The rise of ‘wanghong’ beauty influencers in China and growing interest for functional and customised cosmetics have been revealed as some of the changing purchasing habits post-COVID-19.

In this review article conducted by researchers at Dongguk University in South Korea, 43 research papers were analysed from online database, spanning the years 2019 to 2021, and included studies done in Poland, China and South Korea. Researchers wrote in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, “This study is expected to be used as a marketing reference which depicts the changes in the beauty industry and online purchasing behaviours post–COVID-19.”

This study was split into three sections, examining the purchasing habits of beauty products pre and post pandemic, the rise of wanghong in China which influence purchasing rates, and the expansion of online services to cater to consumers. Wanghong is a newly coined term referring to an Internet star popular on social networking sites. Unlike celebrity marketing, consumers recognise these influencers as ordinary people who are not much different from themselves and tend to trust them more.

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By Guan Yu Lim – 20 Oct 2021