Cradle Cap On Your Baby's Face: Causes And Treatment

Cradle cap, medically known as seborrheic dermatitis, is essentially a form of infant dandruff—but with a bit more complexity. This common skin condition occurs due to overactive sebaceous glands, which produce excess oil. As a result, crusts, scales, or an oily film can develop on your baby’s skin.

Cradle cap often appears as raised, reddish or yellowish patches that can feel greasy and rough to the touch. While it’s most commonly found on a baby’s scalp or face, it can also show up on other parts of the body, like the bottom or other areas of the skin.

Thankfully, the answer is no on both counts. Cradle cap is likely more worrisome for you than it is for your baby. It’s not usually itchy or painful, and there’s no risk of it being passed on to others. Rest assured, cradle cap is also not a sign of poor hygiene.

The condition generally clears up on its own by the time your baby reaches one year old. While the cradle cap itself isn’t harmful, it’s important to stay attentive to your baby’s skin to prevent any potential infections that might arise if the skin becomes irritated.

While the exact cause of cradle cap remains unclear, we do know that it isn’t due to an allergic reaction, bacterial infection, or poor hygiene. However, several hypotheses suggest possible triggers for the cradle cap on your baby’s face. Let’s explore them:

• Excess Sebum: Cradle cap may result from overactive sebaceous glands, leading to the oily buildup seen on your baby’s skin. This excess production of sebum could be related to hormones transferred from mum during pregnancy. Thankfully, as your baby’s hormonal balance gradually stabilises, this issue tends to resolve over time.
• Mum's Hormones: One hypothesis for cradle cap suggests that your baby's sebaceous glands may not be fully developed at this early stage, influenced by hormones transferred during pregnancy. However, rest assured that as your baby grows, their hormonal balance will naturally adjust over time.
• Yeast: Experts also believe that cradle cap may be linked to an imbalance in yeast, particularly Malassezia yeast. While this yeast naturally occurs on the skin, cradle cap could develop if it grows excessively, potentially causing redness and inflammation.
• Genetic Factors: Genetics may play a role as well. Some studies indicate that babies with cradle cap often have family members with conditions like eczema or asthma. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that your baby will develop these conditions later in life. It's simply a potential factor that might explain why some babies experience cradle caps.
• Immunodeficiency: In rare cases, cradle cap could be linked to immunodeficiency, where the immune system struggles to protect against infections. If your baby had an immune deficiency, there would likely be other symptoms present. If you’re concerned, it’s always best to consult your paediatrician for reassurance and guidance.

Each of these theories offers insight into the possible causes of cradle cap, and most cases resolve naturally with time and proper care.

When researching cradle cap, don’t be misled by these common myths. 

“You Can Prevent It” 

It’s all too common for parents, especially among first-time parents, to place blame on themselves when their baby experiences any health issue.  

Nevertheless, research indicates that as many as 70% of babies may encounter cradle cap at some point within their initial year of life. Thus, the occurrence of cradle cap is far from unusual and doesn't indicate any wrongdoing on your part as a parent. 

As we've discussed while exploring potential causes of cradle cap, there's often little or nothing that you, as a parent, could have done to prevent its onset. It's not indicative of neglecting your baby's cleanliness, and excessive bathing can even be counterproductive. 

“You Can Treat It With Home Remedies” 

Many parents are familiar with being told about a “home remedies” that can treat their child. The internet has made it much easier to stumble upon these dubious recommendations.

While the notion of a natural remedy for cradle cap might seem appealing, it's essential to recognize that not all these recommendations are safe, and many are unlikely to have a positive impact on your child's skin condition. 

For example, you might come across advice saying to use peanut oil on your baby’s scalp to address cradle cap. If your baby turns out to be allergic to peanuts, this will only cause more irritation. 

When dealing with cradle cap, stick to methods approved by paediatricians. 

“Only Babies Get Cradle Cap” 

Despite what the popularly used name “cradle cap” might imply, it isn’t exclusively babies who can develop seborrheic dermatitis. Adults can get it as well. Cradle cap in adults can be caused by stress, hormones or illness, and other skin conditions.  

The scientific name for adult cradle cap is seborrheic dermatitis. But, like we mentioned earlier, you probably know it better as dandruff. Yep, that’s all it is.  
 
The cause of seborrheic dermatitis is not completely clear but may involve an inflammatory reaction to a yeast naturally present on the skin surface. But you can rest easy — what is clear is that adult cradle cap is not caused by poor hygiene. And, just like cradle cap in babies, adult cradle cap is not contagious.

“Cradle Cap Can Spread Between Children” 

The appearance of cradle cap might trigger comparisons to other childhood skin conditions, such as chicken pox, and make you worry about it spreading. However, as is the case with so many things related to cradle cap, there’s no actual cause for concern. 

As we've seen, this skin condition is probably not caused by an infectious disease but rather by glandular or hormonal causes. This implies there is no chance of your infant infecting other kids or adults with cradle cap.  

Be compassionate and try not to take it personally if other parents express concern about their baby "catching" cradle cap from yours. Despite the fact that they could be uninformed, keep in mind that their fears are motivated by a desire to protect their infant. 

So, your baby has cradle cap on their face. As we previously mentioned, you shouldn't worry, especially if you know how to handle it and take good care of your baby's skin.

See Your Pediatrician 

First things first, see your pediatrician if you have any concerns about cradle cap, or your parental instinct tells you that something is amiss. And, of course, if your baby’s skin doesn’t clear up or begins to appear infected, it’s time to pay a visit to the doctor. 

Consulting a pediatrician can also help you confirm that what you’re seeing on your child truly is just harmless cradle cap and not another skin condition. 

Otherwise, you can treat it at home with the following tips. 

Apply Cradle Cap Cream

You should always be cautious about what you put on your child's sensitive skin when it comes to infant skincare products.  

In general, you want to look for baby-specific products that are made from natural ingredients and free of potentially harmful substances like parabens, phenoxyethanol, and phthalates (or artificial sunscreen ingredients).  

We suggest using our Cradle Cap Cream to keep your baby's skin hydrated, effectively remove cradle cap flakes, and help reduce the likelihood of recurrence.   

This fragrance-free cream contains 95% of natural origin ingredients. It’s enriched with avocado polyphenols® to soften the flakes, sunflower oil distillate® to soothe the skin. And, of course, it’s free of parabens, phthalates, and phenoxyethanol. 

Proven safe for use from birth on, this formula has been tested under pediatric and dermatological control.

Consider Using A Vitamin B Supplement If You’re Nursing 

Sometimes, pregnant and nursing mums can develop a deficiency of the B vitamin biotin, which plays an important role in maintaining healthy skin. It's thought by some that this deficiency could potentially heighten the likelihood of a nursing infant developing cradle cap. 

Taking a biotin supplement while nursing may be helpful in treating this skin condition. However, there isn't concrete proof that this strategy is effective, so speak with a doctor before getting a biotin supplement. 

Use A Humidifier

You should take every precaution to keep your baby's delicate skin from getting too dry to either prevent or treat cradle cap. Signs of dry, itchy skin are frequently seen in infants with cradle cap.  

Keeping your baby's skin moisturised at all times with the help of a humidifier is a great method to address skin issues. 

Bathe Your Baby Less Frequently 

We already explained that brushing your baby's cradle cap patches gently during bathtime is a wonderful idea. But bathing them less frequently is another option to manage cradle cap. Although it may appear that showering could help remove the scales, regular washes actually tend to dry out your baby's skin.   

Making sure the water is warm rather than hot is another strategy to prevent dry skin while taking a bath. Also, keep baths short. Five or 10 minutes is long enough to get your baby clean. 

That said, how often should you bathe your baby? Once a day at most. But, as long as you’re keeping their skin clean in-between, bathing three times a week may be enough. For further details on how often to bathe your child, see this article. 

Cleaning your baby's nappy area at each nappy change and spot-cleaning their skin when required (think: spit-up and drool) are two ways to keep them clean in between bathing. 

Keep their bottom clean with Cleansing Wipes with avocado or Certified Organic Water Wipes with Cotton and Aloe for an organic, biodegradable wipe option. And turn to our No-rinse baby cleansing water with avocado for easy cleanup on any part of the body. 

Use The Right Shampoo

Our Foam Shampoo For Newborns cleanses your baby’s hair and scalp, gently exfoliating and rinsing away cradle cap flakes while also helping reduce the chance of recurrence. It rinses off easily and is safe to use on your baby’s forehead and eyebrow area.

Now that you know some of the best strategies for treating cradle cap, here are some things you should try to avoid:

Don’t pick at the flakes

Picking or scraping away the flakes won’t help the skin condition to clear up and only serves to make things worse. It may even make your baby’s skin sore or leave it compromised and open to infection. 

The only thing you need to do to remove the scales is gently brush the area with a gentle baby brush while your child is taking a bath. 

Don’t use treatments with harsh ingredients 

Because of how delicate your baby's skin is, if you try to treat cradle cap with creams that include certain harsh or even harmful substances, the "cure" can actually make the problem worse.

Here are five components to stay away from in any product that comes in contact with your baby's sensitive skin: 

• Phenoxyethanol: This chemical is a synthetic preservative. It can fight bacteria growth, but it can also irritate the skin and possibly even damage your baby’s nervous system. 
• Parabens: Parabens are commonly used as preservatives for food and cosmetic products. They can impair hormone function, which is harmful to your baby’s developing endocrine system. 
• Sulfates: Sulfates give shampoo that foamy lather quality and help lift dirt and oil off skin. But they’re too harsh for babies’ skin and can also cause eye irritation, skin rash, hair loss, and allergic reactions. 
• Certain types of alcohol: You might see variants of the word “alcohol” on the ingredient list, and they aren’t all bad. The ones you want to avoid are ethanol and ethyl alcohol, since they can be drying and irritating to your baby’s skin. 
• Salicylic acid: This is a common ingredient in anti-dandruff shampoos. Since cradle cap can be thought of as newborn dandruff, it might be tempting to use anti-dandruff shampoo. But salicylic can be harmful to babies. 

Don’t worry

Cradle cap won’t cause your baby any harm or serious discomfort on its own. So keep things in perspective! 

Watch your baby’s skin and treat it using proper methods. But keep in mind that even very stubborn cases of cradle cap usually resolve on their own, with most babies growing out of cradle cap by the time they’re one year old. 

Don’t be embarrassed 

Although cradle caps can be unsightly, there’s no reason to be embarrassed if you need to take your baby out in public. Your baby isn’t self-conscious, and you shouldn’t be either! 

Remember, cradle cap isn’t your fault, and it’s not harming your baby. So do your best to simply relax and enjoy these precious few months together with your baby.

Hopefully, knowing that cradle cap is not dangerous, contagious, or unusual helps you sleep a little better. Keep an eye out for infection, but understand that with the appropriate skin care and a little bit of patience, you can usually treat cradle cap on your baby's face.

Use gentle skincare products designed specifically for cradle cap, such as our Cradle Cap Cream and Foam Shampoo For Newborns, and refrain from picking at the scales. You should also make bathtime healthy for your baby's skin.