Most parents we talk to prefer the non-toxic approach to lice removal. Maybe it’s just that we’re in the Los Angeles area, and our ‘granola crunchy’ California-ness is getting the best of us. But even though we’re in Los Angeles, people do sometimes ask about the bug-killing shampoo, Rid, that is available in stores.

Here’s why we don’t use Rid:

Let’s understand what Rid does- it kills adult lice and adolescent newts. It is not effective for killing nits (eggs). In order to kills nits with medical shampoo (ie chemicals), you have to use some pretty nasty concoctions.

So using Rid accomplishes much the same thing as using a mixture of safe, food-grade oils and the proper combing techniques. In both cases the nits are left behind, alive and well, and have to be picked by a skillful and patient hand.

The effective ingredients in Rid and some other popular medicinal shampoos are called Pyretherins. They are derived from a chemical originally extracted from chrysanthemum flowers, and are generally safe. However some children, particuarly the younger ones, are sensitive to Pyretherins.

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