Can Essential Oils Kill Head Lice?
Key Takeaways
- Essential oils do not safely treat an active head lice infestation.
- Some essential oils may help repel lice when used correctly in prevention products.
- Lice rely heavily on smell, which is why certain scents may help discourage them.
- High concentrations of essential oils can irritate the skin and are not a safe lice treatment.
- For active lice, prevention products are not enough and treatment should focus on proven lice removal options.
Why Parents Ask About Essential Oils for Lice
If you’re a busy parent, hearing about a lice outbreak at school is the last thing you want to be dealing with. If your kid’s head starts feeling itchy, you may be wondering, “How can I fix this as soon as possible?” As you search through your medicine cabinet, you might recall overhearing that essential oils can treat a lice outbreak. Can you just mix up all of your essential oils and put them on your child’s head, and be done with the whole situation?
The answer unfortunately is no, essential oils cannot treat an active lice infestation; but if applied correctly, they can help you prevent it before it occurs.
Essential Oils Can Repel Lice, But Not Safely Kill Them
If you’ve heard essential oils can help deal with lice, this is partially correct!
How Essential Oils Repel Lice
Many insects heavily rely on their sense of smell, as it allows them to detect and respond to important environmental cues, such as attracting or avoiding certain odors. Head lice, or Pediculus humanus capitis, have developed a very strong sense of smell in order to navigate the world around them, and avoid toxins and other hazards.
This strong sense of smell is found in the 7 odorant receptors (OR) of adult lice. Odorant receptors manage the interaction between smelly, odorous compounds, and the part of the nervous system that takes in that information, which are known as olfactory sensory neurons.
It’s very easy for head lice to find a human host through their sophisticated sense of smell. Scientists have discovered that when lice are presented with various odors from the human head, foot, and forearm, they can detect the difference and are actually drawn toward the human head.
While the adult louse uses its excellent sense of smell to its advantage in order to zero in on human heads, we can also use this sensitivity to our advantage to keep them away. Lice are highly sensitive to repellant odors such as Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Marjoram and Pennyroyal. Lucky for us, these essential oils are easy to find at the store.
Why Essential Oils Are Not a Safe Way to Kill Lice
Essential oils can also have an insecticidal effect in an extremely high concentration; however, at the necessary concentration needed in order to kill lice, it would cause severe irritation and rashes on human skin.
So overall, using essential oils to kill lice is not an ideal method.
Safe and Effective Ways to Use Essential Oils for Prevention
Even though essential oils aren’t a great tool to treat an active infestation, they are a great way to repel lice in the first place. If you hear about a lice outbreak at school, having your kids use hair products with these essential oils can minimize their chances of contracting a lice infestation themselves.
Lice Clinics of America sells lice prevention products such as conditioning spray, shampoo, and even hair bands to help you and your kids prevent getting lice. All of these products work by using a safe but effective concentration of essential oils, which have a scent that repels lice. Lice get overwhelmed by the strong smell and avoid it, helping to prevent an infestation. In addition, it is really helpful to use these products after treatment in order to keep lice from coming back if other people still have an active lice infestation.
Even though essential oils aren’t a great tool to treat an active infestation, they are an effective way to repel lice in the first place.
Potential Risks and Side Effects of Essential Oils
Essential oils and products that contain them are sold at a low enough concentration to be used safely. Essential oils are byproducts of the flowers and plants they are taken from, and are created when these plants are pressed together into a concentrated format. High enough concentrations of essential oils may have some insecticidal effects – but unfortunately at such a high level, they can also cause irritation and rashes to humans.
You can rest assured that all our products are made with safety in mind, which is again why we use essential oils for prevention and not treatment.
Here are some tips on how to use essential oils:
- Never use the full concentration of oils on bare skin. Use products with 1-5% of the essential oil, as a higher concentration can cause a rash and other side effects.
- Do not use essential oils on damaged skin or open wounds.
- Some essential oils are harmful to pets, and since Pediculus humanus capitis (aka the human head louse) only infests humans, please don’t spray your dog or cat.
If you’re using essential oils correctly, they can have great results. In addition, many essential oils have relaxing or energizing effects, which is a nice added bonus.
What Works Better for Active Lice Treatment
While essential oils cannot be used to safely treat an active lice infestation, they are a great ingredient in preventive products because their strong smells repel lice. If you are managing an active infestation, we recommend you give us a call or come into one of our clinics.
Lice Clinics of America has developed safe and effective lice treatment products designed by scientists, including our Lice Remover Liquid Gel, our AirAllé®, an FDA-cleared medical device that uses heated-air technology for our signature AirAllé treatment, and our OneCure Device, the first and only at-home, heated-air solution clinically proven to kill lice, super lice, and 99.2% of eggs, all in a single treatment.
If you or your family are dealing with a lice infestation, find your nearest Lice Clinics of America clinic and get treated today.
FAQ
Does tea tree oil kill lice?
No, tea tree oil is not a safe or reliable way to kill an active lice infestation. While tea tree oil is often used in lice prevention products because of its strong scent, it is not considered a proven treatment for killing lice and eggs on the scalp. If lice are already present, a treatment designed for active infestation is the better option. AirAllé® is an FDA-cleared medical device that uses heated-air technology for our signature AirAllé treatment to kill lice and eggs.
Will tea tree oil kill lice and eggs?
Tea tree oil should not be relied on to kill lice and eggs. Concentrations strong enough to try to kill lice can irritate the scalp and skin, and lower concentrations are more commonly used for prevention rather than treatment. If someone already has lice, the stronger solution is AirAllé®, an FDA-cleared medical device that uses heated-air technology for our signature AirAllé treatment.
What essential oil kills lice or lice eggs?
No essential oil should be counted on as a safe, proven way to kill lice or lice eggs on the scalp. Oils such as tea tree, rosemary, eucalyptus, marjoram, and pennyroyal are more commonly used to help repel lice because of their smell, not as a dependable treatment for active lice. If lice and eggs are already present, AirAllé® is an FDA-cleared medical device that uses heated-air technology for our signature AirAllé treatment.
Do rosemary or other essential oils repel lice?
Some essential oils may help repel lice because lice are sensitive to certain strong smells. Oils commonly associated with lice prevention include rosemary, eucalyptus, marjoram, and pennyroyal. These oils are more useful in prevention products than in treatment. If a person already has lice, repelling products are not enough, and treatment should focus on AirAllé®, an FDA-cleared medical device that uses heated-air technology for our signature AirAllé treatment.
What do lice hate and what smells or scents do lice hate?
Lice may avoid certain strong smells, especially scents such as eucalyptus, rosemary, marjoram, and pennyroyal. That is why some lice prevention sprays, shampoos, and hair products use essential oils. These scents may help discourage lice, but they do not remove an active infestation. If lice are already on the scalp, AirAllé® is an FDA-cleared medical device that uses heated-air technology for our signature AirAllé treatment to kill lice and eggs.
How do you keep head lice away naturally?
Natural lice prevention usually involves reducing head-to-head contact during outbreaks and using prevention products made with safe concentrations of essential oils that may help repel lice. Prevention sprays, shampoos, and other hair products can help lower the chance of lice exposure, especially during school outbreaks. If lice are already present, prevention alone is not enough. AirAllé® is an FDA-cleared medical device that uses heated-air technology for our signature AirAllé treatment.
Do essential oils kill lice?
Essential oils should not be relied on as a safe, effective way to kill an active lice infestation. Some oils may help with prevention or be used in home routines, but they are not a dependable way to eliminate lice and eggs from the scalp. If someone already has lice, AirAllé® is an FDA-cleared medical device that uses heated-air technology for our signature AirAllé treatment to kill lice and eggs more effectively.
What is a lice prevention spray and does it help prevent lice?
A lice prevention spray is a product made to help repel lice, often by using safe concentrations of essential oils with scents lice may avoid. These sprays can be useful during lice outbreaks or after treatment to reduce the risk of lice coming back. They are designed for prevention, not for treating an active infestation. If lice are already present, AirAllé® is an FDA-cleared medical device that uses heated-air technology for our signature AirAllé treatment.
What are the risks of using essential oils for head lice?
The biggest risk is skin irritation. Essential oils used at high concentrations can cause irritation, redness, or rashes on the scalp and skin. They should not be applied full strength to bare skin, and some essential oils may also be harmful to pets. That is why essential oils are better suited for prevention products than for treating active lice. For active lice, AirAllé® is an FDA-cleared medical device that uses heated-air technology for our signature AirAllé treatment.
What actually works better than essential oils for active lice?
For an active lice infestation, prevention products and essential oils are not enough. Treatment should focus on a proven option designed to kill both lice and eggs. AirAllé® is an FDA-cleared medical device that uses heated-air technology for our signature AirAllé treatment, making it a stronger solution for active lice than relying on essential oils alone.
