Pretty Little Liars actress Shay Mitchell is facing a fierce public backlash following the launch of her new beauty brand aimed at children as young as three.
What is the Rini beauty brand?
The Hollywood star, a mother of two, co-founded the brand rini with Esther Song, claiming it blends gentle skincare with play for children aged three and above. Mitchell, 38, said she was inspired by her own daughters, Atlas Noa, six, and Rome, three, who wanted to join in her beauty routines.
The product range includes colourful facial sheet masks shaped like pandas, puppies, and unicorns, and hydrogel masks. Marketed for daily use and priced at £6 each, the masks contain ingredients like Vitamin E, Glycerin, and Aloe Vera. The brand states the formulas are made with 93.5% natural ingredients and have been dermatologist-approved and clinically tested in the US.
Celebrity and expert criticism mounts
Despite these claims, the venture has been labelled "tone deaf" and harmful by critics online. Television personality Vicky Pattison called it a "step too far," arguing on a podcast that positioning such products as self-care for toddlers is manipulative, as their lives should be carefree.
The criticism gained significant medical weight when Dr Ranj Singh, a doctor well-known for his appearances on ITV's This Morning, exclusively told The Mirror the concept was an "awful idea."
"Children and young people have a generally healthy, developing and sensitive skin barrier. So when it comes to any skincare, as a general rule, less is more," Dr Ranj stated. He emphasised that unless they have specific medical needs, children do not require active skincare products.
The wider message to children
Dr Ranj expressed deep concern about the broader implications of marketing such products to the very young. He warned that they risk sending a damaging message that a child's natural skin is not good enough.
"We have to be mindful that... these products may be sending the wrong message to young people from an early age: that somehow their skin is not good enough, that they have to obsess over their appearance, or that they need these products to look or feel good," he explained.
He concluded by stressing that for children, health should focus on internal wellbeing, not external appearance, urging parents and brands to let children simply be children.
