Does vegetable oil kill lice?

Vegetable oil is an alternative to olive oil to rid a child’s head of lice. It works quickly and is non-toxic. Lice cannot become immune to the oil.

Soak the lice-infected head in vegetable oil. When it is completely saturated, lather it like shampoo. After about 15 minutes, the lice begin to fall off. Longer hair may need two 15-minute treatments or more.

Combing with a fine-tooth comb after the treatment removes remaining lice. Repeated treatments might be necessary if complete eradication does not occur. Normally, one or two treatments on two consecutive days is all it takes to get rid of them.