Independent Research · IRB-Reviewed

The science behind MAYDAY

Every MAYDAY efficacy claim is backed by independent, IRB-reviewed laboratory studies — not marketing. This page is the complete evidence record for clinics, retailers, researchers, and anyone evaluating how well MAYDAY actually works.

2024 Lice Study · 2025 Super-Lice Study · Furniture & Bedding Spray · Pest Control Spray

Efficacy at a glance — independent lab results

Study 1 — 2024 Lice Prevention & Treatment

A three-arm "Proof of Claims" in-vitro study comparing MAYDAY's Prevention Shampoo, Fighting Conditioner (now the Daily Lice Prevention Conditioner), and Treatment against the non-use of any lice product.

Head Lice

Efficacy of MAYDAY Lice Prevention & Treatment Products

Conducted independently by the Lice Solutions Resource Network (LSRN)

Protocol
Version 01, #OCP-2415
IRB Review
Sterling IRB #12585
Principal Investigator
Katie Shepherd, LSRN
Report Date
October 17, 2024
ProductMeasured outcomeResult
Lice Prevention ShampooControl of live head lice99.05%
Lice Prevention ShampooOvicidal — nits killed when fully submersed100%
Lice Fighting ConditionerStun & repel head lice95.24%
Lice TreatmentEfficacy vs. lice (Rid: 44.44%)79.37%

The head-to-head that matters: in the same lab conditions, MAYDAY's Treatment was 79.37% effective while the leading pyrethrin-based product (Rid) measured 44.44% — MAYDAY nearly doubled it, without pesticides.

Study 2 — 2025 Super-Lice Product Line

A three-phase, four-arm "Proof of Claims" study testing MAYDAY's product line against DNA-confirmed "super lice," with genetic resistance testing performed by Seoul National University.

Super Lice · DNA-Confirmed

MAYDAY Product-Line Efficacy Against Pesticide-Resistant Lice

LSRN, with DNA resistance testing by Seoul National University College of Medicine

Protocol
Version 01, #OCP-2516
IRB Review
Sterling IRB
Principal Investigator
Katie Shepherd, LSRN
DNA Testing
Dr. Ju Hyeon Kim, Seoul National University
Product / measureOutcomeResult
Reformulated Prevention ShampooMortality vs DNA-confirmed super lice100% (reported 99%)
Reformulated TreatmentMortality vs DNA-confirmed super lice100% (reported 99%)
Daily Prevention Detangler SprayStun & repel head lice97%
Home Defense Furniture & Bedding SprayKilling lice (also effective vs Bed Bugs)92%
Prevention Shampoo (reformulated)Egg-hatch failure after 3-min exposure + rinse73.3%
Generic shampoo (comparison)Egg-hatch failure43.3%
Distilled water (control)Egg-hatch failure10%

Super lice, confirmed by DNA. 100% of the lice tested carried the kdr pesticide-resistance mutation at all three loci — the mutation that makes lice resistant to the pyrethrin/permethrin pesticides in most drugstore products. With resistance verified, MAYDAY was tested directly against these confirmed "super lice."

Study 3 — Furniture & Bedding Spray

MAYDAY's Home Defense Furniture & Bedding Spray is a dual-purpose product. Beyond its 92% head-lice protection (Study 2), it was independently tested against Bed Bugs by Microbe Investigations AG — a spin-off of ETH Zürich.

Home Protection · Bed Bugs

Furniture & Bedding Spray — Bed Bug Knockdown & Mortality

Microbe Investigations AG (ETH Zürich spin-off) · OCSPP 810.3900 direct-spray method

Report
LS25-02442
Target Species
Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius)
Design
5 replicates × 20 (nymphs + adults)
Report Date
October 17, 2025
MeasureTreated (MAYDAY spray)Untreated control
Knockdown (within ~7 min)100%0%
Mortality at 24 hours100%0%
Time to knock down 50% (KT50)2–4 min—
Time to knock down 90% (KT90)5–7 min—

Complete control, fast. Every treated Bed Bug was knocked down within minutes and 100% were dead at 24 hours, while the untreated control group showed zero effect — a clean, properly-controlled result.

Study 4 — Pest Control Spray

MAYDAY's Pest Control Spray was tested for repellency against two common household pests — Argentine ants and house spiders — by Snell Scientifics, an independent entomology laboratory in Meansville, Georgia.

Home Protection · Ants & Spiders

Pest Control Spray — Crawling Insect Repellency

Snell Scientifics, LLC · Todd Smith · Test Method 310 (non-GLP)

Study
Crawling Insect Repellency 25
Target Species
Argentine ants (Linepithema humile), house spiders (Parasteatoda tepidariorum)
Design
Split treated/untreated panels vs. fully untreated control panels
Report Date
November 4, 2025
MeasureTreated (MAYDAY spray)Untreated control
Argentine ant repellency (30 min – 4 hr)83–93%33–55%
House spider repellency (30 min – 4 hr)70–80%43–53%

Read the control column. On untreated control panels insects distributed roughly evenly across both halves — about 50/50, as expected with no repellent present. On MAYDAY-treated surfaces they moved decisively away, holding 83–93% (ants) and 70–80% (spiders) on the untreated side across every observation from 30 minutes to 4 hours. The gap between those two columns is the repellent effect.

Repellency study · conducted as a non-GLP study · Sponsor: Omniche Consumer Products Co.

Product efficacy comparison

Every MAYDAY product, what it does, and the independent efficacy figure behind it.

ProductWhat it doesEfficacyStudy
MAYDAY Daily Lice Prevention ShampooKills super lice, lice and nits (eggs)99%2024, 2025
MAYDAY Daily Lice Prevention ConditionerStuns & repels super lice and lice95%2024
MAYDAY Daily Lice Prevention Detangler SprayStuns & repels super lice and lice97%2025
MAYDAY Lice Treatment Hair SolutionKills super lice, lice and nits (eggs)99% (up to 100% in 2025; vs Rid 44% in 2024)2024, 2025
MAYDAY Furniture & Bedding SprayKills lice, super lice, eggs; kills Bed Bugs92% (100% vs Bed Bugs)2025
MAYDAY Pest Control SprayRepels Argentine ants and house spiders83–93% ants · 70–80% spiders2025

The researcher

MAYDAY's studies are led by a recognized authority in head-lice science — independent of MAYDAY.

Katie Shepherd

Principal Investigator · Lice Solutions Resource Network

A recognized researcher in head-lice biology, pediculicide efficacy, and pesticide resistance, Katie Shepherd is the independent Principal Investigator on MAYDAY's efficacy studies. Her published work includes pivotal clinical trials and DNA-resistance research that have shaped current understanding of head-lice treatment.

  • Co-author, abametapir (Xeglyze) Phase 3 clinical trials
  • Principal Investigator, Resultz Lice & Egg Elimination Kit trials
  • Co-author, kdr resistance-mutation mapping (with Seoul National University)
  • Principal Investigator, MAYDAY LSRN efficacy studies (2024, 2025) — Sterling IRB #12585
View PubMed publications

How the studies were run

Transparency is the point. Here's the in-vitro method behind the lice studies.

CollectionFreshly harvested live head lice were donated by willing individuals; testing began within 30 minutes of separation from the host.
ComparisonMAYDAY products were tested in vitro against generic alternatives and a leading pyrethrin product (Rid), plus an untreated control.
AnalysisLice were exposed to each product and monitored over a timed course; viability, mortality, and (2025) egg-hatch outcomes were recorded. 2025 added DNA resistance testing.

For clinics & retailers

Evaluating MAYDAY for your patients or shelves?

The full study reports, methodology, and researcher credentials are available for professional review. Reach out for the complete data set or wholesale information.

Request the full data setWholesale inquiries

Frequently asked questions

Is there a scientifically proven lice prevention?

Most lice-prevention products have never been tested in independent lab studies — they rely on claims like "natural repellent" without published efficacy data. MAYDAY is one of the few brands with independent laboratory evidence: under IRB review (Sterling IRB #12585), LSRN found the Prevention Shampoo 99% effective, the Daily Lice Prevention Conditioner 95% effective, and the Treatment 79% effective. In the newer 2025 study, the Treatment was proven up to 99% effective against DNA-confirmed super lice. These results were produced by an independent research lab, not by MAYDAY.

What are super lice, and does MAYDAY work on them?

Super lice are head lice with a genetic mutation (kdr) that makes them resistant to the pyrethrin/permethrin pesticides in most drugstore products like Rid and Nix. In the 2025 study, the lice were DNA-confirmed as resistant by Seoul National University, and MAYDAY products were tested directly against them — including a Detangler Spray measured at 97% effective. Pyrethrin-based products are far less effective against these resistant strains.

How does MAYDAY compare to Rid?

In the same 2024 lab study, MAYDAY's Treatment measured 79.37% effective against lice while Rid measured 44.44% — MAYDAY was nearly twice as effective, and without pesticides.

Are the studies independent, or did MAYDAY run them?

The studies were conducted independently by the Lice Solutions Resource Network (LSRN), with Katie Shepherd as Principal Investigator and Seoul National University performing the 2025 DNA testing. MAYDAY's parent company (Omniche Consumer Products) sponsored the research, and the studies were reviewed by Sterling IRB. The testing labs — not MAYDAY — produced the results.

Does the Furniture & Bedding Spray really work on Bed Bugs?

Yes. Independent testing by Microbe Investigations AG (a spin-off of ETH Zürich) found 100% Bed Bug knockdown within minutes and 100% mortality at 24 hours, with zero effect in the untreated control group. The same spray was also measured at 92% effective against head lice in the 2025 LSRN study.

Are these results from tests on people?

No — these are in-vitro (laboratory bench) studies, not in-vivo (on-head) clinical trials. Lice were tested in controlled lab conditions. This is standard for product-efficacy testing and lets researchers measure results precisely against controls and competitors.

Important context. All efficacy figures above are from independent laboratory (in-vitro) studies, not in-vivo clinical trials on humans. Studies were sponsored by Omniche Consumer Products Co. and conducted independently by the named testing organizations under the protocols and IRB review noted. The Pest Control Spray repellency study was conducted by Snell Scientifics under sound scientific principles as a non-GLP study, meaning it does not comply with Good Laboratory Practice standards under 40 CFR 160. MAYDAY products are not FDA-regulated drugs; ingredients meet FDA GRAS guidelines. Some figures are reported conservatively (e.g., "99%") to account for real-world variability. Full reports are available on request.