The internet has been in a frenzy for the past two weeks over the launch of a new skincare brand, Rini. The brainchild of actress Shay Mitchell, alongside co-founders Esther Song and Matt Babel, the brand was founded to “nurture healthy habits, spark confidence, and make thoughtfully crafted daily care essentials and play products accessible to every family,” according to its mission statement. To achieve this, the trio developed a skincare line that includes sheet masks with gentle ingredients, suitable for children to use alongside their parents or on their own.
Of course, critics flocked to the brand’s Instagram comment section, decrying every aspect of the launch. “Horrified,” one commenter wrote. “Nope,” said another. To add fire to the fuel, Glamour Magazine’s Senior Beauty Writer, Ariana Yaptangco, penned the piece “Shay Mitchell’s Kid Skin Care Line Isn’t That Deep. Neither Was Your Childhood Beauty Obsession.” It was met with similar criticism on social media, with some commenters simply writing: “Just, don’t.”
Now that we’re all caught up, let me unequivocally state that this country does not like children. Many of you don’t vote like you care about children. As a matter of fact, some of you don’t even like your own children, but that’s a conversation for another day. What this is really about is the fact that people see the beauty industry as frivolous. It’s the perfect storm of ideologies that people love to hate while doing no real work to dismantle: capitalism, an overt affinity and commodification of a soft power that people love to pretend doesn’t matter, and a community primarily dominated by women (and we all know how this country treats women). These are conversations that many people simply are not ready to have with themselves, let alone make palatable to a child.
Let me be clear: I am not saying that children need or should have fully fleshed out beauty routines by the time they hit double digits. There is no reason to have a mask that is marketed toward children be labeled for “everyday” use. To be frank, there were quite a few other avenues that could’ve been explored before this brand landed on skincare. But I don’t believe that is what Rini is purporting either.
In an interview with Elle, Mitchell stated that her children are deeply curious about the products she uses in her skincare routine, and that Rini exists partly to nurture that curiosity. Simultaneously, she hopes the brand can teach her children that intentionally pouring into and spending time with themselves is essential.
“They would just come into the bathroom and look at me in the mirror and be like, ‘Can I use that? What’s that?” she told Elle. “I’ll even pass them some deodorant—with a lid on, of course—just so they feel like they can be a part of my routine. I want them to know that skincare, for me, is about creating healthy habits and about having that self-care time—that’s important.” This means that if a parent wants to nurture their child’s curiosity about the beauty space, there are more options on the market than just going into Sephora or Nordstrom and letting them explore (which many people have also been complaining about, FYI).
As adults, we all have to recognize by now that in the absence of collective action, the best way to make our voices heard is by being mindful about where we spend our money. Rini is one of hundreds of brands that are inclusive of children. Why is it that a beauty company is where people draw the line? What is it about teaching a child to spend intentional time alone and carve out a space to tend to their needs that gets people so up in arms? Because that can be a function of beauty, too. You can put on a face mask and say your affirmations. You can gush over your new manicure with a stranger. You can become lifelong friends with the person who styles your hair.
What is it about teaching a child to spend intentional time alone and carve out a space to tend to their needs that gets people so up in arms?
Being young doesn't immediately mean that you can't grasp the importance of this kind of community and self-care. In fact, childhood isn't necessarily a bad place to learn these habits and adopt these practices because there is nothing inherently wrong about caring about the way you look and treating yourself as such.
A face mask for children doesn’t have to equate to oppressive beauty standards and body dysmorphia. It can just be the time you spend with your child, really discussing how they’re feeling as they navigate this world for the first time. This industry that I love can be an avenue to explore and understand not only yourself but also the world around you. These life lessons are no less important because they are born from an imperfect space that women have historically dominated.
Beauty isn’t, and shouldn’t be, off-limits to young people exploring their interests in this vast world. This industry also doesn’t exist in an echo chamber. The issue here is that many people aren’t willing to put in the work to truly teach the importance of international time alone or the fact that investing in your beauty is a form of soft power that can actually yield significant, life-changing results. To go even further, many people don't even want to touch on how or why the beauty standards in this country came to be. That’s why the launch of this brand isn’t that deep. Because so many people aren’t willing to see the beauty industry as more than skin deep at all.
