Shay Mitchell isn’t backing down from the beauty backlash, even if it’s baby-sized.
The “Pretty Little Liars” alum, 38, defended her new children’s skincare line, Rini, after facing widespread criticism for marketing face masks to kids as young as 3 years old.
“I was a little surprised, but I think anything that involves kids, there should be a conversation around it,” Mitchell told the “Today” show’s Jenna Bush Hager and guest co-host Olivia Munn on Tuesday.
“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.”
Mitchell launched Rini — which means “children” in Korean — with entrepreneur Esther Song on Nov. 6. The brand offers cotton and hydrogel sheet masks, including animal-themed masks intended for use by kids ages 3 and up.
The products sparked immediate backlash online, with critics arguing that introducing skincare routines to toddlers could reinforce harmful beauty standards at a young age.
But Mitchell, who shares daughters Atlas, 6, and Rome, 3, with partner Matte Babel, insisted the masks aren’t about vanity.
“This came from my experience being a mom, having two girls myself 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,” she explained.
“I think this is coming down to it not being a beauty thing,” she said. “Kids don’t look at masks and think about fixing, they think about it being a cooling sensation and a shared moment.”
Experts, however, have cautioned against both the line’s ingredients and the potential harms of introducing pre-schoolers to the idea of a skincare routine.
Dr. Sandy Skotnicki, author of “Beyond Soap” and co-host of the “Skin to It” podcast, told The Post the formula contains too many ingredients for young skin.
“There are 68 ingredients, give or take — I had a hard time counting them all,” Skotnicki said. “Your tiny child’s skin has to consider this many chemicals on their thin, still-developing skin. These are potential irritants and allergens.”
“Do we need another personal care product that kids think they need to feel good about themselves?” she added. “Shame on this whole enterprise.”
Dr. Jeffrey Karasik, a pediatrician at Northwell Health Physician Partners, told The Post that he sees “little upside.”
“Though the ingredients are likely harmless, there is no positive health benefit,” Karasik said. “The social and emotional messaging is questionable at best.”
On “Today,” Mitchell defended the line as functional rather than cosmetic, explaining that Atlas used a mask to cool herself after developing a fever.
“I don’t think masks are necessary for kids,” Mitchell admitted. “But are they great for added comfort and extra hydration? Yes. And that’s all it is.”
