suffocation). Comb through hair before

washing. Shampoo hair with regular shampoo. May re-treat with this

method every 4 days if needed.

CASTILE SOAP:

Shampoo hair, rinse. Shampoo, leave lather in for 15-20 minutes. Remove

nits with nit comb or fingernails. Rinse with warm water.

VINEGAR RINSE:

Use 1 cup vinegar to 1 quart water. Helps to loosen nits, helps to swell

nits for easier viewing.

TEA TREE OIL and SHAMPOO

Boost Tea Tree Oil shampoo with 10 drops Tree Oil per application.

Massage into hair, leave on for 10 minutes, rinse. Remove nits with nit

comb or fingernails. Repeat once or twice a week.

COCONUT OIL/OLIVE OIL SHAMPOO

VO5, Condition 3 in 1, Rave, St. Ives Swiss (Use same instructions for

these as above for castile soap).

To treat the environment:

Fumigation of the home is NOT recommended!!

Sprays for the home are NOT recommended!!

Machine - wash all washable clothing and bed linens that have been in

contact with the infested person in hot water and detergent. Machine

dry these articles at high heat for at least 20 minutes.

Dry clean any article that is not washable.

An alternative to water washing/dry cleaning (which can be expensive) is

to place the articles in a plastic bag, seal it and store it for at

least 2 weeks. Another option is to put the sealed bag in the freezer

for 24 hours.

Soak combs and brushes in hot water (150 degrees F) for 5-10 minutes, or

in a 2% bleach solution for an hour.

Vacuum all upholstered furniture, mattresses, carpets, floors, pillows,

car upholstery and where children play.

Vacuuming up loose hairs and lice, wiping furniture are necessary.

Sprays are not.

http://health.shiawassee.net/STD/alt_lice_treat.htm

***

Most alternative treatments are untested, but early reports are

promising. One method with widespread stories of success is the Vaseline

(or mayonnaise) treatment. Cover the infested head liberally in

Vaseline. Place a shower cap over the entire head for the night (or an

eight-hour period). Then shampoo the Vaseline out of the hair. This

treatment is reported to " smother " the lice. The downside of this method

is that the Vaseline does not shampoo out of the hair easily -- in fact,

it usually takes a week or so to get it all out. The upside is that it

is not toxic, and from all reports, it seems to work. Washing the hair

with dishwashing liquid, which has a degreasing agent in it, may help.

I've smothered my own hair in mayonnaise (loved the smell), and it came

out easily with Dove Ultra dishwashing liquid.

The Packard Children's Health Services Pediatric Hotline at Stanford is

hailing another popular treatment. It uses regular shampoo and three

ingredients that can be found at most health-food stores:

Shampoo (use an inexpensive brand such as Prell -- these seem to mix

more easily with the oils).

3 tbsp olive oil.

1 tsp tea tree oil.

1 tsp rosemary or eucalyptus oil.

Add the oils to a small amount of shampoo and mix well. Work into hair

and leave on for half an hour with a tight-fitting shower cap. This

mixture has a strong smell. The fumes may burn the eyes, so don't lean

forward. Wash hair two or three times to get the oil out. Repeat the

procedure if necessary.

I'm hearing positive reports about this nontoxic treatment, though to my

knowledge, no medical studies have been conducted to establish the

efficacy or possible side effects of this treatment.

One of our readers suggested using a hot blow-dryer for 15 minutes,

morning and evening, in conjunction with thorough nit combing. The heat

helps to kill the nits and adult lice, but the combing is essential to

the process. This type of treatment should not be combined with the

over-the-counter treatment.

Alan Greene MD, July 17, 2001

http://www.drgreene.com/21_87.html

***

Using Olive Oil --- Someone Who's Been There

After going through months of horrendous yet futile activities including

harmful chemical shampoo to get rid of these dreadful critters, a friend

told me to saturate the dry hair with olive oil, place a towel over the

pillow and leave on overnight. The next day soak the hair again with

olive oil and leave on for a few more hours. Shampoo. Remove nits.

Repeat in 10 days. What a natural, wonderful relief.

Using solid shortening to treat head lice --- Darryl & Janice

I thought my idea would interest someone. I had a real problem with them

with my daughter for 3 months last year, and found that the NIX dried

out her head and made her even itchier. So, I tried an idea that my Mom

gave me, shortening! I used about a 1/2 cup of solid shortening, and

coated her head right from the scalp to the tips of her hair, and then

wrapped her head in plastic wrap, and a towel. About 4-6 hours later, I

rinsed her hair, and the DEAD bugs just about fell out with the fine

comb. I won't use those chemicals again, just about drove her nuts with

the scratching. Thanks for listening, hope that this will be a help to

someone out there, and it is cheap too.

Use " tea tree oil " to treat head lice --- a helpful person

I have found that you can prevent head lice if you use " tea tree oil "

you can find it in health food stores. I have also found it at Walmart.

You put it in your shampoo and use it whenever you wash your hair.

Natural Way of Treating Lice --- Received: from a helpful person

The article is very informative, but I thought I'd pass along a method I

came across while doing my own research for the " head lice journey " !!

I've had several foster children come to my home with these awful little

creatures, and, after treating and retreating with insecticides, had

very little success, until I read a book of healthy ways to live. In it

was an article about coconut based shampoo and lice. I'm not sure of

the spelling, but I'll try to remember--dodeckyl alcohol in coconut

kills adult lice. I soaped the children's hair with an inexpensive

brand of shampoo, (suave tropical coconut--$.70 a bottle if I remember

correctly) covered their hair with a shower cap, and left it on for

maybe an hour. To my surprise, the lice were all killed--what a

relief!!!!! As a preventive, the author of the book recommends

shampooing with coconut based shampoo when one is around or has heard of

an outbreak of the wonderful little creatures. Pure coconut oil can be

soaked in hair overnight also, but I cannot comment on its

effectiveness, since I never needed to go that far. Of course one still

needs to remove the nits and continue using coconut based shampoo until

the horrible little monsters have left your house. I hope this bit of

info. helps others as much as it has helped me--I can get the book for

reference, if needed--email me if you should be interested -and good

luck to all those bothered by the little buggers!!!!!

Deb & Steve Banahan

The website for the National Pediculosis Foundation is www.headlice.org

You can order the " LiceMeister Comb " at the site as well as review the

latest information on head lice. When my son got head lice at his

daycare this was the organization I turned to for information. What you

get is no nonsense, down to earth guidelines for getting rid of head

lice. They do not advocate the use of insecticidal shampoos or sprays.

This is a GREAT site with Tons of links for alternative lice

treatments... check it out for more info.

http://herbsforhealth.about.com/library/weekly/aa072402.htm

***

From Jude’s Herbal Home Remedies by Jude C. Williams, M.H., pg. 243:

Pour 1 quart boiling water over a handful of tobacco (you can pull a

part cigarette for this). Let steep for several hours, then strain.

After shampooing hair, use the tobacco tea as a rinse. The hair should

be rinsed at least 15 times with the tea, so do this over a bowl or

plastic basin to catch it. Comb hair directly after rinsing and leave

the tea in for shampooing for several hours before shampooing out.

Herbs mentioned in Peterson’s Field Guide for Eastern/Central U.S.:

Columbine seeds (Aquilegia canadensis)- Native Americans rubbed seeds in

hair to control lice. (pg 136)

Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlandicum)- Leaf tea used externally as a rinse

to kill lice (pg 230)

Common Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)- leaves are insecticidal; powered seeds,

which are also insecticidal, were once sprinkled on children's’ heads to

control lice. Seeds are toxic if taken internally. Leaves may cause a

rash. (pg 284)

From the The Complete Medicinal Herbal by Penelope Ody, pp. 176-77:

Put a few drops of tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) on a comb and

comb hair well. Add 5 to 10 ml (1 to 2 teaspoons) oil to shampoo or hair

rinse. Repeat use daily.

Flowers in the chrysanthemum family containing pyrethrin such as

feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) painted daisy, Persian pellitory

(Chrysanthemum roseum) or Dalmatian pellitory (Chrysanthemum

cinerariifolium) may be used as hair rinses.

Apple cider vinegar will help loosen the eggs by dissolving the glue

that holds them to the hair shafts. Use it as a rinse after shampooing.

Please note that treatments may need to be repeated every 3 to 7 days to

be completely sure all the lice have been removed or killed. The same

holds true for commercial preparations.

http://herbsforhealth.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.sbherbals\

..com/NaturalRemediesForHeadLice.html

***

FOR INFESTATION OF EYELASHES AND EYEBROWS:

Smother with Vaseline.

FOR INFESTATION OF HEAD LICE:

RECIPE #1: (New York Times article)

Use a large (1 lb) container of soft margarine. Rub into hair and

especially onto scalp. Put on shower cap and leave on for 8 hours. The

margarine will smother the lice.

RECIPE #2:

3 TBSP. olive oil

1 tsp. Tea Tree oil

1 tsp. rosemary oil or eucalyptus oil

Mix together with regular shampoo--lather well--leave on for 30 min.

with a shower cap, rinse well. You may need to do 2 shampoos to get it

all off the hair.

TO HELP LOOSEN THE NITS:

Use equal parts of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Use cotton balls

and rub into hair shaft. Probably most important of all is to comb the

hair DAILY with a fine tooth comb for AT LEAST TWO WEEKS.

FOR RESISTANT HEAD LICE:

(Renee P. McLeod, RN, CPNP, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner that

specializes in dermatology.) After using treatments, massage into scalp

green colored DAWN dishwashing detergent. Then comb the hair with the

DAWN in it to dislodge the nits. The hair may be rinsed with vinegar

(white or apple) and combed again with a comb dipped in full strength

vinegar to get out any remaining nits. This is hard on the hair and a

good cream rinse should be used in the future to help. All children with

lice should have their fingernails thoroughly cleaned with a nailbrush

and pick because the most common source of re-infection is from the

child's hands.

http://www.cvesd.k12.ca.us/cvhills/lialtrem.htm

****

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