People, no matter how old or young you are, can experience a couple of dry scalp conditions which leads to peeling and flaking skin. Some shampoos contain harsh detergents that could strip off the scalp’s natural oils. A lot of babies can experience a flaking scalp skin, also known as cradle cap, in different circumstances.
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If your baby has a cradle cap, the kind baby shampoo that you should use is the one that is gentle enough for their delicate skin. The best baby shampoo should be gentle enough to clean hair while avoiding drying or irritating the skin or even cause bath time tears. So, in this article, we would be listing the best baby shampoos that could help treat and prevent dry scalp on your babies.
Contents
Why Do Babies have a Dry Scalp?
The most common type of dry scalp on babies is usually related to a condition called cradle cap, also known as infantile seborrheic dermatitis. The exact cause on these conditions may not be known, but cradle cap is thought to be applied to a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Sometimes, it might also be caused by the Malassezia fungi in sebum underneath the skin.
What are the Signs and Symptoms?
A dry scalp or cradle cap on babies causes thick and oily patches on the head, which may vary from white to yellow in color. If your baby has a cradle cap on their scalp, they might also have these thick, oily patches in other oily parts of the skin such as groin, ears, and armpits. This skin condition may not be good to look at, but the good news is that it doesn’t cause any itch or irritates your baby.
Dandruff may also cause a dry scalp on babies. Dandruff on babies is also a kind of cradle cap. Unlike the usual appearance of a cradle cap, the kind of dandruff that is found on babies are dry, white, and sometimes itchy. This may also be genetic, so if you have dry skin, your baby might also have dry skin.
Frequently washing your baby’s scalp doesn’t cause dandruff, but if he/she has this condition, you may want to wash their scalp less frequently to prevent it from getting worse. Low humidity and cold weather could also worsen dandruff; therefore you may need to use a baby product that has moisturizing abilities.
When Should You Seek Help?
Dry scalp and dandruff on babies are not something too serious, and it could be removed and prevented after a month or so of continuous treatment. However, if you don’t see any improvement after a week of using a treatment like baby shampoos for dry scalp, it might be a good time to see your baby’s pediatrician to take a look at their scalp.
The pediatrician might recommend a steroid cream or a prescription shampoo to help treat any inflammation. Also, if your baby’s scalp starts to bleed, cracks, or starts oozing, you should immediately see your baby’s doctor as these might be early signs of infection.
8 Best Baby Shampoos for Treating Dry Scalp
If you want to treat your baby’s dry scalp or cradle cap, using a regular baby shampoo won’t do much of a job in removing and treating the condition. This is because some of these shampoos might contain harsh chemicals which could worsen your baby’s condition.
Therefore, you would need the right type of shampoo that could help decrease the yeast formation on your baby’s skin. The baby shampoo should be gentle enough for daily usage, while effectively treating dry scalp problems. So with that said, here are some of the best baby shampoos that could effectively help treat dry scalp problems.
Mustela Cradle Cap Shampoo for Newborns
If you are seeing dry and scaly patches on your baby’s head, also known as dry skin or cradle cap, you might want to try this Mustela Foam Shampoo that is specifically made for newborns. It is made to provide super gentle foaming for babies, which thoroughly cleans the baby’s hair while preventing the skin condition from worsening.
This product contains BHA or Beta Hydroxy Acid and salicylic acid to peel the patches, and an antifungal agent called climbazole to prevent it from recurring. It is also hypoallergenic and specially formulated to help minimize the risk of allergic reactions.
California Baby Shampoo and Body Wash
California Baby products offer a wide selection of bath and hair products, and this tea tree and lavender body wash shampoo are one of their best products, which could help treat dry scalp and dandruff on babies.
The shampoo’s tea tree oil extract can help soothe itchy scalps, while the lavender extract oil provides a calming effect on the baby. In addition, this product is allergy-tested and free of gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, and oats ingredient that could trigger allergies.
Puracy Natural Baby Shampoo
Unlike most products on this list, this shampoo was developed by a doctor and has been the Best of Baby award winner for the best baby skincare line. It was uniquely formulated, as it uses nourishing vegetable moisturizers and coconut cleansers to balance and hydrate the baby’s sensitive skin.
It’s tear-free, hypoallergenic, all-vegan, toxin-free, and biodegradable making the shampoo environment-friendly. It is also free from any harmful chemicals and it’s as gentle as it can be on the baby’s skin.
Bella B Cradle Cap Shampoo
The shampoo from Bella B is one of the most recommended baby shampoos to help get rid of cradle cap. Compared to most baby shampoos in the market, this product has a low price, but its quality and effectiveness are comparable to a premium shampoo. In just a few washes, it can immediately remove cradle cap on your baby’s scalp.
However, the first time you use this shampoo may look like the condition has worsened because of loose skin patches. To avoid mistaking the loose skin as a worsening skin condition, you should brush your baby’s scalp during bath time to get rid of the loose patches of skin.
Babo Botanicals Baby Shampoo
If your baby is suffering from a severe case of cradle cap, dandruff, or eczema we recommend that you use this shampoo from Babo Botanicals. It is an all-natural baby product that is potent enough to treat severe dandruff cases on adults!
However, it may take a couple of weeks before you can see any changes on your baby’s scalp. As a reminder, before you use this product on your baby, check if your baby is not allergic to its ingredients. You can do a skin exposure test on a small part of your baby’s skin.
Mummy’s Miracle Wash and Baby Shampoo
This product is uniquely made as it uses moringa as one of its main ingredients. It is very useful in supporting the fast healing of conditions such as skin irritation and eczema. Since this shampoo is non-drying on the skin, you can safely use it during the cold season. In addition, it also has a great fragrance and gentle enough to be used for newborn babies.
It would be a good idea to not expect too much lather when you’re using this product. But nonetheless, it’s still capable and sufficient enough in eradicating cradle cap with a few washes. This shampoo may be able to compete with other premium shampoos in the market, if only it had a better container to prevent leakages.
Burt’s Bees Baby Tear-Free Shampoo
If you prefer using overall baby shampoo for your baby, rather than using a product that is specifically made for cradle cap, then this baby shampoo and wash is the one that you are looking for. This shampoo is gentle enough to be used on your baby’s delicate skin and tear-free for the health of your baby.
In addition to its effectiveness in treating dry scalp and keeping your baby’s skin moisturized, it also comes in three fragrance including lavender, original, and fragrance-free for your convenience. It is also very affordable and comes in three bottles, which is very convenient for those who don’t have enough time to keep reordering products.
Eddie’s Cradle Cap Shampoo for Children
This product is a medicated shampoo which is a great solution in treating scaling, flaking, irritation, itchiness, and redness on your baby’s dry scalp and skin. This medicated shampoo is the first OTC body wash that is specifically made for kids of all ages.
Therefore, whether you have a baby or toddler who has a cradle cap, you can effectively and safely use this shampoo for their treatment. A lot of parents praise this product for how it effectively works in treating dry scalp, cradle cap, dandruff, and more even on the most severe cases.
How to Choose the Best Baby Shampoo for Dry Scalp
Before, most parents basically struggle a lot just to find the best shampoo for their kids. But today, there are now a lot of best shampoos available for toddlers, babies, and infants that they could choose from. And most of these shampoos are free from harmful chemicals, which is why a lot of parents prefer using them.
However, since there are now countless baby shampoos to choose from, it can be quite confusing to know which brand has the best effect on the hair and scalp. Most shampoos for babies are clinically proven and doesn’t possess any side effects so you won’t have much problem if you randomly choose a product. But still, a lot of parents would like to have the best shampoo for their baby.
Therefore, if you want to use the best product for your baby, you should know the different types of shampoos in the market. Now here are some of the different types of baby shampoos:
Organic Shampoo
There may be a lot of organic baby skin care products in the market, most parents would still prefer using an organic one for their children’s health. In fact, organic skin care products like shampoos would ensure that your child isn’t exposed to any harmful chemicals. There are a lot of organic shampoos in the market, but you’ll simply have to choose the best brand for your child.
Natural Shampoo
While choosing a baby shampoo for your child’s dry scalp, you should only select a natural product. A lot of products may claim they are gentle and 100% natural, however, most of them would still contain a few various chemicals that aren’t really safe for babies.
Hypoallergenic Products
If you are looking for the best shampoo that contains ingredients that are gentle on the skin, then you should opt for a hypoallergenic baby shampoo that could help treat dry scalp.
Read the Labels
Before buying the shampoo that you have chosen, make sure that you’ve read the product’s ingredients, which are found at the back of the bottle. Sometimes, shampoos contain harmful chemicals that are very harmful to babies. Usually, different chemicals are being used to add some aroma to the product. Therefore, you should avoid these kinds of products that could cause various health issues.
Vitamin-Boosted Shampoos
Today, a lot of baby products, such as powder, lotion, shampoos, and others are rich in Vitamin-based ingredients. And using a baby shampoo that contains various vitamin in the ingredients, could help promote healthy hair and scalp on your baby. This way, you can easily treat your baby’s dry scalp.
Avoid Dyes and Chemicals
There are some baby shampoos in the market that contains dyes and chemicals, which provides color and fragrance to the child’s hair. These kinds of shampoos may be recommended for adults because of the effectiveness, but not for children, especially for those who are ages 3 years below as this could cause allergic reactions on their skin.
Conclusion
Dry scalps on babies are usually normal and easily treated at home. In most cases, the basic cause for these dry scalps is the cradle cap. Other possible causes may include eczema, dandruff, allergies, and other possible dry scalp causes.
However, if you’re using one of the best baby shampoos in the market, and your baby’s dry scalp doesn’t improve after a couple of weeks or if some of the symptoms get worst, immediately consult with your baby’s pediatrician.
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