Lice were first found on the Egyptian mummies that were excavated in the 1920s and have continued to thrive on human blood to this day. Lice live on your scalp, and their nits cement to your hair follicles. Itching is a common sign and symptom of lice infestation. You can be infested with lice through contact with someone who is infected, sharing of personal items, or using clothing after an infected person.
Although school-aged kids are especially at risk, your family members can easily get infected if one member has head lice. This is where lice shampoo comes in: to rid you and your loved ones from head lice and its side effects. Whereas chemical treatments kill lice, physical treatments repel lice or suffocate them to death. Unlike chemical treatments, natural shampoos are safe.
Pesticide lice treatments may contain pyrethrum, pyrethrin, permethrin, malathion, or essential oils to kill head lice without hampering your health or that of your loved ones. The
Lice Shield 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner is a typical product rich in essential oils.
Pyrethrin contains neurotoxin to kill baby and adult lice and nymphs. Although it’s not toxic for adults, it can be harmful to pregnant women and kids below the age of two years. However, lice can easily develop resistance to pyrethrin.
What’s more, it can’t kill nits or eggs, hence the need for a second application a week later to kill hatched lice.
Permethrin is synthetic pyrethrin, and is safer and gentler on your skin, making it ideal for you if you suffer from plant allergies.
Malathion is fast in treating lice, but can easily catch fire.
Natural head lice treatments contain natural oils, such as tea tree, jojoba, mint, lavender, neem, or coconut oils, among others. The
Babo Botanicals brand is a perfect choice for organic lice prevention and treatment products.
Some natural lice shampoos such as the
Schooltime brand, unlike dry shampoos, also contain enzymes to kill both lice and nits, eliminating them from your head. Avoid pesticide shampoos if you have cuts, inflammation, skin conditions, or skin allergies. You can also buy a lice comb and hair dryer to use with your shampoo for high effectiveness. This is a review of both natural and pesticide lice shampoos. We hope that this guide can help you pick the right product for you and/or your family.
Price
The price of lice shampoos mainly depends on whether they’re natural or contain pesticides. The brand, efficacy, and quantity of shampoos also influence their prices. Whereas shampoos sold in single bottles are cheaper, those sold in kits cost more. However, avoid cheap lice shampoos that can easily harm you or your loved ones. Look at the ingredients used to make any given shampoo to ensure they’re safe.
The amount you need to eliminate lice from your head depends on the length of your hair and whether you need to treat the entire family or not. In some cases, you might need more than one bottle of lice shampoo to eliminate lice from a single head. Lice elimination kits are ideal if you need to treat more than one person for lice. You’ll find a good lice shampoo or kit in the price range of about $10 to $100.
Budget-friendly lice shampoo or treatments cost $16 or less, whereas moderately-priced ones go for anything between $17 and $30. High-end brands with high efficacy in lice elimination cost more than $30.
Features
When shopping for lice shampoo, the most important feature to look out for is the ingredients from which it’s made. Check for essential oils or pesticides in your shampoo. Whereas pesticide lice shampoos usually work almost instantly in killing lice, some aren’t effective at ridding yourself of nits. Essential oils usually work on both the lice and eggs, eliminating all forms of lice from your head.
Here are the important features to look for in your lice shampoo:
- Type, which can include chemical, pesticide, or natural treatment
- Scent, such as natural scent from essential oils
- The right size or quantity in ounces
- Ingredients, such as essential oils
- Results, or the number of treatments it takes to completely eliminate lice
With the right lice shampoo, you won’t just eliminate lice from your head, but also from your loved ones and your entire household.
Construction and Design
When it comes to lice shampoo, there’s a few key factors to consider before making a purchase. Let’s take a look at them and why they’re important:
- Type – First, decide whether you want a chemical, pesticide, or natural lice shampoo. If you have sensitive skin, choose natural lice shampoos, rich in essential oils such as jojoba and tea tree. Opt for pesticide lice shampoo for fast action. If you’re pregnant or have kids under the age of two with lice, look for natural lice shampoo.
- Scent – Lice shampoos come in different scents, ranging from natural smells to those that are perfumed. Since different essential oils have different smells, choose one with a smell of your liking.
- Size/Quantity – Lice shampoos are bottled in various quantities or sizes, from as little as 2 ounces up to 32 ounces or more. Buy enough to treat your scalp and hair, as well as those of your loved ones.
- Ingredients – Look out for safe ingredients used to make your chosen lice shampoo. Essential oils don’t just work to kill or suffocate lice, but also have a range of therapeutic benefits for your hair and scalp. Consider lavender, tea tree, jojoba, coconut, or neem oils in your shampoo, or any other oil of your choice.
- Results/Treatment Sessions – Although natural lice shampoos usually work in a single treatment, pesticide shampoos might need a second session to kill newly hatched lice, as they can’t kill nits.
Performance and Ease of Use
The safety, effectiveness, and performance of lice shampoos depend on the ingredients they’re made from. If you’re considering natural shampoos, make sure they have tea tree oil, coconut oil, neem, lavender, mint, or any combination of these with other essential oils. The essential oils work by suffocating or repelling lice and killing nits. Pyrethrin works by killing lice on your head, if you opt for pesticide lice shampoos.
Whichever lice shampoo you choose, make sure it comes with instructions on how to use it to treat your scalp and head for lice. Make sure it’s safe for you and your loved ones, especially if you’ve got plant allergies. Follow the instructions to the letter to ensure you eliminate all lice and nits from your head and household.
Choose a lice shampoo bottle or kit with essential oils or pyrethrin to kill the lice thriving on your head. Make sure the shampoo has been proven to kill lice and nits, and has no side effects on your skin. Find out if one of our recommended lice shampoos is what you need.
Features
LiceLogic was established when the founder was expecting and saw the need to develop safe, eco-friendly, and effective products the whole family could use. With intensive research and testing, the company has grown into a lifestyle brand trusted by parents. It uses ingredients obtained from minerals and plants to guarantee the safety of its products. The company ensures its products are simple, pure, and authentic.
The LiceLogic Clear & Free Lice Eliminator Kit is made up of four products, namely: shampoo, hairspray, household spray, and a terminator nit comb. The kit works to eliminate lice instantly—the moment the shampoo and spray come into contact with them. Based on enzymes and tested by lice experts, the lice kit is safe for use by the whole family on a daily basis.
Other than eliminating lice from your head and those of your loved ones, the kit also removes nits from hair. Depending on your loved ones’ hair thickness and length, the kit can last about 16 treatments. The shampoo isn’t just effective in killing lice on contact, but has also been proven to be gentle on the scalp and hair.
Made in the USA, your bottle of lice shampoo hasn’t been tested on animals and is biodegradable, with a sweet, natural scent of peppermint. With the spray, you can keep lice, nits, and other insects out of your home. It’s stain-free to ensure your things don’t get damaged whenever you use the spray. Further, the comb is made of stainless steel, in a durable and unique design.
It’s micro-grooved to strongly grip your hair from the roots to the tips, ensuring all the lice and nits are eliminated. You can reuse the sturdy and environment-friendly comb after sterilizing it. The shampoo and hairspray have a volume of eight ounces each, whereas the all-purpose spray contains 32 ounces of lice treatment.
Features
Maple Holistics is committed to ensuring that its consumers live healthy and hygienic lives on a daily basis. Each product manufactured is of high quality, unique, and effective. The company uses natural ingredients in their purest form to develop products with the highest therapeutic benefits. Whether you’re looking for therapeutic facial masks, shampoos, or bath soaks, this company has you covered.
The Maple Holistics Tea Tree Oil Shampoo is rich in therapeutic benefits to nourish your hair and scalp. The shampoo is a blend of jojoba oil, argan oil, lavender oil, aqua, rosemary oil, botanical keratin, and tea tree oil. This means you gain the therapeutic benefits of each essential oil blended into the shampoo. Use the shampoo daily to enjoy a myriad of benefits.
With the shampoo, you can prevent dandruff and flakiness from developing on your scalp, while boosting the healthy growth of your hair. It also eliminates lice and can soothe your irritated scalp. You can even minimize hair thinning, shedding, and loss by using this shampoo. It’ll leave your scalp and hair feeling fresh and rejuvenated.
Whether your hair is processed, colored, or natural, this shampoo can moisturize your hair to prevent flakes. The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of the shampoo cleanse your hair and scalp thoroughly, killing other kinds of bacteria and microorganisms. You’re guaranteed soft and frizz-free hair. What’s more, your entire family—including kids—can use the shampoo daily.
Whether your head has lice or your loved one’s does, or you need to get the entire family treated, there’s an ideal lice shampoo out there for you. We hope this guide was helpful and you found an ideal shampoo for you and/or your loved ones. If you need a different kind of shampoo, check out our dry shampoo reviews, or see what else our featured brands have to offer.
