Why Kids Skincare Is A Terrible Idea (And Rini’s New Face Masks Prove It)
There are moments in beauty where you genuinely wonder whether we’ve all quietly lost the plot. This is one of them.
When I saw sheet masks being marketed to children as young as four, I had that familiar pause, the one where your brain shouts, hang on... this is actually dangerous. And not in a dramatic way. In a calm, biological, skin-science-is-not-a-game way.
Kids do not need face masks.
They do not need sheet masks.
They do not need a “routine.”
Their skin already does the job.
So this blog isn’t about one brand. It’s about the much bigger, and honestly, much darker issue behind the trend.
The Bigger Problem: Childhood Is Becoming a Market Segment
Somewhere along the way, skincare stopped being functional and became performative.
Now it’s trickling down to children who haven’t even hit puberty, let alone produced enough oil to justify a cleanser.
And when skincare becomes a childhood activity, it stops being “cute.”
It becomes conditioning.
Early indoctrination into beauty culture.
Early normalisation of “fixing” what isn’t broken.
Early training for lifelong buying behaviours.
And yes, that’s exactly what this is.
Let’s Talk Science: Kids’ Skin Is Not Built for This
A child’s skin barrier is thinner than an adult’s.
More permeable.
More vulnerable.
Their microbiome is still developing.
Their lipid profile is still stabilising.
Their barrier function is naturally strong only when left alone.
So adding unnecessary formulas — especially in the form of sheet masks — introduces:
• Barrier disruption
• Increased sensitivity
• Irritation from humectants and preservatives
• Potential micro-tears in the epidermis from repeated treatment
And once that barrier gets compromised? A child will instantly look dry, red or irritated.
Which creates... surprise... a new need for skincare.
And so the cycle begins.
Carbomer: A Microplastic on a Child’s Face
This is the part many people don’t realise.
Carbomer — a common thickener in gels and masks — is a petrochemical-derived microplastic.
Totally unnecessary for adult skin, but tolerable.
On children?
Completely inappropriate.
Microplastics don’t nourish skin.
They don’t support barrier health.
They don’t belong anywhere near a developing epidermis.
And the fact this is being marketed as “gentle” is honestly wild.
If you wouldn’t let your child swallow microplastics, why let them absorb them through their face?
Let’s Be Blunt: A Damaged Skin Barrier Is Profitable
When you create a problem, you create a customer.
A child with a damaged barrier suddenly needs:
• Moisturisers
• “Barrier repair” creams
• Serums
• Masks
• Cleansers
• Sensitive skin formulas
And before you know it, a child who once needed nothing is now reliant on a 6-step routine at age seven.
It is not a coincidence.
It is a business model.
And it works because it preys on parental guilt and childhood insecurity — both of which are entirely manufactured by the industry itself.
Kids Don’t Need Skincare. They Need Skin.
They need mud pies.
Grass stains.
Face paint.
Jam on their cheeks.
A life that involves zero thoughts about pores.
The beauty industry has become so obsessed with “self-care™” that it’s now packaging adult insecurities as childhood bonding activities.
At what point did we decide “ritual” meant “teach your child that their natural skin is incomplete without product”?
Kids don’t need mindful skincare routines.
They need adults who remember what childhood is meant to feel like.
This Isn’t About Being Anti-Beauty — It’s About Being Pro-Childhood
There is absolutely nothing wrong with teaching kids confidence, curiosity or hygiene.
But teaching them skincare?
Teaching them to evaluate their skin before they even know what a skin cell is?
Teaching them that their face is something to “improve” at four years old?
It’s not wellness.
It’s not bonding.
It’s not innocent.
It’s commercialisation dressed in pastel packaging.
And until the industry grows a conscience, parents and brands need to draw the line that the marketing teams won’t.
Final Thought
The question is not:
“Is there a market for kids skincare?”
There is - and that’s the problem.
The real question is:
Should it exist at all?
Children mimic what they see. They copy what we model. And beauty brands are now modelling a culture where self-worth starts with a sheet mask.
Children do not need skincare.
They need adults who stop normalising the idea that they do.
Let’s protect their skin, and their childhood while we still can.
Watch Sian's Ingredient Dissection here
References
-
BeautyMatter. Rini Exposes Beauty’s Youngest Frontier.
https://beautymatter.com/articles/rini-exposes-beautys-youngest-frontier -
NBC News. Children Mining Mica in Madagascar.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/child-labor-madagascar-mica-mining -
Journal of Dermatology. Differences in Skin Barrier Function Between Children and Adults.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1346-8138.15010 -
Plastic Soup Foundation. Carbomer and Microplastics in Cosmetics.
https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/microplastics/ -
British Journal of Dermatology. Impact of Cosmetic Use on the Developing Skin Barrier.
https://academic.oup.com/bjd/article/183/3/478/5872513
