UGC trends September 2026: what brands are casting for

The short version

This is a past monthly edition, and it doesn’t change. The latest is the October 2026 edition.

September was a careful month for shoppers, but they kept spending on things that make them feel good or help them stay well. Korean skincare and body care led the social shopping charts, Pilates gear and protein-packed drinks and snacks kept growing, and Halloween shopping started early.

The top 3 trends are Korean skincare and body care (skincare), Reformer and mat Pilates at home (fitness) and Clear protein drinks and functional snacks (food). UGCStars lists 1,119 skincare creators, 1,133 fitness creators and 1,028 food creators.

Trends in September

Ranked by the strength of the evidence. Each trend links to its report when there is one, and the niche links to the UGCStars creators for it. Why each one is rising, with its sources, comes after the table.

Why each trend is rising

Korean skincare and body care

Korean body washes, peel sprays and firming creams are topping social shop charts, and brands need real-skin routine videos to show texture and results.

• Korea's cosmetics and skin care exports to the United States were $221,381,271 in September 2026, +23.1% versus the same month a year earlier, the highest month since records began. (Aesthetic Intelligence (Korea Customs Service data))
• The medicube Smooth & Clear Body Care Set was the best-selling product on TikTok Shop USA in the 30 days to 1 October 2026, with $4.9M in revenue, up 168%. (RapidTok, 4 October 2026)
• A medicube PDRN collagen gua sha neck cream was the top TikTok Shop UK product in the week ending 27 September, with £136K GMV. (Z Media, 28 September 2026)

Content brands ask for: product demos, tutorials, product reviews, unboxing. Read the full report

Reformer and mat Pilates at home

Pilates gear stayed a retail bright spot while shoppers cut back, and new home reformers mean brands need creators who can show setup, fit and real routines.

• Circana listed yoga and mat Pilates products among retail bright spots even as US unit demand fell 1.7% in August 2026. (Circana, 14 September 2026)
• Pilates participation among US fitness-facility members rose 28.1% between 2021 and 2025, and 13.8 million consumers now take part in Pilates in the US. (Health & Fitness Business)
• Technogym launched its first Pilates reformer, Technogym Reform, in the US for homes, hotels, residential developments and fitness clubs. (Athletech News, 17 September 2026)

Content brands ask for: tutorials, product demos, product reviews, vlogs. Read the full report

Clear protein drinks and functional snacks

New sparkling protein drinks and snacks with added benefits are launching fast, and brands need taste tests and label reads to win over curious shoppers.

• Mintel calls clear, sparkling protein drinks whitespace in better-for-you soda, as brands including Premier Protein and Vital Proteins launch sparkling formats. (Food Business News, 17 September 2026)
• Snacks with benefits such as protein, energy, digestion and hydration reached $19 billion in retail sales, growing 12.7% versus the prior year. (Conagra Brands, 23 September 2026)
• Among GLP-1 users, 52% report buying more high-protein dairy products and 43% report buying more protein drinks. (Prepared Foods, 9 September 2026)

Content brands ask for: product reviews, testimonials, vlogs, product demos. Read the full report

Pet Halloween costumes

Halloween shopping started early and pets are part of the plan, so pet brands want try-on and comfort videos that answer sizing questions before the big day.

• NRF expects Halloween spending to reach $13.5 billion this year, including $0.92 billion on pet costumes. (National Retail Federation, 22 September 2026)
• Popular pet costumes include a pumpkin (11.6%), a hot dog (5.9%) and a ghost (2.8%), and 49% of consumers plan to begin Halloween shopping in September or earlier. (National Retail Federation, 22 September 2026)

Content brands ask for: unboxing, product reviews, photography, product demos. Read the full report

Energy drinks

Energy drinks kept growing at convenience stores while most snacks and drinks slowed, giving beverage brands a reason to fund taste tests and routine videos.

• Casey's said energy drinks and nicotine alternatives continue to outperform its grocery category, adding that energy continues to perform well at 12%. (Casey's earnings call (The Motley Fool transcript), 9 September 2026)
• Circana named energy drinks among US retail bright spots as August 2026 unit demand fell 1.7%. (Circana, 14 September 2026)

Content brands ask for: product reviews, testimonials, vlogs.

Pokemon and trading cards

Demand for trading cards is strong enough to strain marketplaces, and brands and sellers want pack openings and collection videos from creators who know the hobby.

• Mercari restricted listings of Pokémon 30th anniversary products amid a global card boom; Pokémon card prices have surged 1,350% since 2020, per a Collectors index. (CNBC, 18 September 2026)
• Circana named trading cards among the bright spots in US retail, benefiting from shoppers' wish for entertainment and connection. (Circana, 14 September 2026)

Content brands ask for: unboxing, product reviews, vlogs.

Masstige haircare

Mid-priced beauty brands are growing fastest and haircare is their biggest category, so brands want reviews that show salon-like results at an everyday price.

• Circana says masstige brands account for just 10% to 11% of total beauty sales but deliver the strongest growth, with haircare masstige's largest share at 17% of category sales. (BeautyMatter (Circana), 6 September 2026)

Content brands ask for: product reviews, tutorials, testimonials.

On UGCStars

Brand activity on UGCStars joins the editions once a month holds at least 200 searches, casting calls and creator contacts. The 30 days before this edition held fewer.

How this edition is made

• The trends were researched on 19 October 2026 from public sources: search interest, industry reports, retailer and platform announcements, and news. Every trend links to its sources, and figures appear only as a source states them.
• Each source link was checked automatically when the edition was published on 19 October 2026. Trends without a working source were left out.
• Niches are the ones creators list on their UGCStars profiles. Creator counts come from UGCStars on the day of publishing.
• UGCStars doesn’t track hashtags, so editions don’t rank them.
• This edition doesn’t change after it’s published. Report a mistake.

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