When it comes to your skincare routine, you probably have the essentials: moisturizer for men, some type of cleanser or daily face wash, and maybe a men’s anti aging product if you’re advanced. But there’s one thing your routine is missing – Reddit. Reddit has gained a reputation as a breeding ground for trolls and unregulated information overload. But beyond its sometimes seedy reputation, it’s actually a rich resource for men who are seeking grooming and skincare tips.

With established magazines like GQ, Esquire, and Men’s Health out there, it might seem weird to turn to a public forum for advice. But unlike those magazines, Reddit offers firsthand accounts from people like you. You won’t just learn about products from companies who’ve paid for features. You’ll hear the good, bad, and ugly about what’s on the market so you can craft a skincare routine that’s highly effective.

In fact, even those magazines are turning to Reddit for advice. Several sites like Cosmopolitan, xoJane, and Glamour have recently published skincare tips culled entirely from Reddit research.

Among some of the most popular subreddits are /r/SkinCareAddiction and /r/malegrooming. The former boasts over 200,000 readers and features several personal accounts about users’ battles with acne as well as secrets of successful routines. There are also many users seeking advice. Skin care tips for men are even broken down into subcategories like Dark Circles and Under Eye Wrinkles, Dehydrated Skin, and Sebaceous Filaments.

/r/malegrooming labels itself as “A Man’s Guide to Looking Good”. Many of the posts are from users seeking advice on hair, shaving technique and beard-related men’s skincare products.

Even more general subreddits like /r/AskMen dedicate time and space to outlining specific skincare tips.

Men are turning to Reddit for an open-minded skincare discussion that dives deeper than simple product descriptions. In this forum, men can share photos of skin problems, describe their routines in great detail, and get very specific recommendations from a host of self-proclaimed experts. The experience is far more informative than a men’s magazine. And the stigma of men caring about their skin is removed.

From basic info to advanced care, Reddit has become invaluable in the world of men’s skincare. It isn’t just an information aggregator for users. It’s also a major industry influencer when it comes to which men’s skin care products you should buy.

Last month, Slate published a piece about /r/SkinCareAddiction’s personal vendetta against St. Ives’ Apricot Scrub. The article detailed how several users in the group had been told by dermatologists to throw the product out. According to Redditors, the Apricot Scrub contains little, jagged pieces of walnut that cause micro tears in your skin and leave you vulnerable to infection. The Slate story didn’t dive into research of their own, but it’s clear that Apricot Scrub has a bad rep among Redditors. As a highly influential community of skincare lovers, that’s not a good thing for St. Ives.

Additionally, some of the most common questions and discussion topics revolve around moisturizer for men. Should you use it? Does it help? Is it a rip-off? Don’t worry – men’s moisturizer doesn’t suffer the same fate as the Apricot Scrub. Redditors know that moisturizing is an important part of any skincare routine, and they recommend a host of effective options based on your skin type.

Overall, though there’s a lot of information to digest, Reddit it opening up the men’s skincare conversation. It’s a relatively safe space to discuss something that most men aren’t knowledgeable about. It’s eliminating the fear of diving deep into territory that was previously dominated by women. Thanks to Reddit, guys everywhere are learning that it’s more than okay to care for your skin-it’s mandatory.