Cradle Cap Treatment
In this blog post, we answer some of the most common questions we receive about cradle cap. But firstly, we'd like to reassure you that if your baby has developed those tell-tale scales, flakes or crust, there’s no need to worry. Babies with cradle cap (or seborrheic dermatitis) are usually well in themselves and the condition should get better on its own or with treatment.
What is cradle cap?
According to the NHS, cradle cap is a harmless skin condition that's common in babies. It affects around two thirds of little ones - and the good news is, it isn’t painful. However, lots of parents still want to know how to treat cradle cap in a way that's both gentle and natural.
What does cradle cap look like?
The symptoms of cradle cap are yellow, crusty or oily, scaly or rough patches on a baby or toddler’s scalp. It might look uncomfortable or irritating to the skin, but it usually isn't itchy and doesn't seem to bother little ones. You can see the distinctive scales of cradle cap in the left-hand image below, before using Kokoso Baby products.
Where does cradle cap appear?
Cradle cap can show up:
- on the scalp
- on the forehead and face
- behind the ears
What is the cause of cradle cap?
It is thought to be linked to excess sebum from the sebaceous glands, which can be very active in babies causing greasy areas on baby’s scalp that accumulate dead skin cells. These cells can form small crusty patches on the scalp.
Rest assured, cradle cap is not caused by poor hygiene, it is not an allergy, it is not dangerous and it is not contagious.
Do you treat cradle cap or leave it?
This is completely up to you. The NHS website states that cradle cap usually clears up on its own, but they also point out that there are things you can try at home to make it better.
How do you get rid of cradle cap?
When it comes to how to remove cradle cap, the NHS recommends washing your baby's hair with a mild unfragranced baby shampoo and using a baby oil for cradle cap or vegetable oil to gently massage and soften the cradle cap crust.
The NHS also states that you can use a baby oil as an overnight cradle cap treatment, before washing baby's hair in the morning. You can also use a soft bristled baby brush to massage baby's scalp and loosen the flakes that the oil has softened overnight.
Can you pick cradle cap?
No! Whilst the condition itself isn't painful, picking cradle cap can be painful for your little one – so please don't do it, however tempting it may be. Picking at it is 100% not how to heal cradle cap. As well as causing your little one pain, it exposes sore skin underneath the scales that can become infected.
Will my baby lose their hair if they have cradle cap?
It’s often the case that baby’s delicate hairs become matted through the scales and therefore come away with the scales. However, this is nothing to worry about and the hair will grow back without a problem.
What is the most effective treatment for cradle cap?
Here at Kokoso, our natural baby skincare range includes a number of gentle products suitable for using if your baby has cradle cap.
Our pure organic coconut oil is ultra light and perfect for softening the crust of cradle cap, as advised by the NHS. It's ideal for using as an overnight treatment, coupled with our Natural Baby Hairbrush which can be used to gently massage the scalp in the morning, lifting off the loosened scales softly and naturally.
If you're looking for a baby shampoo for cradle cap, try our Gentle Hair & Body Wash. This soft, creamy, multipurpose wash is extremely mild and doesn't strip away the cradle cap scales with harsh chemicals like some other cradle cap products.
Instead, our 80% organic wash formula contains nourishing coconut oil and soothing organic aloe vera - natural ingredients that will treat cradle cap with the utmost care. One customer said:
"Fantastic hair and body wash which has helped to clear up my son’s cradle cap. We purchased the bath brush along with this product and I can’t recommend it enough."
Our super soft silicone Baby Bath Brush is ideal for using as you shampoo your little one's hair, to help remove the flakes and scales of cradle cap.
Can you put lotion on cradle cap?
This depends what kind of lotion it is. We would recommend using a lotion that is formulated specifically for the scalp, such as our Happy Scalp Cream. This gentle vegan scalp lotion is made with natural ingredients chosen specifically to soothe redness and rebalance the scalp microflora.
As well as moisturising organic coconut oil and soothing organic aloe vera, it contains scalp-loving celery seed extract which actively reduces the amount of sebum produced from the sebaceous glands, in turn preventing the build up of crust on baby's scalp. Here's what one customer told us on the Kokoso Facebook page:
What's the difference between your Happy Scalp Cream and Kokoso Baby Coconut Oil?
If you’re looking for a product specifically for baby’s scalp, opt for our Happy Scalp Cream. If you're looking for a great all-rounder that will be useful in so many different ways, opt for Kokoso Baby Coconut Oil. Find out more about the difference between these two award-winning baby products here.
Sensitive Scalp Set
Our Sensitive Scalp Set is designed to care for your baby's scalp with three of the most gentle and natural baby products. It contains both our coconut oil and Happy Scalp Cream, along with our Natural Baby Hairbrush to gently massage the scalp after using the oil or cream.
Here's a Sensitive Scalp Set review from a happy Kokoso customer:
"I thought I took a gamble buying this as it’s not a brand I had heard of but it’s amazing! I was using a cradle cap shampoo but it wasn’t making much of a difference. In just a few days I could see a huge difference in the cradle cap and I continue to see an improvement. I would recommend this to anyone needing to get rid of cradle cap. Can’t wait to try more products."
Check out more Kokoso Reviews here. We'd love to hear how you get on too!
