Add or remove stylesheet & scripts in Magento 1 themes using local.xml

<handle>
 <reference name="head">
 
 <action method="addJs"><script>prototype/prototype.js</script></action> <!-- adds a js referencing to the /js directory -->
 
 <action method="addCss"><stylesheet>css/custom.css</stylesheet></action> <!-- adds CSS looking at the skin/ directories ( in reverse order: base/default, default/default, default/yourtheme, yourpackage/yourtheme -->
 
 <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/custom_script.js</name><params/></action> <!-- adds a js at the skin/ directories in the same manner as the above addCss directive -->

 <action method="removeItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>scripts/functions.js</name></action><!--Remove JS from skin Folder-->
 
 <action method="removeItem"><type>skin_css</type><name>css/styles.css</name></action><!--Remove CSS from skin Folder-->
 
 <action method="removeItem"><type>js</type><name>scripts/functions.js</name></action><!--Remove JS from js Folder-->
 
 </reference>
</handle>