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).
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.”
Toners once got a bad rap for being too drying and irritating, which Yang blames on the use of alcohol, an astringent, in older formulas. But she explains that hydrating toners are the opposite, “delivering humectants to draw in moisture and plump up the skin” to better absorb serums and creams.
Board-certified dermatologist Kseniya Kobets, MD, says that hydrating toners substitute these harsh ingredients for hydrating humectants and emollients, including glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and natural plant oils. “These ingredients help condition and replenish moisture in the skin,” Kobets explains.
They’re also rich in antioxidants, which means that these formulas do so much more than just remove excess debris. “Antioxidants help protect skin from damage caused by free radicals—unstable molecules that form from pollution, UV exposure, and even normal body metabolism,” Kobets explains. “These molecules can accelerate skin aging, so including antioxidants in your toner provides an extra layer of defense.”
About the PCA Skin Hydrating Toner
We now know what makes a hydrating toner different. But what makes this specific formula so special? The PCA Skin Toner highlights a few key players: Jania Rubens extract, evening primrose oil, and fruit extracts (namely watermelon, apple, and lentil). Jania Rubens is a mineral-rich seaweed that aids in hydration, antioxidant protection, soothing, and brightening effects. TL;DR: It makes the skin look and feel super dewy, according to Yang.
Evening primrose oil “smooths the surface of skin cells and reduces water loss, locking in moisture without clogging pores,” according to Kobets. Yang points out that it also calms redness and irritation (ahem, perfect for rosacea-havers like myself). “Combined with antioxidants like ascorbic acid (vitamin C), watermelon extract, and rosemary extract, these ingredients help maintain a healthy, radiant skin barrier over time,” Kobets concludes.
In addition to smoothing and hydrating your skin, this formula is a deep yet gentle cleansing step at its core—purifying the skin from the sebum, dirt, debris, and makeup traces that the naked eye can’t see. You can use this formula every day, morning and night, on any skin type (even acne-prone and oily, say the experts). My skin is sensitive and typically dry, which means that toners aren’t usually aren’t my best friends. But that, however, was not the case with this blend.
How I Tested
The routine was simple: First, wash face with cleanser. Next, use the hydrating toner. Lastly, finish with a gentle moisturizer. Because it’s gentle and hydrating, you technically can use this toner every single day, but since I have perennially dry skin, I only used it at night.
Toner was one of the first beauty products to be grossly satisfying to me (Clinique’s Clarifying Face Lotion was the first I tried as a middle schooler)—seeing the bits of makeup my cleanser and wipes didn’t catch was always a thrill. But when a few cotton ball–soaked swipes of the PCA formula turned that paperwhite surface brown on my no-makeup days, I knew this stuff was next-level.
A cotton ball after using the PCA Skin Hydrating Toner on a no-makeup day.
To be honest, I didn’t notice a change in my skin until I compared my before and after photos. The cool liquid felt more like a soothing, wind-down step rather than game-changing skincare, and I didn’t notice my complexion looking any more radiant than it did seven days ago. Sure, I was lacking the usual breakouts that came up the week before my period. Okay, maybe my redness was a little toned down. But glowing I was not. Well, the final comparison shut that pessimistic voice up…
L: Alyssa on the first day of testing the PCA Skin Hydrating Toner; R: Alyssa after testing the toner for 7 days
What I Loved (and Didn’t)
Pros: Little goes a long way, gentle formula, improves radiance over time, brightens skin
Cons: On the expensive side
I immediately fell for the soothing feeling and natural fragrance of this toner. Refreshingly cool and spa-scented, each application felt like a hedonistic ritual—and no, the fragrance did not irritate my sensitive skin.
While I once thought this bottle a bit pricey, I realized how very little you need to use to get an all-over wash. Not to mention how long this seven-ounce bottle would last, even if you used it morning and night. (I suspect you’d only need to buy two per year.)
I rarely experience breakouts, but it did quell my hormonal acne—you can see a cluster forming on my cheek in the left-hand photo above and dissipating in the right. This toner also sloughed the excess skin cells from the surface without stripping it, leaving brownish residue on each cotton ball on my makeup and sweat-free days, too.
But most of all, I love the glassy glow that it left me with after just a week of testing. Maybe the girl in the TikTok wasn’t lying, after all.
Is the PCA Hydrating Toner Worth It?
To put it plainly, yes! If you’re looking for a toner that will suit any skin type (even sensitive, acne-prone, and mature!) without irritating or dehydrating the skin, you’ve come to the right place. While it may be pricey upon the first purchase, this potion offers the most bang for your buck.
Other Hydrating Toners to Consider
CeraVe
Alcohol-Free Hydrating Toner
Medicube
PDRN Pink Niacinamide Milky Toner
Byoma
Hydrating Milky Toner
Anua
Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner
Paula’s Choice
Nourishing Milky Toner
Who’s Who
- Connie Yang, MD, is a New York City–based board-certified dermatologist at PFrankMD. Yang is also a Dermstore Medical Advisory Board member.
- Kseniya Kobets, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and the Director of Cosmetics Dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care in Westchester, New York.
