Top 7 Lice Prevention Shampoos Proven to Help Avoid Lice in 2024

Look no further, here are the top 7 Lice Prevention Shampoos according to a lice expert.

Question:

I've treated my daughter for lice several times, but she keeps getting in back from school. What are the best lice prevention shampoos out there?

woman washing hair with lice prevention shampoo

Answer from a Lice Expert:

After spending hours treating your child for lice the last thing you want is to get it back!

 

If you've struggled with lice in the past or are terrified of getting it in the future, look no further. Here are the 7 best lice prevention shampoos proven to help you avoid lice this year!

Let me introduce myself...

Lice nurse helping others

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.

The Top Lice Prevention Shampoos

It’s estimated that 12 million kids will get head lice this year. How can you ensure that your child isn’t one of them? Your answer: lice prevention shampoo. This article details the best prevention shampoos. Any of these shampoos will do loads more for preventing lice than any other standard shampoo on the market.

woman washing her hair surrounded by head lice. Presumably using a lice prevention shampoo

(A quick disclosure: these are affiliate links, and I do earn a commission from qualifying purchases; however, all of my reviews are based on the quality of these products, and the decision to purchase through these links is completely up to you.)

Top 7 Ways to Prevent Lice Video!

picture of lice expert and words "How to Prevent Lice Tutorial"

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….

picture of lice bug under a magnifying glass

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. 

magnifying glass looking at lice eggs and nits in brown hair

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:

  1. Lice Bugs
  2. Lice Eggs
  3. 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.

lice bug under a magnifying glass

How do lice prevention shampoos work?

single head lice bug on paper towel

Almost all head lice cases are passed by head-to-head contact. Just like sharks and mosquitoes, lice have a keen sense of smell and are attracted to the scent of your blood. When your child’s head is within reach, lice follow the scent and crawl quickly into the hair. Soon after, they have a full-blown head lice infestation.

Fortunately, there are proven oils that prevent head lice. These oils smell horrible to lice and as a result, they won’t go near them. Having these oils in the hair “repels” lice by making hair smell undesirable, covering up the attractive scent of blood. As an added bonus, these oils smell amazing to humans even though they are repulsive to lice. Scents like eucalyptus, citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, lavender, tea tree, geranium, neem oil, anise (aniseed), and mint are among the top “lice repellents.” 

Just like you use a mosquito repellent when you go camping, using a lice repellent shampoo every day makes you less desirable to head lice and therefore less likely to wind up with an outbreak!

To be absolutely clear, lice prevention shampoos are not “lice killers,” and do not kill lice. If you have lice and you want to get rid of it then check out my Step-by-Step Video System instead.

lice prevention spray bottle and lice prevention shampoo comparison

Which is better: lice prevention shampoo or lice prevention spray?

Using all three of these products together--lice prevention shampoo, conditioner, and spray--is the absolute best preventative measure. Lice prevention shampoo and conditioner coat each hair strand in the repellent while lice prevention spray adds an additional layer of protection.

The Top 7 Lice Prevention Shampoos

woman washing her hair surrounded by head lice. Presumably using a lice prevention shampoo
lice shield lice prevention shampoo

Smells Like: Citronella

Lice Shield is best for families on a strict budget. It's a great lice-fighting shampoo, but it smells like a citronella candle. It is a shampoo and conditioner blend with five essential oils for lice prevention: citronella, rosemary, lemongrass, cedar, and geraniol. 

 

Why it's not the best...

It repels lice, but the citronella smell is strong. I personally don't think it smells great. It's inexpensive, but it's one of those "you get what you pay for" kinds of things.

SoCozy Boo Lice Scaring Shampoo bottle

Smells Like: Tea Tree and Rosemary

SoCozy Boo! Lice Scaring Shampoo is salon-quality shampoo for kids at a fraction of the salon-quality cost. It leaves hair shiny and squeaky clean. This fresh shampoo has tea tree oil, peppermint, and rosemary to spook away head lice, just as its name promises.

lice prevention shampoo

Smells Like: Luxury Hotel Shampoo with Tea Tree

If you’re looking for a lice prevention shampoo that’ll leave your hair looking, feeling, and smelling great, Honeydew Tea Tree Rosemary Lice Prevention Shampoo is the perfect shampoo for you. It has both tea tree oil and rosemary in it, making it a great lice prevention shampoo.

 

Why it's great...

The truly impressive thing about this shampoo, however, is how fabulous it will make your scalp and hair feel after using it. It relieves a dry, itchy scalp and eliminates frizz. You’re certainly going to love this one.

Rosemary repel lice prevention shampoo and conditioner

Smells Like: Rosemary and Roses

Rosemary Repel is likely the most well-known and kid-friendly lice prevention shampoo out there. It is relatively inexpensive and sold at many standard beauty supply stores.

Although the name is Rosemary Repel, it is actually packed with several preventative essential oils: rosemary, citronella, cinnamon, peppermint, anise, tea tree, and geraniol.

 

Why it's great...

Even with all these repellent scents, it smells primarily like rosemary and roses. For this line, I’d highly recommend getting the shampoo, conditioner, and spray for added protection. 

My hair helper lice prevention shampoo and conditioner

Smells Like: Peppermint

When it comes to lice deterring scents peppermint is one of the top deterrants out there. My Hair Helps Mint Shampoo and Conditioner is made of essential oils. It is sulfate-free and perfect for children.

Why it's one of the best...

Lice hate the smell of peppermint. If you want to keep lice away, mint is the way to go

Ladibugs Lice Prevention shampoo, conditioner and detangler

Smells Like: Spearmint

Similar to other lice prevention products, Ladibugs Lice Prevention Shampoo smells like spearmint, but this product also contains neem oil. Neem oil is a well-documented bug deterrent and, in my opinion, is one of the best deterrents out there.

 

Why it's better...

The Ladibugs line is one of the only prevention products with neem oil in it.

Smells Like: Mint or Lavender

LiceLogic’s lice prevention line is one step above all other lice prevention products. All lice prevention lines contain essential oils that repel lice, but LiceLogic takes it a step further by adding lice-killing enzymes to their prevention line.

 

Why it's the best...

These all-natural enzymes are actually capable of killing lice on contact but are completely safe to humans. LiceLogic Shampoo and Conditioner come in two different scents: Rosemary Mint or Lavender. Either scent will effectively repel lice.

FYI- This product is great for all hair types, but because it contains these enzymes, it is not recommended for children under the age of two.

For added protection at school and play, spray LiceLogic Clear & Free All Purpose Spray on your kid’s backpack, jacket, and other items. This peppermint-scented spray will keep lice away from his or her favorite things.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does tea tree shampoo prevent lice?

Tea tree shampoo alone will not be as effective of a lice repellent as any of the shampoos listed here, although it is better than nothing if you either can’t find one of these shampoos or are waiting for it to arrive.

Does coconut oil or coconut shampoo prevent head lice?

If you slather your hair in coconut oil every day before you go out into the world, then yes, coconut oil will work as a lice prevention method. Hair slathered in any kind of grease makes it difficult for lice to attach to the hair strand and move.

However, the actual scent of coconut or coconut oil added to shampoo has not been proven as a lice deterrent and is not recommended as an alternative to these tried-and-true essential oils. 

woman itching her head, presumably with lice again.

Why do some people get lice over and over again? 

In cases where lice return within a month or less, the most likely reason for the comeback is that they never really went away. It's fairly common for people to use an over-the-counter treatment and think that they're finished with head lice, but they are very wrong. 98% of lice in the US are resistant to traditional over-the-counter and even prescription lice treatments. Often these treatments will kill the weakest lice, tricking people into thinking they've killed them all. What they don't know, however, is that the strongest lice survive these lice treatments and continue to lay more eggs. 

People continue to think they are in the clear for a few weeks because they can’t see the remaining lice bugs, and, with fewer bugs on the head, the itching stops. Within a month, though, those lice eggs hatch and grow into adults, which is when people usually discover that the lice "is back" when the truth is that it never was really gone. People will say, "My child keeps getting lice back from school," but the truth is that their child has gotten lice “back” from themselves because they never got rid of it. 

If you find yourself in this situation then lice prevention sprays aren't gonna help you, check out my step-by-step video system instead.

Lice & The Never-Ending Cycle

Most people that use lice kits and home remedies get caught in the horrible "Never-Ending Cycle of Lice"

Three arrows pointing down

First- You Have Lice

lice eggs, baby lice, and adult lice with arrows labeling them

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...

arrows pointing to lice eggs left in hair

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!

baby lice bugs with arrows labeling them

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!

full lice infestation representation with lice eggs, baby lice bugs, and adult lice bugs

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.

How to be lice-free by the end of the day...

#1

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.

#2

FOLLOW ALONG

Follow along with the videos on your child in your home. No lice kits or toxic chemicals involved!

#3

BE DONE WITH LICE!

When you're done with the videos, you're done with lice. And it's gone permanently!

Summary

There are lots of myths about what prevents head lice, but if you’re serious about preventing lice this school year, I highly recommend using one of these seven proven lice prevention shampoos.

Combining an effective lice prevention product with vigilant prevention measures is the best way to keep your child lice-free this year (and every year!).

If you find that you child keeps getting lice, consider whether you may not be getting rid of it. 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!

lice expert

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.

woman washing her hair, presumably with a lice prevention shampoo
 
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