Cradle Cap Removal

Updated on June 11, 2008
H.L. asks from Austin, TX
57 answers

Hi,
I have a 3.5 months old daughter who has tons of cradle cap and it makes her head stink. The problem is she also has ton of hair and her hair is very long too. I try to shampoo her hair and wait a little and try to scrape cradle cap off gently with my nails but it's taking forever because she hates her hair being touched during bath. So I was wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a cradle cap removing ideas preferably natural way or natural products.

Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Thank you everyone for all your responses. I decided to try the olive oil method first since I had it handy at home and no baby oil. I put it on her scalp before I got her bath ready. Then I used this comb I had that came with baby grooming kit I got for my son from Babies R Us, Especially Baby brand. I combed her hair gently and I think I got about 1/4 of it removed. But even with shampooing it twice her hair was left very greasy. So the next time I just put shampoo on her hair in bath and waited little bit then used the comb again and more of it came off. After two attempts I would say about 2/3 of it came off and her head doesn't smell like old gym socks anymore! Yeah!

I think I have learned it wasn't so much what I put in her as much as the comb I was using. Using my nails was too slow and the brush I had was just pulling her hair out. The comb did a much better job. I never did get a brush from the hospital when she was born so I am not sure what it looked like.

Anyway, thank you all for the advice.

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A.L.

answers from Houston on

My doctor recommended Aveno Baby Shampoo with oatmeal and it was great at keeping the cradle cap at bay. I never had to use the baby oil method after I started using it.

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B.J.

answers from Austin on

Hi there if you find out anything can you email me too my daughter is 8 months and has TONS of hair still lots of cradle cap. I heard to ut baby oil on it and comb out but it just made her hair greasy for about 3 days no help..
please let me know if you find a good solution
B.
____@____.com

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V.W.

answers from Houston on

My son had the worst case ever! We had to see a pediatric dermatologist. The doctor recommended free & clear shampoo. It was almost gone overnight! Also, on the baby oil thing- we did see a difference when we put it on his head (and didnt' comb it out)at night and reapply in the mornign and then wash it out. Good luck- it gets better!

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F.W.

answers from Corpus Christi on

I used my breastmilk, took care of it in a day or two.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.S.

answers from San Antonio on

My son has the same prob. I put baby oil on his head and use a brush to get it off. Then I take him a bath and shampoo well. He still has some, but it is definately coming off. Try the baby oil!

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N.R.

answers from Killeen on

Walmart and Walgreens cary this stuff called "cradel cap" I'm not sure who makes it (I think it's something naturals). it is in a green bottle with tigger and other pooh creatures on the front. Anyway it worked wonders for us and my son had it bad. hope that helps.

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J.R.

answers from Austin on

My son had it badly when he was under a year old. My understanding of cradle cap is that it is a build up of natural skin oils and dead skin trying to get sloughed off. Instead of leaving the body, it builds up and sticks to the scalp. We were told to put olive oil on his scalp, rub it in well, let it sit for a while then use a comb to gently "comb" or lightly scrape (?) it off. It would flake away pretty easily. After a little while we'd give him his bath and wash his hair. We had to do this a few times a week for maybe a few weeks. It resolved after that.

I know you said she doesn't like having her head messed with during her bath. Try to do this when holding her before a bath. You can also use a scalp brush. It looks like a flat, round "thing" with a grip on the back of it that has "comb-like" fingers all over it. Massage her head with it after the olive oil has set for a while. Hope you find a good solution. My sons started getting so bad that the hair wasn't growing in properly so definitly do what you need to in order to resolve it. She'll get a little mad maybe but you're mom and you know best. She'll be fine :)

Be blessed!

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J.D.

answers from San Antonio on

try a tiny bit of baby oil. works really well. take extra care to not get near the eyes..

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V.A.

answers from Waco on

it will take a couple times but put baby oil on her scalp and gently rub it in let set for about 10 minutes before bath time. hair may be a little oily but better than craddle cap. the oil will loosen it up and come off easy. good luck

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M.G.

answers from Austin on

We had the same problem with both our boys. Our doctor told us to use selsum blue. Not sure about an all natural dandruff shampoo. I had trial bottle of head and shoulders so I used that. It worked.

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B.M.

answers from Laredo on

You might try to use a plastic baby brush to get it off. You can do that before the bath then in the bath rinse off what has come off. I did this with my twins. The Dr gave us a Rx but I never filled it. The brush worked great. Good luck!

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C.A.

answers from Houston on

I've had good luck with the Gentle Naturals brand of Cradle Cap Treatment. It used to be made by Orajel, but now I think I saw that Johnson & Johnson has bought it. I always see it in the same section of the store as all the other baby stuff, along with the baby shampoos etc. I would recommend having a soft brush (but not too soft) to massage the scalp. I used my finger nails to try to pull the flakes off and no matter how gentle I thought I was being, I always ended ended up pulling the hair out with the cradle cap! I always wondered if the cradle cap made the hair follicle weakened. One problem though, the bottle says "light and non-greasy", but I didn't find that to be true. I washed their hair (both my daughters had it, my 3 yr old and my 20 month old) at least 2 times after the treatment and the next morning their hair looked really greasy. One more shampoo seemed to be all they needed though. My oldest had cradle cap when she was less than one and I only had to do one treatment and it only just came back when she was 3 1/2. It's been a few months now since I did the treatment on them both and so far they haven't had any more cradle cap. However, if it's that bad and you want to take a real gentle approach, then you may need more than one treatment. I hope this helps!

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A.E.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi. When your son was born the hospital provided a little blue brush. I used this blue brush to remove the cradle cap from both of my children @ bath time. You just brush in little circles. This helps relax the baby and works great. Good Luck.

A Little about me:

I am a mother of a beautiful 4 year old daughter and a hansome 2 year old son. Devoted wife of 15 years

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L.H.

answers from Killeen on

call you HEALTH food store not a gnc but just a home owned one they will be able to help you
L.

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N.G.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi, my 4mo daughter had cradle cap and it came right off with this "cradle cap" shampoo I found at the grocery store. I don't know if you shop at HEB or not but it's a green bottle and it has calendula in it. If you don't find it then with every shampoo brush the area gently and it should come right off.
Good luck
N.

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E.O.

answers from Victoria on

Hello, my daughter too had cradle cap and alot of hair...although, it was her babysitter who helped me out with the problem. She said that she washed my daughter's hair and with a fine tooth comb would gently rub the scalp to remove the dead skin. Afterwards she would put baby oil and continue to use the same comb to remove more as long as my daughter would let her. This really helped and my daughter didn't have it anymore. I hope this helps :)

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K.C.

answers from Houston on

My girls always had it but they had short hair so it was easier to treat. But I did find this and a friend of mine used it on her kids and it worked.

Dentinox® Cradle Cap Treatment Shampoo has been specifically and clinically tested to treat cradle cap. A little Dentinox® Cradle Cap Treatment Shampoo massaged gently but firmly over the entire scalp will help to lift the scaly patches and leave the scalp clear.

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M.G.

answers from Houston on

Hi- Our daughter had a bad case around the same age as your baby. We had Eucerin lotion around for her dry skin so one day I slathered her whole head and let it sit for a while. I used a soft baby brush and brushed her little head in circles. It loosened up and came off nicely. I did it 2 more times and it was all gone.

Good luck!

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S.W.

answers from Houston on

Take her to a Dermatolist, what you are doing can do more harm then good. She may have psoriasis, I do and so did my children and grandchildren. Many people who think they have dandruff have psoriasis. There is help for that, but only a dermatolist can help you. What is happening is the skin is making new skin every day instead of once a month and that is why it is doing that, but scrapping it off will not help, and the baby is to young for you to do that.

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E.M.

answers from San Antonio on

The best way to do it is by massage baby oil on the spots and soak it real good. Then w/a little comb, act like your just combing her hair and scrap it gently but enough to scratch it off. It will feel good and she should eventually start to fall asleep,,HOPEFULLY!!! Did it to all my 3 kids and it worked great and they would ALL fall asleep!! This was the only way I could get it off!! Good luck!!

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A.M.

answers from Brownsville on

Good Morning,

My son had craddle cap, we used head and shoulders (spelling?) shampoo and a brush. The brush was used to scrub the scalp. Hope this helps. Enjoy those precious baby's they grow up fast!

A.

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S.D.

answers from Austin on

It may sound a little strange, but I've heard that olive oil helps. Massage her scalp with it for a bit before you shampoo.

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M.C.

answers from Houston on

You can find a shampoo at Walmart for removing it and it comes back and use it again and again. This is normal for infants and some have more than others. Don't use baby oil.

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S.P.

answers from Houston on

I just recently used "Gentle Naturals" Cradle Cap Care (bought at Krogers in green bottle with Pooh & Eeyore on front.) I used it once on my little boy and I have not had to use it since. It was wonderful!

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J.B.

answers from Austin on

You have a ton of reponses and I didn't get to look through all of them but the other day I read about this in my 500 uses for Baking Soda book and its natural :)

Use a paste of baking soda and water. Leave it on the baby's head for a few moments before bath time then rinse the scalp clean.

Or apply baby oil to the scalp then rub baking soda into the oily hair. Comb the baby's hair and scal genthly loosening flaky skin. Shampoo and rinse clean.

Or mis 1 tblspn baking soda with 4 tblspns petroleum jelly and rub on the infants scalp. Wash out after leaving it on for ten to fifteen minutes.

Clean your combs and brushes in a basin of warm water and 1tsp baking soda. Swish, soak rinse and dry before using.

Good Luck
J.

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S.L.

answers from Houston on

my daughter had this and we used vaseline...rub it in thick onto the area and let it sit for a little bit...then it will rub off a lot easier with a wash cloth...but word to the wise...her hair also came out in some spots so it was a little funny looking until it grew all back in...I also think i rubbed a little too hard so just be careful...good luck... by the way, we got this advice from the "what to expect" books

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S.T.

answers from Houston on

Do you have a surgical brush they sent home with her? You can get one in the baby section or pharmacy section possibly. Use that to brush the flakes off in the bath. I also use tea tree oil on the scalp to help with it. That can be bought in the health products section. It's a tiny bottle for about $10 that lasts a LONG time and can be used for a variety of things just google tea tree oil(mine is by J/A/S/O/N I use their tea tree oil shampoo because I have scalp problems too. But you could put the oil directly on her scalp to help condition it.

NEVER use adult products on infants without speaking to your pediatrician first. There are many adults (myself included) who won't use those products ON ADULTS. They are so full of chemicals.

S., mom to four girls

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I.L.

answers from Killeen on

this is what worked for my baby boy! Buy a nail brush and softly scrup off some of the dead skin with it after a bath. Just do it enough, because you don't want it to be raw. After the next bath, do it again and you should be able to remove even more of it. Keep doing it after each bath until it's all gone! I also used some arbonne baby lotion (which is botanically based, since you said you like natural products) after each time I'd scrup the skin off. It only took a few times and it was gone and never came back.
p.s. don't worry about the brush hurting her, when I used it on my baby boy he was giggling. :)

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G.W.

answers from Odessa on

We used Phisoderm for babies. It's in a pink bottle. Worked great.

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P.Y.

answers from Houston on

I used the shampoo called "Gentle Naturals-Cradle Cap Treatment." It's made by Orajel.

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J.T.

answers from Victoria on

First put some baby oil on it to loosen up the cradle cap. Then shampooh it. You can really get in there and not be so gentle washing her hair. I scrub my sons hair and he has only gotten a few spots of cradle cap that went away after the next wash. But the baby oil should take care of it and some gentle scrubbing. Also that little bristle brush they gave you at the hospital should do the trick of scratching it off. Good luck. Also check behind her ears my son had alot of build up back there that truly smelled before i realized he had a fold on the back of his ears!

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L.P.

answers from Austin on

My daughter got it at the same age. I covered her head in baby oil, and used a soft bristle baby brush to brush and exfoliate. I used my fingernails on the stubborn areas... then washed her hair and it was gone and never came back.

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M.P.

answers from Odessa on

Hi H. l..

I have a 31/2 month old daughter as well and she has lots of hair also..when she had the cradle cap, her pediatrician told me to put some baby oil on her head and scrape with a soft toothbrush, it worked out very good, I H. this works for you, Good Luck

maria

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D.G.

answers from Houston on

I used Burt Bee's apricot oil. Smells better than olive oil, which would probably work just as well.

Besides moisturizing, the pediatrician told me those plastic scrubbie type brushes they use at in the hospital nursery work well also.

ETA: After I put the oil on I would gently scrub it off in the bath.

I've read to try the moisturizing route first, before trying dandruff products. Definitely talk to your pediatrician before trying any dandruff products made for adults.
http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/ci41.asp
http://www.aap.org/family/healthychildren/07fall/HC-Fall0...

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J.W.

answers from Houston on

Dear Hye-KL
Cradle Cap is usually easily removed with warm baby oil soaked into the scalp, but since you have mentioned that your baby's scalp actually stinks, I am almost sure she has an infection under it.
Take her to your local clinic and ask the sister to give you a remedy.
Jewel

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H.J.

answers from Austin on

It's not natural, but I found Neutragena's T-Gel to work really well.

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K.S.

answers from Odessa on

We tried several "home remedies" that didn't work. My pediatrician told me to use Selsum Blue...a dandruff shampoo...it stinks, but we used it once and never had cradle cap again!

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H.G.

answers from Austin on

My daughter had cradle cap really bad too. I would put some almond oil on the areas before bath time, so it could loosen it up a bit. Then I would use one of those surgical scrub brushes they give you in the hospital to brush baby's hair. I would gently scrub the areas and then wash with baby wash. It took about 4 days to get it all off.

Good luck

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M.M.

answers from Houston on

My pediatrician told me to put the shampoo called "Selsun Blue" on it. Let it sit for a minute and then rinse it off. But be careful not to get it in baby's eyes. It's supposed to be easier to brush off.

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C.W.

answers from Houston on

My son is 5 months and I had the same cradle cap issue. I used the "Gentle Cradle Cap" shampoo. It has disney characters on the bottle. I just simply put that on his hair then got a fine tooth comb and just gently combed his hair to loosen the cap. We then gave him a bath and washed it out. The cradle cap was completely gone after just one treatment! I will say that this shampoo is thick and oily so you will need to wash your little girl's hair a couple of times to get the residue out. Good Luck!

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O.C.

answers from Houston on

oil would make it get worse...i used tgel from Neutrogena (sounds odd) but craddle cap is dandriff for babies and it went away for good...just use a small amount and massage it in very well....i know its not natural but it really does work..............hope this helps............................
God Bless.....................................................

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D.N.

answers from Houston on

Gentle Naturals, found at krogers, has a cradle cap formula. It's in a green bottle. You pour a small amount on the baby's scalp, massage it in, wait a few minutes and then use a baby brush to gently remove the cradle cap. It works wonders. Also, our pediatrician recommended using selsun blue (sp?) every other bath. It doesn't smell the greatest, but worked. My son had cradle cap terribly. I without a doubt recommend Gentle Naturals for cradle cap.

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J.P.

answers from Austin on

For both my kids (my son had it the worst for 6 months) I tried the over-the-counter "natural" remedies. They made the kids hair a really wierd texture and felt dried out. It turned the craddle cap an unsightly yellow color but hey, it smelled flowery!
In the end, the only thing that really worked for me and both my kids was vaseline!! I started at the base of the skull and put on a dab and worked it it, then parted the hair a little higher and dabbed on some more until the entire scalp was covered. If you do this, their hair is a little greasy, but it's not GOBBED on. Leave it on for a couple days and wash out really well with warm water and repeat the process until it's gone. I used the baby brush I got from the hospital for both of them. It was coarse enough to get through their hair to clean the scales really good, but gentle enough to not hurt. Also, the vaseline moisturized the scalp and hair way better than the "natural remedy" one. (The "natural" one was in a green bottle in the baby section). The vaseline also helped keep my son's scalp from bleeding during treatments, the other did not.

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M.G.

answers from Houston on

I was told my my childrens pediatrician that selson blue works. I tried it and it really does. Just be very carful when rinsing her hair, it really burns thier eyes. Good Luck.

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M.M.

answers from Houston on

My grandson had it and his Pedi told us to use the little plastic scrub brush that they sent home from the hospital during washings. She also said not to put any lotion or oil because it could make it worse. We followed her directions and it went away. Good luck and congratulations for getting to be a mommy of two little ones!

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D.L.

answers from Beaumont on

Try putting alittle babyoil in her hair rubbing it in real good let it stay like that a short while then wash her hair this should help loosen the cradle cap.
JESUS LOVES YOU D. L.

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A.V.

answers from Austin on

I used head to toe baby wash to shampoo my daughter, and that does not wash well... She has sensitive skin, so I have to be careful what to use on her.

I bought mustela cradle cap lotion (STELAKER purifying scalp cream - fragrance free and hypoallergenic). I only needed to use it once as indicated on the tube. IT WORKED ! I bought it at the Bath and Body Works located in the barton creek mall (this is the only location that I know carries the Mustela brand).

As for the shampoo, I am now using Nizoral (recommended by our dermatologist), but I would check with your daugther's pediatrician's office since she is still so young.

I hope this helps
A.

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A.R.

answers from Houston on

use baby oil.. it only took one try with both of my kiddos. it takes several washes to get it out but you shouldn't have to do it again. rub the oil in and then scrap off cradle cap. Then rinse and rinse and rinse...

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L.H.

answers from Houston on

Try massaging baby oil on the scalp and then use a soft brush or comb to remove the cradle cap. Afterwards gently wash hair with warm water. Continue doing this until cradle cap is gone.

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I.O.

answers from San Antonio on

My son had really bad cradle cap too, and his pediatrician recommended putting baby oil or olive oil on his scalp and leaving it in for about 5 minutes or so before showering him. In the shower use a comb to lift off the flakes.
The cradle cap was gone within a week.

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V.S.

answers from Austin on

My sons pediatrician recommended Head & Shoulders. Just put it on baby's head for just a second and wipe it off. The cradle cap came right off - we didn't have to pick or scrub at all. We used it every other bath until he was abt 9 months old. Never had any problems (but made VERY sure to keep it out of his eyes). It really worked. Sorry it's not natural product, though! Good luck!

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M.K.

answers from Houston on

H. L,

I aways put lotion on and massaged my babies heads. It helps to ease the cradle cap. The olive oil idea sounds good. I think I will try that with my next baby.

J.B.

answers from Houston on

Oh I know how you feel! My son has a ton of curly hair and I did all kinds of stuff to try and get it off. I took all kinds of suggestions and guess what? For me nothing worked! My mother in law told me it would clear up on it's own and she was right. After it was so thick and crusty, it started to flake out and then I could pick it a little and really get it off. I think he was around five months or so, but I don't remember for sure! Anyway, it will come out. I tried to pick it before it was ready and ended up making his scalp irritated and bleed a little. So just be encouraged, if nothing you try works, eventually it will clear up on it's own :) Take care!

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A.W.

answers from Austin on

My daughter had the same issues. Lots of hair and cradle cap. I used Gentle Naturals Cradle Cap Care. You just rub a good amount into the scalp, leave it on for a couple of minutes then use a soft brisle tooth brush (baby tooth brush works great) to scrub on it. The cradle cap will come off in chunks so I just used a fine tooth comb on her hair after I shampooed it. It only took me 2 applications to get rid of all of her cradle cap. I have also heard you can use Olive Oil or veg oild too. I picked up the Gentla Naturals stuff at Wal-Mart but you can get it at Babies R Us too. Hope this helps.

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V.O.

answers from Austin on

After my LOs bath, I put baby oil on his scalp and combed it out. It took a couple of days to get it all, but it never came back

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S.C.

answers from Austin on

My daughter also had cradle cap and I tried olive oil and also Gentle Naturals Cradle Cap Care and after using each of them a few times, it went away. Hope it helps.

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K.R.

answers from Houston on

I used baby oil just to kind of moisten my little guy's scalp. I put it on at the beginning of the bath- left it on until I shampood his hair and then washed it out. After his hair dried I rubbed vasoline on the rough spots.

Hope this helps!

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