Home Remedies for Cradle Cap

If you see an unsightly patch of flakes on your baby’s forehead which looks like dandruff in adults, he/she is probably affected by cradle cap. For the first-time parents, almost all of you seem to be not aware of this problem. In that case, we strongly believe that you will find some useful help in this article to get rid of the cradle cap rapidly.

What is Cradle Cap?

Infantile seborrheic dermatitis, or in simpler term called as cradle cap, is a mild skin condition in babies. The great new is cradle crap is likely to clear up on its own after a short period of time depending on each baby’s body. Hence, you do not need to see your pediatrician. The simple way is to speed up the healing process of your child’s body by following several natural remedies right at your home.

It is not similar to eczema, the symptoms of cradle cap are quite harmless to your little child. Indeed, there is no feeling of pain, itchiness or irritation while having cradle cap, just the bad appearance on your baby’s head. Normally, cradle cap is found in infants during some first months of their life or later months.

What Causes Cradle Cap?

In fact, medical experts still do not have the exact answer on what is responsible for cradle cap. They only give some possible theories such as the specific hormones originated from the mother, or fungal infection due to immature oil glands and hair follicles of the baby. With the passed hormones, they lead to the increase in oil production. After a few days, the dead skin begins to gather up on his/her head and ends up with the presence of flaky scalp. The second reason was a little more serious, cradle cap could become annoyed and uncomfortable. In regard to this bad condition, you should not let your baby scratch the scaly patches, it will worsen those symptoms.

Home Remedies for Cradle Cap

1. Baby Shampoo

Baby Shampoo becomes one of the simplest home remedies for cradle cap because it is totally safe to your baby’s immature skin. To avoiding the chemical effects, it is better to choose organic baby shampoo with no dyes, fragrances or preservatives. Moreover, you can easily find some suitable kinds of baby shampoo right at your local store.

How to use

• Firstly, wash the baby’s head with lukewarm water
• Then rub some organic baby shampoo on the whole scalp
• Wait for 5 – 10 minutes and have it scrubbed with a soft baby hairbrush
• Remember to wash the shampoo off his/her head
• Repeat this home remedy on a daily basis to get rid of cradle cap.

2. Shea Butter

Another natural home remedy for cradle cap is shea butter that you can follow at any time or anywhere. On one hand, shea butter is safe to all parts of your baby’s body including hair, scalp and skin. On the other hand, it works as a moisturizer when it can penetrate deep into the skin tissues. This method helps loosen the flakes of cradle cap and remove them little by little as the time passes by.

How to use

• Dab small amount of shea butter on the affected scalp areas
• Let it sit on for 15 – 20 minutes
• Afterwards, try to remove the flaky patches with a baby hairbrush
• Wash it off your baby’s head with fresh water
• Keep doing the solution for a week to deal with cradle cap.

3. Olive Oil

On the list of home remedies for cradle cap, olive oil can be considered as the best choice for many parents. Because when using olive oil, it does not cause any side effect. Furthermore, this natural oil is able to soften the flakes as well as promote the recovery. You will see the good improvement after a couple of days applying olive oil.

How to use

• Add some drops of olive oil on the baby’s scalp
• Like the above remedy, use a baby hairbrush to scrub the scaly patches after 10 – 15 minutes
• Rinse his/her head with water
• Remember to follow the treatment as needed.

4. Petroleum Jelly

One of the most effective treatments for cradle cap is petroleum jelly which has the ideal moisturizing effect. After using petroleum jelly, your little baby will no longer have to endure the symptoms of cradle cap.

How to use

• Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly on the head
• Gently massage the infected scalp areas with your fingers
• Allow the jelly to be there for 20 – 30 minutes
• Then bathe your baby to remove it off
• Repeat the trick until the cradle cap is completely disappeared.

5. Almond Oil

If your newborn suffers from cradle cap, you had better use almond oil to make it go away. Thanks to its moisturizing and beneficial properties, almond oil works well with cradle cap. It aids the child in relieving the symptoms of cradle cap productively.

How to use

• Add some drops of almond oil on the child’s scalp
• Leave it be on his/her head for a few minutes
• Remove the flaky scalp away by using the baby hairbrush
• Perform the trick frequently as needed.

6. Breast Milk

Breast milk can be used to not only nourish the baby’s growth from the inside, but also treat some uncomfortable symptoms of cradle cap. Besides feeding your baby with breast milk daily, you should use this liquid to wash his/her head. Some active compounds of breast milk can easily break the accumulation of scalp flakes. Repeat the method 2 – 3 times a day to help your child cope with cradle cap.

7. Burdock

Burdock is popular with many parents all around the world because it has good impact on dealing with cradle cap. Moreover, burdock can lower the oil secretion of hair follicles on the head and leave the hair free to develop as usual.

How to use

• Heat some burdock roots in water for a few minutes
• Wait for it to cool down
• Have it strained and wash your child’s scalp
• Perform the remedy a couple of times a day as needed.

Source: https://authorityremedies.com/home-remedies-for-cradle-cap/