cradle cap

This baby.. if it's not one thing it's another. First the jaundice. Next, crazy bad newborn acne. Good news is the newborn acne is gone, revealing beautiful (if very sensitive) skin.

Now, the cradle cap. Scaly, gold, white and flaky. First it came on one part of her scalp, then started spreading across the scalp and down her face. She can't tell me, but I have to imagine that it is itchy or bothersome.

From what I have read, cradle cap is related to newborn acne, both being variations of seborrheic dermatitis.

One common remedy that I have heard of is olive oil, which seems a bit heavy and messy for her skin. Another common treatment is shampooing with a dandruff shampoo, but the idea of all of those chemicals on her sensitive newborn head scares me.

I've put jojoba oil on her skin since she was born, and she hasn't had any reactions to it, so I decided to use this recipe that I found in Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child. I modified it a little to only use jojoba oil instead of an even mix with avocado oil.

Mix in a clean glass jar:
1 ounce jojoba oil
1 drop tea tree essential oil
1 drop lemon essential oil
1 drop orange essential oil

Massage a small amount on head, working into scales. Avoid face area. Leave on for 3-5 minutes. Afterwards, shampoo scalp gently with a mild shampoo (we use California Baby) and rinse thoroughly. Brush gently with a soft bristled brush. Repeat 2-3 times a week, or every day if very bad.

We saw improvements right away! It stopped spreading to her face, and is much, much less flaky. I'm curious to see what comes after the cradle cap....

UPDATE 5/31/11: 2 weeks later, and the cradle cap is 99% gone (but watch for it to get worse for a couple of days before it gets better, as the scales start to come off in force)!