There are three good reasons not to use chemicals to kill head lice.

One is that one of the ingredients in these formulas has been linked to cancer in animals. Although this isn’t conclusive proof it does the same to humans, it’s certainly not a comforting thought.

This chemical is called piperonyl butoxide, and it’s used to make the active ingredients, known as pyrethrins, more effective.

Also, lice seem to be adapting to these products. This means they’re becoming ineffective. So, oftentimes, children are exposed to stronger pesticides available only by prescription. One of these is lindane shampoo. The Centers for Disease Control warns that this “overuse, misuse or accidentally swallowing” this compound can be “toxic to the brain and other parts of the nervous system.”

Natural Head Lice Treament for Kids

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There’s a third reason not to use chemical head lice treatments. That’s because safer solutions exist. One of them is Quit Nits. This complete lice eradicating system contains three homeopathic remedies.

Natural Remedies Lice Treatment

There are a number of all-natural head lice treatments on the market. One popular brand uses a combination of homeopathic remedies. The other uses herbs, essential oils and a single homeopathic remedy.

Neither of these products contains potentially harmful ingredients, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, found in many personal and beauty care products. Aside from being a potentially skin-irritating lathering agent, there are growing concerns that SLS forms carcinogenic nitrosamines when mixed with certain other ingredients. There’s also the possibility that dioxins may form in the manufacturing process. These compounds are highly toxic.

Homeopathic Lice Remedy

It seems unlikely that homeopathy can help a head lice infestation. But not if you’ve ever used a homeopathic remedy with success. This powerful and increasingly popular healing method, developed 200 years ago by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, MD, was our first line of defense when our children were young. It saved us countless trips to the doctor and even to the emergency room.

Hyland’s Quit Nits Complete Head Lice Kit contains a mix of three homeopathic remedies. It’s very easy to use, and no combing is required. You simply apply this cream to your hair and wash it out later. The problematic pests should disappear.

This kit comes with a preventative spray, made from three different homeopathic remedies. Although homeopathy is very safe, you don’t want to use this spray longer than necessary.

Professional homeopaths subscribe to the “minimum dose” principal. That’s because excessive repeated doses can cause the symptoms you’re trying to alleviate. In this case, it could result in a temporarily itchy head. Although this isn’t dangerous, and will pass on its own, it would be uncomfortable. If it were me, I’d only use the preventative spray until it did its job.

Clearlice Shampoo for Head Lice

Clearlice is designed to treat your entire house. This treatment kit seen below comes with shampoo, conditioner, enzyme laundry solution, house spray, shower caps and combs. It is designed to be used once, to eradicate these pests in one fell swoop.

This system attacks the lice on a number of levels, homeopathically, herbally and with essential oils and enzymes. In addition, a comb is included to remove any nits that are still stuck to the hair shaft. (However, chances are, they’d be dead.)

The beauty of Clearlice natural lice treatment is that it attacks the lice from a number of different angles.

Clearlice contains tea tree and peppermint essential oils. Although most people love the smell of peppermint, it is highly offensive to insects. In the spring, when ants invade my kitchen, I sprinkle a bit of peppermint oil on my kitchen sponge when I wipe my counters down.

Tea Tree Oil Lice Removal

Some parents like to make their own head lice remedies with essential oils. Please consult your pediatrician, though, before using aromatics on your children. I’m not a medical professional, so I can’t give advice. All I can do is share my own experiences.

If you already have some of these oils in the house, essential oils might be worth a try before doing anything else. One of the most recommended remedies for head lice is tea tree essential oil. although many of these aromatics are noxious to bugs. In general, aromatic oils should not be used on children under two.

Here is a simple recipe, similar to the one I recently used on my husband, who shared a silly hat with our nephew during a family gathering. A few days later, we learned our nephew had lice.

Add two or three drops of tea tree essential oil to one teaspoonful of coconut oil, which likely has its own bug killing properties. Keep this mixture in the hair for one hour before washing it out. Make sure to comb hair thoroughly to catch any bugs or nits left behind. You can also add one drop of lavender essential oil to this mixture. This recipe can also be doubled or tripled, keeping the proportions of essential oil the same. My husband also put a plastic shower cap over his head while this aromatic mixture stayed in his hair.

Disclaimer

These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

This article is written for discussion purposes only, and is not to be taken as medical advice. People with health concerns should discuss them with a doctor. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use herbal remedies, essential oils or homeopathic remedies, unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.