5 Common Cradle Cap Remedies (What Worked & What Didn’t)
Both of my daughters suffered from cradle cap. For a while there, it was pretty rough. The crusty, flaky skin would coat their heads from scalp to peach-fuzz hair. My firstborn struggled with it off and on until she was about four (yes, four!), while my youngest dealt with it during the first two years of her life. Needless to say, we went through a lot of common cradle cap remedies back in the day.
Is your baby’s cradle cap pretty unsightly right now? Searching for some products that actually work? I totally get it! While cradle cap doesn’t teeeechnically need to be treated, sometimes it can look a little gross. Here’s some cradle cap treatments you might want to try, plus a little insight on how they worked out for us.
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What Causes Cradle Cap?
Okay, only because this is really important to which treatments will be most effective, we’ll briefly discuss what could be causing your child’s cradle cap.
Some researchers believe cradle cap is caused by too much oils in your little one’s glands and hair follicles. I think this was the cause of my firstborn’s cradle cap, based on the greasiness of her little noggin. So, the treatments below most focus on alleviating some of that greasiness and gently removing that build up.
However, there’s some research that a certain yeast may cause cradle cap, which I think might have contributed to my other daughter’s issues. We’ll talk about that in more detail soon.
Cradle Cap Remedies for Babies – The Good, The Bad, and the Maybes
The Comb
I used to gently comb over my little one’s scalp to remove any loose flakes. I’d rate this treatment as just “okay” simply because I think I was using the wrong comb. At the time, I thought a rigid comb would help remove the flakes more easily. The problem was, sometimes flakes that weren’t quite ready to come off would peel off her skin, causing irritation.
Based on my experience, I’d recommend using a softer, more flexible brush like this one from Frida Baby. At the time, Frida Baby didn’t sell these, so I used a makeup exfoliating brush. That could probably work too.
Like an exfoliating brush, the DermaFrida is gentle and only removes the flakes that are legitimately ready to fall off.
Gentle Shampoo
Most parents recommend using a gentle shampoo to wash your baby’s hair every day. I agree. I saw improvement in my daughter’s cradle cap after washing every day, but I would argue that the type of shampoo you use is really important, especially if you’re dealing with other skin conditions like eczema.
Go for an unscented baby shampoo like Aquaphor.
We didn’t have much luck with scented shampoos like Johnson & Johnson’s shampoos, either the lavender or the unscented.
Cradle Cap Oils
To remove the flakey skin, you can try letting some mineral oil soak into your baby’s scalp for a few minutes. Then, follow up with the brush.
I tried regular baby oil and, although it did loosen the flakes, I felt like it made my baby’s skin too greasy. If you’re going to use oils on your baby’s scalp, try to go for something light.
Once again, I’m hitting up Frida Baby here (I promise I’m not their official spokesperson…) They offer a “scalp mask” that coats the skin around the cradle cap and gently loosens it. Frida Baby also sells an entire scalp kit that includes the cradle cap shampoo, scalp mask, and brush in one, if you’re interested.
Earth Mama is also a fantastic brand that offers gentle natural oils. Their calendula oil (which is a natural anti-inflammatory) is unscented and contains absolutely no petroleum.
Antifungal shampoo
My pediatrician prescribed antifungal shampoo for my youngest after she nearly went bald. The pediatrician noticed that my daughter had a decent amount of cradle cap, which she theorized that the growth of a yeast called malassezia could be irritating her scalp and preventing hair growth.
We tried the shampoo and I feel like I saw an immediate improvement to her cradle cap. We also noticed improved hair growth soon after!
Coconut Oil
This is a natural remedy my pediatrician suggested and I noticed multiple times on the internet. Basically, you warm a tablespoon of coconut oil and apply it to your baby’s scalp (obviously making sure it’s cool enough for your baby’s skin). Then, brush away the flakes.
Coconut oil is incredibly gentle and moisturizes the scalp, so I get this suggestion in theory. However, I felt like it was way too heavy for my daughters’ scalps. Still, if you’re looking for a natural, cost-effective remedy, it might be worth trying!
What Are Your Favorite Cradle Cap Treatments?
Alright! Those are my experiences with cradle cap, for whatever they’re worth! I’d love to hear from you, mamas. Which cradle cap treatments have you had success with? Which ones bombed? Let us know below!
