I got a call and an email from the kids’ school last week…

Two words, and I was itching all over: Lice infestation.

No, it wasn’t just a couple of kids who were sent home with lice. It was an outbreak.

The elementary school has a serious lice infestation. Please check your child’s head daily for lice. Do not send your child to school without thoroughly checking. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.

Ok, so I add those last two sentences…

But you get the point, right? In.fest.a.tion.

We checked The Peeps’ heads. No lice. Phew.

A quick Google search let me know that we were actually living a lice-preventative lifestyle without realizing it.

We already use tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner, and tea tree oil (melaleuca) is a natural lice repellent. Our son’s hair is cut short, and our daughter wears hers in a ponytail almost everyday. They don’t share hairbrushes with anyone at school.

Very interestingly, the peeps wash their hair about twice per week. Slightly dirty or greasy hair is better than clean hair when it comes to lice prevention; the lice have a harder time clinging to dirtier hair.

Essential Oil Lice Repellent Spray

Just to take matters one step further, however, I decided to create a lice repellent spray — something I could spritz on my kids’ heads before they walked out the door each morning as an added layer of protection.

This is a quick spray to make — it literally took me about 2 minutes. And for the lice-repelling powers of tea tree and marjoram (or rosemary) essential oils, it was 2 minutes well-spent!

Here’s what you need:

• 20 drops marjoram (or rosemary) essential oil
• 30 drops tea tree (melaleuca) essential oil
• 1 tablespoon witch hazel
• 2 tablespoons distilled water
• glass amber or cobalt bottle with sprayer lid

Pssst! I do not use essential oils from multi-level marketing companies.

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Here’s how to do it:

Combine everything in a glass amber or cobalt bottle that has a sprayer lid. Then, shake well to combine.

Shake before each use. Spray several times all over the hair before going to a place where you know lice are present. Or carry in your purse or backpack and use as needed.

A Theory About Lice

I also have a theory which I have no way to prove at this time… but entertain me for a sec.

Despite being around others with lice on a daily basis, my children have yet to come home with lice (knock on wood!). Yet, my children are also being fed nourishing, whole foods and very little sugar. My theory is that their healthy body chemistry naturally repels pests like lice.

Does that sound realistic to you?

If you think about it, healthy plants in a garden don’t need pesticides to repel insects most of the time. They are healthy, therefore bugs are less attracted to them. Bugs are more attracted to sick plants that are easy meals.

Could the same be true for us? Might lice be less apt to hop on a person with a healthy body chemistry?

I’d love to know your thoughts! Also, have you used essential oils to get rid of or repel lice?