Help deter lice with lavender and tea tree

School starts in a couple of weeks and one thought that is always at the back of your mind is the possibility of the dreaded LICE INVASION. Lice can be a real problem at some schools and it can also be so very hard to get rid of, especially if you have small children.  Little kids don't understand why they can't wear their friends hats, jackets and scarves, or use their combs and brushes. If you're like me, just thinking about the possibility of having lice shoots you right into a full-out anxiety attack.

This is what I've been doing for the last few years to help keep lice at bay, as I have quite a few grandkids that go to school and another one starting his first year of school this fall. I went to the local health food store and bought a bottle of Lavender Essential Oil, which is usually between $7.25 and $11.50 for a 1 oz. bottle. It all depends on where you live and what stores you have access to. I live in a small town, so it's $11.50 per bottle at our health food store.  If I want to drive 65 miles and go to Drug Emporium in Tyler to buy it, I would only have to pay $7.25 a bottle. Needless to say, unless it's an emergency, I wait to get my essential oils until I go to Tyler.

I went to Walmart to the vitamin section and bought a bottle of Tea Tree Oil, which is around $7.97 for a 2 oz. bottle. Lice DO NOT like the smell of lavender or tea tree. (You can also buy tea tree essential oil at health food stores but it will cost more than it does at Walmart).

While at Walmart, I went over to the section for eye drops and contact solution and bought a pack of two eye droppers, which were about $1.50 for the pack. Then I bought bottles of Suave Lavender shampoo and conditioner. I buy Suave because I can't find lavender shampoo in any other brand.
When I got home, I took the tops off of the shampoo and conditioner and added 10 or 11 drops of lavender essential oil to each bottle. Then using one of the eye droppers, I added about 15 drops of tea tree oil to each bottle. I put the lids back on the shampoo and conditioner and shake them real good to mix the essential oils, which is hard to do since the bottles are so full.

I feel safer sending the kids to school after they've been using this shampoo and conditioner.  The essential oils I bought will last a long time, and it was money well spent for me to have peace of mind. I know that it's still possible one of the kids will eventually pick up lice somewhere even though we use this shampoo and conditioner, but at least I feel better about the possibility of that not happening very often. We also still use all the other precausions to avoid a lice attack. Blah! That stuff freaks me smooth out.
I read in one of my many herb books that if you put a sprig of lavender under your pillow, it will deter head lice.

Tinctures almost ready to decant

Jars of tincture waiting to be decanted

A month ago, I had a blog post titled, "Grasshoppers Galore" that told about my devastation when I realized grasshoppers had eaten most of my herbs. I cut what herbs I could rescue and went tincture insane. I made tinctures out of all of it. Seems like I was in a hurry that day and making tinctures was the easiest route to take. I open my herbal supply closet all the time and stare at my jars of tincture because they're so pretty. It's been four weeks and four days since I made them and I'm so excited for the day to come when I can decant them. There are seven different kinds of tincture: thyme, rosemary, calendula, lemon verbena, bee balm, lemon balm, and oregano.
I've included a list below of what I plan on using my tinctures for.
Thyme has so many different uses, but I'll use the tincture mostly for allergies, coughs, and stomach cramps.
I will use the rosemary tincture to relieve stress, as it is an herb that "raises the spirits." Rosemary will also be used to treat headaches and mild depression. I have a lot of grandchildren and will use it many times on wounds, cuts, and scrapes, and also as a liniment to treat muscle spasms and rheumatism.
The calendula tincture will be used to treat inflamation of the digestive system, fevers, flu, stomachaches, and cramps. I'll also use it on cuts, wounds, scrapes, and as a liniment to relieve muscle spasms.
Lemon verbena will be used to relieve abdominal discomfort. It has also been used as a mild sedative.
Bee balm is going to be used for coughs, nausea, and sore throats. It has also been used as a mild sedative.
Lemon balm will be used to relieve anxiety and mild depression.
The oregano tincture is going to be used for respiratory problems such as coughs, asthma, and bronchitis.