When Shay Mitchell—actress, entrepreneur and founder of travel brand Béis—announced the launch of Rini, a Korean beauty-inspired skincare line for children as young as three, the internet collectively lost its mind. But is it really as bad as people are making it out to seem?
Shay Mitchell’s new skincare line for kids, Rini, was met with swift and fierce backlash: “dystopian”, “insane”, “let them be kids ffs”, critics cried across social media. One would think Mitchell had proposed opening a Botox clinic for toddlers rather than launching a line of gentle hydrogel masks packaged in puppy, unicorn and panda designs.
I’ll admit, when I first saw the announcement, I raised an eyebrow. Another celebrity beauty brand? For children? But before we rush to condemn Mitchell—best known for her role in Pretty Little Liars—perhaps we ought to actually examine what Rini is and, more importantly, what it isn’t.
The brand, co-founded with Mitchell’s close friend Esther Song, emerged from a decidedly unglamorous parenting moment: attempting to remove stubborn purple face paint from Song’s daughter’s face after a dance camp, armed with nothing but water and paper towels. The inaugural collection consists of three products—a hydrating hydrogel mask with vitamin B12, an after-sun aloe vera mask with vitamin E and everyday sheet masks featuring those aforementioned adorable animal designs. All are dermatologist-tested, free from harsh actives and formulated specifically for children’s delicate skin.
Here’s where I’m going to wade into controversial waters: I don’t actually see the problem.
As someone with a three-and-a-half-year-old niece who is, for all intents and purposes, like my own child, I’ve witnessed firsthand the mimicry that defines this age. Children are tiny mirrors, reflecting everything we do—whether we’re applying lipstick, typing on laptops, or yes, smoothing on a sheet mask. My niece has “borrowed” my sunglasses more times than I can count and has developed a fascinating fixation with watching me apply moisturiser. Should I tell her to stop being curious? That beauty and self-care are adult territory, off-limits until some arbitrary age?
