Formulated by a mother and physician, My Petite Coco is a skincare collection designed specifically for a baby’s delicate skin. As a parent, founder and owner, Dr. Erica Weste struggled to find skincare for her daughter that would be effective in treating her dry skin while still being gentle. In the end, she created her own and My Petite Coco was born. We spoke with Dr. Erica Weste to learn more about her Toronto-based business.
What is your business called and what does it do?
My Petite Coco is Canada’s only complete baby skincare collection, founded and formulated by a physician mom. With a commitment to using premium ingredients, our soothing formulas provide the ultimate care and protection for a baby’s delicate skin.
What made you want to do this work?
Before my daughter was born in 2023, I anticipated, based on genetics, that she would likely have sensitive and dry skin. I searched quite a bit for gentle, effective skincare I could fully trust using on her, and when I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for, I made it myself, for her, and now for every parent who wants the same peace of mind.
What problem did you want to solve with your business?
I wanted to solve the struggle of finding gentle, effective baby skincare that parents can trust from day one. As a physician with over a decade of experience caring for babies, I noticed a gap—most products didn’t fully consider the unique needs of all babies, especially in a beautifully diverse country like Canada. I also felt it was essential to support claims like “hypoallergenic” and “non-irritating” with independent clinical testing, so parents can feel confident in the safety and science behind every product.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
My Petite Coco mainly appeals to the thoughtful, modern parent—often a mom—who is pregnant or navigating the early months of parenthood. She looks for baby skincare that’s clean, gentle, and backed by science, formulated with care for sensitive, delicate skin.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
We are mainly a direct-to-consumer brand, with most sales made through our online store. We also partner with select brick-and-mortar retailers across Canada to make our products more accessible to parents who prefer to shop in person.
Where in the city can we find your profession?
You can find us at select brick-and-mortar retailers, all listed on our website.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
I have a two-in-one question that I believe every parent should ask when choosing skincare for their little ones: “How are your products formulated, and what kind of testing or certifications support your claims?” Every My Petite Coco product is an original formulation—created by me, a physician mom, with a deep understanding of newborn skin. We don’t use stock or white-label formulas. Instead, each product is carefully crafted to be both gentle and effective, using clean, extensively researched ingredients. To ensure our claims are more than just marketing, we’ve partnered with a third-party lab to clinically test every formula. Our products are dermatologist-tested, paediatrician-approved, and validated to be hypoallergenic and non-irritating, so parents can feel confident using them from day one. To top it off, our collection is certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny, as we do not believe in animal testing of any kind.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part about founding a baby skincare brand is bringing together the best of nature and science to create products that provide the ultimate care for a baby’s delicate skin. As a physician, I’ve seen how distressing and frustrating irritated skin can be—for babies and parents alike—so creating something that brings both relief and peace of mind feels incredibly meaningful. That said, if you ask my daughter, she’d probably say it’s the nightly massages with her Baby Cream before bedtime! I wouldn’t say there is a “worst” part, but the most challenging aspect is being the one who oversees every detail, from product development to logistics. Thankfully, being a physician has trained me well to multitask and lead under pressure.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
That I went through medical school, residency, and several years of clinical experience—just to end up obsessing over the texture of baby balm and the pH of baby shampoo!
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
Garden’s Path Floral Design. They are located in the east-end neighbourhood of Leslieville and create some of the most beautiful, colourful floral arrangements that always bring a smile to my face.
