Me again….back on the old familiar topic lice….it’s like I am the caped crusader waging a personal war against lice. In case you missed my riveting interview with Maryland’s own lice expert a few weeks ago, as part of my ongoing PSA campaign against lice, I’m here as follow-up to talk today about prevention. Someone get me my own talk show already….wouldn’t this be more fun in comfy arm chairs with some warm coffee (or wine) and we can all chat together about our own trauma surviving lice. Like Oprah, today I even have some fun give-aways. They’re one step below a car…seriously…so read on.
Loving how the Lice Shield team depicts our enemy...Mr. Lice...or is it Mr. Louse?
But seriously, for any true WM fans out there, you know that I’ve posted and re-posted my lice interview a few times (obsession, anyone?), and I’ve noticed a common question I get is about all-natural products. Every one of us is worried about rubbing the shampoo loaded with chemicals onto our small children’s scalp when we need to actually kill the lice once they have it – and so many have asked about natural ways of fighting the lice. As our grandma’s say, prevention is the best medicine, right, so when I was contacted by the friendly folks at Lice Shield, makers of a shampoo and conditioner made to help prevent lice, I was eager to try out their new product.
The new Lice Shield prevention shampoo & leave in conditioner
So, Lice Shield is a new line – it’s shampoo and conditioner in one and there’s also a Leave In Spray. These products are available at CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Wal-Mart. What appealed to me is the products are made of a blend of natural essential oils to repel lice.
The million dollar question, of course, is this: Does it actually work?? I don’t know. But am I going to use it just in case – oh hell yes (again, obsessed, anyone?). Especially because I gotta wash my kids hair anyway (though let’s be honest, I wish I didn’t have too). First question you might have is this – what does it smell like before you douse your kids hair in it?
It smells like a citronella candle. Which noteworthy, citronella oil is the first active ingredient listed on the back of the bottle.
And again, the product is meant to be used as a deterrent – not what you run out and purchase in the sad event that your child has lice. In that case, see my previous interview for some great tips. One of the reasons I will use this product, beyond my own paranoia of living through that misery again, is the reality that not every child gets itchy when they have lice.
Did you know that? (Apparently my other friendly public service here today is to generate mass hysteria and paranoia in everyone else – you’re welcome).
I learned that fun fact from the Advice on Lice experts but the Lice Shield products also helpfully points out that only 30% of people suffer from itching. I know from my own experience that my oldest daughter DEFINITELY gets itchy when she has lice. Jury’s out on the youngest Wired Momma’ette.
So – aside from making you itchy for the rest of today (sorry) and probably just a little bit paranoid (again, sorry), here’s my Oprah moment…..I have FIVE sets of Lice Shield products to give away to you today friends……that’s right…FIVE (can you hear Oprah’s enthusiasm? Cause you should). Seriously – who doesn’t love an ounce of natural prevention? Check out the Lice Shield Facebook page for more information and log onto the WM Facebook page and post a comment under my post to enter in the drawing to win one of the sets (be sure you’ve also liked my page, I promise I won’t make you feel itchy there). All five winners will be announced next Friday September 7.
Disclosure: A representative from Lice Shield reached out to me and sent me their product for free. My opinions here are my own and I cannot speak at all to whether the product is proven to work….only that I will use it!
Unfortunately, the smell from citronella gives me a migraine. I’ve also heard that spraying Listerine on the child’s hair and letting it dry can help prevent an infestation. I’m definitely going to try and win a bottle of this stuff for my friend’s daughter, who unfortunately has hair that is very attractive to these nasty creatures!
Good luck ,,I hope it works
With S’s thick hair, lice has been a PITA. She’s gotten it twice this past 15 months. So put me on the list to win some of this stuff!
For what it’s worth, I have anecdotal evidence that the Melaleuca hair products are effective in avoiding a lice infestation. This is not a claim that the company makes (and I don’t sell the products), but close friends of mine were happily surprised to find that theirs were the only two kids in the class who were unaffected through TWO outbreaks. They figured out that their kids were also the only ones using those products. It’s been 18 years since my kids had lice and I’m STILL recovering, so I’d do a lot to avoid having that experience again!
I have three young daughters, which means there is a lot of long hair around here, which means there is LOTS of potential for lice misery in our household. I would love to try this product!