The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Chastity (Seattle, Wa) on 07/09/2016:
I combined a handful of baking soda and about 2 tablespoons of water. I applied the paste to my infant's scalp and I massaged gently for about 1 minute. I used a baby comb to remove the large flakes and buildup. I rinsed the paste out with warm water and the cradle cap/buildup was gone. It hasn't returned, and it's been 4+ months.
It worked a treat. I used the baking soda mix on my 3 month old baby. After first application cradle cap was gone, but after a few days a small amounts of it came back after a second application was gone and has never came back.
I also told my mother to use this on her scalp as she had flaky dry skin almost looked like cradle cap after 3 applications it has not come back.
Omg...my 3mth old just got cradle cap a couple of weeks ago and I was going crazy trying to get it out, I even took her to the dr and got some prescribed shampoo but it was just taking its own time. I tried the baking soda paste one time and saw tremendous results.....it is gone!!! I am keeping that baking soda as ammunition just in case it decides to come back!!!!
My grandson had quite severe cradle cap. We tried Dentinox shampoo but this really irritated it. Tried bicarbonate of soda paste and rinsed it off and most came off after a massage with baby oil gel.
I am so happy to have found this site. After my son's pediatrician suggested Head and Shoulders (!!!!) as a good treatment for my just barely 2 month old son I knew it would be up to me to find a natural, gentle, chem-free solution. Imagine putting all those chemicals on his head? My word. We used the baking soda paste twice n his moderate cradle cap and its 95% gone. I put it on, gently rubbed it in, left it on during his bath, combed it very softly, and then rinsed out.
We followed with organic olive oil which we again left on for a few minutes, combed, and then shampooed out. this delivered outstanding results, my baby's head is back to being pretty and healthy again. Thank you!!
My 6 week old son had is spot of cradle cap on his eyebrow. I applied the baking soda paste and let sit for 10 mins before his bath and usingwarm water and a wash cloth gently wiped the paste off in an upward motion to avoid getting any in his eye. One treatment and the spot was gone!
The only thing to be aware of is that when the paste dryd on the eyebrow it becomes very loose and gritty, you need to be careful the dry bits don't get in your baby's eye.... this can be challenging if they cry and scrunch their forehead.
I noticed that my five week old had cradle cap and it really worried me so I went online to see if I could find a home remedy and I stumbled upon this site. I had heard that baking soda was good for acne but never thought it would work for cradle cap. Hesitant, but I gave it a shot. I AM SPEECHLESS! IT WORKS!! I made the paste, left it on for about five to ten minutes then I wet her soft hair brush and brushed the areas where the CC was, rinced, and it was gone. My girl and I are thankful.
I used this paste on my daughter and she screamed while it was on and as I was rinsing it out. The cradle cap looks like it is mostly gone but now her scalp is red raw and looks really sore. I wouldn't recommend this remedy.
This took most of the cradle cap away... I'll likely have to do it one more time, cuz my daughter has a pretty bad case of it... Plus she has loads of thick hair making it harder to access the scalp. But this seems to have worked the best out of other remedies tried. Plus she has acne and baking soda/water wash is also used to help with that... I kill two birds with one stone. Thank you!
It worked a treat. I slapped on a good layer of the paste onto my 8 week old son's head. Left it for 15 mins and then gently brushed the paste off with a soft tooth brush. All gone, very happy baby and mum.
All I can say is thank you. I used this method a few nights ago on my 2 month olds cradle cap and WOW, WOW, WOW it was AMAZING. His cradle cap was 100% GONE. His cradle cap was so thick and smelly it also took patches of his hair out it was HORRIBLE. I was desperate for a natural solution and God delivered me to this site. I can't say anything other than thank you.
My grandson developed cradle cap about 15 days ago, and we applied one treatment of the baking soda; left it a while, and after it dried up we rinsed and combed. It was 100% gone.
Christinet (Scarborough, Ontario, Canada) on 01/06/2011:
Absolutely agree! My first son had it so bad I wish I had known about this, now with my second son (3rd child) I used this on his head and ears whenever I see it starting and it's worked like a charm. Not sure if it's preventing it as well. Also seems to assist in taking care of the baby acne too as they seem to be related.
This is the best! I had the hardest time trying to get rid of the cradle cap on my 1mo old son's head... But once I tried the baking soda paste I saw instant results... I used it 3x's n last night was the last application, n this morning NO MORE CRADLE CAP!! I'm so happy!
Wow! It worked! I've been trying to get rid of my girl's cradle cap for 3 years now. Last night I applied baking soda paste on her scalp, gave her a gentle scalp massage then rinsed her hair with warm water and it was gone! All gone! I couldn't believe my eyes. :)
This was perfect! We probably got almost all of the cradle cap off. We made the paste and put it on his head (which he hated) and bathed the rest of him. Rinsed it off after the bath and then brushed and brushed and brushed. His head smells so much better now.
WoW!! Thank you for the suggestion of using Bi-carb soda (Baking Soda) and water to make a paste for my baby's cradle cap. I've been alternating with olive oil one day and apple cider vinegar the next. It was working..but very very slowly. I tried the Bi-carb soda paste last night. Made the paste, slathered and rubbed in to daughter's scalp about 20 minutes before bath. I rinsed it out, took a VERY SOFT baby brush and did circular motions around head and then proceeded to wash her head with baby shampoo, rinsed with warm water and WOW what a huge difference. 90% of the cradle cap is gone! I will do it again in a couple of days. I believe you said it typically takes a few doses to cure.
Melinda (Ballarat, Victoria, Australia) on 05/28/2009:
This one has been in my family for decades. Want to see instant results? It's wonderful. To get rid of cradle cap simply mix together 2 tablespoons of bi-carb soda with enough water to make a thick paste. About 40 mls of water. Gently rub the paste in to the baby's scalp for a minute and rinse off with warm water. Once a day.The cradle cap usually disappears completely within a few days. Try it, it works.