• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Whole New Mom

Research-Based Healthy Living You Can Trust

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
      • Advertise
  • Recipes
  • Essential Oils
  • Resources
  • Safer Beauty
    • Beautycounter
    • Beauty & Personal Care
You are here: Home / Health Concerns / DIY Lice Prevention & Treatment Spray That REALLY Works!

DIY Lice Prevention & Treatment Spray That REALLY Works!

by Adrienne 164 Comments Updated: December 22, 2018

6.4Kshares
  • Facebook1.3K
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest5.1K

This year I heard about drug-resistant lice, and (after I finished thinking my head was itching — scratch, scratch), I started thinking about and searching for lice prevention spray and lice treatment spray on the internet.  And I found that it is pretty easy to make it yourself.

Thankfully, I have never had to personally deal with lice, but every once in awhile I hear about outbreaks, and a few times friends of mine have had to “de lice” their homes, and it is a complete nightmare.

Getting rid of lice is not fun.

plastic bottle of lice treatment spray with black comb and essential oil bottles in background

Just think of having to:

  • wash EVERYTHING in your home
  • comb painstakingly through your kids' (and your) hair with a fine toothed comb (so you probably are going to lose a lot of hair too in the process)
  • wash and/or freeze all bed linens, stuffed animals, helmets, etc., and
  • deep clean carpets and furniture (note that some sites say that you should do this while the CDC says it isn't necessary. At least make sure not to sit somewhere someone with active lice has just been.

No thanks!

Some people even recommend using Bleach and Lysol!  Ick.  I really really don't ever want to use that on my head or on my kids' heads.

In this case, for sure, prevention is key.

Now you could go around and just be nervous about lice all the time, but when you have something as natural as essential oils that can do the job for you, and they smell good too, why not use them?

We homeschool, so the lice threat is not as big of a problem for us, but we are not immune.

You can use this spray as part of your natural lice treatment plan, of course, but using it as a prevention method is for sure the way to go.

Now, there are a lot of DIY lice treatment sprays on the internet, and I didn't want to just slap something together without knowing it would work.

So I dug around and found some great information on why and how well these essential oils really do work against these pesky buggers– and then made up my recipes from there.

Do Essential Oils Work as Natural Lice Treatment?

Some say these essential oils work to prevent lice because they mask the human scent that lice are attracted to.

Essential oils are also rich in what are called monoterpenes, chemical compounds with various several beneficial characteristics including, in the case of tea tree oil, insecticidal properties. In fact, the two main constituents of tea tree oil, 1,8-cineole and terpinen-4-ol, have demonstrated anticholinesterase activity.

Cholinesterase (ko-li-nes-ter-ace) is one of the many important enzymes needed for the proper functioning of the nervous systems of insects, (as well as humans and other vertebrates), so when you use these small amounts of oils on small insects, they take action on their nervous system and kill them.

And, there is evidence (yes, real scientific evidence) that these oils really do kill the lice.

This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission.

Studies on Essential Oils Treatment for Lice:

#1: Tea Tree Oil: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3480584/

At 1% concentration, tea tree oil killed 100% of head lice after 30 minutes.

#2: Lavender and Tea Tree Oils: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20727129

97.6% of lice were dead using these essential oils, compared to only 25% were dead from using chemical treatments.

#3: Anise and Ylang Ylang Oils: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12389342/

92% success rate against head lice.

Many of the other spray recipes on the internet use oils like:

    • Rosemary
    • Peppermint, and
    • Clove

but I am going to stay with what what's proven to work.  Of course, you are welcome to mix and match as you prefer.

And I'm only sharing the #1 and #2 options as they were the most effective, plus they have oils that you are more likely to have around the house, and anise oil is a little hard to come by.

The #2 version with lavender will smell better, which I would personally choose.  But then again, if we're talking lice, I might just use the tea tree straight and deal with it!!

plastic bottle of lice treatment spray with black comb and essential oil bottles in background

If you missed my series on how I chose the essential oils company referred to above, you can go here to find out, or skip to the end of the series here. However, there is a lots of great stuff in between that you won't want to miss :).

An extra benefit from this spray is that it won't stink of harmful chemicals like some of the more toxic options.

Essential oils really do smell lovely. Just the other day a friend emailed to ask me what “scent” I wear.  It was a therapeutic blend that I have been using and diffusing at night.  A remedy that doubles as a perfume (without all the nasty fragrances) – nice!

Tea Tree Oil Safety

For children under 10 years, use only a 1% dilution rate to a 2% dilution rate of tea tree oil and for children 2+ this oil should only be used “as needed”.

For adults, do not go above a 5% dilution rate.

Homemade Lice Prevention Spray

Ingredients

2 ounces water (preferably filtered – see How to Make Your Water Safe)
12 drops of tea tree oil
Quality Spray Bottle – this kind of plastic spray bottle is likely a good option as well.

(this recipe is the 1% solution that was 100% effective in the study cited above)

or

2 ounces water (preferably filtered)
10 drops tea tree oil
6 drops lavender oil (either Hungarian or Bulgarian)

Method

Blend the above solutions in the spray bottle and spray on hair to coat.

No need to shampoo out.

To Prevent Lice: Spray on hair daily in the morning and/or at night.  Work through entire head of hair.

To Remove Lice: Spray on hair at night and comb through dampened hair with a fine toothed comb in the morning.

Notes on Lavender: Hungarian Lavender has a sweet scent, and Bulgarian Lavender has a more herbaceous scent. So choose according to your desire.

Don't feel like DIYing Your Own Lice Prevention Spray?

I know that sometimes time is of the essence.

If you just don't have time to make this spray, or you prefer to shop for some reason, this lice prevention spray is a natural option that has great reviews:

Head Hunters Lice Spray

Either way, hope you can keep the little buggers at bay!

Have you had lice?
What did you do to get rid of them?

Photo Credit: Naomi Huzovicova
6.4Kshares
  • Facebook1.3K
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest5.1K

Come join our Healthy Living Community on Facebook

Join our Facebook Group

Related Posts

Wondering Which Essential Oils Company is Best? What about the "Therapeutic Grade" claims the MLM/direct sales oils companies make? Come find out all you ever wanted to know about oils companies and more!
Which Essential Oils Company is Best? Series–Young Living vs. doTERRA – Part 4
Low-Carb Elderberry Syrup - Homemade, sugar-free, healthy, easy
Easy Homemade Elderberry Syrup – low carb & AIP
Benefits of Green Tea
7 Reasons Why You Should Be Drinking This

Filed Under: Beauty & Personal Care, Essential Oils, Health Concerns, Miscellany

About Adrienne

Adrienne Urban is the Founder and Owner of Whole New Mom. She has a background in research, journalism, insurance, employee benefits, financial markets, frugal living, and nutrition. Seeking a better life for herself and her family, she uses research and consults with many physicians and other practitioners to find solutions to the variety of issues they have dealt with including life-threatening food allergies and thyroid and adrenal concerns. WholeNewMom.com is the result of her experiences and knowledge gained throughout the process. Posts are reviewed and verified by the Whole New Mom team.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Comments

  1. Betsy says

    September 10, 2018 at 12:36 pm

    Could I make a bigger batch of the spray to spray on furniture and carpets? What ratio of water to tea tree oil/lavender would I need? Or do you think this would be a waste of time?!

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      September 11, 2018 at 12:20 pm

      I have heard that the lice don’t survive there so maybe a waste but seems like some people do it anyway. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Corina says

    September 6, 2018 at 10:01 pm

    I have not read through all your comments, but just a quick search on the side effects of tea tree oil and lavender oil would inform you that they may disrupt hormone levels in young boys. Check out the webmd website.

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      September 6, 2018 at 10:04 pm

      Hi there. At least from what I have read, the evidence appears scant if not totally inaccurate. Robert Tisserand is one of the world’s foremost experts in essential oils and he states that there is no evidence for this. I was worried but I don’t see any concerns. This is his response. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPpgz08pIOc

      Hope that helps!

      Reply
    • Adrienne says

      September 6, 2018 at 10:06 pm

      Hi again. Also, I would love to hear what you think after watching his video. I thought it was very well thought out.

      Reply
  3. Sarah says

    August 24, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    Avocado oil in the hair while I spray and clean house with the tree, comb hair and wash twice with tea tree laced shampoo. I have 5 girls aged 16-1, we haven’t had lice in 4 years because of this! Use tea tree for prevention ?

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      August 24, 2018 at 1:02 pm

      So has this worked well for you?

      Reply
  4. Emily says

    August 2, 2018 at 9:20 am

    If I buy the 16oz bottle you have linked, how many drops should I put in for my 4 year old’s hair? He’s starting daycare this fall and I would like to just put it on his hair in the mornings. Or would you recommend just adding tea tree oil to his shampoo?

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      August 2, 2018 at 10:42 am

      Hi there. I don’t know — I don’t see instructions on the item. I think that making the spray I recommended is a great idea.

      Reply
  5. Katerina says

    August 2, 2018 at 8:04 am

    How long is the solution gonna be safe to be used after making it? I mean we use almost 300ml of prevention lotion throughout school season . If I make a 150ml solution is it safe to be used in a 3 or 4 month period?

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      August 2, 2018 at 8:08 am

      Hi there. I wouldn’t keep it that long since water is the base. Water breeds bacteria. It’s up to you how long you want to keep it for but I would err on the safe side or use a broad spectrum preservative.

      Reply
« Older Comments
Please note: these comments do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of Whole New Mom.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Nice to Meet You!

Welcome, I’m Adrienne! Mother of 2, wife of 1. Frugal Special Diet & Non-Toxic Mama, Addicted to Essential Oils, Natural Stuff, DIYing and Researching Everything. Read More Here—->

POPULAR POSTS

Homemade Taco Seasoning! Ditch the overpriced teensy packets with all kinds of chemical nasties--whip up this simple yummy seasoning instead!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

Wondering Which Essential Oils Company is Best? What about the "Therapeutic Grade" claims the MLM oils companies make? Come find out all you ever wanted to know about oils companies and more!

The Search for the Best Essential Oils Begins – Part 1

This Egg Roll in a Bowl has all of the great flavor of Egg Rolls, but it's an Easy One Pan Meal without the grain wrapper!

Egg Roll in a Bowl – low carb, whole30, keto, paleo, AIP

Did you know that freezing avocados really works? Here are 4 Ways to Freeze Avocados so you can grab a bunch when they're on sale!

4 Ways to Freeze Avocados

Gluten-free Sourdough Starter

Gluten-Free & Grain-Free Sourdough Starter Recipes

Homemade Protein Bars - low carb, vegan, gluten free, keto

Grain-Free No-Bake Protein Bars – low carb, vegan, gluten free

Copyright © 2019 · Whole New Mom · Log in

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube