Lice attach themselves to hair follicles and lay eggs, or nits. By the time you find them, you may be in for a prolonged battle to rid yourself or your children of these annoying pests. Herbal sprays that repel lice may prove to be effective, according to the New Zealand Dermatological Society. To understand the pros and cons of this prevention option, consult a doctor before you use herbal preparations.
Features
Head lice mainly affect the school-age population, regardless of economic status or geographic location. It only takes one infestation to cause an outbreak in your entire family and your immediate neighborhood. Girls ages 3 to 10, women and their families are most prone to head lice infestations, according to Ebsco Health Library.
Prevention/Solution
After you exhaust available treatments to remove lice from the body and kill eggs in clothing, furniture and bedding, the specter of reinfestation is ever-present, as soon as you leave your clean environment. Preventative measures are one strategy for your arsenal, as your family encounters potential carriers at school, summer camp and other likely sources.
Types
Home remedies for head lice often focus on removal and destruction of the larvae to prevent repeat occurrence. To prepare your own spray solutions to prevent lice, choose essential oils that people traditionally have employed to fight lice since the beginning of time.
Herbal lice prevention sprays available from retailers also use essential oils. Evidence of the effectiveness of these sprays is mostly anecdotal. These formulations have a wide variety of herb combinations, depending on the source country and the manufacturer. Check the label ingredients before you use these and test them on a small area of skin before applying them to your scalp or your child's.
Application Methods
Preventing lice requires daily application of herbal sprays before or during hair grooming. Put essential oils in a carrier oil, such as olive or almond oil, before you apply them to the scalp. Commercial preparations come with instructions for use. If you do not wash your hair daily, apply these products on a regular schedule, based on the solution's evaporation rate or after each shampoo.
Common Herbal Ingredients
Some home formulas use clove oil, lavender, neem, rosemary or tea tree oil in the spray. Peace Health notes that limited evidence supports the use of quassia extract as a lice remover and preventative.
The New Zealand Dermatological Society states that the herb combinations in one lice prevention commercial products appears to be as effective as pyrethrins. This complex formula combines citronella, clove, eucalyptus, geranium, mint, palmarosa, petitgrain, rose and ylang ylang essential oils. The majority of herbal products sold in the U.S. are preparations to remove lice; however, the National Library of Medicine's Household Products Database identifies one commercial product as a lice repellant. This spray's active ingredients are of eucalyptus, geranium, lavender and sandalwood essential oils. The concentration is 10 percent for each oil.
Warning
Few controlled scientific studies support the use of herbal remedies to prevent lice. Relying on unproven remedies might result in repeated infestations. Examine your scalp thoroughly with each application. Consult your physician about possible alternatives.
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