Topline
Shay Mitchell, an actress best known for starring in “Pretty Little Liars,” is facing criticism online after launching Rini, a skincare company whose products are marketed toward children ages three and up, with some critics accusing the brand of selling self-image issues to kids.
Actress Shay Mitchell launched Rini, a skincare line for children, over the weekend. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Mitchell announced the launch of Rini in a series of posts over the weekend on Instagram, where she has 35 million followers, which included various pictures of children trying on face masks, some of which included animal designs.
Rini also launched its own Instagram account, and as with Mitchell’s posts, hundreds of commenters weighed in voicing concerns about the brand marketing its products to children.
In one post, Mitchell clarified her intent in starting the company was not about beauty standards but is instead about “teaching our kids that taking care of themselves can be fun, gentle, and safe,” stating the company was inspired by her children being curious about her own skincare practices.
Rini currently only sells a line of face masks, some of which contain aloe vera, which Mitchell said on Instagram was inspired by her daughter getting sunburned while on a trip.
Forbes has reached out to Rini for comment.
What Is Rini?
Mitchell co-founded Rini with friends Esther Song and Matte Babel, and the brand takes its name from a Korean word for “children.” The products are developed in South Korea, and Rini says its products were crafted in consultation with “leading pediatric chemists,” clinically tested in the United States and approved by dermatologists. Mitchell told Elle she was inspired to found the company because her children “would always see me with [masks on], especially when getting prepared for any makeup to follow. They would just come into the bathroom and look at me in the mirror and be like, ‘Can I use that? What’s that?’” The company currently sells single face masks for $5.99 or $6.99, with packs of three and five—both of which are sold out—selling for $16 and $29, respectively. The product descriptions for the masks, which include aloe vera, vitamin E and vitamin B12 versions, say they were “created for growing faces (ages 3+) to hydrate, soothe and recover.” Mitchell told Elle the company may release additional products in the future, though a timeline isn’t clear.
Chief Critics
Mitchell’s announcement of Rini’s launch sparked fiercely critical reactions on Instagram. “I struggle to find the right words to articulate how disappointing and dystopian this is,” the most-liked comment under her Rini announcement says. The comment, liked nearly 10,000 times, was posted by Sarah Adams, who has 300,000 followers on TikTok and leads Kids Are Not Content, an organization advocating for children’s safety and privacy online. Infant sleep consultant and author Rosey Davidson, who has 364,000 Instagram followers, commented: “Horrified.” Bella Davis, a body positivity and lifestyle content creator with more than 266,000 followers, compared the societal emphasis on “perfect skin” to “diet culture” in a comment. Amelia Alexander, a skincare content creator with 70,000 Instagram followers, said she is “genuinely concerned” in a comment on Rini’s Instagram, stating she does not believe children need skincare products and that the company “really blurs the line between care and consumerism.”
What Do Dermatologists Say About Children’s Skincare?
Some experts are critical of skincare products marketed toward children. Pediatric dermatologist Tess McPherson previously told the BBC skincare products for children “are sold as empowerment” but are actually “playing on vulnerabilities,” noting products for kids are often sold in bright and colorful packaging. Dermatologists from the University of California, Los Angeles said the most important part of a child’s skin regimen is sunscreen, and that middle school-aged kids can also use a gentle skin cleanser and moisturizer. The UCLA dermatologists urged children to stay away from potentially harmful ingredients like retinoids and salicylic acid, though Rini’s products do not contain these ingredients.
Surprising Fact
A California lawmaker introduced a bill in the state assembly earlier this year that would ban the sale of skincare products containing vitamin A or an alpha hydroxy acid to customers under 18. “Children who are 10 years old, 12 years old, shouldn’t have to worry about wrinkles,” Democratic assemblymember Alex Lee told the Los Angeles Times, criticizing the skincare industry for “willingly profiting off this trend.” Some of Rini’s products include citric acid, which is an alpha hydroxy acid and would be covered under the bill.
Key Background
Children’s skincare has sparked controversy in recent years as kids discover these products on TikTok and other social media. In 2023, TikTok was flooded with videos of the viral Drunk Elephant skincare products, which reportedly became a holiday wish list staple for children as young as eight. Tiffany Masterson, founder of Drunk Elephant, urged children to stay away from products that contain acids and retinols in a post on Instagram in December 2023, stating “their skin does not need these ingredients quite yet.” Some reports have described a growing phenomenon of “Sephora kids,” children who flock to makeup stores to buy skincare products and use the free tester products on the shelves, sometimes with disruptive behavior.
Further Reading
Inside the Tween Obsession With Drunk Elephant Skin Care (Glamour)