A lovely new line of natural baby and pregnancy skincare: Dear Baby

When you are pregnant or have a new baby, you are suddenly super aware of all the ingredients in everything you put in and on your body. Decoding labels can be a chore and while we're all for splurging when it counts, it's even nicer when we can find affordable, natural, safer options. So hooray for Dear Baby, a handcrafted line of all-natural baby and pregnancy skincare products that makes it easy to treat yourself -- and your baby -- while protecting all that extra-sensitive, precious skin. Dear Baby was founded by mom Kate Ansari after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer during her pregnancy-- and she is doing great now!  However her situation gave her a new perspective on the ingredients in skincare products, so she and her sister put their heads together to form this lovely all-natural skincare line all made in small batches, and completely free of parabens, dyes, artificial fragrances, and preservatives. Lemons out of lemonade indeed. I love the diverse selection of products all made with ingredients I can actually understand. And the cute names and fun packaging are a plus, especially if you're thinking baby shower gifts. While you can buy most of their fabulous items individually, be sure to check out gifts sets with themes like All-Natural Home Remedies and New Mama Essentials, which could be the pick-me-up any new mom needs in those first weeks at home, with the help of stretch mark oil, caffeinated cellulite scrub, Vitamin C cleanser and a soap-free oil facial cleanser. If you are shopping for yourself, the stand-alone item that got my attention is the the Vodka Facial Toner. Just know all that vitamin C, grapefruit and lime is good for your complexion; not so much for postpartum playdates. But don't worry, the vodka is safe for pregnant skin too. And if you're wary of using mineral oil as baby oil, check out the natural Calming Baby Massage Oil with just two ingredients: avocado oil, and bitter almond essential oil from apricot kernels. Reassuring, right? As you can tell, the products and packaging definitely have a handmade feel to them which I like, but they don't look fancy. And know that while it's all very charming, it isn't like the stuff in drugstores with sealed, plastic-wrapped lids. So a word to the wise: be careful when opening your products. Even so, I just really dig this company Not just because the products work so nicely, but since I have my own strong bond with my sister I just love knowing the heart and soul behind Dear Baby's operation. I'm sending my best to this family to keep on with their health, mission and success. Shop and support the great Dear Baby at their Etsy shop or look for them at Whole Foods and boutiques around the country. You can also order product samples for just $2 which is a good way to try before buying the whole line.  Thanks to the company for sending some samples for review.