There are just some things you shouldn't try at home, especially when it comes to your skin. If you want to keep your complexion clear, glowing, and younger-looking, you need to know what is safe to do at home, and what should be left to a professional. These three skin care techniques should only be performed by trained estheticians in a professional facial:

1) Steam your face

Estheticians use steam early on in any Bioelements facial to soften your skin for maximum absorption of key ingredients. Cleansing under steam can also help stimulate circulation and nerve endings while removing dead skin cells and loosening up congestion.

Some people think that the steam is used to "open pores up", but that is a myth. Pores do not open and close like windows. This belief leads some people to try steaming their face at home with a big pot of boiling water, but this is a big no-no.

"Steaming your face at home can be dangerous. You are not a licensed professional using a professional machine that can control the type of steam, how hot it is, and have the knowledge to know when it's appropriate to use, and for how long.

Without a skin care pro who knows your skin and how much stimulation it can take, you run the risk of overstimulation, dehydration, irritating skin conditions you might have, and even a bad burn." –Teresa Stenzel, Bioelements Director of Education

Do this instead:

Instead of boiling a huge pot of water, use a gentle at-home exfoliator to loosen up congested pores, remove dead skin cells and stimulate circulation.

2) Pop your pimples

It may be tempting to pop a pimple – after all, professionals do it during facials, so why can't you? The truth is – your esthetician has been trained to know exactly when to perform extractions, and when it's best to leave them alone. They will only perform extractions on non-inflamed blackheads and whiteheads, and will use specific techniques to prep your skin to minimize any potential damage. You should never try this at home.

Your esthetician is also working in a completely sterile environment, ensuring that no dirt or bacteria is pushed back into your skin (as it easily can when you are at home). Since extractions don't occur until later in the facial, your skin will be properly softened and your esthetician will use gentle techniques to remove the blackhead or whitehead. Simply put, you cannot mimic this environment in your bathroom.

"When you pop a pimple, you actually rupture the stretched and weakened follicle in your skin. This then spills the bacteria, oil and cellular debris underneath your skin, which leads to more breakouts." –Teresa Stenzel

You may cause lasting damage to the follicle, which can leave a permanent atrophic scar (small pink scar), or in some cases a permanent hypertrophic (keloid) scar. You also run the risk of Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH), which can last for months and even years.

Do this instead:

Even though it can be hard to resist popping them, treat your pimples topically instead. If you consistently have breakouts, switch your routine to include a salicylic acid cleanser and toner, like Spotless Cleanser and Acne Toner, twice daily followed by a sulfur treatment, like Amino Mask once a week. If you have a sudden breakout, apply a spot treatment, like Breakout Control, to quickly get rid of your acne. And regular visits to an esthetician can greatly improve the severity and frequency of your breakouts.

3) Create DIY skin care

A good esthetician will professionally recommend products that will extend the results of your facial and give you the results you want. A great esthetician will even tailor your skin care by using Bioelements Custom Blending to fit your exact skin needs – adding ingredient actives to further target wrinkles, age spots, irritation and more.

They are a licensed skin professional with expert knowledge in what is best for your skin. However, many people believe they know what is best for their skin, thanks to Pinterest and DIY blogs. These DIY skin care recipes range from useless to downright harmful to your skin.

Don't believe us? See this list of the top 5 worst DIY skin care recipes.

Do this instead:

Instead of concocting a science experiment, choose a professional skin care line that you can trust. You can mix and match your skin care based on the season and your skin concerns in the moment, but stick to one line of products, as they are designed to work together.

If you have any questions about estheticians or professional skin care, sign up for our email newsletter or comment below!