I remember my husband buying some cradle cap solution for our first baby because somewhere in the baby manual it mentioned that you must be prepared for cradle cap and diaper rash. It was something that just sat on the change table and accumulated dust. We never used it and threw it out when my son was older.
Our precious baby girl was a lot different from our son. From her skin complexion to the colour and thickness of her hair. She had some hair but had a Mr T line from ear to ear in the back. Her scalp in the bald areas also looked a bit red or irritated. A few weeks into the world she started to get what appeared to be dandruff, I ignored it as I thought it was newborn skin shedding and continued to wash her hair as usual. One fine morning I woke up and she had a big crust around her hairline and covering her fontanelle. I guessed at that time that it sure was what they call cradle cap!
According to WebMD, cradle cap is is an oily, yellow scaling or crusting on a baby’s scalp. It is common in babies and is easily treated. Cradle cap is not a part of any illness and does not imply that a baby is not being well cared for. It is a normal buildup of sticky skin oils, scales, and sloughed skin cells.
There was a lot of information I was to soon read on the internet and most sites boasted how easy it was to treat. I tried olive oil the most common one and it did not work. Next was coconut oil, I was convinced it would do the job as it has syclic acid. That did not work and so I tried a bit of melted shea butter…. This cradle cap was like a scab. You can not peel it or your baby will bleed or lose their hair. What I didn’t know was all these oils I was introducing were being trapped under this cradle cap and my daughters scalp did not smell sweet and fresh like a newborn, it started to smell unpleasant!
I then found the QV bath oil for cradle cap which just added to the funky smell of all these products. I was getting a bit desperate and was going to try head and shoulders like one site suggested but I remember the tingle of head and shoulders and surely that was not going to be good for our newborn.
Cradle cap does not bother the baby at all. She was just happy to nurse and sleep like all newborns. I had read that it will disappear around 9 months of age when the baby’s oil glands are more mature. At this point I just thought to myself I would wait until she grows out of it.
One day, out of the blue right in front of me was a blog I was reading. One mother suggested using Stelaker by Mustela which is a French brand.
Proven safe and effective, Stelaker is a cradle cap treatment cream that rapidly eliminates flakes as it rebalances and purifies the scalp.
- Soothes and hydrates skin with Aloe Vera and Borage oil to relieve sensations of itching and skin discomfort.
- For best results, apply directly to scalp and leave on overnight then wash with Foam Shampoo.
- Non-irritating formula does not leave an oily film on baby’s scalp.
- Paraben, phthalate and phenoxyethanol-free.
- Hypoallergenic and specifically formulated to minimize the risk of allergic reaction.
- Tested under Dermatologic and Pediatric Control.
The product rapidly eliminates cradle cap: 90%
The product effectively eliminates cradle cap: 83%
The product reduces redness: 100%Usage test carried out under pediatric control on 33 babies over a period of 15 days (clinical assessment) :
The products regulates sebum secretion: 85%
The product regulates the appearance of cradle cap: 85%
Usage test carried out under pediatric control on 33 babies over a period of 15 days (self-assessment):
The product can be removed easily: 97%
The product does not stain sheets or clothes: 85%