The Discursive Construction of Beauty Ideals among Chinese Female Influencers on 小红书 Xiaohongshu: A Semiotic and Critical Discourse Analysis
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Abstract
Background and Objectives: As a combination of social media and e-commerce platforms, Xiaohongshu serves as an online social venue for Chinese women to produce, reproduce, consume, and circulate beauty-related information, knowledge, and experiences. This interaction may contribute to the discursive construction of beauty ideals among female audiences, normalizing socially accepted beauty standards. Consequently, the present study examines the discursive construction of beauty ideals among Chinese female influencers on Xiaohongshu through the lenses of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), semiotic analysis, and social identity theory.
Methodology: The present study employed a qualitative research method, supplemented by descriptive statistics to provide quantitative support, specifically in terms of frequencies and percentages. The samples were 355 hashtags, accompanied by photographs, short video clips, and captions, collected from 70 popular beauty-related posts published by Chinese female influencers on Xiaohongshu between January 1st and July 31st, 2025. These hashtags were purposively selected from posts with a minimum popularity threshold of 10,000 likes. The data were analyzed based on the conceptual frameworks of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), semiotic analysis, and social identity theory. Additionally, the accompanying photos, short video clips, and captions were used to supplement the textual analysis.
Main Results: The findings revealed three dominant beauty discourses: transformative beauty journeys, technical aesthetics and beauty practices, and idealized beauty norms. These discourses were shaped by interconnected factors, including Chinese female influencers, consumers, platform mechanisms, and contemporary beauty ideals. This process occurred at three interconnected levels: the textual level, through the repetitive use of popular hashtags; the discursive practice level, through accumulated views, likes, and shares; and the social practice level, through the construction and normalization of socially accepted beauty standards. This discursive construction of beauty ideals was associated with practices of voluntary self-governance, self-care, and self-transformation as a means of maintaining socially accepted beauty standards.
Discussions: This research demonstrates how Xiaohongshu influences the discursive construction of beauty ideals of Chinese female influencers in contemporary Chinese society. The findings, presented through an analysis of beauty discourses and linguistic signs, show that beauty is portrayed not as an inherent quality but as a socially constructed entity. Such construction can be achieved through practices of self-governance, self-care, and self-transformation. While Xiaohongshu promotes Chinese female influencers’ engagement in the discursive construction of beauty ideals, it also restricts the concept of beauty to socially accepted beauty standards of a fair complexion, youthful looks, and a slim figure. Consequently, a critical understanding of beauty discourses may contribute to promoting beauty diversity and equality and enabling Chinese women to navigate this social pressure.
Conclusions: The beauty discourses and the discursive construction of beauty ideals found on Xiaohongshu exemplify complex social, cultural, and economic dynamics in contemporary Chinese society. These discourses reflect existing beauty ideals and reinforce social and professional expectations, prompting women to voluntarily govern and transform themselves to achieve socially accepted beauty norms. While this engagement seems voluntary, it appears to carry significant social pressure. Thus, future research should examine the relevance of positive body image and media literacy for maintaining well-being and emotional stability.
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