Most parents have to deal with head lice over the span of their parenting career. Battling those pesky bugs doesn’t have to involve harmful chemical shampoos, French schoolgirl haircuts, or money.
Today I’ll show you the second step of killing (and preventing) head lice using only easy to find natural ingredients. Be sure to use this daytime natural head lice treatment in coordination with the ultimate overnight natural head lice treatment to guarantee head lice destruction.
Daytime Natural Head Lice Treatment
Weapons of head lice warfare:
- Lice comb
- 2 cups rubbing alcohol
- 20 drops Tea tree oil
- 8 drops Lavender oil
- 8 drops Clove oil
This treatment works extremely well in conjunction with the overnight natural head lice treatment. My family used it daily for about 2 weeks following our head lice infestation and it worked! My kids loved the way it made their hair smell too.
Combine rubbing alcohol and essential oils in a spray bottle. Every morning and evening comb through hair with a lice comb and remove any visible bugs and eggs. Be thorough! This step is just as important as the topical head lice treatments.
Shake spray bottle and spray roots of hair with this daytime natural head lice remedy. Apply morning and evening for at least one week, but preferably two. If the alcohol gases burn your child’s eyes, cover his face with a washcloth during application.
Extra tips to beat head lice:
- Don’t skimp on product or use low-grade essential oils if you want to really blast the lice out of your home. Be sure to read labels, not all essential oils are created equally. I recommend purchasing the oils from the links shared above, as I have full confidence in the product quality.
- Check each member of your family for head lice using a lice comb. Boil between each head check. If you suspect lice, at least treat the person with the daily head lice remedy for one week and check their head daily with the lice comb.
- Be sure to rid your home of head lice so they don’t spread.
- Vacuum sofas and carpet
- Wash bedclothes and dry them in the dryer on a hot setting.
- Launder stuffed animals your child sleeps with and toss them in the dryer.
- Assign one hairbrush to each family member and boil brushes nightly while the lice are still in the house.
Remember, this natural head lice spray works best when used with the overnight natural head lice treatment. Try it and see for yourself. You’ve got nothing to lost but the itchy scalp!
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Would the rubbing alcohol be Ethyl Alcohol and Isopropyl Alcohol?
Yes, Cheryl, that’s exactly right!
I meant to ask if it makes a difference. Also, how wet should I make there hair with the spray?
I mainly applied it to roots, liberally. My kids both have pretty fine hair, so it got wet with just a few spritzes. Hope this helps!
One of my kids is dealing with head lice, and I have been looking for different tips on how to get rid of them. I never knew that there was a special lice comb, but I’d like to get one. I also didn’t know that I could make my own lice treatment, and I’d like to give this a go. Thanks for this help!
Yes! The lice comb isn’t 100% effective, but it does pull out the nits faster than finger-picking, though both are unfortunately necessary. Definitely hit up your local pharmacy and ask for a lice comb. In my experience, metal combs are more expensive but well worth it! Hope this lice treatment helps you.
Do you have any recommended recipes to use on the furniture, carpets, etc? I feel like vacuuming isn’t enough…
I sure wish I did, Chandra. Our home has tile floors. Generally people try heat. Maybe a steamer could work on furniture. Ideally, put any pillows, sheets, blankets, etc. in the wash and dry on high heat to kill the lice and eggs.
can you use 70% isopropyl alcohol vs. rubbing alcohol plus what is the difference or benefit from using the alcohol vs. olive oil???
You can use either alcohol. The olive oil treatment helps to “suffocate” the lice and holds the oils onto the hair and scalp better.
I couldn’t find clove oil. Do you think it will still be effective?
Definitely!
I was wondering how long this remedy stays in the hair before you are supposed to rinse it out.
We left it on until the next shampoo.
Hi Jelli,
Can the next shampoo be the following day?
Can this mixture be used daily for school children or is 2 weeks the limit on using it regularly. I have all of the essential oils listed. I just need something to prevent us getting it again. I just battled all day & night yesterday dealing with my daughters’ first cases. We use the Organix brand Tea Tree Oil & Mint (peppermint oil) shampoo. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Hi Autumn, I used this spray for a few weeks. Afterward, when we were all free and clear, I’d spray it on my kids’ heads whenever the school notified us of headlice outbreaks.