Tea tree oil has numerous benefits and is known for its powerful cleansing ability. It’s also known for its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, which are great for fighting any infection on the baby’s scalp and helps reduce itching. It can also be an excellent remedy for treating cradle cap, which is common in babies. Make sure to dilute it properly and do a patch test before trying it on their sensitive scalp. Don’t use it on infants below the age of 3 months. Using this essential oil diluted with baby shampoo can also help increase hair growth in babies.
Essential oils like tea tree oil are famous for their benefits and also in helping to treat various skin conditions.
For this reason, many tea tree oil products are sold in the market already containing a few drops of extract, from skincare products to things such as tea tree shampoo, which already has this oil.
Adults can easily use products with tea tree oil in them, but it can be a thing to watch out for babies.
Their skin is sensitive, and they’re more prone to a severe allergic reaction if this oil doesn’t suit them.
On the other hand, tea tree oil mixed in baby shampoo can be beneficial for your precious little angel for several reasons, and it can even help treat issues they’re suffering from.
Tea tree oil in baby shampoo for cradle cap
When deciding to use it on your baby’s scalp, it has numerous benefits, but you’ve to be careful at the same time.
Tea tree oil is supposed to help treat many hair and scalp issues and conditions such as dandruff and hair loss.
For babies, it’s supposed to help treat dandruff which is sometimes caused by seborrheic dermatitis.
Popularly known as a cradle cap, it’s like a thick layer or chunks of dandruff on the baby’s scalp, which can be treated using this oil.
Though it should be gone on its own, there exist several treatment options amongst which tea tree oil is also helpful.
Oil such as tea tree is an herbal medicine that contains the essence of the leaves from the Melaleuca alternifolia plant.
It has anti-inflammatory properties, which are good for soothing the scalp and can help fight cradle cap caused by yeast.
Cradle cap is quite common in babies, but the exact cause is unknown.
Common in babies up to 3 months old, it can linger on for a year but usually goes away on its own as the baby grows up.
It can worsen and even concentrate behind the ears, affecting skin under the eyebrows or on the nose, armpits, or groin.
Tea tree oil works as a remedy to help get rid of this dandruff build-up. But it’s not scientifically proven and isn’t necessarily safe.
Other benefits of tea tree oil in baby shampoo
This oil in baby shampoo serves other benefits for the baby’s scalp. Its antimicrobial properties make it a great cleaning agent for the scalp and help fight bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Your baby’s scalp is even more sensitive, so they might develop skin conditions if you don’t clean them often.
Even minor fungal infections can cause itching and dandruff. This can make your baby cry all day long, and you wouldn’t know what’s troubling them.
Try looking for a tea tree oil shampoo for your baby and if not available then you can make it yourself.
Using tea tree oil in baby shampoo
Though beneficial, there’s a proper way to use any essential oil to ensure it works right and doesn’t harm your baby’s scalp.
To use it in the baby’s shampoo, you should only add a few drops of tea tree oil to the shampoo since it’s in concentrated form.
When used directly, it can be harmful to the sensitive scalp. Always make sure you’re using diluted baby shampoo.
Even if not using diluted baby shampoo, make sure to use a carrier oil such as coconut, almond oil, or olive oil, and then apply it to the scalp.
For babies below the age of 3 months, make sure to not use this oil in any way, but even if you wish to do so, the right amount to be added is necessary.
For babies older than 3 months of age, the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) recommends a safe dilution ratio of .5 to 1 percent compared to 2.5 to 20 percent dilution for adults.
The essential oil can cause skin irritation and sun sensitivity even when diluted.
So a patch test is vital to perform on the skin before applying a generous amount of shampoo mixed with tea tree on your baby’s scalp.
Performing patch test
After mixing the right amount of this essential oil in the shampoo, you need to perform the patch test by using it on a small spot to see if it reacts.
Use a small amount of shampoo and apply it on the arm or leg or your baby’s skin and wait for a day or two to see if there’s any reaction.
Don’t use this mixture further if you see the skin turning red or getting inflamed, or even painful to touch.
Baby skin could be sensitive to this essential oil, so don’t use it further.
FAQs
Can you put tree tea oil in a child’s bath?
Tea tree oil has numerous benefits and can be used to treat different skin conditions which are bacterial or fungal in nature.
Mixing it in the bath for your child could be helpful as it works as an antibacterial agent and helps clean.
But it might also cause the skin to get drier, so you should watch out for this, especially if your child is currently suffering from dry skin or conditions causing it to get extremely dry.
Can you put tea tree oil on the baby’s scalp?
Any kind of essential oil to be diffused near the baby can be harmful because of the strong smell they leave behind, and this can be incredibly suffocating to the babies under 6 months of age.
If you wish to use any essential to diffuse, then do it when your baby is older, and the diffuser should be away from them, so they don’t get overwhelmed by the smell.
Try using only a couple of drops and not more than that.
How long can tea tree oil stay on the scalp?
When using essential oil mixed with shampoo on your baby’s scalp, first confirm if this is suitable for baby’s skin by doing a patch test.
If the patch test succeeds, you can move forward and apply the mixture to their scalp.
Don’t leave it on for too long and gently massage the shampoo for a minute, then rinse thoroughly.
Their scalp is still sensitive, so it doesn’t require thorough cleaning. Don’t use tea tree oil on babies below age 3 months.
Can tea tree oil relieve itching?
Tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory properties that help in reducing itching.
If the baby’s scalp is itchy, this essential oil can be diluted by mixing it with a carrier oil or baby shampoo and used to treat the itchy scalp.
You have to make sure your baby isn’t allergic to it by first performing a patch test, and if they aren’t allergic, you can safely use it.
Does tea tree oil help strengthen the baby’s hair growth?
Tea tree oil has many benefits, from being a powerful cleaner to having antibacterial properties.
It also helps strengthen hair growth by unplugging hair follicles and increasing hair growth.
Don’t use this essential oil directly on the baby’s scalp but use it by diluting in a carrier oil or in baby shampoo.
There’s no scientific theory that this essential oil helps in a baby’s hair growth, but you can try to see if it works for your baby.
To summarise
The baby shampoo you use to cleanse your baby’s scalp is made with special care to not irritate the sensitive skin and is suitable for the delicate scalp.
But you can use tea tree oil by adding it to your baby’s shampoo for various reasons. It can help treat the itchy scalp or a scalp suffering from cradle cap, which is common in babies.
There’s no scientific proof that it works, and you’ve to do a patch test first to ensure your baby isn’t allergic to it. It can even help strengthen the hair and allow it to grow longer.
Make sure you’re diluting it correctly.
Look out for a tea tree oil shampoo on the market for babies, but if there’s, make sure it’s safe to use, and it’s better to depend on such shampoos than making it yourself.
