Ticks: How To Protect Your Child

Some recent articles in the New York Times warn that this summer could end up being a particularly voracious tick season. There are a number of scientific reasons, but for parents, the most pressing concern is how to protect yourself and your family from the Lyme disease-spreading tiny black critters that lurk in our yards, gardens and woods. Interestingly, the answer could be in a bottle of lice preventing hair conditioner!

The Lice connection:
For years, customers at my kid’s hair salons in New York had been asking me how to prevent their child from getting lice. Lice, such a problem for school aged children, can send a parent into a panic when found on their child. So, I set out to develop a hair product line that would be safe for kids but strong enough to repel lice. That’s how So Cozy Boo! Lice Repellent Shampoo and Conditioner came to be.

So what does that have to do with ticks?
Boo! Products contain tea tree oil a naturally occurring ingredient that not only repels lice, but can repel ticks, too! The fragrance of the tea tree oil is effective in keeping nasty ticks at bay (similar to the way Citronella can repel mosquitoes) and has become an important part of summer protection for many parents.

How to use Boo! to repel ticks:
Although Boo! products were developed for use on hair, it also works great on the body as a tick repellent. Spray Boo! Leave-On Conditioner on any exposed skin before going outside; that means feet, ankles, shins, arms, etc. The effect of the spray will last as long as the fragrance remains. The fragrance itself is nice and outdoors-y (which is a plus and kids don’t mind it) Spray as often as necessary; when you can no longer detect the fragrance.

Boo! products can be found in any of my three New York City salons or online here.

To read the recent articles in the New York Times about this upcoming tick season, click here:
Bracing for a Hungry Tick Season
Preparing Children and Teens for a Tough Tick Season

Have more questions for me about ticks? Ask in the comments!

Tagged as: Cozy Friedman, Cozy's Cuts for Kids, NY Times Ticks, Protect Child Ticks, Tick Repellent, Ticks