I’m a Beauty Editor That Rarely Gets Influenced—My Real Thoughts on This TikTok-Viral Toner After 1 Week
My day job consists of researching, testing, and writing about beauty products (and trust me—I love every second of it!), but after consuming (and creating!) so much beauty content throughout the day, I usually want to divert my attention to other interests and hobbies the second the workday is done.
I pride myself on having a relatively random TikTok feed. Chaotic videos, podcast clips, and fashion predictions flood my FYP, but rarely does a beauty video pop up that sways me into action. That was, until about three weeks ago, when a video of a woman with porcelain, unbearably smooth, lit-from-within skin landed on my feed, naming a particular hydrating toner as the culprit behind her facial-free glow.
With that, the PCA Skin Hydrating Toner became the talk of TikTok and my group chats with beauty editors and nonindustry friends alike. This toner comes at no small cost: $48 a pop, and often with a waiting list due to its newfound demand. (No, really—it’s gone out of stock twice since I started working on this story.) The comments section was alight with thoughts similar to my own: doubtful quips (“There must be a filter,” one writes) and simultaneous admiration (“Immediately Googles PCA Hydrating Toner,” says another).
Best picks for you
With skepticism and hope lacing my budding opinions, I acquired a bottle myself and decided to put this glow-giving formula to the test for a week straight. Scroll on to see if this pricey bottle lived up to the hype or ended up in the TikTok impulse-buy graveyard.
Also available at: Amazon ($48), PCA Skin ($48)
Size: 7 oz.
Skin type: Dry, combination, normal, sensitive
Key ingredients: Evening primrose oil, Jania Rubens extract, watermelon, apple, and lentil extracts
Benefits: Cleanses, hydrates, and softens skin; offers skin damage protection
Use: Daily, a.m. and p.m.
Customer review: “Such a good hydrating toner! I have dry, acne-prone, and sensitive skin, and this has never done me wrong. I use it daily and it's just such a good way to make sure your skin is clean without stripping it!”
Why Is the PCA Skin Hydrating Toner Trending?
This replenishing formula from PCA Skin went viral in late July 2025 after a TikTok creator named Meg (@girlwiththeslickback) made a video following her dermatologist appointment—which has since amassed 7.4 million views—where her doctor assumed she’d just gotten a facial due to her dewy, clear complexion.
The creator touches on the product she uses (PCA Skin’s Hydrating Toner, of course) for only a second before waxing poetic about toner being the “slept-on step” that changed her skincare game. Viewers were enamored with her glowy, glass-like skin, earning thousands of comments debating if her complexion was really the result of a good toner… or if she just had naturally good skin. Engagement built with each new comment, and so did my interest.
What Is a Hydrating Toner?
In short, hydrating toners are moisturizing, deeply cleansing, and important for anti-aging. “Regular toners may be used to remove makeup, excess oil, and rebalance the skin after cleansing,” board-certified dermatologist Connie Yang, MD, tells Who What Wear. “A hydrating toner's purpose is to add moisture to the skin rather than strip it.”
