As a person who covered in detail craze for skin care among children and teenagers Last year, I wanted to preface this story by agreeing with the critics' basic point. Of course, skin care for children is not mandatory. The question was never whether skin care is necessary, but rather whether kids interested in skin care can experiment with products responsibly and safely—and perhaps do so without parents having to spend $72 on Drunk Elephant moisturizer.
Children's interest in skin care and makeup is not a new behavior. Majority Glamor Employees recall receiving eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks as gifts from children's stores such as Claire's, or stealing a jar of face cream from their mother's medicine cabinet. Search “play makeup for kids” on Amazon and you'll get hundreds of results.
In an interview with ElleShay Mitchell cited similar experiences with her two daughters as inspiration for the brand. “My girls always saw me with [masks on]”They would just come into the bathroom, look at me in the mirror and ask, 'Can I use this?' What is it? I'll even pass them some deodorant—with a cap, of course—just so they feel like they can be part of my routine. I also want them to know that for me, skin care is about creating healthy habits and taking time for self-care is important.”
As a media psychologist Don Grant, Ph.D.previously told Glamorthis behavior is part of a long history of girls wanting to grow older.
“Forever in history, ever since girls were little, they were given what? Dolls,” he says. “What is a doll? A doll is supposed to be mom. We also know that little girls have always loved dressing up and they love playing with mommy's makeup. It's not new to try to grow up a little faster and test things out.”
“Play” is the key word here. My first reaction to Rini, even before I saw any backlash, was that it looked similar to the play makeup I used as a kid; the aforementioned Claire palettes, made from God knows what ingredients, which I happily smeared all over my face and body.
What's sorely missed in discussions about Rini is that it's a skincare game. The word “play” even appears twice in the brand's mission statement: “Rini is where skin care meets play, a world where kids can dream, transform and explore with dermatologist-tested products that parents trust,” Mitchell wrote along with co-founders Esther Song and Matte Babel. “Our mission is simple: promote healthy habits, inspire confidence and make thoughtfully designed daily care and play products accessible to every family.”
