Cradle Cap – A Natural Approach from Dr. Kimberly

As mommas, we want nothing but the best for our children. From the moment they are born and throughout their lives, we work tirelessly to keep them safe, healthy, and happy as they grow up. The love we have for our children is like no other. It expands beyond what we could have ever imagined possible.

That’s why, when we see our children sick or struggling with a symptom or condition, we do anything to help them recover. Because of children’s delicate nature, many mommas prefer to do what they can for their children using home remedies and natural treatments. One condition many mommas have had success treating naturally is cradle cap.

What is Cradle Cap?

Cradle cap is an extremely common skin condition that results in yellowish crusty/scaly or oily patches on a baby’s scalp. Infantile seborrheic dermatitis, the more technical name for this condition, is different from adult dandruff in that there is generally no or very little itchiness or irritation felt, and it can also develop in the eyebrows, eyelids, ears, armpits and groin area.  Although unsightly and may cause some alarm, the cradle cap is nothing to fret about.   It is not life-threatening and can heal relatively easily with tender love and care.

What Causes Cradle Cap?

Understanding why cradle cap develops in the first place will help give insight into how it can be treated effectively. To do this, we must begin by looking at the liver. 

As per Anthony William, the Medical Medium, nearly all symptoms and conditions for cradle cap arise from a stagnant, sluggish liver.  Toxic and pathogenic exposure is on the rise as our world becomes more polluted with troublemakers.  When our bodies take on an exposure, our livers filter out, neutralize and store the components of that exposure that could cause us harm.  When the liver is ready, it eventually packages those troublemakers up to be eliminated from the body through the skin, feces or urine. As exposures become more and more common and build up over time, the liver can become bogged down trying to deal with too much.  This is when issues arise, and health problems start to show up.

But what about babies?  Our little ones are often seen as pure and unimpaired.  Aren’t they an exception? 

Let’s look at what the Medical Medium says about this topic below:

“While we think of infants as beginning life with a clean slate, the truth is that a developing baby’s liver takes on the past. In utero, and even at the moment we were conceived, we inherited liver troublemakers from our parents, their parents, and so on down the family line. Any poison or pathogen an ancestor carries can end up in our livers before birth. Early standard medical treatments for babies can fill newborns’ livers with troublemakers.”

It’s the sad truth that our babies carry toxic loads just like we do. But what does this have to do with cradle cap? 

When the liver reaches its capacity for handling troublemakers, toxins and pathogens are free to float around the body unchecked.  It is at this point that they can start to cause some damage.  In the case of cradle cap, troublemakers make their way to the skin’s surface.  As a defence mechanism, the baby’s body then produces oil/sebum to try and neutralize the offenders and or create a scaly skin texture to slough off that which is causing harm.

Natural Alternatives for Cradle Cap

So, with all that considered, what can we do to help our little ones heal and feel better? Well, since this skin condition starts with the liver, we need to do what we can to support the liver—not just our baby’s liver, but ours as mommas as well if we are breastfeeding. 

It’s now widely recognized that what we consume as mommas gets passed onto our babies through our milk during breastfeeding.  This is why pregnant women are told to avoid alcohol consumption. 

So, as mommas, certain things might be helpful to avoid while you are still nursing your little one. These troublemakers flow through our milk and into our babies, bogging down their livers and adding to their toxic load.

Products to Avoid and Their Substitutions

• Fragranced products of any kind (ex. perfume, scented candles, air fresheners, fragranced hair and beauty products, dishwashing and clothing detergent)
• Dairy
• Gluten
• Eggs
• Pork
• Corn
• Tuna
• Industrial oils (vegetable oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil)
• High-fat diets

Replace the foods listed above with the ones listed below. What follows are foods that actively heal the liver.  They are extremely nutrient-dense, meaning their healing properties will work to help you stay healthy not only for momma but also for your baby!

• Fruit (any kind of fruit is very healing, but wild blueberries are the most healing food on the planet.)
• Leafy greens
• Vegetables
• Fresh herbs
• Potatoes
• Celery juice
• Living water (water with added lemon or lime juice)
• Herbal tinctures and supplements -considerations for Mama (B12,  zinc, milk thistle, vitamin C, barley grass juice powder)

Please note that supplements and herbal tinctures should NOT be given to babies as they are generally too concentrated for their little bodies. Pregnant and breastfeeding moms must also exercise caution when using herbs and supplements.

Supporting your liver and your baby’s liver is a great first step in healing cradle cap and preventing future health issues. While internal healing is taking place, you can do things from an outside perspective to help heal the skin.

Consider using a little coconut oil with a drop of tea tree oil. Massage into the affected area, let it sit for a few minutes, and then GENTLY comb through the hair, finish with a gentle baby shampoo.

• Nutiva makes a fantastic cold-pressed  coconut oil that we love
• Living Libations also offers a great tea tree essential oil (enjoy 10% off with the provided link)
• Dr. Bronner’s makes a clean and gentle castile soap that is perfect for a baby’s sensitive skin. 
• I also recommend the Cradle Cap System by Frida Baby, which comes with a sponge, brush, and comb for cleaning the baby’s skin.

I hope this article helped you see that there is plenty we can do to help our little ones out when they aren’t feeling their best! Healing cradle cap is very much possible. 

If you would like to learn more about how to tend to your wellness as a mom and the wellness of your children while connecting with other like-minded women, sign up for our Empowered Wellness Circle Monthly Membership! 

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