My 2Month Breastfed Baby Girl Has an Itchy Scalp.

I am a licensed aethetician and do organic skincare for a living so I know a little bit about this. After bathing, try olive oil even a few dabs on the scalp. Then get a good, gentle body lotion. I would stay clear of J&J products. The chemicals in their products are very drying to the skin. Check that the products you buy don't have the following: sodium lauryl sulfate, propylene glycol, DEA, triclosan, Peg's, alcohol, colors or fragrances. Those are all very drying to the natural oils of our skin. They are chemicals that are used because they are cheap to manufacture with but are very harmful to the skin. Studies have shown some of them may be linked to cancer, depression and premature aging because the skin absorbs chemicals into the bloodstream, similar to absorbing nicotine through the nicotine patch placed on the skin. J&J baby soap I can assume has sodium lauryl sulfate in it and children especially have skin that is so delicate. I can never use regular laundry detergent, for example, because my 2 year old has terrible break outs around her neck area.

Hope that helps!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi S.,
My Dr. recommended Head and Shoulders for my daughters flaky scalp, but he gave me special directions on using it. I believe he told me to leave it on for 2 minumtes and not to use it each time I washed her hair. I would first call and get advice from a nurse or Dr. because I believe it can be harmful if not done correctly. It's been 9 years so I appoligize for not remembering all the details but I do remember I only had to use it one time and never again.

My daughter had the same condition. The Dr. recommended Head and Shoulders. I know, it sounds weird, but it worked and doesn't irritate her eyes. Good luck!

Maybe I'm the only one here who didn't switch her daughter's shampoo when she got a rash. My daughter had a terrible rash on her face at a couple months old. She didn't have eczema, so if your baby were to have it, my solution would be completely not fitting. I found out she was allergic to baby lotion on her face and scalp. The rest of her body was okay, but since the face and scalp are sensitive, they rashed up. My friend also had this happen with her baby and had to stop using baby lotion. A simple switch to Eucerin or Keri worked. It took about a week to heal up, but it kept the area well moisturized and healed up the rash and cradle cap. After those two weeks, I haven't seen a rash or cradle cap again. I use Head To Toe wash because I find it pretty simple and I've never had trouble with it being too harsh although I see most here switched their cleansers. I simply switched the lotion and that worked for me. So that is one simple solution you could always try to see if it is an allergic reaction before going out and switching all the shampoos and getting tested for other problems. I'm sure you will make the right decision in what to try first.

My son also had cradle cap, which also spread behind his ears. His ears were so bad that they were cracked and sometimes bled. My doctor recommended using Selsen Blue on his head, and then using 1% hydrocortisone cream behind his ears. In no time at all, the cradle cap cleared up! Check with your doctor first, but it worked for us.

You may want to try Cetaphil products. They are not soap-based. My daughter has excema & allergies too boot, so skin care is a big challenge in our house!!
Almost every other product (even the 'natural' stuff, etc.) is still a soap, and soap dries the skin. Limit baths as much as possible as well, since the warm water dries the skin as well.
It is greasy stuff, but the best way to seal in moisture is to slap a little Vaseline on the dry spot immediately after bathing.....for lotion Eucerin works best on my daugther.
Good luck!!!

I have a 1 year old little boy who had the same problem, I tried ALL the over the counter cradle cap stuff and nothing worked. I tried the oil and then the comb. Nothing seemed to work. My doctor recommended I was his hair everyday with Head and Shoulders. It cleared up within a week and we haven't had a problem since. He also has VERY sensitive skin, I can't use J&J, Aveeno, Burt's, or any of the other products out there. The only thing that worked for us was Cetaphil. It comes in a liquid and a bar. The bar is cheaper and it lasts longer. We use Cetaphil lotion too it really helps with his eczema (sp?). I hope this is helpful,
M.

My baby had a very dry and itchy scalp and I actually used and over the counter baby excema cream on his head. It's a little thick but is worked better than anything else I tried. Also, sometimes baby soaps are still very irritating until your baby's skin gets use to it. Cetephyl works great as a non irritating cleanser. Your really don't have to go out of your way to use special laundry detergent for your baby, it really gets to be more work than it's worth- not unless the skin problem becomes a bigger problem for you little girl.

S.,
Try using Aquafor. Its like vasaline but much better. my daughter used to break out all the time and has sensitive skin this is what i found to be the best.

S.,

My son, who is now 9 months, had a rash that I thought was just baby acne, but at his 2 months check up I was told that it was baby eczema. I stopped using all Johnson and Johnson products, at the suggestions of my pediatrician. I used (and still do)Cetaphil, which is a great mild cleanser (no suds, but cleans just as well). One of the best things about it is that you can use it with or without water. Used without water it provides a moisturizing barrier. I also found it helpful when my son decided he no longer wanted to be in the bathtub and started crying, I didn't have to worry about getting him all rinsed off, I could just take him out of the tub and any soap left on him actually moisturized his skin. I used a hydrocortisone cream in the beginning until it got under control. Also when he took naps or went to bed at night I would cover his little head and face with A&D ointment. The only lotion I used on him then and now is the baby Aveeno. He's fine now, soft smooth, itch-free baby skin. Good luck.

S.,
Ask your Dr.about "Elidel"
Good Luck,
D.

Hi S.! If you haven't tried Arbonne products I would highly recommend them. The ABC Baby Line has a wash, lotion, rash cream, oil, and sunscreen. Each formulation is botanically-based, pediatrician & dermatologist tested (not just recommended), pH correct (not just pH balanced), non-sensitizing (many products on store shelves actually have a numbing agent that numbs the eyes so that baby can't feel the irriation), non-irritating, hypoallergenic, & never tested on animals (tested on a human pannel). Cedarwood Oil is one of the amazing ingredients in this line of safe products. It is a calming botanical that has the ability to release tension and ease anxiety. It helps to relieve itching so it could be helpful in easing the symptoms of various childhood skin conditions. I have used Arbonne on my girls for a year and I've seen wonderful results. Check Arbonne out on the web and if you like what you see, call me and I'll show you how to purchase them (from your own computer) at 35-80% off the retail prices. (There are no home parties, sales or incentives required to get a discount.) Blessings, C. Narsi ###-###-####

P.S. Your baby could be allergic to SPF. High levels of SPF can actually burn the skin.

Ask your doctor about the posibilty of a fungus. Tinea capitis. If that is the case. A home remedy for that (in adults so check with your pediatrician) is selson blue on the skin for 10 min at a time them rinse off. Repeat daily for 2 weeks.

Also, consider eczema and in that case the less washing of the area the better.

Allergies may be a factor as well. Look at what's in her formula, if she is bottle feeding, and consider changing to something with a differnt base. Look at you diet if she is breast feeding. Main culprits are dairy, nuts and wheat but it can be tough to narrow down a food allergy. Evaluate your cleaning products as well (laundry soap...)

HI S.-MY SON WAS A LITTLE SENSITIVE TO FRAGRANCE WHEN HE WAS NEWBORN SO I COULD JUST SUGGEST, DON'T BATH EVERY DAY, AND JUST AVOID USING SHAMPOO ON SCALP, AND I HAVE BEEN USING MINERAL OIL INSTEAD OF VASELINE....GOOD LUCK

All my children had craddle cap and the oil never helped. Finally for my youngest the doctor suggested I use dandruff shampoo. It worked great. You have to be careful not to get it in her eyes and I would probably reccomend asking your doctor first.

Hi S.,
My 18 month old son had the same problem when he was 2 months also, I was currently using Johnson & Johnson baby wash, in which I found out was actually drying his scalp out more. I switch to a dove shampoo, and it cleared up in a couple of weeks. Also after every wash i used a baby comb and combed his head for about 5-7 minutes. Hope this helps and good luck to you.

S.

there is a product that california baby makes.... it's a boo boo spray and my friend swears by it.

I used a tiny drop of T-Gel mixed with my daughter's baby shampoo and it worked wonders.

My daughter had this problem when she was a baby, and I started using conditioners when I washed her head, after I used the baby shampoo, I would use a mild conditioner and it cleared the problem right up. I hope this helps
K.

my baby had the EXACT same problem, so his dr told me to try using head & shoulder, or a little selsom blue, after a few uses it took the itch away

S.,
I have been working from home with a great company called Melaleuca and they sell a wonderful lotion called, Renew. My son doesn't suffer from dry skin but I know that close friends of mine have children with severe dry skin and they use this and swear by it. Her kids now have wonderful skin, smooth skin. The company I work for also has laundry detergent and fabric softners with no harmful chemicals. Please call me so I can help you out with these wonderful products that are safe for family.
-Thanks, A. ###-###-####

My five week old son is going throught the same thing right now. He actually first developed it on his cheeks then it spread to his eyebrows, ears, forehead, then throughout his hair and on to his neck and now is starting to go down his back. I didn't think nothing of it until there was a bad odor coming from his ears and the rash was turning a yellowish green and scabby just awful looking. So after I took him to the doctor a second time about a different one. She prescribed me some cream to rub on all the affected areas and to come back within five to seven days to see the progress. The cream really worked. On the dr.'s not she wrote down it was early stages of eczema, my mom thinks it's because he's allergic/sensitive skin to baby oil, and the first dr. said it was just a heat rash. I never really found out what it was but the cream is helping alot.

it's called triamcinolone acetonide cream(doesn't have a simplier name).

tell me how it goes and good luck
K.

Hi S.,

That is great that you are breastfeeding her (so it can't be the milk), Unless You have a very bad diet.
My baby developed eczema when he about 2 months (he had bad scalp and red itchy patched on his stomac and dry skin. I took him to his pediatrician who recommended Head and Shoulder shampoo and another soap which I cannot remember. BUT I thought these were too strong and had too much chemicals in them so I did not follow her advice. But at least I knew what he had. So I stopped using these unatural products (johnson etc...). I switched to California Baby sensitive skin shampoo and soap(it's all natural and extra mild). After his bath I used the California baby Calendula cream. At the same time I added a water filter on the tap to make sure the water is very soft and well filtered (I got it at Home depot/ it's not expensive). I COULD NOT BELIEVE how much his skin condition improved and how fast. After a while I did not need to use the cream anymore (although I still do occasionally). I strongly recommend you follow these easy and safe natural steps first for a few weeks, before considering any other solution.

ALL THE BEST!

PS: If you follow these steps I'd love to know if that helped

We used Cetaphil liquid soap. It worked great, in fact we still use it because my son has mild eczema and it does wonders.