The study, published in the Formosa Journal of Multidisciplinary Research in 2026, examined Generation Z skincare consumers in Bandung. The article was received on June 25, revised on July 22, and accepted on August 20, 2026. The paper does not specify the exact dates when the consumer survey was conducted.
Why Negative TikTok Reviews Matter
The Indonesian skincare market has expanded rapidly, increasing the importance of retaining existing customers. The article cites industry data showing that skincare revenue in Indonesia rose from US$7.23 billion in 2022 to US$8.7 billion in 2025. At the same time, social media has become an important channel through which consumers discover, evaluate and discuss skincare products.
The researchers highlighted several skincare brands that experienced declines in sales performance following viral negative reviews on TikTok. The article refers to Azarine, SSSkin, Jejuby and Elsheskin and compares sales volume, review numbers and product ratings across major marketplaces.
Such online criticism can raise questions about product quality, safety and whether marketing claims accurately represent a product. For Generation Z, which the researchers describe as highly engaged with social media and user-generated content, these discussions can become an important part of how a brand is perceived.
But the study found that negative reviews do not automatically translate into a decision to stop buying.
Survey of 113 Generation Z Consumers
Putri and Nurtjahjadi used a quantitative survey to examine the relationship between negative TikTok reviews, brand trust and repurchase intention.
The researchers collected responses through an online Google Forms questionnaire. The 113 respondents were Generation Z consumers in Bandung aged 17 to 28 who actively used TikTok, were familiar with skincare reviews from the “Dokter Detektif” account and had previously purchased skincare products. Participants were selected according to specific criteria rather than randomly.
The researchers analyzed the responses using statistical regression and a mediation test to determine whether brand trust helped explain the relationship between negative reviews and repurchase intention. They also conducted tests to assess the quality and consistency of their measurement instruments and statistical model. The analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 with a 5% significance level.
The measurement results reported in the article showed that all questionnaire indicators were valid. The reliability scores were also above the study’s threshold, with Cronbach’s Alpha values of 0.783 for negative reviews, 0.749 for repurchase intention and 0.751 for brand trust.
Brand Trust Is the Critical Link
The strongest message from the study is that negative reviews reduce brand trust.
Among the Generation Z skincare consumers surveyed in Bandung, the negative-review variable had a regression coefficient of -0.169, with a significance value of 0.006. The result indicates that stronger perceptions of negative reviews were associated with lower levels of trust in the brand.
In contrast, brand trust had a strong positive relationship with repurchase intention. Its regression coefficient was 0.613, with a t-value of 10.338 and a p-value below 0.001. The reported R-squared value of 0.491 indicates that brand trust alone accounted for nearly half of the variation in repurchase intention within the model.
Negative reviews themselves, however, did not have a statistically significant direct effect on repurchase intention. The coefficient was -0.048, with a p-value of 0.374. The R-squared value for this direct relationship was only 0.007.
The researchers then found that brand trust fully mediated the relationship between negative reviews and repurchase intention. The reported indirect effect was -0.1074, with a bootstrap confidence interval of [-0.1802; -0.0337], which did not include zero.
In practical terms, the findings suggest a chain reaction: negative reviews can reduce trust in a skincare brand, and reduced trust can weaken consumers’ willingness to buy again. The review itself is not necessarily enough to change repurchase behavior immediately.
Implications for Skincare Businesses
For skincare companies, the findings from Jenderal Achmad Yani University point to brand trust as an important defense against negative information circulating on social media.
Companies can strengthen that trust by maintaining consistent product quality, communicating product information transparently and responding quickly and professionally to consumer complaints and reviews. The researchers also emphasize the importance of accurate, informative and fact-based digital communication.
Putri and Nurtjahjadi’s findings can therefore be understood as a reminder that managing negative reviews is not simply about removing criticism or protecting a brand’s image. More fundamentally, companies need to preserve the credibility and trust that consumers have built through their previous experiences with the product.
As the authors explain in their discussion, negative reviews can influence repurchase intention indirectly by changing consumers’ level of trust in a brand. Brands with stronger consumer trust may consequently be better positioned to withstand negative information on platforms such as TikTok.
The researchers caution that the findings should not be generalized to all consumers. The study was limited to Generation Z consumers in Bandung, skincare products and negative reviews on TikTok. Future studies could include other generations and regions, as well as factors such as brand image, customer satisfaction, perceived quality, electronic word of mouth and customer loyalty.
Author Profiles
Adelia Putri is affiliated with the Faculty of Economics and Business, Jenderal Achmad Yani University, Indonesia. Her work in this article focuses on digital consumer behavior, negative online reviews, brand trust and repurchase intention in the skincare market.
Edi Nurtjahjadi is also affiliated with the Faculty of Economics and Business, Jenderal Achmad Yani University, Indonesia. His contribution to the article addresses consumer behavior, digital marketing, brand trust and repurchase intention. The published article does not state the authors’ academic degrees, so no degree is added here to avoid introducing unsupported information.
Source
Article: The Effect of Negative Reviews on the TikTok App on Repurchase Intention via Brand Trust for Skincare Products in Bandung (A Study of Generation Z Consumers)
Authors: Adelia Putri and Edi Nurtjahjadi
Journal: Formosa Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (FJMR)
Publication: Volume 5, No. 8, 2026, pp. 2639–2650
Official journal: Formosa Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
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