Head Lice and Anise Oil

I’ve been reading up on how to treat head lice and one of the essential oils that keeps showing up is Anise Oil in a variety of different oily bases.  My favorite so far is coconut oil, because in my experience it has a nourishing effect on the skin, washes out easily and is enjoyable to apply to the skin. 

A coconut and anise oil spray successfully addressed infestations, better than did the widely

used head lice treatment permethrin, in a study published in the "European Journal of Pediatrics" in January 2010.

Despite the findings in the Journal, WebMd lists anise oil’s effectiveness as having insuffient evidence.

MedTV on the other hand lists a product containing anise and ylang ylang which is reported to have been found effective against head lice by a research team at the University of Miami. 

From Livestrong.com

Get rid of head lice with just a few treatments of this time-honored remedy. Anise essential oil is diluted with almond oil and rubbed onto the scalp for treatment. Some formulas also contain ylang ylang essential oil.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/86150-anise-oil-uses/#ixzz1DoonyBMH