With back to school, that little 4 letter word is also back LICE. After reading the ingredients on the back of over-the-counter lice medications, many people hope for a chemical-free alternative. Let’s explore a lice preventative and several home remedies to try if you already have little visitors in your home.

I’ve heard that Listerine contains essential oils including thymol, eucalyptol, menthol, and methyl salicylate, which can help prevent head lice. Many people claim success by putting it in a spray bottle and spritzing on their kids’ hair once a week. If you try this, don’t rinse the Listerine out of the hair, it will dry out and not be noticeable.

But what if you already have lice? Does washing your hair with white vinegar work? Some say that the acid in the vinegar will dissolve the “glue” that holds the eggs to the hair. This could be a positive first step. Nits stick to the hair near the scalp with a glue that can be difficult to remove. But you will still have to comb out the nits and kill the head lice.

What common refrigerator item can kill lice? Do some people think that mayonnaise is known to help? Two cups of mayonnaise (adjust for shorter or longer hair) massaged into the scalp and left for several hours with a shower cap on can penetrate the exoskeleton of lice and kill them. Mayonnaise may help suffocate lice. One advantage of mayonnaise is that it will leave your hair feeling extra smooth!

Pure tea tree oil is another home remedy that is said to kill lice. Some people suggest mixing 8-10 drops with olive oil and rubbing into the scalp. Cover with a shower cap and leave on for 30 minutes. The trick to getting rid of lice is to make sure you have killed the egg-laying bed bug and removed all the eggs from its head. While home remedies can get you on your way to a lice-free head, they may not be enough. However, the right combination of essential oils and enzymes is a good alternative to chemicals. Some good ingredients are lavender, tea tree oil, neem oil, karanja, eucalyptus, peppermint, and coconut oil.

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