Shay Mitchell Breaks Her Silence on Controversy Around Her Kids' Skincare Line
- - Shay Mitchell Breaks Her Silence on Controversy Around Her Kids' Skincare Line
Michelle LeeNovember 19, 2025 at 11:49 PM
0
Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty
Shay Mitchell at H&M's London Fashion Week event in 2024 -
Shay Mitchell broke her silence on the controversy surrounding her new kid-friendly skincare brand, rini, during her appearance on Today with Jenna & Friends
Mitchell launched a line of toddler-friendly skincare face masks with a goal of creating safe and gentle products, but the venture soon caught flak as consumers accused it of pushing beauty standards onto young children
In her interview, Mitchell revealed that she was "surprised" about the backlash and clarified that her products are not simply a "beauty thing"
Shay Mitchell has responded to the controversy around her kids' skincare line.
In an interview on Today with Jenna & Friends on Nov. 19, the actress and Béis founder, 38, broke her silence around her new skincare and play brand, rini, which markets its hydrogel masks and pure cotton sheet masks as toddler-safe.
"I was a little surprised," the Pretty Little Liars alum said in response to the backlash.
"I think anything that involves kids, there should be a conversation around it. I have a lot of questions, as I'm sure you both do, when anything that involves our kids, with what they eat, with what they put on their skin. I didn't think this would be any different."
Mitchell explained that she leaned into the her journey as a mom to her two daughters, Atlas, 6, and Rome, 3 — "and seeing that there wasn't anything out there I felt safe enough putting on their skin when they wanted to share in on this moment that I do."
Bush Hager asked Mitchell what she would say to consumers concerned that rini's products would influence toddlers to focus on their appearance.
"Skin care starts from birth," said Mitchell, who agreed that she also doesn't want to push an agenda that would be harmful to kids. "We moisturize, we soothe, we comfort their skin as newborns. This is the same thing, it's just in a different format that's more fun and I feel very age-appropriate. This is coming down to it not being a beauty thing. Kids don't look at [face] masks and think about fixing [their appearance], they think about it being a cooling sensation and a shared moment."
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Shay Mitchell at the 2023 'Barbie' world premiere
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Continuing the conversation, Bush Hager brought up one dermatologist's reaction to NBC about rini "potentially highlighting imperfections for kids at a really young age."
Mitchell clarified that she doesn't think face masks are "necessary for kids. I also don't think masks are necessary for us, but are they great for added comfort and hydration? Yes, and that's all it is."
In her interview with PEOPLE about rini's introduction to the market, Mitchell, who created the brand with her friend Esther Song, opened up about the backstory behind the new venture, which came about during what some might call major mom moments — finding a product deemed gentle enough to remove face paint and other play makeup off their kids' skins.
Neilson Barnard/amfAR/Getty
Shay Mitchell at the 2023 amfAR Cannes Gala
"We've both done our due diligence and research and looking out in the market to see if there are these products that can be the solution to the problems we're finding as mothers," said Mitchell (whose partner, Matte Babel, is also involved in the brand). "Nothing. And I think that's when we were like, 'This is needed, and needed right now.'"
Before the backlash even began, Mitchell explained to PEOPLE that her goal with rini was not to implement a strict skincare routine for kids, but rather offer a fun activity with added benefits of fragrance-free products formulated with ingredients such as vitamin B12 and aloe vera.
"I feel really, really proud," she said of the brand. "We both do. I think it's a solution for experiences that we have both had. It's just a really good feeling."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
