To make a natural lice shampoo out of herbs, add 5 drops each of essential oils of tea tree, rosemary, lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus to a base of 5 teaspoons (28 ml) of pure olive oil. Add a small amount of regular shampoo to the mixture and put this all over the hair to the ends. Leave on an hour under a shower cap to prevent drips. Rinse and shampoo the hair.
You can also add 20 drops of these same essential oils to 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar and an equal amount of water. Shampoo, rinse, and pour the solution over your head. Leave on for 20 minutes before rinsing out. Avoid getting any essential oils in your eyes or mouth. Repeat in 10 days.
Another remedy is to blend 12 cloves of garlic in 1 pint (475 ml) of water and work the solution into the hair and scalp. Cover the head with a plastic shower cap, leave on one hour, and then wash your hair.
Repeat treatments again in 10 days. After shampooing, rinse the hair and scalp with vinegar. This loosens the glue that holds the nits onto the hair shafts. Rinse with hot water—but not so hot that it burns. Follow the same procedure as with the mayonnaise to remove remaining nits.
KEEP IN MIND
Every person in the household will need to be checked. Human lice do not live on animals (and vice versa). And it is only polite to let the parents of any children your child was in contact with know that they should inspect their own children.
This sounds embarrassing, but it’s not a great idea to let other children get more and more lice before their parents notice. Also, you do not want any of these children giving lice back to your child! It is especially important to inform the school office and your child’s teacher.
Pregnant wmen or infants should consult with a competent health-care professional before following any of the remedies for treatment of parasites. Essential oils can be too strong for young skin, and essential oil use during pregnancy has not yet been well researched.
This how to make a natural lice shampoo adapted from:
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
