We’re living in a glowing, golden age of skincare right now. Want tighter pores, less wrinkles and to stop looking tired all the time, but have no idea how? Just go on the internet. Online communities dedicated to skincare have really proliferated over the past few years – if you thought r/wallstreetbets was intense, you’ve clearly never been on r/skincareaddiction. The Reddit group has 1.3 million members who discuss retinol, glycolic acid, LED masks, blackhead removal techniques and anything you can possibly think of that relates to skincare. But to a beginner who doesn’t even know what a retinol oil is, let alone how to use one, it can be alienating and overwhelming. Which is where the Dewy Dudes comes in.

Founded by Messrs Evan Shinn and Emilio Quezada in 2018, Dewy Dudes is by turns a podcast, a meme account on Instagram and somewhat of a pioneering force when it comes to getting guys into skincare. Memeing everything from retinol to Cerave, the Manhattan-based duo take a decidedly non-judgemental approach to the skincare world.

“There are a lot of beauty memes and skincare memes out there and skincare as a culture now is like a behemoth,” says Mr Shinn. “So what draws people to our page, I think, is that it looks a little unhinged and it’s not pretty. It’s ugly and I think that’s how the average person exists with skincare – they’re not these ‘skinfluencers’ who are all dewed the fuck up, they have a lot of issues they’re trying to navigate and we acknowledge that.” By splicing an often-intimidating world of dermatology and with niche internet humour, the dewy duo has carved out a new space in the internet where Dr Dennis Gross becomes “DDG”, and “glow off, king” is the coded form of encouragement.

After both growing up in Kansas City and meeting in 2006 on Myspace (where else?), Mr Shinn and Mr Quezada eventually moved to Chicago and then NYC together. Inspired by what the Throwing Fits podcast was doing with menswear, and realising they both shared an interest in skincare, the duo started pondering if there was something in it. “We’d never really seen any guys doing anything like that [with skincare],” says Mr Shinn. “But we assumed there must be some kind of audience for it, because surely we’re not the only two straight guys who are into this. So we wanted to see if that even existed, like we’ll meme some skincare things to see if anyone will gravitate towards that.”

So far, it’s working well. Guests on the podcast have included some of the most well-regarded figures in the skincare world – including The Strategist beauty writer Ms Rio Viera-Newton, culture writer Ms Hunter Harris and aesthetician Ms Sofie Pavitt – who are invited to dispense tips, anecdotes and general advice. From discussing “The horrors of at-home microneedling at home” to “How to look 22 when you’re 38”, to just simply discussing how they apply products to their skin, it’s a space that feels entirely unique, considering it mainly consists of two guys nerding out over which serums they’re using. It’s also the only place on the internet you’ll hear “as a man with smile lines…” spoken out loud.

For Mr Shinn in particular, his approach to skincare changed after a recent trip to the doctor. “I noticed a spot on my forehead and I was like, ‘this better not be what I think it is’, and it turned out to be basal cell carcinoma [a common form of skin cancer],” he explains. “They biopsied it and luckily it was small and caught early, but it’s like, now I’m not only thinking about the glow-up side of skincare, trying to minimise wrinkles and stay dewy fresh, but also starting to understand skin health, researching aftercare and minimising scars, all that kind of stuff.”

Indeed, skincare can encourage all of us to take a closer look at our wellbeing and how taking care of ourselves can take on new levels of importance as our bodies change. “There are not a lot of expectations for beauty with men, and it’s only when they reach their mid- to late-twenties that they start to come to grips with their age and mortality, because they’re seeing it manifest finally,” they say. “It’s interesting how the skincare world is very accepting of all types of people being in it, but it’s a very confusing place as it gets bigger, which can be very alienating, too, because people don’t know where to begin.”

Thankfully, the Dewy Dudes are showing us the way. The duo recently launched a Patreon – the top membership level is called “DewAnon” (where we Glow one, we Glow all) – and there is Dewy Dudes merch in the works, too. “I definitely see it as a long-term project, building out the Dewy Dudes universe, but in four years it could be a very different thing,” says Mr Quezada. “I think at the beginning we were kind of subverting the idea of men using skincare, but at this point it’s naturally taking shape. We’re just talking about skincare, and we happen to be men.”