If you like to have the personal care products in your home as natural as possible, then reading the list of ingredients on a typical head lice bomb is enough to make your toes curl. It's not a pretty or a natural thing. There are natural ways to not only kill head lice, but also to make your kids hair unattractive to head lice as a preventative measure. Below we're going to give you a quick 'out of the box' solution and also DIY solutions.

Please note, in Australia, the killing of head lice falls under the banner of the governing body called the APVMA, and as such, we are not allowed to say that something will kill head lice unless the products formula has been registered with the APVMA to do this. The same goes with all manufacturers. This is why you'll find that 90% of the products on the market will say that their product 'makes hair unattractive to head lice'. The price to register a product with the APVMA, and it's not cheap, so most small companies don't do it.

eco.kid Natural Head Lice Bomb

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This first product is an 'off the shelf' solution that is registered with the APVMA. So, for the purpose of this post, yes, I have one product that I can legally say kills head lice. The eco.kid Head Lice Bomb is certified organic and is formulated to assist with the removal of both live head lice and their eggs. It's a combo of olive oil, essential oils and vitamin E.

Once the lice are dead, eco.kid have a range of products to make your kids hair less appealing to head lice. They include a natural shampoo, conditioner and hair styling products designed just for kids, fortified with essential oils that head lice can't stand.

DIY Natural Head Lice Bomb

The internet is filled with information on natural DIY head lice bombs. I decided to pull my info from an aromatherapy text book so I know it will work and the information is safe. Essential oils should always be treated with respect and used correctly, diluted correctly and stored safely.

According to 'Aromatherapy an A-Z by Patricia Davis', head lice removal with traditional chemical products has been complicated by the lice becoming resistant to some of the chemicals, so it's becoming increasingly difficult to kill them. The DIY recipe is as follows:-

  • Bergamot, Eucalyptus, Geranium & Lavender essential oils
  • Choose 3 or 4 of them (a cocktail mix is more effective than a single oil)
  • 5% to 10% essential oil diluted in a carrier oil (go closer to 5% for younger kids)
    use coconut oil if you have it or anything you cook with like sunflower oil, olive oil, rice bran oil etc
  • Massage in to the hair & scalp
  • Cover the head and leave on for several hours (overnight is best)
  • Wash out with a mild natural shampoo
  • Comb through the hair with a fine tooth comb
  • Repeat every 48 hours as the eggs hatch - 3 to 4 treatments may be needed to get rid of them all

To prevent a re-infestation, wash anything your child has had their head in contact with - hats, scarves, pillows, hoods on jumpers. Anything that can't be run through the washing machine with a natural laundry detergent, make up a solution of alcohol and put 10% essential oils in it and sponge down. Pure alcohol is best, but it's not always easy to buy. You can use cheap vodka too.

Remember, your kids getting head lice is a sign that they have clean hair. Head lice don't like dirty hair, they like to set up home in a clean head of hair.

Apple Cider Vinegar for head lice treatment

I've gone to Google for this one, but it is repeated in many different places. If you're sensitive to essential oils, as long as you can tolerate the smell of ACV and coconut oil, you'll be fine. Nothing about getting rid of head lice is pleasant, but this is a great alternative (and a cheaper one) for those who don't regularly use essential oils or can't tolerate them or afford them.

You'll need a bottle of apple cider vinegar and some coconut oil. That's it. 2 ingredients. And sorry, you're going to have to use a bottle of the good ACV like the Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar if you can get your hands on it, or another one with 'The Mother' in it. We have a few in store. Here's what you do:-

  • Rinse hair with the apple cider vinegar. Do NOT wash it out. Let it dry. Apparently the vinegar dissolve the sticky stuff that holds the eggs to your hair.
  • Massage a generous amount of coconut oil in to the hair and leave for several hours, preferably overnight.
  • Comb the hair with a fine comb (as you would with any other treatment) to get rid of the eggs and the lice.

The ACV dissolves the sticky glue holding the eggs to your hair and the coconut oil drowns them. Anecdotal evidence suggests you only need to do this once. I have not tried this to see if it's true or not. I would think a combination of this method and the one above with the essential oils in the coconut oil would make an awesome combo.