r/30PlusSkinCare: rules, karma requirements and posting culture
A 2.4 million member skincare board for people over 30. Half photos, half text, relaxed about cosmetic treatments and firm about selfies, diagnosis requests and promotion.
Skin care for people over 30 · Open on Reddit
- Members
- 2.5M
- Created
- 2015
- New posts a day
- 52
- Comments on a typical post
- 5
- New posts removed
- 28%
The short answer
r/30PlusSkinCare publishes no karma or account age requirement. The stated gate is your own age: the rules say posts from people under 30 are removed. About 28% of new posts in our sample were caught by Reddit's filters, and the rest mostly stayed up. Add a flair, crop any photo to the area you are asking about unless it is Sunday, and do not ask the room to diagnose something.
Who posts here
Plenty of posts come from people starting a routine for the first time in their thirties, and they get patient answers. But the regulars talk about tretinoin strengths, exfoliating acids, lasers and injectables without explaining them, and many posters list a full routine with percentages. A basic question is answered kindly. A question that needs a doctor is removed.
- People in their thirties and forties who have just noticed lines, volume loss or texture and want to know what to do about it.
- Long-time retinoid and sunscreen users comparing products and strengths.
- People weighing a clinic treatment such as a laser, microneedling, botox or filler, or reporting back after one.
- Late starters who have never had a routine and say so.
- Men, in smaller numbers, asking for a routine check.
Karma and account requirements
What it takes to get a post through in r/30PlusSkinCare.
| Karma | Not stated publicly. No AutoModerator message in our evidence names a threshold, though Reddit's filters removed about 28% of sampled posts. |
|---|---|
| Account age | Not stated publicly. The age that matters here is yours: you have to be 30 or older.Mods' wording: “ONLY post here if you are 30 years old or older.” |
| Post flair | Expected. Every post in our sample carried one, and the submit text reminds you. Skin Concern and Routine Help are the most used.Mods' wording: “don't forget to add flair!” |
| Photos | Full-face selfies only on Sundays. Any other day, crop the photo or block out the features you are not asking about, or the thread is removed and locked.Mods' wording: “Unedited pictures will result in removed and locked threads.” |
| Links | No direct product links or referral links as a post. You may link a product inside a text post when recommending it.Mods' wording: “If you would like to recommend a product, you may link it within a text post.” |
| Medical questions | Not allowed. A photo with a request to identify something is removed. See a doctor first.Mods' wording: “Your post will be removed for asking about medical conditions” |
What you can post
| Post type | Subreddit setting | Share of recent posts |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Allowed | 51% |
| Link | Allowed | <1% |
| Image | Allowed | 48% |
| Video | Not allowed | 0% |
| Poll | Allowed | 0% |
Post flairs in use
- Skin Concern 27%
- Routine Help 21%
- Skin Treatments 14%
- Recommendation 14%
- Misc 5%
- Wrinkles 4%
- Product Question 3%
- Acne 3%
- Before & After 3%
- Product Review 2%
What happens to a new post
Where the most recent posts ended up. Sample size: 200.
- Stayed up70%
- Removed by Reddit's filters28%
- Deleted by the author3%
Reddit counts a removal by the subreddit's own AutoModerator rules as a moderator removal, so that share is not all human. Held by AutoModerator means the post is waiting in the mod queue.
What happened when we posted here
We have posted here ourselves. This is how our own posts and comments fared.
- Stayed up
- 100%
- Removed by Reddit's filters
- 0%
- Removed by moderators
- 0%
- Period
- October 2025 to July 2026
The rules, in the mods' words
- 1
Poster is under 30
Please don't post or comment here if you aren't yet 30 - we will be removing posts from people under 30. r/SkincareAddiction has a fantastic list of the other subs on Reddit where you will be talking to your peers: https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/related_subs
- 2
Asking for medical advice
We can't (and don't) offer medical advice. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about your health.
- 3
Spam, referral links, surveys or self promotion
No spam, direct product links and/or referral links! If you would like to recommend a product, you may link it within a text post. Also, do not self-promote your app, blog, you tube reviews, cosmetic services, product affiliate info etc. and please don't use this group for surveys or consumer research. If you are doing academic research and would like to ask for permission to post about your study, YOU MUST contact the moderation team before doing so.
- 4
Be nicer, do better, we're too old for this shit.
Be nice. Constructive criticism is cool, but acting like an ass is not. And DO NOT do things like posting "How old do you think I am/look?" - that never goes well, and your post will be deleted and locked.
- 5
MLM shilling
If you are shilling for a MLM company, you will be banned. Please see r/antiMLM if you want to know why.
- 6
Selfies on Sunday only
Please only post your selfies on Sunday
These are the rules as archived in January 2025. Rules change. Check the sidebar before you post.
The culture
r/30PlusSkinCare was set up as the over-30 counterpart to the bigger skincare subreddits, and it reads like a group chat of people comparing notes on ageing skin. Posts split almost evenly between text and images. The typical post is about 90 words: an age, a concern, the current routine, and a request for what to add or change. Around 40% of titles are questions.
The topics run from drugstore basics to clinic work. Sunscreen, retinoids, acids and moisturiser sit next to lasers, microneedling, botox and filler, and the sidebar says outright that discussing cosmetic treatments is fine. That makes it more procedure-friendly than most skincare boards. The biggest recent posts were personal reports: someone documenting how much filler was still there years after dissolving it, a before and after tied to a year of sobriety, a breakdown of why a supplement's doses were too low to do anything.
The comments are short, kind and practical, and they often answer a different question than the one asked. A post about tired-looking skin gets told the skin is fine and the hair colour is the issue. There is some pushback between people who are comfortable with injectables and people who are not, and posters who feel bad about their face get a lot of reassurance along with the product names.
What lands
- A first-hand report on a treatment, with what it cost, how it felt and how it healed. Good and bad outcomes both do well.
- A before and after with the routine or the change spelled out.
- A product warning or review that shows its working, such as comparing a label's doses against effective ones.
- An open thread everyone can answer from experience, like what people have rebought several times or how anyone reapplies sunscreen over makeup.
- A late discovery told with some humour, such as finding out what pimple patches are for.
What gets removed or ignored
- Posts from people under 30. The rules say these are removed and point to other subreddits.
- A photo with a request to say what something is. The submit text says to see a doctor before posting.
- Uncropped face photos on any day but Sunday, which the submit text says get the thread removed and locked.
- Asking how old you look. The rules say that post will be deleted and locked.
- Spam, referral links, surveys, consumer research and promotion of an app, blog, channel or cosmetic service. Pushing an MLM gets you banned.
The unwritten rules
- Put your age in the post. Many posters lead with it, and it answers the first rule before anyone asks.
- List your routine with product types and strengths. Replies are built on what you already use.
- Expect honest feedback on more than skin. Commenters will suggest a haircut, brow tint or makeup change if they think that is the real fix.
- Almost no comments carry links, about 1% in our sample. People name products in plain text, usually several at once.
- Our sample contained no moderator removals to study, so the written rules are the best guide to where the line is.
Self-promotion
The rule bans spam, direct product links, referral links, surveys and consumer research, and names apps, blogs, video reviews, cosmetic services and affiliate info as things not to promote. Academic researchers must ask the moderators before posting, and MLM sellers are banned. In practice product talk is constant and welcome, because it comes from users describing what they bought. A comment that reads like a product description stands out against the short, casual replies around it. A recommendation works when it is one person's experience, with the downsides included.
How people write here
- Typical post length
- 87 words
- Typical title length
- 6 words
- Titles phrased as a question
- 42%
- Typical comment length
- 24 words
- Comments that include a link
- 1%
- Posts that carry a flair
- 100%
When people post
- 0:00 UTC, 11
- 1:00 UTC, 6
- 2:00 UTC, 13
- 3:00 UTC, 5
- 4:00 UTC, 10
- 5:00 UTC, 6
- 6:00 UTC, 6
- 7:00 UTC, 4
- 8:00 UTC, 9
- 9:00 UTC, 6
- 10:00 UTC, 2
- 11:00 UTC, 6
- 12:00 UTC, 4
- 13:00 UTC, 15
- 14:00 UTC, 7
- 15:00 UTC, 10
- 16:00 UTC, 10
- 17:00 UTC, 18
- 18:00 UTC, 8
- 19:00 UTC, 11
- 20:00 UTC, 12
- 21:00 UTC, 9
- 22:00 UTC, 5
- 23:00 UTC, 7
New posts by hour of day, UTC.
The regulars
The accounts that showed up most in our sample. Worth reading before you post: they set the tone, and they are usually the first to reply.
Most active commenters
- u/JesusAndMaryKate11 comments
- u/Glass-Handle46035 comments
- u/hearhertalk5 comments
- u/PrettyFeetPrincess284 comments
- u/confused_ornot4 comments
Top keywords
The words and phrases that show up far more often here than in other communities, from recent posts in r/30PlusSkinCare.
- skin 78 posts
- face 50 posts
- sunscreen 21 posts
- laser 21 posts
- routine 31 posts
- skincare 23 posts
- retinol 15 posts
- moisturizer 19 posts
- cream 21 posts
- forehead 16 posts
- dermatologist 14 posts
- acid 18 posts
- serum 14 posts
- microneedling 10 posts
- treatments 14 posts
- acne 17 posts
- lines 19 posts
- tret 10 posts
- wash 14 posts
- spf 12 posts
- facial 12 posts
- nose 13 posts
- botox 10 posts
- eyes 15 posts
- treatment 14 posts
- cleanser 10 posts
- makeup 11 posts
- cheeks 10 posts
- salicylic 8 posts
- tretinoin 9 posts
- night 21 posts
- dry 14 posts
- aging 10 posts
- fine lines 8 posts
- noticeable 12 posts
- skincare routine 9 posts
- oily 9 posts
- skin care 8 posts
- redness 9 posts
- cerave 8 posts
Posts that did well
- I had an MRI done to my face to detect possible remaining HA filler after 3 years and 4 ultra-sound guided dissolving sessions. Here are my results.4k upvotes · 502 comments · Misc
- Celebrating 1 year sobriety and healing my skin - energetically3k upvotes · 113 comments · Before & After
- A WARNING against buying this product ⚠️2k upvotes · 167 comments · Product Review
- Wearing Asian physical sun protection in western countries?900 upvotes · 342 comments · Product Question
- For exactly how long have I been living under a rock??? PIMPLE STICKERS.786 upvotes · 105 comments · Protip
- [Review] Rating 20+ skincare products so you don't have to777 upvotes · 49 comments · Recommendation
- 15% amlactin- So good724 upvotes · 178 comments · Product Review
- What are your “high maintenance to be low maintenance” things?529 upvotes · 207 comments · Misc
Common questions
How much karma do you need to post in r/30PlusSkinCare?
The moderators do not publish a karma or account age requirement. About 28% of posts in our sample were removed by Reddit's filters and about 70% stayed up. The stated requirement is that you are 30 or older, and that your post has a flair.
Can I promote a product or service in r/30PlusSkinCare?
No. The rules ban self-promotion of apps, blogs, video reviews, cosmetic services and affiliate links, along with surveys and consumer research. You can link a product inside a text post when you are recommending it as a user. MLM promotion gets you banned.
Can I post a selfie in r/30PlusSkinCare?
Only on Sundays. On other days a photo has to be cropped or edited so it shows just the area you are asking about. The submit text says unedited pictures lead to removed and locked threads.
Why was my r/30PlusSkinCare post removed?
The reasons the rules give are being under 30, asking for a diagnosis, posting an uncropped face photo outside Sunday, asking how old you look, and promotion or surveys. Reddit's own filters also removed roughly 28% of sampled posts before a moderator was involved.
Data as of October 4, 2026. Numbers come from public Reddit data (the Arctic Shift archive and GummySearch) sampled on this date. Removal share counts posts taken down by moderators, AutoModerator or Reddit's own filters. Banner and icon belong to the community. Moderators change rules without notice, so treat the sidebar as the final word.
