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Warning: Reading this post will make you scratch your head.
I got the dreaded letter from my daughter’s school last week.
I don’t mean the one that says she is failing. (She’s doing great.) And not the one informing me that she volunteered to bring 4 dozen homemade cookies for the bake sale tomorrow. I’m talking about the letter from the school nurse reporting to parents that there’s
I suppose getting a call saying she actually has head lice would be worse.
But still, my experience with this elementary school is that it takes a lot for them to notify parents of lice. In the past, I’ve known of occasions when there have been up to 6 or 7 kids in one classroom with head lice, and no letter goes home. So knowing that and getting this letter had me…concerned.
I certainly know from working in schools as an SLP that kids just get head lice, and it’s not a matter of cleanliness or hygiene. It can happen to anyone’s kid. My kid. Your kid. So no judging here. But if I can prevent my thick-haired daughter from getting lice, ?I’m ?gonna.
Lice Prevention Protocol
Standard protocol during a lice outbreak at school is reminding your kid of a few ground rules.
- No sharing hats, jackets with hoods, hair accessories, or sports helmets
- No touching head-to-head in reading groups or during play
- No using other people’s hair brushes or combs
- Keep hair
worn up in a bun or ponytail if the hair is long enough
Ready-Made Products that Prevent Lice
There are over-the-counter products you can get to deter the head lice from taking up residence on your child’s head. Fairy-Tales products contain essential oils that repel lice and give you a fighting chance at preventing an infestation. Their products include the following.
Essential Oils For Lice Prevention
I’ve used Fairy Tales products on my daughter in the past, and I do like them. The shampoo smells especially nice. But this time, I really just wanted a spray to mist onto Audrey’s hair as she leaves the house for school in order to deter the lice.
I already use essential oils daily and have a good assortment, so I decided to make my own quick lice deterrent spray instead of spending money on one packaged in a plastic bottle.
After doing some research and consulting my essential oil book, The Essential Life, I decided on the following oils to include in my lice repellant spray.
- melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil-protects against environmental threats and skin irritations*
- rosemary essential oil-naturally repels insects*, promotes healthy-looking hair*
- cedarwood essential oil-naturally repels insects*
- clove essential oil-naturally repels insects*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
In addition to the oils above, you will also need
- distilled water
- a 4-ounce glass spray bottle
Homemade Lice Repellant Spray
To make your DIY Lice Repellant spray, add 3 drops of each of the four essential oils listed:
How To Use
To use the repellant spray, wait until your child’s hair is styled for school and then mist all over with the spray. At this concentration, it has a fairly mild odor that my daughter describes as “fresh and earthy.” It would be wise to make sure your child isn’t sensitive to any of these oils before going all out with it on their hair.
This repellant spray can also be sprayed on hats, scarves, and jacket hoods.
And that’s all there is to it! Although I am fortunate to not have personal experience with an infestation yet, I would venture to say that prevention is the best medicine when it comes to head lice.
A batch of homemade lice repellant will give you that extra layer of protection and peace of mind!
Homemade Lice Prevention Spray
This simple recipe for head lice repellant spray with essential oils is perfect to mist onto hair before your child heads out the door to school.
Ingredients
- 3 drops tea tree (melaleuca) essential oil
- 3 drops rosemary essential oil
- 3 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 3 drops clove essential oil
- 4 ounces distilled water
Instructions
- Add 3 drops each of the following essential oils to an empty, 4-ounce tinted glass spray bottle: tea tree, rosemary, cedarwood, and clove.
- Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water.
- Replace the spray nozzle and shake to disperse the oils in the water.
- Spray on hair, shaking the bottle before each use.
Notes
This is a lice repellant spray, NOT a treatment for an active case of head lice.
Resources: CDC Head Lice Prevention & Control
Tamara says
This repellant sounds great…but what can a person use if a child has full blown lice in there hair and you dont have any money to buy anything to help get rid of them..I’m freaking out…and need to address this situation promptly. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated..thank you.
Natalie Clausen says
Oh, boy, I feel for you Tamara. I’d be freaking out, too. This spray won’t help you if your child already has lice. Here is a link that provides some natural things to try. Healthline.com. And here is the link to the CDC’s recommendations for head lice. CDC. If it were me, I would get a lice treatment kit from Walmart (Nix has a coupon online, you can probably find other coupons, too.). Try to get a kit that includes a nit comb, because you will definitely need that no matter what treatment or how many times you end up treating. Good luck. It’ll be okay.
Kelly says
Conditioner can be used to treat lice. You have to leave it in for a while. I had to do this with my daughter and myself, now I’m looking for ways to keep them away
Christy says
A coconut mask worn overnight is said to help rid the lice. I’m wearing one now in hopes 🤞🏻 this is our first rodeo as a mom and not a kid who has no clue how hard it is to deal with them (besides the itch and embarrassment)