Redditors couldn’t stop talking about these 5 beauty topics (and we won’t stop asking derms about them)

If you’ve got a skin care question, chances are that Reddit’s got the answer. The one million members of the SkincareAddiction community work together like super sleuths to solve any skin-related problem their fellow users throw at them, whether it’s which products get rid of dark spots or why their eyebrows are suddenly full of dandruff. In 2019, though, there were five such skin-care topics that reigned as the most popular: acne, cleansing, AHAs, aging, and cystic acne.

As beauty editors, it’s our job here at Well+Good to have our fingers on the pulse of what people are talking about in the beauty world. And—surprise—Reddit’s most popular skin care questions of 2019 were among the most popular topics on our site, too. Over the past year, we’ve consulted with derms and other beauty pros to answer the most pressing skin care questions that people had this year, from how to treat acne and sensitive skin at the same time to whether or not you should be washing your face in the shower (and what cleanser you should be using if you decide to do so).

Scroll through to see some of our top stories of the year on the topics Redditors couldn’t stop talking about, plus some serious skin-care intel from our resident Dear Derm star and dermatologist, Mona Gohara, MD. That way, the questions you were asking this year don’t have to be the ones you’re asking next year, too… just in case Reddit left you hanging this time around.

1. Acne

• The five most common questions Dr. Pimple Popper gets about acne
• The single most important thing to remember when dealing with acne, according to a dermatologist
• How to get rid of acne when you’ve got sensitive skin and everything is irritating
• No matter where body acne pops up, here’s how dermatologists send it packing
• 7 acne-friendly foundations that will never, ever make you break out

2. Cleansing

• This common misconception about cleansers could be keeping you from the face wash of your dreams
• The queen of cleansers answers every question you’ve ever had about washing your face
• Half of our editors wash their faces with this cleanser, because it’s *that* good
• According to new research, this is the most popular type of cleanser in America
• Dermatologists have some very convincing reasons not to wash your face in the shower

3. AHAs

• Mixing AHA and BHA exfoliators is the quickest way to reset your complexion
• 6 AHA body exfoliants that will melt away even the most stubborn dead winter skin
• If you can’t be bothered to exfoliate, derms say switching up your cleanser should do the trick
• Dear dermatologists: Is retinol or glycolic acid better at keeping skin youthful?
• Why dermatologists continually praise this OG acid for exfoliating all skin types

4. Aging

• Everything you need to know about treating—and preventing—under-eye wrinkles
• The most effective retinol is hiding at the drugstore and it only costs $10
• The three most important things a dermatologist says to look for when choosing a serum
• I’m an esthetician and these are the 10 skin-care habits every person should make
• The number one spot you’re forgetting to put on sunscreen is also the first to show signs of aging

5. Cystic acne

• The real reason you’re dealing with inflamed acne—and a derm’s 3-step plan to fight it
• A beginner’s guide to the gut-acne connection
• Here’s how long you should actually leave on that acne-busting hydrocolloid patch 
• The dermatologist-approved secrets for preventing acne from ever happening
• The beginner’s guide to hormonal acne, and how to deal with your newfound nemesis

These weren’t the only things Redditors were talking about this year: These were the beauty brands they couldn’t get enough of. Plus, why the “skin-care is everywhere” trend won’t be going anywhere in 2020.