Although a number of brands aimed at kids such as influencer Salish Matter’s Sincerely Yours, Saint Crewe, Yes Day and Erly have launched since the Sephora kids phenomenon exploded in 2023, with teens and tweens rushing to Sephora for adult-oriented brands like Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe, Rini’s super young demographic target struck a nerve. Commenters flocked to the brand’s Instagram feed to blast it for selling beauty products to kids whose beauty needs don’t go beyond sunscreen. Others complained its single-use sheet masks are environmentally destructive.

Still, not everyone is a critic. Casey Lewis, the journalist and cultural analyst behind the Substack “After School,” came to the defense of the brand and its sheet masks on TikTok. “They’re cute. I also think they’re harmless,” she says. “Shay positions it as something kids can do when their mom is doing a face mask herself. Ok, it’s just like a cute ritual that you can do together.” She adds, “Do kids need face masks? Of course not. Do kids want face masks because their moms are doing face masks? Yes.”

Lewis commends Rini’s prices as well. The brand, which gets its name from the Korean word for “kiddo,” is kicking off with the $6.99 Hydrating Hydrogel Mask, $6.99 After Sun Hydrogel Mask and $5.99 Everyday Face Sheet Mask, which comes in puppy, unicorn and panda styles. The products are formulated in South Korea with ingredients like vitamin B12, aloe, vitamin E, coconut oil and cica chosen specifically for young skin. Foaming body wash, daily barrier cream and healing ointment are in the pipeline, according to an article on the brand in Women’s Wear Daily.

Curious what beauty industry insiders, including founders of tween-focused skincare brands, think about the Rini uproar, for the latest edition of our ongoing series posing questions relevant to the beauty industry, we asked 11 beauty brand founders and consultants the following: What do you think about Rini’s approach and target demographic? Is the backlash is warranted?