Lavender Oil for Lice:
Treat or Prevent
Discover if lavender oil prevents and treats head lice.
Question:
I've treated my child with lice kits TONS of time and lice keeps coming back! I've heard that lavender can prevent lice, can lavender kill lice?
Answer from a lice expert:
If you have tried other treatments that have failed, you are not alone, and it’s not your fault. The latest stats say that most parents that use over-the-counter kits still have lice even after multiple treatments!
After no success with lice kits, some turn to home remedies. Lavender oil is one that I see a lot of people turn to in desperation, but before going down the lavender oil route there are a few things you should know.
So, let's talk about exactly what lavender can and cannot do when it comes to helping with head lice in this article.
Let me introduce myself...
Hi there! I'm Theresa, I'm a lice expert, lice coach, and Registered Nurse. I help people with lice every day! You can get rid of lice in ONE DAY at home by using the same proven professional technique that I use in my lice center.
Just follow the step-by-step videos and be done with lice by the end of the day.
Lavender for Lice
Why Is It So Hard to Get Rid of Lice?
Now that you know what you're looking for I want to talk briefly about your biggest worry (that your child actually has lice) and the question I get asked by parents around the world that have been battling lice….
Parents around the world are all asking me the same question…. "Why is it so much harder to get rid of lice now?"
Lice have become immune to everything that used to work in the past. Perhaps you remember your mom using a typical lice treatment or mayonnaise and that doing the trick. The new strain of head lice is no longer killed by those treatments, that’s why lice today are termed by people, “super lice,” because they are immune to those treatments.
I’ve cured thousands of people of lice in my lice center and let me tell you, I don't do it with over-the-counter lice treatments.
Most people struggle with lice because they focus all of their attention on killing lice bugs and not enough attention on GETTING RID OF LICE!
If you want to get rid of lice you have to address all 3 of the problems of lice:
- Lice Bugs
- Lice Eggs
- Getting Lice Back
The best way to get rid of lice is to tackle all 3 of these problems at the same time, which is what I teach in my step-by-step video system.
So, if you discover your child HAS lice, don't panic. Just head over to the video system. Follow along with the videos and you'll be done with lice by the end of the day.
Does Lavender Oil Prevent Lice?
Head lice are like sharks…
Lice have a keen sense of smell, and they are attracted to human blood. Just like sharks and mosquitoes, they can smell when blood is near.
When lice smell a new yummy head, they instinctively want to get there and begin their feast. This is why lice spread to so many unsuspecting individuals.
The good news is...
You can use lice’s keen sense of smell against them. Because lice are so sensitive to smell, they will instinctively run away from any scent they don’t like.
Believe it or not, your secret weapon lies in essential oils--the same essential oils that smell amazing to you. If you have these scents in your hair, lice will run in the opposite direction to get away from you.
Even though lice hate these scents, they smell lovely to us humans. Essential oils like this are called lice repellents or lice deterrents.
Studies show lavender oil to be one of these repelling scents. In one study, lavender appeared to prevent some head lice from feeding on the scalp. But lavender has not proven to be the most repelling scent. In multiple studies, other essential oils like tea tree oil, peppermint, rosemary, and citronella have shown to be much more effective lice deterrents.
For a full list of the 19 essential oils that deter lice check out my other article here.
Can Lavender Oil Kill Lice?
Lavender oil is an excellent weapon in the fight against head lice in terms of prevention, but that’s as far as it goes.
Researchers tested lavender in a few studies on its ability to kill head lice, and it did poorly.
In one study, involving lavender and 54 other essential oils, lavender did not kill lice. Lavender was one of the least effective at killing lice.
Many people get confused, because lavender is good at prevention, but it doesn't actually kill lice.
Lavender and Lice Eggs
Lice eggs and nits are the same thing.
To start off let's get something straight... Nits and lice eggs are the same thing! Don't make this more complicated then it needs to be. The two words (nits and lice eggs) will be used interchangeably in this article.
Lavender has no effect on lice eggs, which really isn't a big surprise, because there isn't any essential oil or home remedy out there that kills lice eggs. Lice eggs have a thick, waxy, protective shell on them which makes them impenetrable. I teach how to kill and remove lice eggs and get rid of lice in one day in my Step-by-Step Video System.
Lavender & The Never-Ending Cycle
Most people that use lice kits or a home remedy like lavender to treat lice get caught in the horrible "Never-Ending Cycle of Lice"
First- You Have Lice
When you first discover lice you have adult lice bugs, baby lice bugs, and lice eggs (also known as nits)
You Think You've Gotten Rid of It.
But...
After using an over-the-counter treatment or a home remedy, people think they've taken care of the problem because they aren't finding lice bugs for a while.
But the bigger problem is the lice eggs that are left in the hair. Lice kits and home remedies don't kill eggs, and each of those little lice eggs has a bug inside just waiting to hatch and re-infest your child again.
Then- Those Eggs HATCH!
Just like lice eggs are tiny, when lice first hatch they are teeny-tiny. In fact, they are almost invisible to the naked eye! So, it typically takes a few weeks for them to grow big enough for you to see them.
And by the time you notice your head is infested all over again!
And Lice Is Back Again!
How to Avoid the Never-Ending Cycle
If you want to avoid this never-ending cycle and get rid of lice fast then check out my Step-by-Step Video System. Follow along with the videos and you can be completely done with lice in ONE DAY, no retreatments necessary.
Lavender Oil For Lice Prevention
If you've actually gotten rid of lice and are just looking to repel lice then lavender can help. In studies, lavender, along with several other essential oils act as lice repellents.
But, using lavender oil alone as lice prevention is a mistake. While using lavender is better than not using any lice deterring scents, it is not adequate for preventing lice on its own for most people. You are much better off using a variety of essential oils proven to ward off head lice.
Here are the most lice deterring essential oils:
Lice Prevention Spray Tutorial
Ingredients:
- 8 oz spray bottle
- 6 oz of distilled or purified water
- 2 Tablespoons of carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil or olive oil
- 20 Drops of Essential Oils (use a blend in my other article for better protection)
Directions:
- Combine ingredients in an 8 oz spray bottle.
- Shake vigorously.
- Spray every day in hair for lice prevention, shaking vigorously before each use.
- Replace every 1-2 months (this is for bacterial reasons)
More on Lice Prevention
There are some very effective lice prevention sprays already on the market. These sprays are a combination of all of the best prevention essential oils. Instead of making one yourself, you can buy one. I review all lice prevention sprays in another article you can read here.
If you're serious about lice prevention then check out my article 21 Proven Lice Prevention Strategies Every Parent Should Know or check out my top picks for lice-prevention sprays.
How to be lice-free by the end of the day...
GET THE VIDEO SYSTEM
Get rid of lice the same way the experts do. Your personal lice coach walks you through each step of doing a professional lice treatment at home in a series of videos.
FOLLOW ALONG
Follow along with the videos on your child in your home. No lice kits or toxic chemicals involved!
BE DONE WITH LICE!
When you're done with the videos, you're done with lice. And it's gone permanently!
Summing It Up…
Lavender can be a tool to protect yourself from head lice, but it is not an adequate lice killer.
Using lavender as a lice deterrent is a good idea, but if you use it alone, you will not repel lice. You’re less likely to get lice if you combine lavender with other essential oils that repel lice like peppermint, tea tree, and citronella. You can find a list of the best lice-prevention sprays here.
If you want to get rid of lice quickly then follow along with my Step-by-Step Video System and get rid of it in ONE DAY.
All the best,
Theresa is a Registered Nurse and lice expert with years of experience curing children of lice. She owns a lice treatment center in the US which is where she perfected the Step-by-Step Video System proven to get rid of lice. She also works with government agencies and schools helping those with the worst head lice cases in America.
Her greatest passion is empowering parents by teaching parents online how to do a professional lice treatment on their child at home. She is the Lice Coach for the My Lice Advice Step-by-Step Video System.
