'Pretty Little Liars' Star Defends Her New Skincare Line For Kids After It Sparked Backlash

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind for Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell after she was "relieved" to release "something gentle" and "three years in the making," only to face serious backlash online.

The subject in question is her new skincare line, Rini, which is specifically targeted at children ages 3 and up.

The day before the launch, she shared an image on Instagram of a very young girl stretching a faint pink skincare mask across her face, visibly sized to fit a child's face, rather than something she might have taken from her mom's self-care collection.

At the time, Mitchell teased:

"Something gentle, something new, launching tomorrow."

You can see the teaser post here:

People were immediately skeptical about, and quite creeped out by, the idea.

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

On the actual launch day of the skincare line, the pushback only got worse.

Mitchell shared a series of 11 photos featuring Rini's first product, an "aloe vera recovery mask," which is styled as either a face mask that looks like a panda, a puppy, or an unicorn, as well as little girls wearing the mask while lying in bed, sitting in their bedrooms, or smiling in the studio.

Mitchell voiced her excitement in a lengthy Instagram caption:

"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."

"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."

You can see the post here:

Fellow Instagrammers were disappointed by the targeting of young girls in the campaign.

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

@shaymitchell/Instagram

Since the online backlash, Mitchell has appeared on the TODAY Show with Jenna Hager Bush, sharing her surprise at Rini's negative reception.

"I was a little surprised, but I think anything that involves kids, there should be a conversation about it."

"I have a lot of questions, as I'm sure you both do, when anything involves our kids, with what they eat and what they put on their skin."

"So I didn't think this would be anything different."

"This isn't a beauty thing. Kids don't look at masks and think about fixing; they think about it being a cooling sensation and a shared moment."

"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."

"I also don't think masks are necessary for us. But are they great for added comfort and extra hydration? Yes, and that's all it is."

You can watch Mitchell's interview on Jenna & Friends here:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

If Mitchell wanted to soothe her child's sunburn, she could have done what any other mom would do: research what would help, like an all-natural and organic aloe vera gel, rather than creating a whole new company shilling skincare products to kids.