Head lice are not just embarrassing but can be quite irritating and annoying too. It is never easy to resist the temptation to scratch your head, but you just cannot do it when you are at office or at school. The problem is that lice have developed some resistance to the insecticide treatments, which is why it becomes quite difficult to get rid of them completely. Luckily, you can try some essential oils for good effects.

Essential Oils for Lice

Essential oils have medicinal properties and work great against different ailments. If you select the right essential oil and use it properly, you can also deal with head lice in an effective way. Here are some of the best essential oils to use for this purpose.

1. Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has antiseptic, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. It works great against ticks and lice.

Simply mix a few drops of tea tree oil with water and spray it over your hair. Be sure to rub the mixture behind your ears and neck to get rid of head lice.

2. Lavender Oil

Usually known for its fragrance, lavender essential oil also proves effective against head lice because of its potent antifungal properties.

Take some lavender oil and rub it over your hair. You can also make a spray using lavender oil and use it on your hair.

3. Eucalyptus Oil

Generally used as a repellent against parasites and insects, eucalyptus oil is among the most effective essential oils for lice.

Apply eucalyptus oil to the hair shafts and then comb your hair gently. You can also mix this essential oil in your shampoo to make it more effective.

4. Rosemary Oil

Most people love it for its refreshing fragrance, but its antifungal properties make it quite effective to clear the problem of head lice.

Take some rosemary oil and rub it gently in the base of your hair. Then, rub it in the shaft as well to get rid of hidden nits and lice.

5. Pine Oil

Pine essential oil not just helps clear head lice, but proves extremely effective against the itching sensation you experience.

Take some pine essential oil and rub it on the scalp gently. Massage your hair for some time to help reduce the itching.

6. Lemon Oil

Lemon essential oil can also help eliminate lice and reduce the itching caused by it.

Take a few drops of the essential oil and apply it to your hairline as well as to the top and back of your head. Then massage for good effects.

In addition to these, you can try many other essential oils for lice. Some great options include thyme essential oil, cinnamon essential oil, ylangylang essential oil, and clove essential oil.

How to Use Essential Oil to Eliminate Lice

You can use a combination of essential oils to treat the problem in a more effective way. Here are the options to consider.

Anti-Lice Essential Oil Recipes

Base oil could be olive oil, coconut oil, miswak oil, or castor oil.

Steps to Follow

• Use a tiny glass bowl to mix the essential oils for lice. Dark-colored glass bottles usually work better.
• Be sure to use a drop of the mixture first to ensure it does not cause any allergic reaction.
• Mix the essential oils with the base oil and apply to your scalp. Wrap a towel around head for an hour.
• Shampoo your hair after an hour.
• Combine a cup of vinegar, a glass of water, and a drop of rosemary oil and pour the mixture on your hair. Do not use water to clean it.
• Use a clean towel to dry your hair and then comb your hair using toothed comb.
• Use the same procedure 10 days later to get rid of the lice completely.

How to Prevent Lice from Recurring

To ensure you do not have to deal with all the hassle again, everyone in your home should get their heads treated. It is also a good idea to treat your entire house to prevent a reinfestation. For this, you should follow the tips:

• Clean all pillows, sheets, cases, blankets, mattress covers, and bedding in general.
• Be sure to clean toys and stuffed animals thoroughly to prevent a reinfestation.
• Treat all clothing items, including jackets, scarves, and hats.
• Do not leave furniture untreated. Clean couches, chairs, mattresses and everything else, including your car seats.
• Treat your personal care items such as brushes, combs, bath towels, and hair accessories properly.
• Keep your hair tied up and do not let them touch other surfaces. It is better to keep your children's hair short to prevent infestations.
• It is also a good idea to add a few drops of essential oil blend to your shampoo and use it regularly to prevent lice.

You can treat all these items using different ways. Machine washing proves effective in most cases and so does vacuuming. You can also freeze or heat-treat all the infested items. If there are items that you cannot vacuum or wash, it is better to discard them or store in a tightly sealed bag.