Shay Mitchell’s Latest Business Venture Is Infuriating People: ‘We Absolutely Do Not Need This’

Actor and entrepreneur Shay Mitchell recently announced a new business venture: a skincare line for children. The brand, Rini, promotes gentle skincare for kids. While Mitchell said she specifically wants to avoid certain adult skincare-related terms, many people have still expressed concern about how this will come across to kids. 

Shay Mitchell’s latest business venture is a skincare brand for children

Mitchell launched Rini on Nov. 6. The idea came to her while she was trying to remove face paint from her daughter’s face.

“We’re paper-toweling her face with water to try and get it off,” she told Elle. “I don’t know what was in this paint, but it stayed on — that stuff, it was really, really strong.”

The company sells hydrating, after-sun, and everyday face masks designed for children. Mitchell and co-founder Esther Song said their goal is to make the brand fun. They hope to avoid any language related to aging or beauty standards.

“It’s about making it fun,” Mitchell said. “Are we using it for firming and tightening? Absolutely not — those aren’t the words we use around kids.”

People are not pleased with Shay Mitchell’s new business

Though Mitchell said she wants to avoid making kids aware of beauty standards, many people worry that introducing them to skincare at an early age could have a negative effect.

“I don’t think this is going to be great to be honest,” wrote one Reddit user. “I think there’s a place for affordable non-irritating soaps and moisturisers for parents to use on their kids. But that market exists and it’s one of the reasons brands like Palmers and Vaseline are household staples. No child needs a face mask like this. And this suggests it could end up being a silly price. Insecurities already start younger nowadays, this is not it to me.”

Many people expressed their belief that children should use a small number of products.

“The only thing that should be coming from this brand is plain sunscreen,” wrote one person. “That’s it.”

“We absolutely do not need this,” added another person.

Others expressed concern that introducing kids to skincare at too young an age could impact their self-esteem.

“Can we not! Girls are under enough pressure as it is,” wrote one person. “Let’s not give them more visuals that they need to be using face masks at 11 like come on.  Love Shay but this is so not it.”

A number of people also shared their belief that the products would be overpriced. The everyday face mask currently costs $5.99, and the after-sun and hydrating face masks cost $6.99.

Mitchell has two other companies

Rini is not Mitchell’s only company. In 2018, she founded Béis, a travel accessory company. She also founded the canned sparkling tequila company Onda in 2019. 

Mitchell told The Hollywood Reporter that she founded her business to address “the gaping white space and the incessant itch that told me I could do it better.”