How Super Moms Conquer Baby’s Cradle Cap
As your baby gets bigger, she’ll look like a sweet angel with glowing soft skin that looks flawless most of the time. But newborn skin is different. It’s not unusual for your infant to get bumpy rashes, baby acne or weird-looking skin conditions. And that can stress out even the calmest of mamas.
Two common skin conditions babies get are diaper rash and cradle cap. Of course, thanks to Boudreaux’s Butt Paste®, it’s easy to soothe symptoms of diaper rash and kick some rash quickly. But what about cradle cap? If you notice yellow, scaly skin on your baby’s adorable scalp, your mommy brain will most likely panic. Eww!
Looks can be deceiving
Although cradle cap is rather unpleasant looking, it’s actually harmless. Consider the facts:
- It doesn’t itch or hurt or cause your baby discomfort
- It’s caused by overproduction of oil glands on your baby’s scalp
- It’s not contagious
- If your baby has cradle cap, that’s not an indication of poor hygiene
- Cradle cap resolves on its own within a few weeks or months
In other words, you haven’t done anything to cause it and your baby will be just fine. Whew!
Various stages of cradle cap
Cradle cap is most likely to occur during your baby’s first few weeks of life. Redness can be the first sign, followed by dry flaky skin that looks similar to dandruff. Cradle cap gets icky when it’s crusty with yellowish scales or scaly patches.
How super moms ease cradle cap
There isn’t a magical cure-all to make cradle cap stop or go away, but there are things you can do to ease the symptoms of cradle cap while it runs its course.
Washing and brushing baby’s scalp more often can help loosen and remove the scales. During baths, make sure you use an infant shampoo and gently brush the scales off with a soft-bristle brush. You can also massage and brush your baby’s scalp while its dry.
Wash but don’t over-wash
Remember, over-washing can increase oil production, so shampooing every 2-3 days is a good routine. Also, don’t get overly aggressive when massaging or brushing. A gentle touch works best and ensures you don’t inflame problem areas.
Natural oils may do the trick
Mamas looking for safe, gentle relief use natural home remedies like coconut oil, almond oil, or organic olive oil. You can rub a few drops on the scalp, which can help to ease the dryness and roughness of the scales. If you do use oils or an ointment, you should still wash and gently brush baby’s scalp, because that’s the best way to keep the scales from building up.
Moisture in the air can help
Since cradle cap causes excess dryness, adding a cool mist humidifier in the nursery can help add more humidity in the air. Some parents find that switching to all natural shampoos and moisturizers are helpful. You can reach out to your pediatrician for medicated shampoo too, but that can further irritate already sensitive baby skin.
How did you defeat cradle cap? If you have tips to share with other moms, let us know in the comments section on our Boudreaux’s Butt Paste® Facebook page!
