Health 18 Jun 2026

You're probably using too many skin care products. Here are the 3 essentials

We asked half a dozen skin care experts: Which products do you really need to keep your skin healthy and attractive? Here's what they said.

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Do we really need all this stuff to achieve healthy, attractive skin? Beck Harlan for NPR My bathroom vanity holds an array of different products that are supposed to help my skin. To find out, I spoke with half a dozen skin care expertsdermatologists, researchers and cosmetic chemists. Some of them also do consulting work for companies that make skin care products. Beyond the must-haves for well-functioning skin (which we'll get to below), everything else is optional. "I would consider them as nice-to-haves," says Dr. Saranya Wyles, a dermatologist and researcher who specializes in skin longevity. This includes products designed to help brighten, smooth and refresh your skinlike many of the jars and bottles lining my vanity. And while some ingredients can improve skin's appearance, there are limits to what any topical nonprescription product can dolike turn back the hands of time.

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