An Easy Technique to Get Rid of Cradle Cap

Does your baby have scaly, dried patches on the scalp? Learn how to get rid of cradle cap using at-home, easy treatments in just a few days.

Cradle cap—one of the many terms I learned once I became a mom. I wasn’t even aware my baby had it until his pediatrician noticed it during a routine appointment. She caressed the top of his head and pointed out the hardened, oily scalp that had been developing.

Thankfully, cradle cap was also easy to remove.

After I did this technique with my eldest (and later, with his baby twin brothers), the cradle cap went away after two rounds and never came back. The best part? All the tools we used were found at home.

Table of Contents

Frequently asked questions

What is cradle cap?

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin condition that includes crusty, scaly patches of hardened oil on a baby’s scalp. They’re not painful or even harmful, but they can take months to go away on their own. You might also get tempted to scratch them off with your fingernails, which poses a risk of infection.

What tools do I need to get rid of cradle cap?

You’ll need olive oil or baby oil, a towel, baby shampoo, and a baby comb.

1. Apply oil on your baby’s scalp

About 30 minutes before you plan to bathe your baby, lay a towel on a surface like your bed or the floor. Then, pour the oil (I used olive oil) into a small bowl and, using your fingers, massage it into her head.

Once you’re done, set her down on the towel, which can keep the oil from seeping onto the surface.

2. Entertain your baby for 30 minutes

Next, the oil needs time to soften the hardened patches of skin on the scalp—30 minutes is perfect. Play with your baby with a toy or talk and sing to her. Better yet, do tummy time so her head is raised and has less chance of rubbing off on the towel.

3. Give your baby a bath

Once the 30 minutes is up, bathe your baby as you normally do. Make sure to shampoo her hair thoroughly to remove the oil from her scalp.

4. Comb your baby’s hair

After the bath, towel-dry your baby’s head. Then, gently comb her hair to remove the patches of flakes. The comb will pick up bits of the built-up flakes, which you can wipe off. Comb her hair a few more times until you’ve removed most of the flakes.

Note: You may not get rid of all the flakes on the first try, so don’t keep combing and trying to do so. Instead, repeat the process the next day when you bathe her again.

The bottom line

That’s it! You might need to repeat the process over the next few days, but you should notice a significant decrease in the flakes as you do.

Those early months with a baby can be some of the most hectic. I was glad that cradle cap was easy to remove, especially with this simple technique.

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