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Coconut Oil For Getting Rid Of Lice

Newspaper Columns, Herb & Home Remedy Q&A March 27, 2008

Coconut Oil For Getting Rid Of Lice Q. I am a kindergarten teacher and on occasion pick up lice from my students. The best home remedy I've ever used to kill lice and easily remove nits is coconut oil.

I completely saturate my hair with the oil and cover my head with a shower cap. I leave it on overnight and wash it out with regular shampoo the next morning. This leaves my hair silky, without lice. If the infestation is bad, I do this again a second night. It really works!

A. There used to be a product called HairClean 1-2-3 that contained coconut oil along with anise oil and ylang ylang oil. Although people told us they found it effective, it is no longer on the market. Thanks for suggesting this substitute.

We have also heard from people who rinse their hair with original formula Listerine. The alcohol and herbal oils seem to help kill lice.

Tags: Anise Oil, Coconut Oil, HairClean 1-2-3, Lice, Listerine, Ylang Ylang

Reader Comments

The comments below are provided by the users of this site and not by The Peoples Pharmacy or the Graedons. Please also remember that nothing contained in this site is intended as a substitute for medical advice.

When our kids were small, we would go to Smart and Final and buy big boxes of cheap mayonnaise, and cover the kids hair with it. It worked very well, and it was cheap, but was pretty messy

Posted by: rick machado | March 29, 2008 12:25 PM

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Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Their syndicated radio show can be heard on public radio. In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

© 2008 King Features Syndicate, Inc.