I needed to know how to treat cradle cap naturally.
The reason why is a bit embarrassing. You could even judge me at this point for not being the best mother I could be – but I’m doing my best.
Long story short, I thought that the cradle cap my daughter had on her head from birth would either 1) go away by itself or 2) keep coming back if I tried to get rid of it, so I did.
It wasn’t until my wonderful mother-in-law came over from America and treated my baby’s cradle cap naturally that I was enlightened, and simultaneously exposed for being a naïve and ignorant mother.
Needless to say, we’ve all recovered from this small incident. The lesson learned was two-fold: Google has the answer to everything, so I should make use of this more, and there are some incredibly simple, natural ways to treat cradle cap.
Let’s look at how to treat cradle cap naturally.
What is Cradle Cap?
First, let me inform you so that you don’t make the mistake I did. Cradle cap is a non-infectious skin condition that’s incredibly common in infants.
You will typically see cradle cap on your baby in the first few weeks of their life – and it should gradually go away as they grow (or that’s what I thought).
Again, let's just emphasize what I was kind of right about – most of the time, cradle cap goes away on its own accord. This means that you don't have to do anything about it. However, sometimes, like in my case, it doesn't go away.
Let me share with you how to treat cradle cap naturally.
1. Baking Soda
If you’ve read a couple of my other blogs, you’ll know that baking soda is my best friend. It has so many different uses that I don’t know what my life would be without it.
It would only be natural, then, for baking soda to make the top of the list when looking at how to treat cradle cap naturally.
To treat your baby’s cradle cap with baking soda, mix equal parts water and baking soda until you’ve got yourself a paste. Simply apply it to the affected areas and let it sit for a bit.
I especially recommend applying this method right before you give your baby a bath – that way, you can easily wash it off.
2. Almond Oil
Almond oil is another natural oil that I’m a big fan of – check out my blog on it here. Almond oil is fantastic on baby’s skin because it’s completely pure and natural, and won’t cause any harmful side effects.
It’s also one of the best moisturizers for your baby if they suffer from dry, sensitive skin. To treat your baby’s cradle cap naturally with almond oil, just put a small amount into your hand before rubbing it gently on the affected area.
I recommend leaving the almond oil to soak for fifteen minutes, or even longer – as long as you can manage. Once you feel that it’s soaked in properly, use a comb to get rid of the flakes.
3. Better Shampoo
Personally, I’m a big fan of using nothing at all to wash my baby’s hair if it means I can avoid the chemicals. This way I know for sure that the shampoo I use is not causing the cradle cap to stick around.
If you’ve been using a cheaper shampoo that may have chemicals in it, try switching this out for a more natural alternative.
Learning how to treat cradle cap naturally involves making sure that all the products you use on your baby's skin are natural – including their shampoo. My go-to baby shampoo is Baja Baby Organic Baby Shampoo, which my baby loves! It's great on sensitive skin and doesn't make her tear up.
4. Use a Humidifier
My last tip on how to treat cradle cap naturally involves a household appliance – but it’s still natural.
If it’s summer where you are, you may be using air conditioning to keep the house cool. If it’s winter, then the heat is probably on – we don’t want our babies to be too warm or too cold.
The side effect of cooling and heating is dry skin. Both climates can often result in a lack of humidity in the air, which leads to dry, flaky skin. This could very well be the reason why your baby’s cradle cap is sticking around.
By using a humidifier in the room where your baby sleeps, you can put more moisture into the air, helping to reduce the dryness of your baby’s skin.
Knowing how to treat cradle cap naturally is so simple, it makes me want to kick myself.
If only I’d known this all those months ago, I could have definitely avoided some strange stares at playgroup and in public. Gosh, they must have thought that I didn’t care about my baby at all.
Thank goodness I can rely on some good ol’ natural remedies to get me through the survival years of motherhood.
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How are you going to treat your baby’s cradle cap naturally? Let me know!