I use this gentle baby balm to ease my toddler's skin irritation when her eczema flares up

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• Pipette Baby Balm is the most effective and nonirritating lotion alternative I've found that diminishes my daughter's eczema.
• Launched in September 2019, Pipette makes bath and moisturizing products for mom and baby.
• Their formulas are hypoallergenic and Environmental Working Group (EWG) Verified.

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I've been on the hunt for an effective environmentally friendly, unscented baby moisturizer since I was pregnant.

That was four years ago.

Yeah, it's been a journey. So you'll understand why a seemingly simple tub of Pipette Baby Balm has me as hyped up as a kid at "Baby Shark Live."

Two weeks and 22 uses since purchase, I think I may finally be able to toss out the graveyard of half-used lotions and balms taking up space in my bathroom cabinet.

I tried Pipette on a lark thanks to a 20% off coupon. The brand, which launched in September 2019, makes moisturizers and bath products for babies and moms.

Although my daughter is a toddler now, I still gravitate toward baby products because they tend to have fewer ingredients and lighter scents. It's also a consideration for my work as a postpartum doula. New families are always in need of reliable, baby-safe products that aren't a waste of money.

What makes Pipette stand out?

While cruelty-free, vegan, and unscented were the initial draw for me, I will admit that I am a sucker for minimalist packaging, and Pipette's sedate, slightly retro, mint-and-navy blue combo definitely caught my eye.

The design is as clean and simple as its ingredients. The packaging is recyclable, and according to the brand's website, renewable plastics are used "whenever possible." Although that iffy language is underwhelming, the company does not test on animals and features only plant-derived ingredients.

On top of that, all of their products carry the Environmental Working Group's EWG Verified guarantee that they do not contain potentially harmful ingredients.

Ingredients

When it comes to babies, less is definitely more. A main selling point of this brand is that it does not contain fillers or synthetics.

Pipette relies on sugarcane-derived "squalane," which is intended to mimic our body's own squalene (with an "e"), a skin-moisturizing lipid we naturally produce. To that, it adds plant-derived fatty acids, berry wax, a few fruit/plant-based binders and moisturizers, and vitamin E.

What it does not contain may be more newsworthy: no petrolatum, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, oxybenzone, talc, polyethylene glycol, formaldehyde, or retinyl palmitate. Although these ingredients are commonly found in beauty and bath products, they are arguably irritants, potential carcinogens, allergens, and/or hormone disruptors.

Putting the Baby Balm to the test

Once fall hits, dryness is a given. And as the chilly New England temperatures drop further, my household is up against something even worse: eczema. It manifests as small red and raised patches that drive my daughter crazy with itching. Unrefined extra-virgin coconut oil has been my fallback since she was an infant, but it is messy and takes time to absorb.

Other nonsynthetic products didn't work for us, for various combinations of lackluster moisture, allergenic ingredients, or not-quite-right scents. Everyone for Everybody is a terrific synthetic-free brand, but it's extremely lightweight. I even plunked down $35 to try a jar of Pommade Divine Nature's Remedy Balm, but its medicinal scent and greasy after-life doomed it to the back of the drawer almost instantly.

That brings us to Pipette. I decided to test the balm by finger-painting a thin coat on my daughter's face post-bath, as well as the crooks of her elbows and several other targeted spots. Once our mornings hit below freezing, I repeated a quick swipe on her cheeks before heading out to daycare. In three days, her cheeks went from a patchwork of bright red blotches to a few faint rosy marks. Nothing else has done that as fast or as effectively.

The bottom line

So, should you buy it? Yes. Particularly if you are interested in vegan products without synthetic ingredients, are sensitive to perfumed baby lotions, or need a quality baby moisturizer suitable for fall and winter.

There are literally thousands of options there. I am recommending this as a replacement for baby's daily lotion and as a spot fix for patches of extra-dry skin. Depending on your needs, other products may be better for your baby. If cradle cap is a concern, I recommend unrefined extra virgin coconut oil. If diaper rash is cropping up, there is nothing better than Boudreaux's Butt Paste in my experience.

If you love fragrant "baby-smelling" things, this probably won't hit the mark for you. Though it's marketed as "unscented," the balm smells a bit like linseed oil. Or, if you ask my toddler, it "smells like unicorn syrup!!!"

I've read some reviews that say the balm felt greasy or didn't absorb. That was not my experience. In fact, I felt it was the opposite. At $13 for 2 ounces, Pipette is pricier than many store-bought options. However, it's less expensive than upscale balms and lotions targeting consumers who want products free of synthetics and potentially harmful ingredients.

You can purchase Pipette Baby Balm on its own or as part of a bundled gift pack. I purchased the Moisturizing Bath Set ($30). (The Baby Lotion is great so far, but its scent is more medicinal than the Balm).

Pros: Plant-derived ingredients; no perfumes or synthetic fragrance; moisturizing, absorbent, and non-greasy

Cons: More expensive than mainstream store-bought alternatives