One of the best ways to get a handle on head lice is by not getting them in the first place. While prevention strategies only go so far – if you have hair, there’s always a risk for head lice – they can significantly reduce your chances for getting infected. And as long as you’re using safe, cost-effective products, there’s absolutely no harm in protecting you and your family from head lice.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at the various scents that naturally repel lice. The key word here is repel. Essential oils are sometimes touted as being effective treatment remedies, but you generally need something stronger than this. Instead, you should use these scents to prevent head lice from happening to you.
Peppermint
Multiple studies show that peppermint is one of the most effective lice deterrents. Head lice hate the smell of mint, but fortunately, most humans love it! This is why we use peppermint in some of our products such as My Mint Spray. This product has a pleasant peppermint fragrance that keeps lice away.
Tea Tree Oil
In the same way that peppermint works, so does tea tree oil. Studies show that due to its minty smell, tea tree oil can help keep lice away. In fact, a study from the International Journal of Dermatology found that on its own, tea tree oil was more effective than peppermint, lavender oil and DEET.
Rosemary
Rosemary oil has its benefits – it’s known for cleansing your scalp and balancing your sebum production, which can also help reduce the recurrence of lice. But as with other essential oils, rosemary oil is best as a deterrent. It’s usually not enough to kill lice on its own. And, head lice products that do contain rosemary are often mixing in other ingredients to maximize its effectiveness.
Lavender
There is also some research to suggest that lavender can repel lice, however, it’s not nearly as effective as mint. And, despite what some people claim, lavender is not effective at killing lice. While lavender smells nice, it doesn’t do a whole lot for killing or preventing these parasites.
Coconut Oil
One last natural ingredient we want to share with you is coconut oil. Coconut oil is a bit different from the other essential oils listed above because it can actually treat head lice. And, it smells wonderful! For lice that have become resistant to other treatment products, we highly recommend our CocoMint Treatment Oil that contains both coconut and peppermint. It smells wonderful and works on all hair types!
When it comes to keeping lice away, mint is the clear winner! It has a fresh, pleasant smell for humans, but lice will stay far away! For full protection, My Hair Helpers offers mint-scented shampoos, conditioners and sprays. This way, you can send your child to school knowing that they are protected from lice infestations.
