Actress and entrepreneur Shay Mitchell, renowned for her roles in Pretty Little Liars, You (2018), and Dollface, has ignited a fierce debate in the beauty industry and medical community with the launch of Rini, a skincare brand specifically designed for children as young as three years old. The brand's debut has reignited conversations about the "Sephora Kids" phenomenon and raised critical questions about pediatric dermatological safety.
Co-founded by Mitchell alongside Esther Song and Matte Babel, Rini is a K-beauty-inspired skincare brand featuring hydrogel facial masks designed for children aged three and above. The product line launched on November 6, 2025, with initial offerings such as:
Hydrating hydrogel masks
After-sun recovery masks with aloe vera
Everyday sheet masks featuring animal designs (puppy, unicorn, and panda)
According to the brand, all products are dermatologist-tested, created in collaboration with pediatric chemists and laboratories in South Korea, and meet the requirements of EU Cosmetic Regulations.
Mitchell has defended the brand's mission, explaining that the inspiration came from observing her own daughters' curiosity about skincare. "The idea for rini came from real parenting moments, when we realized the products we wanted for our kids simply didn't exist," Mitchell stated, noting that children often play with products not formulated for their delicate skin, such as heavy makeup.
In her announcement, Mitchell emphasized: "Rini isn't about beauty, it's about self-care. About teaching our kids that taking care of themselves can be fun, gentle, and safe." She described how the aloe vera recovery mask was born from a family vacation when one of her daughters experienced sun exposure and needed "something that worked, but was still clean enough for my kids."
The brand's launch has sparked intense criticism on social media, with many commenters expressing concern about projecting beauty standards onto young children and questioning whether toddlers need facial masks at all. Critics have called the concept "grim," "dystopian," and "disappointing."
Social media responses have been particularly pointed. User @mom.uncharted expressed difficulty finding "the right words to articulate how disappointing and dystopian this is."
While @thesherrana questioned, "Are you trying to raise insecure girls? This is so gross."
Another user, @abi_x23x, referenced skincare expert James Welsh's critique, noting that promotional imagery "perfectly captures the prison young girls find themselves in having to compete with each other and care about their looks from a ridiculously young age," adding that a child wearing a face mask "looks like she's being smothered."
The Rini controversy cannot be understood in isolation, it exists within the broader context of the "Sephora Kids." It is a trend that emerged prominently in 2024. This phenomenon refers to the increase in number of of children, particularly tweens and teens, using makeup and skincare products marketed by beauty retailers such as Sephora.
Social media platforms, especially TikTok and Instagram, have documented what many describe as a "tween invasion" of Sephora and Ulta stores, with young consumers gravitating to these retailers for the same try-before-you-buy options that attract adult shoppers. In 2024, this trend led to widespread concerns about tweens purchasing products with ingredients too harsh for their skin, resulting in what became known as the "Sephora kids scandal."
A study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology by Bolen et al. specifically examined the dermatological safety concerns associated with the Sephora Kids phenomenon. The research analyzed four key ingredients commonly found in products marketed to children: retinol, exfoliating acids (AHA and BHA), and vitamin C, concluding that these ingredients have not been thoroughly tested in children and their safety and efficacy for young users remain largely unverified. 1
A study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics states that:
"Skin care regimens on TikTok are costly, infrequently include sunscreen, and often involve exposure to ingredients that carry a risk of irritation, allergic contact dermatitis, and sun sensitivity. They offer little to no benefit for the pediatric populations they are targeting."
The medical community's response to Rini has been swift and critical. Dr. Danny Guo, a double board-certified dermatologist in Canada and the United States with over 456,000 followers on social media, directly addressed the brand's marketing in a widely-viewed video response.
Responding to Rini's promotional tagline "Hydrating, gentle, kid-friendly, parent-approved," Dr. Guo stated: "Well, this parent does not approve. As a dermatologist and father of two kids, this is not okay. Why are we advertising face masks for kids now?"
Dr. Guo acknowledged that while hydrogel masks might be appropriate for some adults, "the right person is not this child." He emphasized that: "Most kids do not need more than a basic cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. That's it. Kids do not need serums or sheet masks."
His critique extended beyond dermatological concerns to the psychological impact: "All we are doing by going down this direction of marketing beauty trends towards kids is creating early insecurity. Teaching them to focus on their looks this early in life is not self-care, it's conditioning."
Despite intense criticism, Rini's introductory bundle and animal bundle sold out on November 10, 2025, demonstrating significant market demand. This commercial success reflects a broader trend as similar kid- and teen-focused brands have also reported substantial revenue growth in recent years.
This creates a paradox: while medical professionals sound alarms about pediatric skincare safety, the market continues to expand, driven by parental demand, children's curiosity, and without a doubt an influencer culture.
It's important to note that Rini's products differ from the typical Sephora Kids concerns in several key ways:
Simplified formulations: Unlike the anti-aging products with retinol and harsh acids that sparked the Sephora Kids controversy, Rini's masks contain gentler ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin E, and vitamin B12
Age-specific design: The products are specifically formulated for children by pediatric chemists, rather than adult products being used by children
Regulatory compliance: The brand adheres to strict EU cosmetic regulations
References:
1. Bolen R, Szymanski T, Nichols J, Pulsipher KJ. Dermatological Safety of Cosmetic Products Marketed to Children: Insights on the Sephora Kids Phenomenon. J Drugs Dermatol. 2025 Sep 1;24(9):949-951. doi: 10.36849/jdd.8800. PMID: 40911742.
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