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

Today, many of us have a veritable beauty counter in our bathrooms. It's easy to feel that if you don't use the right serums, acids, creams and masks, you're doomed to wrinkled, splotchy and prematurely aged skin. Do we really need all this stuff to achieve healthy, attractive skin? Beck Harlan for NPR hide caption

This story is excerpted from Life Kit's Guide to Skin Care. Sign up for the one-week newsletter series here to get more advice on what works to improve your skin's health and appearance.

My bathroom vanity holds an array of different products that are supposed to help my skin.

Looking at these bottles, jars and containers — some half-full, some barely used, others I'm already panicking about needing to replace — it strikes me as excessive, and kind of embarrassing. I mean, do I really need all this stuff?

To find out, I spoke with half a dozen skin care experts — dermatologists, 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 skin — like 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 do — like turn back the hands of time.

But skin also needs topical support to help keep that protective barrier intact. According to all the experts I spoke with, the essential product list needed for skin health is short: