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Beauty & Personal Care Marketing on Xiaohongshu | AllXHS

Beauty & Personal Care Marketing on Xiaohongshu

Dominate China's #1 beauty discovery platform where 78% of users make purchase decisions—complete strategies for skincare, makeup, and personal care brands

78% Discover Beauty Products on XHS
¥180B Beauty GMV in 2024
85% Female User Base
6.2x Average ROI for Beauty Brands

Beauty Market Landscape

Understanding the XHS beauty ecosystem and market opportunities

Total Beauty Users 180M+
Monthly Beauty Searches 2.5B+
Beauty Content Posts 450M+
Daily Beauty Engagement 85M+
Average Beauty AOV ¥280
Beauty Conversion Rate 12-18%
Skincare 42%
Makeup 28%
Haircare 15%
Fragrance 8%
Bodycare 7%

Beauty Consumer Profiles

Understanding your target audiences on Xiaohongshu

The Skincare Enthusiast

35%
Age Range
25-35 years old
Income Level
¥8K-15K/month
Location
Tier 1-2 cities
Shopping Behavior
  • Researches extensively before purchase
  • Prefers ingredient-focused products
  • Follows 10-step Korean routines
  • Willing to invest ¥500-2,000 per product
  • Shops monthly
Content Preferences
  • Before/after results
  • Ingredient breakdowns
  • Routine videos
  • Expert reviews

The Makeup Lover

25%
Age Range
18-28 years old
Income Level
¥5K-10K/month
Location
All tiers (concentrated Tier 1-2)
Shopping Behavior
  • Trend-driven (follows makeup trends)
  • Buys 2-3 products per month
  • Price-conscious ¥100-500 per product
  • Influenced by KOL tutorials
  • Experiments with new releases
Content Preferences
  • Makeup tutorials
  • Swatches and color comparisons
  • Look recreations
  • Product reviews

The Natural Beauty Seeker

22%
Age Range
28-40 years old
Income Level
¥10K-20K/month
Location
Tier 1-2 cities
Shopping Behavior
  • Values clean/natural ingredients
  • Prefers sustainable brands
  • Loyal to trusted brands
  • Higher AOV ¥400-1,500 per product
  • Shops every 2-3 months
Content Preferences
  • Ingredient safety
  • Brand ethics and sustainability
  • Minimalist routines
  • Expert recommendations

The Budget-Conscious Explorer

18%
Age Range
18-25 years old
Income Level
¥3K-6K/month
Location
Tier 2-3 cities
Shopping Behavior
  • Price-sensitive (under ¥200)
  • Seeks dupes and alternatives
  • Buys during sales/promotions
  • Influenced by peer reviews
  • Shops frequently (weekly browsing)
Content Preferences
  • Budget hauls
  • Dupe comparisons
  • Student-friendly routines
  • Flash sale alerts

Content Strategy Framework

5 essential content pillars for beauty brand success on XHS

1

Product Education30% of content

Engagement 8-12%
Saves 15-20%

Ingredient breakdowns, how-to-use guides, skin type matching, product comparisons, and formulation science

Example Titles:

  • 5 Ingredients That Actually Fight Acne
  • How to Layer Your Serums Correctly
  • Retinol vs Retinal: Which One for You?
2

Results & Transformations25% of content

Engagement 15-25%
Conversion 12-18%

Before/after photos, progress updates, user testimonials, clinical results, and side-by-side comparisons

Example Titles:

  • My 90-Day Acne Journey with [Product]
  • Before & After: How I Faded My Dark Spots
  • One Month of Retinol: Real Results
3

Routines & Tutorials20% of content

Engagement 10-15%
Watch Time High

Morning/evening routines, step-by-step tutorials, seasonal routines, and product layering guides

Example Titles:

  • My Complete Anti-Aging Skincare Routine
  • Glass Skin Makeup Tutorial for Beginners
  • Winter Skincare Routine for Dry Skin
4

Reviews & Comparisons15% of content

Engagement 12-18%
Trust High

Honest product reviews, brand comparisons, dupe discoveries, best-of lists, and product testing

Example Titles:

  • Testing 5 Viral Serums: Which One Works?
  • Luxury vs Drugstore: Blind Comparison
  • The Best Sunscreens Under ¥150
5

Trends & Inspiration10% of content

Engagement 20-30%
Virality High

Seasonal trends, K-beauty/J-beauty trends, celebrity-inspired looks, and ingredient trends

Example Titles:

  • 5 K-Beauty Trends Taking Over 2024
  • Dopamine Makeup: The Trend You Need to Try
  • Clean Beauty Brands Everyone's Talking About

Visual Content Best Practices

What separates high-performing beauty content from the rest

Poor Beauty Content

Photography

  • Low lighting, grainy photos
  • Single angle, no close-ups
  • Over-filtered (unrealistic)
  • Cluttered background
  • No context or scale

Video Content

  • Shaky camera, poor framing
  • No voiceover or captions
  • Too long (>3 min) or too short (<15 sec)
  • No demonstration
  • Generic background music

Text Overlays

  • Hard-to-read fonts
  • Too much text
  • No hierarchy
  • Generic messaging
  • No call-to-action

Optimized Beauty Content

Photography

  • Natural lighting (soft, even)
  • Multiple angles (front, side, close-up)
  • Minimal editing (authentic skin texture)
  • Clean, minimalist background
  • Hand/face reference for scale

Video Content

  • Stable camera, well-framed shots
  • Clear voiceover + Chinese/English captions
  • Optimal length (45-90 seconds)
  • Step-by-step demonstration
  • Trending/branded audio

Text Overlays

  • Clear, legible fonts (large size)
  • Concise key points (3-5 max)
  • Visual hierarchy (headlines, body)
  • Specific benefits ("Reduces dark spots by 40%")
  • Strong CTA ("Swipe for before/after")

Influencer Collaboration Strategy

KOL tier breakdown with ROI expectations for beauty brands

Mega Influencers

1M+ followers
Reach per post 1M-10M
Engagement 3-6%
Cost per post ¥50K-500K
Best for Brand awareness, launches
2-4x
ROI

Mid-Tier Influencers

100K-1M followers
Reach per post 100K-1M
Engagement 6-10%
Cost per post ¥10K-50K
Best for Education, credibility
4-7x
ROI

Micro Influencers

10K-100K followers
Reach per post 10K-100K
Engagement 10-15%
Cost per post ¥2K-10K
Best for Authentic reviews, trust
7-12x
ROI

Nano Influencers

1K-10K followers
Reach per post 1K-10K
Engagement 15-25%
Cost per post ¥200-2K
Best for Word-of-mouth, UGC
10-20x
ROI

Recommended Budget Allocation (¥1M Budget)

Mega (15%) ¥150K
Mid-Tier (30%) ¥300K
Micro (40%) - Highest ROI Zone ¥400K
Nano (15%) ¥150K

Campaign Success Formula

Track these KPIs to measure beauty campaign performance

Awareness Metrics

Reach 500K-5M
Impressions 2M-20M
Brand searches +30-80%
Follower growth +5-15%
Share of voice Track vs 3 competitors

Engagement Metrics

Engagement rate 8-15%
Saves 10-20%
Shares 3-8%
Comments 2-5%
Video completion 60-75%

Conversion Metrics

Click-through rate 5-12%
Add-to-cart rate 8-15%
Conversion rate 10-18%
Average order value ¥280
Revenue per post ¥5K-500K

Retention Metrics

Repeat purchase rate 35-50%
Review rate 12-20%
Customer LTV ¥800-3,000
Brand loyalty (NPS) 50+
Community growth Active members, UGC

Seasonal Beauty Calendar

12-month roadmap for beauty marketing on Xiaohongshu

January
7%
New Year, New You

Fresh starts, skincare resets, cleansers, exfoliators, serums, self-care sets

February
12% PEAK
Spring Festival Glamour

Festive makeup, gift sets, lipsticks, highlighters, luxury gift sets

March
10%
Women's Day Beauty

Self-love, empowerment, full routines, premium skincare, beauty tools

April
8%
Spring Refresh

Seasonal transitions, lighter textures, gel moisturizers, brightening serums

May
9%
Sun Protection Season

UV protection, sunscreens, setting sprays, waterproof makeup, travel-ready

June
15% PEAK
6.18 Beauty Bonanza

Major shopping event, deep discounts, bundles, mega bundles, flash sales

July
7%
Summer Skincare

Oil control, cooling products, cleansing oils, pore care, tinted moisturizers

August
6%
Back-to-School Beauty

Student-friendly, affordable basics, starter kits, multi-use products

September
8%
Autumn Transition

Richer textures, face oils, overnight masks, lip treatments, layering guides

October
9%
Pre-11.11 Hype

Teasing deals, wishlists, best-sellers, product reveals, early access

November
18% BIGGEST
11.11 Singles Day

BIGGEST sale, maximum inventory, exclusive sets, mega bundles, hourly flash sales

December
11%
Year-End Glow

Holiday looks, party makeup, glitter, bold lips, luxury sets, advent calendars

Hashtag Strategy

4-tier framework for maximum reach and conversion

TIER 1: Mega Hashtags
Use 1-2 | 10M+ posts
Purpose
Max Reach
Competition
VERY HIGH
Conversion
1-2%
#美妆 (180M posts)
#护肤 (95M posts)
#化妆教程 (62M posts)
TIER 2: Large Hashtags
Use 2-3 | 1M-10M posts
Purpose
Targeted Reach
Competition
HIGH
Conversion
3-5%
#敏感肌 (8M)
#抗衰老 (6.5M)
#平价美妆 (5.2M)
#日系美妆 (4.8M)
#韩系护肤 (4.1M)
TIER 3: Niche Hashtags
Use 3-5 | 100K-1M posts
Purpose
Qualified Audience
Competition
MODERATE
Conversion
8-12%
#玻璃肌 (850K)
#成分党 (720K)
#淡斑精华 (580K)
#早C晚A (450K)
#油痘肌 (380K)
TIER 4: Branded/Specific
Use 5-8 | 10K-100K posts
Purpose
Brand Building
Competition
LOW
Conversion
12-18%
#30天护肤挑战
#学生党护肤
#通勤妆容
#秋冬干皮救星
#[YourBrand]好物分享

Recommended Formula

1-2 Mega + 2-3 Large + 3-5 Niche + 5-8 Branded = 11-18 Total Hashtags

User-Generated Content Strategy

The 5-stage UGC flywheel for continuous content generation

UGC
Flywheel
1
Seed Products

Send products to 50-100 nano/micro influencers with unboxing-worthy packaging

Cost: ¥10K-30K
2
Organic Posts

Influencers share authentic experiences (60-80% post rate)

40-80 UGC pieces
3
Social Proof

Collect best UGC for reposting on brand account and product pages

+40% trust, +25% conversion
4
Customer Purchases

Potential customers see real reviews and purchase with confidence

¥50K-200K revenue
5
Customer Reviews

15-20% of customers post reviews (incentivize with credits)

+30-60 UGC pieces → Loop to Stage 3

UGC Incentive Ladder

Leave review ¥10 store credit
Photo review ¥30 store credit
Video review ¥50 store credit
Featured review ¥100 credit + free product

Product Listing Optimization

Complete checklist for high-converting beauty product pages

📸 Image Requirements (9-image carousel)

1
Hero product shot
White background, high-resolution, professional
2
Lifestyle/in-use photo
On face, hand, or in context
3
Texture close-up
Show consistency and color accuracy
4
Packaging details
Box, bottle, pump, seal
5
Size comparison
Hand reference, ruler, common object
6
Before/after results
Same lighting, same angle
7
Ingredient callouts
Key actives highlighted
8
Usage instructions
Step-by-step visual guide
9
Bundle options
Set combinations, value propositions

✍️ Title Optimization (50-80 characters)

Formula:
[Brand] + [Product Type] + [Key Benefit] + [Skin Type/Concern] + [Origin/Prestige]
✓ The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% Serum | Pore & Oil Control | Oily Skin | 30ml
✗ Serum (too generic)

💰 Pricing Strategy

✓
Psychological pricing
¥199 instead of ¥200
✓
Anchor pricing
"Was ¥268, Now ¥199 (Save ¥69 / 26% OFF)"
✓
Bundle deals
Buy 2 get 15% off, Buy 3 get 25% off
✓
First-time discount
Get ¥20 off with code NEW20
✓
Free shipping threshold
Free shipping on orders over ¥99

⭐ Reviews & Ratings

✓
Target: 4.5+ stars
Minimum for credibility
✓
Quantity: 50+ reviews (minimum)
200+ reviews ideal
✓
Photo/video reviews
30% of reviews should include media
✓
Response rate: 100%
Respond to ALL reviews within 24 hours
✓
Incentive program
Offer ¥20-50 credit for photo/video reviews

Competitive Positioning Matrix

Find your strategic position in the beauty market

Premium/Luxury

High Price + High Quality

Luxury branding, exclusivity, prestige positioning

Margin: 60-80%

Avoid This

High Price + Low Value

Price resistance, poor reviews, customer dissatisfaction

Reposition or improve

Penetration

Low Price + High Value

Market share grab, viral growth, bestseller potential

Margin: 20-35%

Budget/Clearance

Low Price + Low Value

Inventory liquidation, clearance items, end-of-season

Margin: 10-20%

High Quality
Low Quality
Low Price
High Price

Crisis Management

How to handle common beauty brand crises on Xiaohongshu

⚠️

Negative Review Goes Viral

Impact: 30-50% sales drop
Response time: Within 2 hours
Acknowledge publicly (show you're listening)
Apologize sincerely (take responsibility)
Offer solution (refund, replacement, investigation)
Take conversation private (DM for details)
Post update (what you're doing to fix)
Learn and improve (product/service adjustment)
🚨

Product Safety Concern

Impact: Critical - immediate sales halt
Response time: Within 1 hour
Issue immediate statement (acknowledge concern)
Halt sales temporarily (show caution)
Conduct investigation (lab tests, supplier audit)
Provide transparency (share findings publicly)
Recall if needed (prioritize customer safety)
Implement safeguards (prevent future issues)
👥

Influencer Scandal

Impact: Association damage
Response time: Within 4 hours
Pause active campaigns with influencer
Assess severity (minor vs major scandal)
Issue statement if needed (clarify relationship)
Terminate partnership if appropriate
Diversify influencer portfolio (reduce single-person risk)
🛡️

Counterfeit Products

Impact: Revenue loss, brand dilution
Response time: Ongoing monitoring
Report to XHS platform (takedown requests)
Educate consumers (how to spot fakes)
Offer verification (QR codes, authenticity checks)
Legal action (against major counterfeiters)
Strengthen supply chain (authorized sellers only)
💬

Customer Service Complaints

Impact: Accumulative reputation damage
Response time: Within 4 hours
Respond to every complaint (show you care)
Resolve issues fairly (refunds, replacements)
Train team (customer service excellence)
Create FAQ (preempt common issues)
Monitor sentiment (track satisfaction scores)

Ready to Dominate Beauty Marketing on Xiaohongshu?

Launch your brand on China's #1 beauty discovery platform with proven strategies that drive 6.2x ROI

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