Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Got Cradle Cap?

Cradle cap is gross. It's also harmless. Nevertheless, it bugged me. Especially when it was time for 3 month portraits. I literally tried almost EVERY product to get rid of it, with both babies, to no avail, unitl now. I finally know the cure! Yay! With my older son, I never found the solution, so until he outgrew it, I just had him in a lot of different hats. Our new baby's cradle cap is even more stubborn than his older brother's though.  So fun!

Cradle cap is basically baby dandruff, but it sticks to their scalp instead of flaking off. It's caused by the hormones in the womb or something like that. (Sorry, babies!) Again, it is harmless, and I know, I know, there are worse things in life to worry about, but whatevs! It basically looks like dried orange juice on top of baby's head, so it freaked me out at the first time I saw it! After being told (over and over) by the doctor that it wasn't some awful disease or anything, I was reassured, but then just wanted to GET RID OF IT. I have heard that dandruff shampoos, like Head and Shoulders, work, but that just seemed too harsh for baby's delicate and sensitive skin. So I tried tons of different home remedies, lotions, creams, oils, etc. Many didn't work at all, and the others worked for a day or so, but then the flakes would be back with a vengeance.  After tons of experimenting, I finally found the cure, at least for my little monkey. Here's what you do to get rid of the dreaded cap:

1.  Apply a thin layer of Mustela Stelaker on the scalp before baby goes to sleep at night.



2.  In the morning, rub organic Calendula oil on the scalp, applying liberally to any areas where you can actually see the sticky flakes. Let it sit for about 20-30 minutes to soften the skin.




3.  Use a "cradle cap" brush (I used the Bean-B-Clean and it worked great) to gently brush the flakes off baby's head. The brush is super soft, so it doesn't hurt them (like using a comb might), but works surprisingly well.



4.  Finally, use Bella Bee Gone Cradle Cap shampoo to wash baby's hair.  All the oil will get washed away, and the cradle cap will be gone! YAY!! An added bonus, the shampoo smells great!




We did this routine twice in one week, and now just use the cradle cap shampoo and brush in the bath, and the cradle cap has stayed away for almost a month!

Yay for no more hats!  Especially since my baby has a huge old melon like his brother and it is hard to find hats that fit anyway!!! ;)

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