Discover the gentle softness of the oleo-calcareous liniment to soothe baby’s cradle cap

When kissing your little love on the head (and sniffing again and again this irresistible baby’s smell!), you notice yellowish crusts between their perfect thin hair. Oh no, what are we supposed to do with that?

Don’t worry!

Commonly called « cradle cap », this condition is harmless. Discover how to treat it with our gentle secret:  the oleo-calcareous.

How to make cradle cap disappear? 

The first step is to wash baby’s hair. Here is our gentle secret: replace your usual soft shampoo with the oleo-calcareous liniment. 

Widespread in Europe, the natural olive oil based soothing care very gently cleans and hydrates the sensitive baby skin.

Apply it thoroughly with a cotton or a washable cloth and let the liniment act in depth. We can rinse it off after ten minutes with warmish water, but the benefits are even bigger if we simply let it act. Repeat this every two days, until there are no more crusts.

Warning: The skin should not be rubbed vigorously. Ripped off cradle cap crusts may rarely cause an infection.

Tip: Complete the treatment by applying olive oil to the scalp, massage gently and leave to act overnight, putting a towel on to avoid oily stains.

What is seborrheic dermatitis, commonly known as cradle cap?

Seborrheic dermatitis, from its scientific name, is a non contagious and harmless condition for your precious little ones. Very common among newborns, it presents itself as yellowish crusty patches called cradle cap and is sometimes surrounded by a bit of redness. 

Causes of cradle cap

Rest assured that the sights of cradle cap has absolutely nothing to do with poor hygiene. It is simply caused by an excess of sebum. 

Duration

Appearing during the first 6 months of your baby’s life, cradle cap usually lingers for 3 to 4 weeks, but may prolong for up to 12 months.

When to consult a doctor?

Even if cradle cap may extend to 12 months, it is preferable to consult a doctor if it is still present after 4 weeks.

If baby has signs of irritation or itchiness, it is also well advised to consult, just to make sure that everything is fine. As they might not be very agile with their tiny hands yet, itchiness may reflect on their general state of dissatisfaction (read here, if baby cries non stop!).

Integrating oleo-calcareous liniment in your daily routine

If we unfortunately cannot prevent baby’s cradle cap, we can still treat its delicate scalp with the liniment from time to time to maintain a good hydration.

As a wonderful skin irritations’ ally it may also soothe baby’s irritated bottom, sunburns, light burns and even sensitive nipples while nursing. 

Now that you are seborrheic dermatitis experts, you can reassure your circle’s new parents when they will freak out at the sight of their baby’s scalp presenting yellowish crusts and give them a few simple tips to make it go away gently and kindly.

For more tips and advice for your family, explore our Blog section.