When your child has eczema, nightly wake-ups and fussing due to itching and scratching can become a stressful routine. The solution is usually an eczema cream, and Aveeno Baby Eczema Care Nighttime Balm is a great option to try at night. Made with colloidal oatmeal, it’s designed to moisturize and soothe itchy and inflamed skin overnight, so your little one (and you) can get a good night’s sleep. Plus, it’s free of fragrance—a common irritant—and parabens, which parents often worry about.

To see if this balm would live up to its claims, we gave samples to families with kids who have eczema to put it to the test. Parents were happy with how quickly their child’s eczema improved after regular use of this balm. After applying the Aveeno Baby Eczema Care Nighttime Balm, parents said their child’s skin immediately felt softer, and they said it alleviated dryness and itching. After a couple days of regular use, the eczema-affected skin was noticeably less inflamed and irritated.

In our lab, we assessed application and skin feel by applying a dime-sized dollop of each cream to our skin. Aveeno Baby Eczema Care Nighttime Balm feels thick upon application, but it absorbs quickly and evenly, leaving skin silky smooth without any greasy residue. (An hour after application, skin still felt impressively soft and hydrated.) Parents agreed that it’s easy to apply this thick, creamy balm without tugging on their kid’s already-irritated skin. While one mom found there was a slight residue on her child’s skin in the morning, most parents found the balm left skin soft and residue-free. Overall, parents unanimously agreed this cream did a good job of soothing their child’s eczema, and all of our testers said the Aveeno Baby Eczema Care Nighttime Balm was better than other eczema creams they had tried in the past.

The Aveeno Baby Eczema Care Nighttime Balm comes in a large, recyclable plastic tub with a lid that easily screws on and off. Virtually impossible to spill, the tub has a wide opening that makes it super easy to dip your fingers in, and the balm’s thick consistency makes it a snap to scoop up just what you need—no product waste here. The only drawback of the tub-style container is that each time fingers are dipped into the container, there’s the possibility of bacteria being introduced, so make sure you wash your hands before each application. Speaking of washing your hands, this balm can leave your hands feeling a little greasy immediately after application, but our parent testers said it easily washed off with soap and water.

While the Aveeno Baby Eczema Care Nighttime Balm’s price tag is on the higher end of the price spectrum, you get a lot of product in one container and our testers found that a little bit goes a long way. One mom told us that even after weeks of regular use, she felt like she hadn’t used much of the balm. At the end of the day, parents agreed that the effectiveness and soothing properties of this cream added to its value, and one parent said it’s a small price to pay for her child’s comfort.

Final Word

Our editors were impressed with how easily Aveeno Baby Eczema Care Nighttime Balm applies and how quickly it softens skin. Most importantly, with regular use, this balm helped soothe and heal our little testers’ eczema. Parents were satisfied with how quickly they saw improvement, and they all described the ease of use and quality of this balm as good or very good. Given how effective they found this eczema product, it was no surprise that they unanimously felt it worthy of the Today’s Parent Approved seal, and we couldn’t agree more. A bedtime balm that relieves discomfort and lets little ones sleep the whole night through? Truly what dreams are made of.