{"id":2707,"date":"2023-05-03T22:22:11","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T22:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/03\/easy-non-toxic-method-to-get-rid-of-lice\/"},"modified":"2024-01-07T17:42:10","modified_gmt":"2024-01-07T17:42:10","slug":"easy-non-toxic-method-to-get-rid-of-lice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/03\/easy-non-toxic-method-to-get-rid-of-lice\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy, Non-toxic Method to Get Rid of Lice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction and Importance:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lice<\/a> are small, highly contagious parasites that live on the scalp, feeding on blood. They lay several eggs (nits) each day and live up to a month (but won\u2019t live long when removed from the head). They cause intense scalp itching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemical treatments are not only toxic, but have become less effective over the years because lice have become resistant to them. They are basically like superbugs because these are the descendants of those who survived the treatments. They do not drown easily (even in hot water) and are largely unfazed by regular shampoos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many other guides talk about doing tons of laundry and sanitizing the house, but actually that isn\u2019t necessary because lice cannot survive long off the head, and the eggs are firmly attached to the hair so are unlikely to spread around. And if they hatch and don\u2019t get a meal from someone\u2019s scalp soon, they will die. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow These Steps:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Kill the adult lice by suffocating them with oil. Coat the scalp and hair with oil (ideally organic coconut because it has properties that may help kill them) but other kinds such as olive, or avocado oil can work too. When awake, you can wrap the hair up in a hair towel cap, t shirt, shower cap, etc. For sleeping, cover the pillows in old pillowcases and\/ or a towel. You can leave the head wrapped or take the wrap off if you need to. Leave the oil on for at least 8 hours or as long as you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Wash thoroughly with shampoo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Remove hair from brushes and combs before using them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Blow drying helps to kill the eggs and blow eggs and lice out from the scalp. (Oil doesn\u2019t kill eggs.) I recommend standing in a dry bathtub or shower stall, so that you can check the bottom of the tub afterwards and likely see many of the tiny critters. Be careful not to burn children with the hot air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Inspect scalp and comb hair with a lice comb daily. If your child is very young and has baby fine hair, these combs may not work and you\u2019ll have to pick the lice out with your fingers (I know, ew). Sitting under a bright light (or wearing a headlamp) will help you see them. Since they are firmly attached to the hair strands, you will likely miss some. See the next step. If you see live adults, you can repeat step one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. As the eggs hatch, kill the tiny nymph hatchlings before they become adults that can reproduce. This is the step many methods miss! The smallest nymph stage looks about the size of a period dot. Look especially at where the hair whorls at the top\/ back of the head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Continue to use a blow dryer at least once a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally, if no live crawling lice are seen three weeks after the first treatment, it\u2019s safe to assume that they are gone. Eggs would have hatched by that time if they were alive. Eggs and their shells may remain in the hair for some time but won\u2019t be viable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Effectiveness:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One study<\/a> done in Brazil found coconut oil to be more effective than some harsher chemical treatments. And another study<\/a> in England found that a spray containing coconut oil and aniseed oil was an effective treatment for lice. A product that contains both aniseed oil and coconut oil was even called \u201cextremely effective\u201d with little to no observed side effects in one 2002 study<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To check out new and additional posts, please visit and \u201clike\u201d my Facebook page<\/a>. Thanks!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

***Thank you for visiting Clean Green Toxicant Free! I started this site simply because I want to help people and share information. I dig deep and seek the most truly non-toxic products, without bias. I am not paid to write anything and I don\u2019t sell anything. In 2022 I became an Amazon Associate, which does NOT bias my recommendations. I may earn small dividends from purchases made after clicking my clearly labeled amazon affiliate links (even if you don\u2019t buy those specific items), which covers the costs I pay to maintain this site. More info is on my About page.***<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introduction and Importance: Lice are small, highly contagious parasites that live on the scalp, feeding on blood. They lay several eggs (nits) each day and live up to a month (but won\u2019t live long when removed from the head). They cause intense scalp itching. Chemical treatments are not only toxic, but have become less effective READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2706,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[143,54],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/img_3070.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1848,"url":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/2022\/04\/17\/healthy-easter-ideas\/","url_meta":{"origin":2707,"position":0},"title":"Non-Toxic Easter \ud83d\udc23 Ideas that Avoid Sugar","date":"April 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The main point of this post is to encourage you to think outside the box a bit. You don\u2019t HAVE to give candy, or baskets at all. You don\u2019t have to fill Easter eggs with candy. You CAN still have eggs, unconventional Easter baskets, creative activities and crafts, and healthy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Holidays"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/copy-of-blue-green-illustrated-easter-egg-hunt-poster-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3495,"url":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/15\/least-toxic-nail-polish-and-artificial-nails\/","url_meta":{"origin":2707,"position":1},"title":"Least Toxic Nail Polish and Artificial Nails \ud83d\udc85","date":"February 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"A beauty queen\u2019s secrets to looking youthful without toxic products, Part 6! The video contains three quick tips for nail hygiene and polish\/ fake nails, and there are additional tips written below. My nails naturally grow quickly, so when I was in high school, I always had long nails that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Beauty"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/21f8332c-8ffc-4852-9a33-012b94b100ed-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3166,"url":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/07\/a-beauty-queens-secrets-to-looking-youthful-without-toxic-products-part-1-skincare-cleansing-and-exfoliating-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":2707,"position":2},"title":"A Beauty Queen\u2019s Secrets to Looking Youthful, Without Toxic Products! \ud83d\udc81\u200d\u2640\ufe0f Part 1: Skincare, Cleansing, and Exfoliating","date":"January 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Introduction: I\u2019m 40, and began doing pageants at age 39. After years of severe lack of self care, wanted to find myself again, show that non-toxic products can be used for high glam settings, use pageants as a platform to volunteer more and broaden the range of audiences for my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Beauty"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/8d287682-fe9c-4d9d-b76d-283b3a94ee9e-2-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3227,"url":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/18\/non-toxic-couch-and-rug-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":2707,"position":3},"title":"Non-Toxic Couch and Rug Review","date":"January 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"After giving away our couch set, I did a lot of searching to replace it with a non-toxic set. But finding one that was comfortable, good looking (by my husband\u2019s standards as well), and not exorbitantly expensive was more difficult than I expected! Same with the rug; see more explanation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Non Toxic House"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/img_4905-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":919,"url":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/2021\/07\/22\/just-how-toxic-is-fast-food-eating-out-and-why\/","url_meta":{"origin":2707,"position":4},"title":"Just How Toxic is \ud83c\udf54 Fast Food\/ Eating Out? And Better Options","date":"July 22, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This post may contain Amazon Associates affiliate links, that I may earn small amounts from. See the bottom of this page for more details. Someone asked \u201cJust how toxic is fast food?\u201d and along those lines, eating out at restaurants and eateries in general. And I realized most people know\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"eating out\"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/img_8522.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":362,"url":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/2020\/10\/23\/truly-non-toxic-playmats\/","url_meta":{"origin":2707,"position":5},"title":"*Truly* Non-Toxic Playmats \ud83e\udd38\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2642\ufe0f","date":"October 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Updated August 2023 Parents looking for non toxic playmats is something I see regularly. Unfortunately that is kind of an oxymoron, and the answer is that no perfect playmat currently exists. #whyshouldwecare: Babies spend most of their time on the floor, touching it, sitting and rolling on it, and breathing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Nontoxic\"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/img_8533.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2707"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2707"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3102,"href":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2707\/revisions\/3102"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}