Ep 366 – Too Early for Beauty Rituals?

Summary

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ASCP Esty Talk – Ep 366: Too Early for Beauty Rituals?

Date: December 17, 2025
Hosts: Maggie Stasik (ASCP Program Director) & Ella Cressman (Licensed Esthetician)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Maggie and Ella tackle the increasingly controversial subject of skincare products and beauty rituals aimed at very young children—even as young as four years old. Prompted by the recent launch of a skincare brand, Rinni, designed for preschoolers, the hosts unpack the cultural, parental, and industry implications of introducing beauty routines and products to kids far ahead of adolescence. The episode balances nostalgia, cultural critique, and practical advice for estheticians and parents navigating this new beauty landscape.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Rinni Controversy and Early Childhood Skincare

[01:57-03:19]

• Rinni, a skincare brand, recently launched products marketed to children as young as four. Products include sheet masks, cleansers, and moisturizers, all in "mini me" pastel packaging.
• Social media and parenting circles are debating whether this is a cute bonding trend or evidence that the beauty industry is going too far.

Notable Quote:

“Officially, we’ve reached ‘beauty industry, please go sit in the corner and think about what you’ve done.’”
—Maggie [02:13]

2. Is This Really New? Mimicry and Play Across Generations

[03:19-06:21]

• The desire for young kids to mimic adults isn’t new; previous generations played with candy cigarettes, toy heels, fake nails, and kid-friendly makeup.
• The difference is not the desire to emulate adults, but what is being mimicked—now, it’s wellness and skin rituals rather than just outward adornment.

Memorable Moment:

Ella recalls childhood memories of wanting toy fingernails and playing “grown-up”, drawing parallels to today’s “mini skincare” rituals.
—Ella [03:31-05:17]

3. Reframing Beauty Routines: From Imitation to Self-Care

[07:01-08:32]

• The current culture shift: Whereas previous generations sought to look like glamorous adults, today’s trend emphasizes “self-care.”
• There’s a question of whether this shift will lead to healthier attitudes (“putting yourself first”) or if it will create new anxieties about body image and appearance.

Quote:

“Now these kids are going to grow up and put themselves first... perhaps it’s not as audacious as is being implied.”
—Ella [07:33]

4. The Role of Parents and Brands

[08:37-09:57]

• The hosts stress that the message children receive is heavily influenced by how parents present the ritual: Is it fun playtime or a necessity to look good?
• The onus of responsibility, they argue, is more on the parent’s narrative than the brand’s existence.

Notable Exchange:

Maggie: “Are we saying, ‘come play spa with mom, this is relaxing and fun,’ or ‘you need this to be pretty or acceptable’?” [08:37]
Ella: “The execution is the parents.” [09:03]

5. Product Safety vs. Marketing Ethics

[09:57-11:20]

• Children’s skin is different—young kids do NOT need exfoliants, retinols, or actives.
• There’s a case for empowering kids with gentle cleansers, mild moisturizers, and eventually sunscreen, provided products are safe and appropriate.
• The real problems historically have been with unsafe products marketed to children (e.g., children’s makeup with asbestos, irritating sheet masks).

Quote:

“Kids have different skin...what they do need is cleansers, maybe moisturizer, and definitely sunscreen when the time is right.”
—Maggie [09:57]

6. Teaching Healthy Habits Without Causing Anxiety

[11:20-13:20]

• The introduction of skincare should parallel other routines (like brushing teeth): matter-of-fact, not fraught with messages about beauty or worth.
• There’s risk, however, that a focus on elaborate rituals and “mini fridges” for products might introduce appearance anxiety at an early age.

Exchange:

Ella: “Do you feel that [skincare rituals] could open the door to encouraging anxiety over their skin?” [12:28]
Maggie: “If we are providing all of these products…and you need to use these products because it’s the only way to look beautiful or to be accepted...then, yeah, you may have a child that grows into having anxiety about their appearance.” [12:36]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Maggie [02:13]:
  “Officially, we’ve reached ‘beauty industry, please go sit in the corner and think about what you’ve done.’”
• Ella [05:17]:
  “You know what we had too in the 1900s? Candy cigarettes. Because those were like norms then…now looking back, those were toxic norms.”
• Maggie [07:12]:
  “Kids are truly mimicking this self-care… it’s still copying mom. But the cultural meaning has shifted…from dress-up fantasy to now wellness and ‘self-care.’”
• Ella [09:03]:
  “The execution is the parents. That verbiage is not the brand. The brand is providing the product.”
• Maggie [09:57]:
  “Kids have different skin. They don’t need exfoliants...what they do need is cleansers...maybe moisturizer, and definitely sunscreen when the time is right.”
• Ella [11:51]:
  “Why are you waiting for that time—for them to have an insecurity—before you’re talking about it?”

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:57] – Topic Introduction: Skincare for 4-year-olds, Rinni brand
• [03:19] – Generational context and kids’ mimicry of adults
• [07:01] – Cultural shift: From glamour imitation to self-care rituals
• [08:37] – Parenting responsibility in shaping the message
• [09:57] – Product safety, what kids’ skin does/doesn’t need
• [11:20] – Should skincare be taught early? Danger of anxiety and body image issues

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Conclusion

Summary:
Maggie and Ella provide nuanced commentary on the trend of preschool-targeted skincare brands. They urge listeners (especially estheticians and parents) to balance the positives of introducing healthy habits with the necessity to avoid fostering insecurity or anxiety. The key, they agree, is not the existence of child-friendly products, but rather the context and intention with which they’re introduced, placing responsibility on parents rather than brands.

Listener Invitation:

• Maggie closes by inviting audience feedback: “What’s your take on skincare for kids? Share with us on social media…” [13:22]

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For more:
Check the episode show notes or connect with the hosts for resources and further discussion.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Hello and welcome to ASCP's SDTalk. I'm your co host Maggie Stasik, ASCP's program director.

[C]

And I'm Ella Cressman, licensed esthetician, ingredient junkie and content contributor for asdp.

[A]

Ella, we have a shout out.

[C]

Ooh, this is.

[A]

This goes to Dinah Yupel. I met her at SD Collab. She listens to every episode.

[C]

Nice.

[A]

Yeah, she's a huge fan. So this is for her.

[C]

Hi Dinah. Thanks. Cool.

[A]

Today we're talking about skincare for four year olds. Yes, for not tweens, not teens, but preschoolers. So this conversation has been popping up on social media, perhaps in parenting circles, I assume in the beauty industry. And most recently with the launch of a skincare brand called Rinni, marketed to children as young as four. So depending on who you ask, it's either a cute bonding self care moment or this. Officially we've reached quote unquote, beauty industry. And please go sit in the corner and think about what you've done.

[C]

Well, okay, so let's just like start with what had happened. So a couple months back, Rennie Arini, they caught flack, as I guess we should say, because they were marketing their products as gentle self care for kids who want to be just like mom. And they had sheet masks, cleansers, moisturizers in nice like pastel packaging, like soft, very much like mini me style.

[A]

Yeah, so. So this is not new. Kids have Sephora birthday parties, 8 year olds vlog their nighttime routines. Retailers have specifically been rearranging shelves to cater to this tween skincare halls and things of that nature.

[C]

Absolutely. But the worry is that we're. This is the what they're saying that is there this normalizing of beauty rituals too early? Is it about bonding? Are we quietly teaching kids to edit themselves or implying that they're not good enough? They don't have good skin care. They have to do this. So I don't know, like, I'm just going to share with you my thoughts. When we first read this article, I thought, you know what this reminds me of is back in the day, I'm talking in the 1900s, there was an aisle in the grocery store, like a toy aisle, a small toy portion of an aisle. And there was these finger fingertips, not even fingernail tips. There was these long fingernails on this like finger and they would cap over your hands and it was right next to this like semi pseudo heels with fur on them and like fake jewels. And I remember wanting that so bad or wanting my ears pierced. So this mimicking or this like mommy and me are wanting to look like mom or be like mom. This isn't new.

[A]

No. And I am right there with you. I know exactly what fingertips you're talking about. And I would actually take paper clips and put them over my fingers so that I had this long clackety fingertips that I would tap on the tables to mimic long fingernails.

[C]

You were the beginning of ASM videos. Yeah. So it was just different. And that was toxic. We're talking or painting our nails like mom, you know, putting, hiding and getting her makeup. This is, this is again, like I mentioned, from the 1900s. It's not new. What's different is what we're doing, what we're mimicking. You know what we had too in the 1900s? Candy cigarettes.

[A]

Oh hell yeah.

[C]

Because those were like norms then, but those now looking back, those were toxic norms. Right. Or harmful norms. So you would have to assume that they're complaining because this is. The toxicity is self image.

[A]

Or I, I would say that the industry caught up to us where we wanted to be the, you know, 1980s or 1990s working woman. Because they did start marketing products to us as kids. We had, you know, glitter nail polish that peeled off and like the little high heels that you're talking about, the candy cigarettes. I would walk around with my candy cigarettes and my press on nails and I also would wear, I don't know why, but paper clips in my mouth. Like I like I had a retainer braces because that was the cool thing. You know, the cook heads had braces I was the working woman and I took my mom's briefcase.

[C]

Yeah. Oh, wow. Oh, that's crazy. I used to do that too. Put the paperclips in my mouth like a retainer.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

That's funny. Interesting.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And those are not good. No, that was not smart.

[A]

That was not smart. No. But I would say, you know, we were mimicking. Would it be fair to say we were mimicking femininity?

[C]

I would say, yeah. What we were wanting to femininity or status or whatever that was.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So you mentioned the 8 year olds who are have a vlog about their night routine. They're probably mimicking, you know, a little bit older kids that they saw or their moms, you know, or whatever they're seeing on TikTok or whatnot. And then now this pearl clutching moment.

[A]

Is that it's four year olds right now. Kids are truly mimicking this self care because it's what they see, it's what's been made available to them. You mentioned it. Masks, serums, there's even mini fridges for your skin care products. They're selling headbands with like little furry animal ears. It's still copying mom. But the cultural meaning has shifted I think from dress up fantasy to now wellness and take care of yourself self care.

[C]

So the what they, what the implication is that you're creating like a negative self image. It's could be seen also as self care. And so we grew up wanting to emulate a working woman or a glamorous woman or a glamorous person. Working person. And they might be growing up to value themselves first, to incorporate time. Like you remember last week we talked about little rituals for the new year and we're talking about making time to drink coffee. That's what you said.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Right. But now these kids are going to grow up and put themselves first. And we've seen that kind of shift in later generations away from ours where we're like, yeah, everyone else, let me take care of everyone else first. Let me put everyone else's needs first, Let me have zero boundaries, you know, so perhaps it's not as audacious as is being implied. Rather this, this isn't that big of a deal, but they're making it seem like it's huge deal.

[A]

Yeah. Almost like these little kids are being exploited perhaps.

[C]

Right?

[A]

Yeah. So the question is, what message are we attaching to it? Are we saying, come play spa with mom, this is relaxing and fun or you need this to be pretty or acceptable?

[C]

I say when you're saying we Are we saying we're lumping a bunch like cultural in. And I say that that message goes onto the parent. So honestly, it's probably the parent who's gonna say whatever they feel. Mommy's doing this because Mommy's going to feel pretty after this. So it's on the parents to say that or Mommy's doing this because mommy's having 10 minutes to herself and, you know, investing in herself. That verbiage is not the brand. The brand is providing the product. The execution is the parents.

[A]

True, true. One is imagination, one is identity training.

[C]

Yeah, same. So I feel like. I feel like the. That responsibility should be on the parents, not the brand. Do you think the brand did anything wrong by providing the product? No, I don't either.

[A]

No. I think that is what any brand would do. They're following trends and they're following demand.

[C]

Yeah. I think the onus needs to come back to the parents. And I feel like the parents who are just like, yes, honey, you're going to, you know, to teach their children to. It depends on what they're teaching them with it, you know.

[A]

Yeah, totally. I'd say that. Absolutely. Kids have different skin. They don't need exfoliants, they don't need retinol, they definitely don't need active ingredients. But what they do need is cleansers. They do need to be taught how to care for their skin and, and cleanse their skin. Maybe moisturizer and definitely sunscreen when the time is right.

[C]

I would agree with all of that. And I think if there's a company that's providing quality products for that demographic or with that intention, then they should be not celebrated necessarily, but left alone compared to these other. Remember, Gosh, I guess it was like years ago, maybe four years ago. We talked about some of the makeup, the children's makeup, and that's like three year olds, Four year olds are getting that and how like it had. Think it was asbestos in it and it was sold at. Is marketed and sold for these. This age group. Unhealthy. But that wasn't as bad. It wasn't seen as bad. Oh, just makeup. It was just plain makeup. This could be just play skincare, but as long as it's quality ingredients. So you're not getting those. And I don't mean to call anybody out, but do you remember those unicorn sheet masks from a couple years ago that were actually burning the kid's skin? Yeah, yeah. So that you're getting something quality intended for that, not using something intended for older people on this younger More gentle, vulnerable skin.

[A]

Yeah. What comes to mind too, for me, when I was a kid, there was not. Nobody said to me as a child, let's make sure we're washing your face. You know, like before bed, you took a bath, let's say, and a bath is what it is. It wasn't until, um, you know, maybe you hit puberty and all of a sudden your skin is breaking out that there was this conversation about, now you need this cleanser. And let's talk about making sure you're washing your face morning and night.

[C]

Good point. Washing our face was part of our night routine. But I would run from my dad and hide. I'm like, no, don't wash my face. We also lived out in the woods, so I needed it really bad. But yeah, like, why are you waiting for that time and that for them to have an insecurity before you're talking about it? Yeah, I agree. So do you think. Okay, so back to your question you asked me or you were saying that, that they weren't asked about cleanser or taught real skincare until there was a problem. So do you think introducing skincare as an idea, as a process, as a ritual, as part of self care, however it's introduced, do you feel that that could open the door to encouraging anxiety over their skin?

[A]

I think it's like what you were saying before, you know, the onus is on the parents and it's how it's introduced. So I think skincare, if it's taught, like, just like brushing your teeth, this is how we care for your skin. It's something that you do every day. And here is the cleanser you will use to do it is the responsible way to go about it. But if we are providing all of these products, cleansers, moisturizers, sheet masks, and here's your little mini fridge to store, store it. And you need to use these products because it's the only way to look beautiful or to be accepted. If language like that is used, then, yeah, you may have a child that grows into having anxiety about their appearance.

[C]

Yeah, I think so too.

[A]

Listeners, we want to hear from you. What's your take on skincare for kids? Share with us on social media, through Instagram, Facebook or by emailing getconnectedsc. Thank you for listening to ASCP, ASDTalk and as always, for more information on this episode, or for ways to connect with Ellen and myself, or to learn more about astp, check out the show notes.