Natural Remedies for Lice

Mineral Oil and Vinegar

Posted by Charlotte (Federal Way, WA) on 11/16/2007
★★★★★

I have had long hair since I was a teenager and worked for 6 and 1/2 years as a residential counselor with young children. I would freak out every time any of the kids got lice and would immediately use that horrible shampoo from the drug store to try to keep from getting it. That stuff is totally toxic, kills my hair, gives awful dandruff, etc. One day, I was reading a parenting magazine to get ideas for arts + craft projects and noticed an article on lice treatment. Several months later my little sister (who was living with me at the time) came home with lice, and it was bad. I could see them jumping off her head and her hair was also long! I remembered the recipe, used it, and will swear by it from now on.
It consisted of first saturating the hair with mineral oil and vinegar (4-to-1 mix). Leave it in an hour, then lightly rinse it. Do not shampoo or try to remove all of the mineral oil yet. Instead, put on a shower cap overnight. Rinse out after 24 hours and utilize a vinegar rinse again while using a fine comb to remove as many nits as possible. This is a miracle cure for long-haired folks. I believe they said it works because the oil suffocates the bugs and the vinegar dissolves/loosens the glue that holds the nits on. Hope this helps somebody!

Coconut Oil

Posted by Angel (Peoria, Il) on 12/28/2010

Hi, when my daughter was one year old she applied about a whole bottle of Vaseline in her hair. I did many, many shampooing to get it out and nothing would touch it , so I searched here on internet, and found vinegar. Rinse with vinegar it will cut the grease right out instantly.. Hope this helps..

Coconut Oil

Posted by Heavensent (Regina, Sask) on 06/24/2011

I used dish soap to get the oil out, it worked great!!

Tea Tree Oil

Posted by alisha (mineral wells, wv) on 09/04/2007
★★★★★

we are a family of 5 and if one of the kids bring home head lice, its costly and not effective. this works. cover scalp in tea tree oil, let sit 10-20 min. covered if possible. it takes only 1 treatment and it works.cost around 5.00 for the whole family. tip is to put some oil in a spray bottle & some water and spray on. can also add small amt to shampoo to use as prevention.

Denorex Shampoo

Posted by Kimberly (Fairmont, West Virginia) on 03/31/2007
★★★★★

Denorex shampoo it must be the Denorex that has coal tar. The salicylic acid one does not work. This kills live lice on the first time you are lice free. I wash my hair in it and let it set a few minutes maybe 5 then rinse and wash once again. I then use it once a day for 14 days just to make sure I did not miss any or eggs that may have hatched.

Tea Tree Oil

Posted by Chris (Denver, CO) on 12/07/2006
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Tea tree oil works great. My son had lice last year that he brought home from his tennis class (he also had gone swimming a lot). We mixed tea tree oil with olive oil (about 50:50), rubbed it on his head and then used a lice comb. We did several more applications of oil and combing, but after the first combing we only found one more dead louse. We kept combing the nits out and after one day everything was gone. As a side note, weâ€TMve always been using shampoos containing various essential oils and a few years ago, my son's whole class got lice, except for him. I think that last summer all that time in the pool had eliminated all the essential oils from his head, so it was "inviting" to the louse population. Our neighbor wrestles as a sport, and he said his coach told them to put a few drops of tea tree oil into their shampoo to avoid lice.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Dianna (Sapulpa, OK)
★★★★★

My daughter came home with lice, and a friend told me to use some coconut oil overnight to suffocate the lice and the nits. I had no trouble getting the nits out, and there didn't seem to be any bugs when I combed through her hair. The only problem I had was getting the coconut oil out of her hair. I used the coconut oil conditioner, which I think is different than liquid coconut oil, but it worked so well I had to share the tip.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Lon (Stanhope, Nj) on 09/07/2010

I add vinegar to shampoo to remove oils from my hair.

Tapping

Posted by Ana (New Zealand) on 05/11/2024
★★★★★

Tapping skull (squashing lice) with fingers/fingernails rapidly

This is something that can be done at home or in private. It's easy and free. Just raise your hands and tap your skull rapidly in order to squash the lice. Do it where the itches are or areas you know they lay their eggs. Do this in addition to using a lice comb and any other product you like. (for me, I did this after using white kerosene (lamp oil). I haven't had any eggs for days/weeks.

Combing

Posted by Deborah A. (Newton, MA) on 01/02/2022
★★★★★

Combing for lice missing from your info. It is the best form of screening, early detection, proper identification and safe removal.

Salt

Posted by Christina (United States) on 10/14/2019
★★★★★

After seeing OTC products (Vamousse and Licefree) that kill both lice & nits that have an active ingredient of sodium chloride (table salt) since it dehydrates them, I make my own.

Roughly 3/4 table salt and 1/4 liquid dial hand soap (I would assume any liquid, even water would work since the salt is the key ingredient)....just enough liquid to make a spreadable paste out of the salt. I then saturated my daughter's head with it (mine too just to be sure even though a quick self check didn't turn up any lice or nits) and put a shower cap on for four hours.

Then the salt & soap got washed out.

My daughter's school has a "no live lice" policy but not a "no nit" policy so while I wanted to get rid of nits (alive or dead). I slathered our heads with conditioner and combed for a couple hours with a fine-tooth rat tail comb. I'm sure she had lice for at least a couple weeks since I got hundreds of nits out of her hair during that first comb out (none out of mine).

I continued the conditioner / comb out 1 - 2 times a day until I saw no nits come out. It took over a week to get them all out (in that time I never combed out any live lice so that confirmed that in all likelihood the salt mixture had indeed killed the nits as none of them hatched). More than once it was tempting to give her a pixie cut (wouldn't "get rid of them" but would make the comb out process a bit easier in shorter hair than her shoulder-length hair--I have very short hair and my comb out, combing thoroughly in all directions took me under 15 minutes, hers took 1 - 2 hrs-- and she would love the cut for any reason, but I didn't feel confident enough in my hair cutting abilities to do a good cut and I couldn't take her to a salon with nits in her hair, even if they were dead, so I just had to be thankful she didn't have long thick hair to work through).

Since getting rid of our infestation, I've taken preventive measures and added spraying our hair with tea tree oil & water every morning before we leave home / she goes out to play.

So far no new lice.

SPF 30 Sunscreen

Posted by Lesha (Ottawa) on 04/24/2015
★★★★★

Hi all! Have had head lice for three years on and off...crazy, upsetting, and difficult! I have found an answer.I used sunscreen 30 for three hours. I noticed it was greasy and unwelcoming. To let you all know...I have tried all remedies! Okay...so, dry hair and apply 30 sunscreen on the root lines first...apply a lot! Rub in and cover all hair like a helmet. Place shower cap on for three hours. Go to shower tap, bend over and apply a hardy conditioner for hair...rub in and add more...you will feel a waxy effect taking place....wet hair with warm water and comb with small-toothed comb. It will be like taking a wet wax off hair...keep combing. Rinse hair in warm water...not hot! Now you have a seal. Wrap hair for 10 min. in towel. Release hair and blow dry on high. Stop and take a break...on head and upside down...pay attention to crown and back and 2 inches above ears...do again...stop and take a break...the hair will separate in small ribbons....dry more if you can/ Now sit and breath and have a drink...do not wrap hair again...put towel on pillow for sleep. In morning, blow again until hot...and wash hair as usual. Blow dry after or sun dry shaking hair and fingering. I hope this helps friends. Sunscreen 30 and later a hardy conditioner on top.... waxy buildup...comb. Blow hair...break for a bit...and resume/ Please no tears.... this will work!!!!

Nit Remedies

Posted by Alison (Uk) on 04/13/2015

My child has a huge problem with nits! I have no problem getting rid of the mites themselves but can't seem to get rid of the eggs. My child has lots of very fine hair and nit combs dont seem lift them off the hair. Tried all the obvious remedies but no joy. Any ideas anyone?

Nit Remedies

Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 04/13/2015

Alison, like someone here already wrote, you just have to pick them out by hand one by one. Do some daily, and in a short time they should be gone.

Pick Them Out in Sunshine

Posted by Charity (Faithville, Us) on 03/21/2015
★★★★★

I have LOTS of experience with these lice. My daughter got them and did not mention it to me until it was horrific case. We tried tea tree oil. A whole bottle overnight, she had long hair wrapped in a towel. I wouldn't do that again.

Ao over the course of six months . I nit picked out in the sun. If there is one egg left on the hair shaft and it hatches. Then you are back to square one. I also washed her stuff constantly in hot water and bagged it while using stuff that had been in bags. I also had 3 feet of hair and never got it. My other family members never got it either.

For my grand daughter, I used a lighted magnifying glass my friend got lice and I picked her twice in a week between her using tea tree shampoo and she was over them. The combs don't get them all off the shaft you have to pick.

Olive Oil

Posted by Ashley (Brownfield, Me, United States) on 12/05/2012
★★★★★

I have a daughter who is in her first year of kindergarten. One day my daughter came home with her hair so tangled and while I was combing her hair I noticed that she had lice and I will admit I freaked out and so I called my mom up and asked what was the best way to get rid of lice and she hung up and came straight over. I watched as she was putting olive oil in my daughters hair... All I could think was 'why olive oil?' but knowing that my daughter had school the next day I was willing to do anything to get rid of the bugs. I stayed up till four making sure that my home was lice free it took me an hour after I washed her hair out wit dish soap to brush it but I then rinsed her hair with white distilled vinegar and I saw such a difference it was amazing. I have never heard about tree oil till now but even now I check my daughters hair every night before she goes to bed.

Kerosene

Posted by Pedro (Earth) on 08/13/2012
★☆☆☆☆

Kerosene and other should never be taken internally. It's extremelly toxic just like gas or diesel. Do not try this remedy. It's also highly flammable, so I wouldn't use it on the skin either (it is also toxic that way through absorption).

There are lots of remedies for colds and other ailments on this site that are safe to be tried, but not this one.

Kerosene

Posted by Rebekah (Dowagiac, Mi) on 08/15/2012
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Someone is going to end up in the ER or dead if this is not removed. DO NOT EVER PUT KEROSENE ON OR IN YOUR BODY!!!!

Enzyme Shampoo

Posted by Ruta (Il) on 04/09/2018

What kind did you use?

Eucalyptus Oil

Posted by Nigelle (Texas) on 08/06/2017

Is this just regular eucalyptus oil? Like the essential oil type or is there a certain one?

Olive Oil, Vinegar and Tea Tree Oil

Posted by Kimberly (Fl, Usa) on 02/02/2012
★★★★★

My niece came and stayed all night at our home, we did not know she had head lice. I found it in my grand-daughters hair about a week later. Her hair hangs all the way to her waist. I also got the little "darn" things. I too, have hair not quite as long as hers. We did the olive oil, wrapped out heads in saran wrap and tied a plastic bag around our heads. Slept all night, in the morning I rinsed our heads first with vinegar. I then put some tea tree oil in the shampoo and washed our hair. I sprayed some no more tangles on our hair and then combed it out with a nit comb. One week later I repeated the process all over again. Did not see any nits or bugs the second time. We used the shampoo all week with the tea tree oil in it. Still in the shampoo to date.

P. S. Got them out of my nieces hair too however I used the alcohol and vinegar mixture with the tea tree oil and wrapped her head with saran wrap and plastic bag. (didn't have olive oil) She kept it one for 2 hours, combed her hair out with nit comb. Sent her home with shampoo with tea oil in it. One week later I repeated except this time I used the olive oil, vinegar and tea tree oil-she was nit and bug free.

Eucalyptus Oil

Posted by Samantha (Adelaide, Sa, Australia) on 11/22/2011
★★★★★

Whenver we have lice, my daughter and I treat ourelves with 2tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of eucalytpus, 1/4 tsp of tea tree oil and a squirt of shampoo. Mix all together and slather on hair. Wait 30 mins. (We put a disposable shower cap over our heads). The oil suffocates the lice and the eucalyptus and tea tree oil damage their exoskelelons.

Our hair ends up soft and shiny. You need to repeat 1 week and 2 weeks later to completely break the reproductive cycle because it doesn't kill all the eggs.

Now if someone could come up with an oil that washes out more easily the formula would be perfect!

Cetaphil

Posted by Racer (Hampton, Tn) on 11/15/2010
★★★★★

Cetaphil rubbed into hair and blow dried until hair is dry, kills lice. Put it on hair, then a shower cap and leave on all night. Wash out and comb through. 15 drops tea tree oil in any bottle of shampoo or conditioner used twice a week should keep the lice away as long as the lice comb is used all the time to get bugs out of the hair.

Cedarwood Oil

Posted by Elle (Uk) on 11/03/2017

How do you use cedar oil? do you use w/ a carrier oil? how many drops? and then do we rub on the scalp? and leave it on for how long? and then shampoo it?

Neem Oil

Posted by John (Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia) on 02/11/2012
★★★★★

Yeah, neem oil is definitely really good..... Many Asians know about this and is a standard treatment in parts of India.. Neem is a hardwood tree that grows faster than other hardwoods, very oily. The oil can also be used in tootpaste. It is not known to be risky for humans but will attack parasites, bacteria and fungi.