Shay Mitchell Is Under Fire for Releasing a Kids Brand That the Internet Is Calling “Tone-Deaf” & “Dystopian”

Shay Mitchell is not only known as a beloved actress and mother of two, but she’s been slowly, but surely, growing a business empire. She has her travel fashion company, BÉIS, the tequila brand, Onda, and the production company, Amore & Vita Inc; and now, she’s released another brand, but this is, by far, her most controversial.

It all started with a post that read, “Something gentle, something new — launching tomorrow. @rini.” And with the photo, we see a child with a disposable sheet mask on.

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The next post explained it a bit more. Mitchell shared more about what Rini is on Instagram. She shared the photos with the caption reading, “So excited (and honestly, so relieved) that I can finally talk about rini. This has been three years in the making, inspired by my girls, their curiosity, and all the little moments that made me realize how early it starts. From birthday parties and face paint to wanting to do ‘what mommy does’ with her face masks… it was only a matter of time. 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 added, “Our first product, the aloe vera recovery mask, actually came from a spring break moment in Mexico when one of the girls got too much sun and needed some extra TLC. I wanted something that worked, but was still clean enough for my kids and now it’s finally here. Kids are naturally curious and instead of ignoring that, we can embrace it. With safe, gentle products parents can trust, and sweet moments that bring us closer.”

Now, here’s the thing, children are naturally curious and do want to emulate what their parents do; but the internet is furious over a children’s skincare line.

(For reference, the Possession of Hannah Grace star and longtime partner Matte Babel have two daughters named Atlas Noa, born in Oct. 2019, and Romaine “Roma,” born in May 2022.)

Shay Mitchell at the Louis Vuitton fashion show as part of Spring/Summer 2026 Paris Fashion Week held at The Louvre on September 30, 2025 in Paris, France.

Now, as we said, the internet is fuming. Many are calling this “dystopian” and “tone deaf,” specifically saying things like “This is so tone deaf for so many reasons” and “I struggle to find the right words to articulate how disappointing and dystopian this is 💔.” And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

While many believe this is rather “tone-deaf,” we wanna go in a bit further. Is there an age too young to start skincare? Technically, yes. While sunscreen is good for any and all ages, experts recommend you start kids on more subtle skincare products (like maybe a cleanser or moisturizer) when they’re in their pre-teens, meaning the ages of 10-12.

So already, the brand is targeted at such a young audience, way too young for the recommended age. (Rini is for ages 3+.)

But the controversy doesn’t stop there. Many experts and skincare lovers alike don’t believe in sheet masks, specifically due to their single-use nature, that is, to put it bluntly, horrible for the environment. They are the antithesis of sustainable, and an environmental activist and founder of Package Free Shop, Lauren Singer, even told Vogue back in 2019 that “Sheet masks are trash. They’re unnecessary, they’re superfluous. They come wrapped in plastic.”

You might be surprised at whose kids have famous celebrity godparents!