Shay Mitchell's new skincare brand for children sparks controversy
Skincare brand Rini offers a collection of sheet masks designed for three-year-olds and up. (Rini)
When Shay Mitchell's daughter said she wanted to do "what mummy does", it sparked the idea behind Rini — a Korean-inspired skincare line for young children.
Co-founded by Mitchell, a well-known Canadian actor, and fellow entrepreneur Esther Song, the brand was announced on Instagram last week to Mitchell's 35 million followers.
"This has been three years in the making, inspired by my girls, their curiosity, and all the little moments that made me realise how early it starts," Mitchell wrote.
But the children's skincare line has become a talking point online and on social platforms, sparking a debate about how young is too young for children to use products such as face masks.
'Self-care' for children
Mitchell rose to prominence for her role as Emily Fields in the US mystery drama series Pretty Little Liars.
Since the show ended, she has taken on entrepreneurial ventures, including a travel brand and a sparkling tequila company.
The idea for Rini came after Mitchell "realised the products we wanted for our kids simply didn't exist", she said in a press release.
"It's about nurturing their imagination and confidence, while knowing we're choosing products made thoughtfully for their skin," Song added.
Mitchell said Rini, which meant "children" in Korean, was not about beauty but instead "self-care", and was advertised for children from three years old.
Rini founders Esther Song and Shay Mitchell with their kids. (Supplied: Rini)
The brand said it honoured "a shared Asian heritage", with Mitchell's Filipino origins and Song's Korean background.
"Rini embodies the philosophy of Korean beauty, re-imagining children's skin care and play through proven ingredients, and thoughtful formulations," the press release said.
The brand said it worked with "multiple paediatric chemists and laboratories in South Korea" to create its products.
Its initial launch, which only includes shipping to select international countries, contains five products, starting at $US5.99 ($9): hydrogel masks in hydrating or after-sun formulas, and "everyday" sheet masks in panda, unicorn and puppy designs.
According to its website, each mask is designed to "hydrate" kids after playtime or after being out in the sun.
The "Everyday Facial Sheet Mask" from Rini. (Supplied: Rini)
'Dystopian' or 'no problem'?
As the tiny masks hit the market, an online uproar ensued.
Mitchell's Instagram post was flooded with comments calling the move "dystopian" and "tone deaf".
"Just because they want to 'do what mummy does' doesn't mean they should," one user wrote.
"Please explain to me why literal toddlers need face masks and skin care and to be sitting in front of a makeup mirror looking at themselves?" another wrote.
While many expressed outrage, some said people were too quick to judge Mitchell.
Shay Mitchell says Rini "isn't about beauty" but instead, "self-care". (AP: Jordan Strauss/Invision)
"I don't see the problem with Shay Mitchell making the kids face masks. Little girls play in makeup and nail polish all the time. I don't see how skin care is any different," one user wrote on X.
Do children need masks?
The internet's response leaned heavily towards toddlers and children not needing specialty skincare.
But is there a genuine risk of harm?
University of Melbourne associate professor and dermatologist Laura Scardamaglia said the only "routine" children needed was regular protection from the sun.
"There is no need to commence this type of routine in a child's life," Dr Scardamaglia told the ABC.
"Regardless of testing, vegan or EU compliance, it is completely unnecessary and irrelevant to the health of a child's skin."
Dr Scardamaglia emphasised children with dry skin or eczema may require specific skincare products, but "only to address the underlying diagnosis and symptom".
"They would benefit from a regular, soap-free, fragrance-free moisturiser, of which there are many reputable and inexpensive ones already on the market and dermatologist-approved," she said.
'Safe on skin doesn't mean safe on minds'
When Scotland-based dermatologist Amy Perkins saw the launch, she "thought it was a joke".
"In my job, I deal with lots of children, some who have asked their parents for skin care," Dr Perkins told the ABC.
"And of course, that's what kids do. They ask for things that they're not allowed to have."
Amy Perkins says children "have a thinner skin barrier than adults" that is more likely to react to ingredients. (Supplied: Dr Amy Perkins)
However, as a parent, Dr Perkins said there was "a responsibility to say no" to these requests.
She also said products may be unsafe to use, even if — like Rini's — they had been clinically tested.
"Just because a product has been safety tested, if we're using it unnecessarily, then there is still a big risk," Dr Perkins said.
"Kids have a thinner skin barrier than adults do. So that means they're more likely to react to ingredients that might cause irritation."
Dr Perkins said even if the products were safe for children's skin, that did not mean it was safe for their minds.
"Early exposure to these beauty products can really be detrimental to long-term mental health and self-esteem,"she said.
Founders urge people to look beyond labels
Partners Sanam Dhillon and Gobi Kash, both medical doctors based on the Gold Coast, said labels such as "dermatologically tested" or "clinically proven" often sounded credible but lacked standardised definitions.
"In Australia, there's no official standard of what that actually means," Dr Dhillon told the ABC.
She referenced the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which did not have a fixed requirement for these labels.
Frustrated at the lack of specific skincare products for people of colour, Dr Dhillon and Dr Kash created their own brand, Rock Melan.
Gobi Kash and Sanam Dhillon founded skincare brand Rock Melan specifically for people of colour. (Supplied: Rock Melan)
Both doctors urged brands to be transparent about who their products were tested on, especially when marketed as suitable for young children.
While some brands conducted patch or sensitivity testing on adults, both doctors noted that products marketed for children or toddlers were generally not tested on those age groups due to ethical and regulatory restrictions.
The ABC asked Rini why the company's products were marketed as suitable for children aged three and up but did not get a response.
For their brand, which is specific to people of colour, Dr Kash said the "clinically proven" and "tested" labels raised their own "ethical dilemma".
"We could easily get a sensitivity study done and get those same labels, but would it actually reflect the people that will use our product?"he said.
"So we purposefully decided not to go down that pathway and to invest in a bit more time, money and effort into getting it done on people of colour."
Dr Dhillon said that while sheet masks could potentially be viewed as "a form of play", she said children's skin care "should not be focusing on the aesthetics of things".
Among the online uproar over Rini, some people raised a 2024 campaign from skincare company Kiehl's, saying it was "the right way" to market something for children.
A campaign from skincare brand Kiehl's in 2024. (Instagram: @kiehls)
"This is what being a child is about!" one user wrote.
"Not them sitting in front of a mirror applying skincare, even if it's with their parents."