Natural Treatment for Lice
I sorry if you have to read this, because treating lice really sucks! I will try to make it as easy as I can. I have tried many different methods including chemicals, essential oils, combing, and the suffocation method. I definitely prefer the suffocation method. It works great, doesn’t use chemicals, and no nit comb is necessary (nit combing is the worst!) Studies have shown the suffocation method on its own is just as effective as the chemical treatment, and there was no benefit to adding the nit comb. Good to hear because the nit comb takes forever and causes many tears with long hair.
There are two components to the treatment; the killing of the lice and the house and bedding clean up. If only one child has confirmed lice I would still recommend treating everyone in the house, and cleaning all the bedding. It is not always easy to see lice in your child’s hair- looking in damp hair is recommended as the bugs move slower. Lice eggs can be identified vs dandruff as they are hard to remove from the hair, where dandruff comes off easily.
Suffocation Method with Cetaphil cleanser
This treatment involves completely covering the scalp and hair with Cetaphil face cleanser, and then blow drying. The bugs get trapped in the lotion and the blow dryer bakes them.
Things You'll Need
Cetaphil Skin Cleanser, at least 24 ounces (generic is ok)
8-ounce applicator bottle, designed for use with hair products. (condiment bottle works too!)
Hair comb (regular pocket comb plus a wide tooth if your child has longer hair)
Bath towel and light coloured face cloth or hand towel
Blow dryer
Step 1
Place 8 ounces of Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser in a plastic applicator bottle. Add essential oils to the mix, 20-45 drops (optional - see below). Drape a towel over the shoulder of the person before starting the treatment.
Step 2
Apply Cetaphil liberally to dry hair, using most or all of the 8 oz bottle. Be sure the Cetaphil is thoroughly and equally covering all areas of the scalp and hair. Start at one side of the scalp and slowly move systematically through the whole head. Go up and down, side to side, and on the diagonal. The whole scalp must be completely covered- it takes a while. When in doubt add more lotion! If your child has longer hair add more cleanser to the dispenser (another 4 oz) and do the ends until all hair is saturated.
Step 3
Use fingers to massage lotion into the scalp. Try not to tangle the hair
Step 4
Wait 2 minutes, then comb out as much of the excess Cetaphil as possible. Start with a wide tooth comb for longer hair and then do the pocket comb. You can examine the combed out lotion to see if lice were actually present by rubbing the lotion onto a white cloth. This is the easiest way to see lice. If you see any little black specks on your cloth in the lotion, they are adult lice. The combing step is completed when you can't see any more cleanser coming off on the comb. Do a good job because the more lotion you remove with the comb the faster the blow-dry phase. After you are finished with the comb, clean it by soaking in rubbing alcohol for 10 minutes, or put it through the dishwasher.
Step 4
Using a hair dryer, thoroughly dry the hair. For this treatment to be effective, the entire scalp and hair must get completely dry, so the remaining cleanser dries onto the scalp and hair. Expect this process to take triple the time it usually takes to dry the hair.
Step 5
Leave the treatment on overnight, or for at least 8 hours. You may want to cover the hair with a shower cap. In the morning, shampoo and style hair as usual with a clean comb or brush.
Step 6
Repeat in 7 days, and again 7 days later. This is essential to disrupt the life cycle of the lice eggs which hatch every 7 to 10 days. If you still feel itchy- don’t worry, it doesn’t mean it was not successful. It can take a few days for the itch to settle even after the bugs are gone.
Variations
I have also used conditioner when I didn’t have cetaphil, and it seemed to work fine. It’s cheaper too :) Some varieties do not blow dry as well as cetaphil.
I like to add essential oils to the cetaphil, for extra killing. About 30 drops of tea tree / bottle of cleanser, or lavender if it is for a small child. (optional)
Common mistakes to avoid: Not using enough cleanser, not completely covering the scalp, not completely drying the lotion, and not repeating the treatment every 7 days. If you are still finding adult bugs the second time I would repeat an extra time.
House clean up: Lice can only live for 1-2 days while not on a host. They are heat sensitive so using a hot dryer or the freezer will kill them/ remove eggs.
Once a week: (same day as treatment) Wash all the bedding, or at least put it in the dryer. I dont’ always wash the duvet covers i just throw the whole thing in the dryer. I tend to change pillow cases more regularly, sometimes daily. You can also use the freezer for items you don’t need right away- i freeze for 1-2 days.
Any clothes worn while doing the treatment and towels also need washing. I also put hats, helmets, jackets, favourite stuffies, and recently worn shirts/sweaters in the freezer for 2 days.
Good luck!!!
