Shay Mitchell and Esther Song just launched a new skincare line for kids, sparking conversations about the need for baby-friendly products.
On November 6, the duo launched their new brand Rini. Rini's launch included “everyday” face masks in the shape of a puppy, unicorn or panda, a hydrating hydrogel face mask and an after-sun hydrogel face mask. The facial sheets contain ingredients like vitamin E, vitamin B12 and aloe vera.
Mitchell and Song say the products are designed to “foster healthy habits, inspire confidence and make thoughtfully designed daily care essentials and play products accessible to every family.”
But the launch was met with some backlash online, with some arguing the products were unnecessary for children's skin and projected beauty standards onto children.
TODAY.com has reached out to Mitchell's representatives for comment.
Dermatologist Dr. Fatima Fahs told TODAY.com, “Children don't really need to use any of these ingredients.”
Fahs, board-certified dermatologist and founder of the practice. Dermi-Doctoral Institute, says children's skin is usually balanced on its own and “not problematic.”
“If we're already potentially promoting the idea that children's skin needs fixing, then we're potentially highlighting imperfections in children at a very young age… It's kind of blurring the boundaries of self-care and promoting the idea that their skin isn't perfect yet,” Fahs says.
What is Rini?
Shay Mitchell first teased her new company Rini on Instagram November 5, posting a photo of a child wearing a mask. The next day the company officially launched its operations.
“It went on for three years, inspired by my girls, their curiosity and all the little moments that made me realize how early everything starts. From birthday parties and face painting to wanting to do what mom does with her face masks… it was only a matter of time.” – Mitchell wrote on Instagram.
Mitchell explained that she and her close friend and business partner Song came up with the idea for the aloe vera restorative mask after seeing Song's daughter's skin after a day in the sun.
“I wanted something that worked but was also clean enough for my kids, and now it's finally here,” said Mitchell, mom to 6-year-old Atlas and 3-year-old Rome. “Children are naturally curious, and instead of ignoring it, we can embrace it. With safe, gentle products parents can trust, and sweet moments that bring us together.”
On Rini's websiteThey added that they “created Rini because we wanted products that were gentle, trustworthy and inspired creativity.”
A press release In conjunction with the launch, the company said the formulas were developed in collaboration with baby chemists and laboratories in South Korea, and the brand's “proprietary formulas reflect the 'brand promise' of transparency, safety and quality to redefine the game of Small Faces with Big Imaginations.”
Why did Rini cause backlash?
Even before the company's official launch on November 6, Rini and the image of a young girl wearing a mask sparked controversy.
“This goes beyond GRIM” one person commented in the November 5 post.
“I am deeply disappointed. Why are we now projecting beauty standards onto children,” wrote another.
Other commenters expressed concern about the marketing of skin care products to young children.
“Their skin needs recovery from what?” said one Instagram user.
“The only facial product a child needs is sunscreen, that’s crazy!” another added.
“I'm genuinely concerned about this. Babies don't need hydrogel masks or actives. Their skin barrier is already healthy and still developing. This type of 'early skin care' marketing really blurs the line between care and consumerism. Do better,” wrote a third.
Reps for Mitchell had not responded to TODAY.com's request for comment by press time.
Do children need skin care products? We asked a dermatologist
There is a list on Rini's website ingredients presented in baby skin care products. After-sun face mask includes aloe vera and chamomile; moisturizing mask contains vitamin B12, glycerin and red algae extract; and the “every day” mask contains vitamin E, tremella porcini mushroom and beta-glucan.
Fahs says baby skin “needs very simple things.” Children's skin barriers are “already very healthy and resilient,” she adds.
Aloe vera is a soothing ingredient that can be used after sun exposure, she says. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps maintain the skin barrier, although she says it's not needed topically.
Likewise, Fahs says that vitamin B12 “does not necessarily have any local effect on the skin.”
“It can reduce inflammation overall, but most children get vitamin B12 from their regular diet, so it doesn't necessarily need to be applied to the skin,” Fas says.
Rini was “created for growing faces…to hydrate, soothe and restore” and is intended for children ages 3 and up, according to the company. Brand product pages.
Fahs advises parents to consider introducing a skin care regimen as soon as their children begin to show signs of puberty in their preteen years.
At this stage, children may notice an increase in oily skin or “small bumps on the skin towards the end of the day.” Typically, this change can occur between ages 8 and 13, with 8 being an earlier age, Fas says.
“Incorporating a gentle cleanser, gentle moisturizer, and broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 is a great routine to encourage,” says Fas. “If I see patients in the office starting to show these changes, the very first habit I'll try to instill in them is simply washing their face with a gentle cleanser every day. Sometimes that's all they need.”
Overall, Fahs says she's seeing more marketing aimed at children, “whether it's intentional or not,” and is seeing kids coming into her clinic “with more reactive skin barriers now or with problems they didn't have before starting the routine.”
“While I'm all about healthy living and building habits, especially in children, this almost takes it to the next level where it becomes harmful,” she says.
Fahs says baby skin “doesn't look like a smaller version of adult skin.” Rather, it is already “naturally balanced.”
“Kids don't need those seven steps or those complicated foods,” Fahs says. “If you really want to instill some healthy habits in your kids, then the number one thing should be to simply encourage them to put on sunscreen every day before going outside to play.”
She adds, “A lot of this is disguised as the idea of self-care, but I think self-care for kids encourages them to go outside and play or be with friends rather than standing in front of a mirror or putting on a cloth mask.”
