Scalp eczema has always been tricky for us and an area that we’ve struggled with since our son was born.

First and foremost, as we always say, it’s important to find a dermatologist you trust, and one that will work with you to develop an eczema treatment plan that works.

While we are firm believers in our dermatologist’s recommendations and suggested treatments, if we can find natural ways to change our routine and environment to soothe the eczema, we want to share that with you.

With that mindset, here are our top natural treatments to help with eczema on infant scalp.

Our top five suggestions for eczema scalp home remedies

1. The Best Eczema Scalp Shampoo We’ve Tried

Our current favorite eczema scalp shampoo is an all-natural one called Hope’s Relief Itchy Flaky Scalp Shampoo.

We never heard of Hope’s Relief before trying the shampoo, so I was skeptical at first.

But further research taught me that Hope’s Relief is a brand based in Australia and their products have won numerous worldwide awards.

The key active ingredients in Hope’s Relief Itchy Flaky Scalp Shampoo are:

• manuka honey
• aloe vera
• licorice root
• calendula

With the shampoo, we’ve needed to use less and less of any steroid cream and medication.

We find that this shampoo soothes our son’s scalp immediately and most effectively compared to other eczema scalp shampoos we’ve tried, including brands like Oilatum, Mustela, Aveeno, and even prescription shampoos.

It’s the only shampoo where after we’ve used it, our son isn’t still scratching at his head immediately. It hasn’t fully gotten rid of his eczema, but it calms the area down a lot.

After the shampoo, we pair it with the Hope’s Relief Scalp + Hair Conditioner, which we leave on for 2-3 minutes before rinsing off.

2. The Most Significant Lifestyle Choice We’ve Made for Eczema on the Scalp

One of the most impactful choices we made to help our son’s eczema on his scalp is to keep his hair short.

Since he was 18-months old, we’ve been buzzing it down to a size-2 clipper guard.

Most importantly, eczema scalp treatments like applying an eczema scalp shampoo or ointments on his head is much easier and cleaner. We can see exactly where the eczema on his scalp is without all the hair in the way.

I confess we would probably think twice if we had a daughter instead because hair style is a personal choice. But this has been one of the best decisions we have made for managing eczema on his scalp.

He loves it short because it makes his scalp more comfortable. And he actually asks us to buzz it when it starts growing out.

We prefer to cut his hair at home because it’s less stressful and he’s in a familiar environment.

I have to admit, it was nerve wrecking at first. Having the right equipment makes it a breeze though, and now the entire process takes 10 minutes.

The most important tool you can use is a cordless hair clipper designed for kids that is quiet. A low humming buzzer makes it not intimidating.

A cute hair cutting cape for kids is also equally important to make it fun. His neck was too small at first, so we just planned hair cuts right before the bath.

The shorter hair also helps keep our son’s head cooler when he’s active because heat can dissipate more effectively.

3. Itch Relief Home Remedies for Eczema Scalp

When our son needs immediate itch relief, we rely on simple eczema scalp home remedies localized to cooling his head.

• Standing in front of a window
• Bathing
• A fan
• Cooling Gel Packs
• Aloe Itch Relief Spray

Quick baths or showers are super helpful to cool off the head and body. We do limit this to just two times a day with short ten-minute sessions (including his normal bath) so as to not dry out his skin.

We have set up a bladeless fan on the floor that he can access so that he can just turn it on and sit there whenever he wants. The fan is positioned to blow right onto his head.

Additionally, we bought cute cool pack gels in animal shapes that we leave on a low-level shelf in the fridge and freezer. When he’s itchy, we tell him to run over and grab one to apply to his head.

Another home remedy for eczema scalp we’ve tried is itch relief aloe spray. It’s sort of hit or miss in terms of providing itch relief. You can start with trying a regular spray bottle filled with cold water though. And if your baby can tolerate the spray sensation, then try an aloe spray.

During the winter, during an itchy sessions, we’ll take our son to the patio and have him stand in the doorway for a minute to get cooled off. For his scalp eczema in particular, we’ll just pop open a window and have him stick his head out it to let the cool air blow on to it. Beyond the cooling effect, it usually also provides a nice distraction, which takes his mind off the itch.

4. Avoiding Dry Air to Help Manage Scalp Eczema

The dry air during the winter months is a significant problem for us. The air is naturally dry and even more so when we have the radiators on to provide heating.

All this dryness is not conducive for eczema-prone skin on the scalp or body. Our son often ends up with a dry head that is ripe for scratching.

To counteract this, we constantly run humidifiers. We leave one in the living room where he spends the most time, and one in the bedroom.

We picked humidifiers that are easy to clean, and use a UV light to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria, mold, fungus, and virus in the unit’s water.

We love this Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier so much, that after buying one and trying it, we then imported a second one from the USA (unfortunately, it’s not widely available in the UK).

It does add to our monthly bill, but when we put it in the perspective of our family’s health and daily cost of less than $1, it’s more than worth it.

As an aside, we rarely have the radiators on; our apartment manages to naturally stay around the 68 F / 20 C temperature range and we’ll just way more layers if we feel cold.

5. We Wear Only Cotton Hats for Eczema Infant Scalp

During the winter months, our son wears hats and beanies made from 100% organic cotton only. Cotton is a soft natural fiber and also breathable.

It might not be the warmest on its own, so on colder days, we’ll just layer him up with a cotton beanie and then a hoodie or one beanie over another (which our son started doing on his own for fun!).

It gets harder to find 100% organic cotton beanies once your little one grows past the 12-month mark, but Maxomorra is our tried and trusted favorite brand. You can find Maxomorra 100% organic cotton beanies on Amazon, and in our honest opinion, are 100% worth the extra price.

The quality is consistent and excellent, but just as importantly, they come in a lot of fun colors and patterns so that our son wants to wear it.