XHS KOL Trend Report: Most In-Demand Creator Categories on Xiaohongshu
Date Published
Table Of Contents
1. Why KOL Category Selection Matters More Than Ever on XHS
2. Understanding the XHS Creator Landscape: KOL, KOC, and KOS
3. The Most In-Demand KOL Categories on Xiaohongshu
• 4. Health, Wellness & Fitness KOLs
• 6. Mother & Baby / Parenting KOLs
• 7. Outdoor & Sportswear KOLs
1. Emerging Creator Categories Gaining Brand Investment
2. How to Choose the Right KOL Category for Your Brand
The XHS KOL Landscape Is Changing — And Brands Need to Keep Up
If you're a global brand targeting Chinese consumers, understanding which Xiaohongshu (XHS) KOL categories drive the most brand ROI isn't just useful — it's essential. The platform has evolved far beyond its origins as a beauty-sharing app. Today, Xiaohongshu functions as a sophisticated hybrid between a search engine, a peer-review platform, and a social commerce destination, and the creators who operate within it are increasingly specialized, strategic, and commercially powerful.
With over 300 million monthly active users and a creator ecosystem powered by more than 100 million content creators, XHS has become the primary influencer marketing platform for brands entering China. Knowing which creator categories are in highest demand — and why — gives brands a decisive edge when planning their KOL strategy, allocating budget, and aligning with creators whose audiences match their ideal buyer profiles.
This XHS KOL trend report covers the most in-demand creator categories on Xiaohongshu right now, the emerging niches gaining rapid brand investment, and how international brands can use this data to build smarter, more targeted influencer partnerships on the platform.
Why KOL Category Selection Matters More Than Ever on XHS {#why-kol-category-selection-matters}
On Xiaohongshu, category fit between a brand and a creator is not a nice-to-have — it is a performance variable. The platform's algorithm rewards relevance, niche depth, and authentic engagement, which means a KOL who genuinely lives within a product category will consistently outperform a general lifestyle creator with a larger following. <cite index="13-16,13-17,13-18">Xiaohongshu functions as a visual search engine where users actively look up product reviews, tutorials, and recommendations before buying, and the platform's culture rewards native-looking, experience-based posts over polished ads.</cite> This search-first behavior is precisely why category alignment is so consequential — when a user searches for "best serum for sensitive skin" or "outdoor gear for beginners," they want a creator who speaks to that exact context, not one who dabbles across ten different topics.
<cite index="11-6,11-7">Xiaohongshu is the primary platform for the majority of Chinese Key Opinion Leaders and Key Opinion Consumers, with 91% of influencers picking this platform as the most valuable one, and 67% selecting it as their primary platform — with 43% using it more frequently than the prior year.</cite> That concentration of creator activity means the competition for brand partnerships within high-performing categories is intensifying, making it critical for brands to understand where audiences are growing and where engagement is strongest.
For international brands, the stakes are even higher. <cite index="21-33,21-34,21-35">Xiaohongshu has the highest concentration of high-income users of any Chinese social platform — nearly 40% of its users are classified as high-value consumers with household incomes above ¥300,000 per year, and more than 75% hold a bachelor's degree or higher.</cite> Reaching these consumers through the right creator category is what separates a high-converting XHS campaign from one that burns budget without results.
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Understanding the XHS Creator Landscape: KOL, KOC, and KOS {#understanding-xhs-creator-landscape}
Before diving into specific categories, it helps to understand the three distinct creator tiers operating on Xiaohongshu, as each serves a different function in the brand marketing funnel.
KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) are the platform's established influencers — creators with typically 50,000 or more followers who have built authority through consistent, high-quality content in a specific niche. <cite index="10-16,10-17,10-18">KOLs on Xiaohongshu are recognized experts or aspirational figures in categories like beauty, fashion, fitness, parenting, or luxury lifestyle, and their authority comes from demonstrated expertise, professional content production, and a track record of trendsetting within their communities.</cite> They are best used for broad awareness and brand prestige at the top of the funnel.
KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers) operate differently. <cite index="31-24,31-25,31-26">KOCs are everyday users who create authentic content about products and experiences they genuinely enjoy. They typically have smaller followings (generally between 1,000–30,000 followers) compared to KOLs but generate higher engagement rates and trust — their content feels more authentic and relatable, resembling advice from a trusted friend rather than a celebrity endorsement.</cite> Critically, <cite index="10-12">KOCs are generating engagement rates up to 60% higher than KOLs in certain product categories.</cite>
KOSs (Key Opinion Sales) are the newest category to gain traction. <cite index="4-4,4-5,4-6,4-7">Unlike KOLs and KOCs, who buy products themselves and share personal experiences, KOSs are directly assigned and managed by brands to promote their products. As official representatives of the brand, KOSs have the advantage of providing the most relevant and authentic product details, making them part of the brand's internal team while KOLs and KOCs operate more independently as external partners.</cite> <cite index="38-12">The platform already hosts over 100,000 KOS accounts across various sectors, generating nearly 2 million user-generated posts covering thousands of brands.</cite>
The most effective XHS influencer strategies combine all three. <cite index="28-3,28-4,28-5,28-6,28-7">A sophisticated strategy doesn't force a brand to choose exclusively between tiers. The most successful brands use a "pyramid" marketing approach — a select few top-tier KOLs at the top to generate initial buzz and establish brand prestige, mid-tier influencers in the middle to provide professional, polished content that validates the product, and a high volume of micro-influencers and KOCs at the base to flood the platform with authentic, relatable reviews.</cite>
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The Most In-Demand KOL Categories on Xiaohongshu {#most-in-demand-kol-categories}
<cite index="21-1">The most searched categories on Xiaohongshu are beauty and skincare, fashion, food and dining, travel, fitness and wellness, home décor, and parenting.</cite> Each of these verticals has its own creator dynamics, audience expectations, and content formats that brands need to understand before investing.
1. Beauty & Skincare KOLs {#beauty-skincare-kols}
Beauty remains the single most competitive and commercially active KOL category on Xiaohongshu. <cite index="22-29">China's cosmetics market reached more than RMB 1.1 trillion in 2025, with domestic brands holding 57.4% market share and online sales accounting for 65.4% of total sales</cite> — and XHS sits at the center of where those purchase decisions are made. Beauty KOLs on the platform are diversifying in their approach: <cite index="30-1,30-3">Xiaohongshu's beauty ecosystem is diversifying, with creators spanning rational skincare, sensory rituals, celebrity storytelling, and slow lifestyle commerce.</cite>
For international beauty brands, the most effective XHS creators are not those who produce polished campaign-style content, but those who offer granular, experience-based reviews. <cite index="22-21">The best-performing beauty content is useful and specific — such as skincare routines, texture tests, ingredient explainers, wear tests, product comparisons, and honest creator reviews.</cite> <cite index="22-2,22-3">Beauty brands should use both KOLs and KOCs: KOLs help with reach and authority, while KOCs build trust through detailed, relatable, experience-based content.</cite>
2. Fashion & Style KOLs {#fashion-style-kols}
Fashion is Xiaohongshu's second major KOL powerhouse, and the category is experiencing strong momentum backed by broader market tailwinds. <cite index="6-10,6-11">The luxury, sportswear, and fashion resale markets are particularly strong growth areas for China in 2026, with high-net-worth consumers in China reporting a 34% net intent to spend on luxury fashion, compared to a 27% global average.</cite> Fashion KOLs on XHS range from runway-level taste-makers who report from global fashion weeks to accessible everyday stylists who help their audiences shop attainable trends.
The fashion category is also seeing increased demand for creators who focus on resale, sustainability, and value-conscious styling. <cite index="6-13">Over 60% of Chinese consumers report shopping more on resale platforms today than two to three years ago, and over 70% plan to shop resale in 2026.</cite> Brands investing in fashion KOLs should assess whether they need aspirational positioning (macro-KOLs) or trust-driven peer styling advice (mid-tier and KOC creators), as both serve meaningfully different roles in the consumer journey.
3. Food & Beverage KOLs {#food-beverage-kols}
The F&B creator category is one of the fastest-rising on the platform, driven by a profound cultural shift in how Chinese consumers relate to food. <cite index="18-3">This shift has created powerful opportunities for brands using RED Food Influencer Marketing in China, as food experiences are now closely tied to lifestyle identity and social status.</cite> <cite index="18-1">Research reveals that 84% of Tier 1 city residents consider 'high-quality dining and organic ingredients' as their top discretionary spending priority, outranking apparel and consumer electronics.</cite>
Food KOLs on Xiaohongshu thrive through taste-testing content, café discovery posts, recipe tutorials, and deep-dive reviews of trending ingredients or dining experiences. <cite index="14-10,14-11">Healthy snacks, café-style beverages, and international packaged foods often gain traction because users enjoy discovering unique or trending items, and recipe-based posts and taste-testing content help build credibility and spark organic sharing.</cite> For international F&B brands, this is one of the most accessible entry categories — particularly for products that offer a novelty angle, a wellness story, or a culturally resonant flavor profile.
4. Health, Wellness & Fitness KOLs {#health-wellness-fitness-kols}
Wellness creators have seen consistent, compounding growth on XHS as Chinese consumers increasingly prioritize holistic health. <cite index="11-17">Content related to health, wellness, and sustainable living has gained significant traction, reflecting a growing consumer focus on holistic well-being.</cite> <cite index="24-1,24-2">Products in fitness, skincare, and mental health categories are experiencing a surge in demand, with brands tapping into these trends positioning themselves as essential to a modern, balanced lifestyle.</cite>
The global reach of wellness content on Xiaohongshu is particularly noteworthy. <cite index="17-17,17-18">The most followed account on Xiaohongshu under the health and wellness category is German influencer Pamela Reif, whose content is focused on healthy recipes and workout tutorials — content that has earned her 12 million followers on the platform, showing users' enthusiasm for the topic.</cite> For international supplement, fitness, and wellness brands, this category offers genuine cross-border potential, especially when creators frame content around scientific credibility or lifestyle integration.
5. Travel & Lifestyle KOLs {#travel-lifestyle-kols}
Travel is one of the highest-intent content categories on Xiaohongshu, with users actively using the platform for trip planning before they ever leave home. <cite index="14-14,14-15">Travel inspiration, itineraries, hotel reviews, and city guides perform well among young professionals who rely on Xiaohongshu before making travel decisions, creating opportunities for travel brands, hospitality groups, and tourism boards to reach experience-driven audiences.</cite>
The travel KOL category has gained additional commercial weight due to the platform's growing role in inbound tourism marketing. <cite index="23-7">89% of Chinese tourists use XHS to plan trips, and searches for travel destinations have grown dramatically year over year</cite> — making travel creators not just aspirational voices but genuine conversion drivers for hotels, airlines, attractions, and destination marketing organizations. Brands in hospitality and tourism should prioritize mid-tier travel KOLs who combine strong visual storytelling with practical, search-optimized recommendations.
6. Mother & Baby / Parenting KOLs {#mother-baby-parenting-kols}
Parenting content occupies a unique and trust-intensive corner of the Xiaohongshu creator ecosystem. <cite index="27-8">Xiaohongshu is more product-centric in the parenting space, showing parents products that might help them raise their children</cite> — from baby skincare and nutrition to educational toys and maternity wellness. This makes parenting KOLs particularly valuable for brands in the mother and baby vertical, where peer recommendations carry enormous weight in purchase decisions.
The parenting audience skews toward premium consumption and is highly research-oriented. Creators who combine personal storytelling with product education — covering ingredients, safety certifications, and comparative reviews — consistently outperform those who simply showcase products aesthetically. For international baby and maternity brands, this is a high-trust, high-conversion category when the right creator alignment is achieved.
7. Outdoor & Sportswear KOLs {#outdoor-sportswear-kols}
Outdoor content is one of the fastest-growing KOL categories on XHS, fueled by a broader cultural shift toward active, experience-led lifestyles among China's urban youth. <cite index="6-12">China is fueling strong sportswear demand in Asia, with outdoor sportswear sales doubling over the last five years.</cite> <cite index="7-20">Six outdoor brands that launched or scaled significantly in just the past few years now earn over $500 million annually each in China.</cite> This market expansion has created substantial demand for creators who can authentically represent hiking, trail running, camping, rock climbing, and premium athletic wear.
Outdoor KOLs on Xiaohongshu typically attract highly engaged audiences because outdoor content is inherently scenario-based — a camping gear review isn't just product content, it's an aspirational lifestyle post. Brands in this vertical benefit most from working with mid-tier outdoor creators who combine genuine adventure credentials with strong visual storytelling.
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Emerging Creator Categories Gaining Brand Investment {#emerging-creator-categories}
Beyond the established verticals, several emerging creator categories are gaining rapid traction with brands on Xiaohongshu. These niches are not yet as saturated as beauty or fashion, which means early brand investment can yield outsized visibility.
• Pet content creators: <cite index="4-22,4-23">Over 53% of Chinese pet owners turn to Xiaohongshu for pet-related information, including caregiving tips and pet food recommendations, with the platform being particularly popular among first-time pet owners seeking advice and inspiration from fellow users' experiences.</cite>
• Home décor and interior lifestyle KOLs: <cite index="31-21,31-22">While XHS has become particularly influential in beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and travel categories, opportunities are rapidly emerging across diverse sectors including food and beverage, home décor, parenting, and technology.</cite>
• Male grooming and style creators: <cite index="17-26,17-27,17-28,17-29">Although male users make up only 30% of Xiaohongshu's monthly active users, the platform revealed that the growth rate of male users is outpacing that of female users, with this shift sparking more male-oriented content — including male influencers stepping in with tips on skincare routines and style advice tailored for men.</cite>
• ACG (Anime, Comic, Game) and subculture creators: <cite index="7-16,7-17">The formerly niche ACG identity is now mainstream on XHS — fans are openly expressing passion through fashion, collectibles, and daily life, turning subculture into social currency.</cite>
• Video-first creators: <cite index="4-15,4-16">Video-based content creators on Xiaohongshu increased by 43%, and a single video-based note enabled one creator to gain 410,000 new followers.</cite> As the platform continues to invest in video infrastructure, video-native creators across all categories are experiencing accelerated growth.
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How to Choose the Right KOL Category for Your Brand {#how-to-choose-right-kol-category}
Selecting a KOL category is not about chasing the largest or most popular vertical — it's about finding the intersection between your product, your target audience's search behavior, and the creator content that authentically supports both. Here are the key principles to guide that decision:
Start with search intent, not follower counts. Xiaohongshu is a search-first platform. <cite index="20-17,20-18">Nearly 70% of monthly active users have search behavior on Xiaohongshu, and daily search volume has reached nearly 600 million — doubling in just over a year.</cite> The best KOL category for your brand is the one where users are actively searching for solutions your product can provide.
Match creator type to campaign objective. For awareness and prestige, invest in macro-KOLs within your category. For conversion and trust-building, deploy KOCs and mid-tier creators at scale. For retail-adjacent brands with physical presence in China, KOS accounts can bridge the gap between online discovery and in-store purchase.
Prioritize category depth over category breadth. <cite index="13-22">The platform's algorithm favors authenticity, niche content, and engagement velocity, meaning success requires careful planning and consistent optimization.</cite> A creator who posts exclusively about skincare for sensitive skin will outperform a generalist lifestyle creator in driving conversions for a targeted skincare product.
Localize your brief to fit platform culture. <cite index="21-10,21-11,21-12">Chinese consumers have distinct cultural reference points, beauty standards, skin type profiles, and lifestyle contexts — content that is simply translated from English without cultural adaptation performs poorly. The most successful brands invest in understanding the local consumer's relationship with the product category, not just the product itself.</cite>
For brands that need structured, data-driven support in identifying the right KOL category and building a comprehensive XHS influencer strategy, exploring industry-specific Xiaohongshu marketing strategies is the most efficient starting point. AllXHS covers 20+ verticals — from beauty and fashion to F&B, mother and baby, and beyond — with resources built specifically for international brands entering China.
If you're looking to go deeper, the free Xiaohongshu resources available through AllXHS include data-driven industry reports, ready-to-use templates, and platform-specific tools that take the guesswork out of KOL category selection and campaign planning.
Final Thoughts {#final-thoughts}
The XHS KOL landscape in 2026 is more sophisticated, more segmented, and more commercially powerful than at any point in the platform's history. <cite index="1-26">Powered by 90% UGC and over 100 million creators, Xiaohongshu is now the center of next-generation social media marketing</cite> — and for international brands, the question is no longer whether to invest in KOL marketing on the platform, but which categories and creator types will deliver the highest return for their specific objectives.
Beauty and skincare remain the dominant and most competitive category, but travel, F&B, wellness, outdoor, and parenting creators are generating genuine purchase intent across a rapidly expanding user base. Emerging niches like pet content, male grooming, and video-first creators represent high-upside opportunities for brands willing to move early. Most importantly, the brands that win on Xiaohongshu are those that treat KOL selection as a strategic, data-informed decision — not a shortcut or an afterthought.
Whether you're planning your first XHS influencer campaign or looking to optimize an existing strategy, AllXHS provides the depth of resources and platform expertise to make those decisions with confidence. From category-specific industry reports to expert guidance across 20+ verticals, it's the most comprehensive English-language resource for international brands marketing on Xiaohongshu.
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