Cures for Cradle Cap

on October 21, 2008 at 3:12 PM

Otopia Massage & Cradle Cap Oil for Newborns

When my baby was about 4 months old she had cradle cap and boy did it look gross! At first I wasn't sure how to treat it so I can relate to sarrrr13, who wrote in Answers, "I am a 19-year-old mom with a 4-month-old who I believe has cradle cap. I'm kind of scared about it ... any advice?"

Cradle cap is an oily, yellow crusting on a baby's scalp (skin may appear flaky on ears, eyebrows, and armpits too). Experts aren't sure what causes it (some suspect it's caused by hormones a baby receives from mom at the end of the pregnancy), but cradle cap is pretty common and harmless, although some babies might be itchy. It will go away on its own in about 6 to 12 months, but if you can't bear to look at it (I know I couldn't), it's easy to treat. Here's how, courtesy of all the CafeMoms, who answered sarrrr13's question (condensed by me):

1. Rub on a little oil (olive, almond, organic) on the baby's scalp and let it sit for 15 minutes

2. Use a soft bristled brush (a soft toothbrush or baby's hair brush) to gently massage the flakes on the affected area (you'll see them come off)

3. Rinse with warm water

4. Don't wash your baby's hair every day (shampooing dries the scalp), just a few times a week with a gentle shampoo

5. Repeat the above about twice a week

6. Don't stress! Don't worry! It's normal!

Any other great cures for cradle cap out there?

About the author Suzanne Murray

is the Parenting & Political editor at The Stir/Moms Matter 2012.

Filed Under: cradle cap, newborns, skin care

Comments (5)

Lynette

on Oct 21, 2008 at 5:10 PM

I have a blog posted with home remedies for cradle cap that I copied out of a book. "Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child" 2nd edition ( A Practical A to Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Infants & Children) by Janet Zand Thought I would leave a link to my post http://www.cafemom.com/journals/read.php?post_id=1263488&posted=1

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Jaimarsmama

on Oct 21, 2008 at 6:59 PM

I was told bt doctors to use selson blue twice a week. they told me to put it on a washcloth and was head and skin.

sanialehua

on Oct 22, 2008 at 5:10 AM

my son too has really bad cradle cap...it's so bad that i have to put a hat on him every time we go out...i used everything on the market...i finally found a lotion by johnson & johnson called soothing naturals. rub onto the scalp several times a day to keep moisturized and brush off with baby hair brush of tootbrsh.

erindidit

on Oct 22, 2008 at 8:18 AM

My kids had that when they were little . my mother in law and i used Dawn dishwashing detergent and it worked wonders,

MalibuMommy

on Sep 2, 2010 at 11:43 AM

I used baby oil. I let it sit for a few minutes and massaged both of my kids scalp with finger tips and my nails (softly). Then I used baby shampoo to get the oil out and the cradle cap went away and never came back! :)