This is tough and I feel your pain. I had Cystic acne all thought high school and college and I look back at pictures and think omg the make up looks caked on! And it was because at that time there really was no suce thing as Mineral Make Up and that is really going to be the key here. First you want to avoid powders opt for a liquid mineral foundation...my favorite is Mineral Secrets Liquid Mineral Powder Based and it can be found at www.MineralSecrets.com. The Liquid Foundation Powder delivers all the benefits of mineral makeup powders in an easy-to-use hypoallergenic liquid powder. It is the best product I have ever used and I have been an Esthetician and Make up Artist for almost 4 years. If you feel you need a little extra coverage Mineral Secrets also offers a Camoufleur Concealer (ivory is the best color) that is better than any concealer I have ever tried! It is made with plyable molecules that wont rub off, its molds to your skin and is water and crease resistant. Trust me you want to look into this. Also your not paying for the "Bare Minerals or Bare Essentials" name you are getting an equally superior product without the retail mark up!

I would first like to say you will...and I know you may not think so grow to embrace your freckles! But, if you for some reason do not under no circumstance should you ever put lemon juice on your skin, especially you FACE!!! With that being said...because lemon juice is super acidic the theory behind it is the acid can be used as a lightening agent. Unfortunately this is a myth...the pH level of lemon juice will never be low enough to have any effect on the skin, it will if anything only further dry out and dehydrate it! But you are in luck because there just happens to be an Acid that is specifically formulated for hyperpigmentation or dark spots and discolorations and essentially that is what freckles are...an over production of melanin. It is called Lactic Acid and is a superior exfoliant and is highly recommended for hyper-pigmentation. Typically, a Lactic Acid peel does not cause noticeable sloughing like other acid peels and it is a safe "At Home Peel" My favorite Lactic Acid Peel can be found at www.SkinRxClinic.com

Here is the theory behind the toothpaste myth...toothpaste is extremely drying and high in Alcohol, and as a result when you apply it to a blemish/pimple it"drys" it out. With that being said it does not have any anti-bacterial of anti-microbial benefits so you are in no was killing the acne causing bacteria that is under the surface. So yes you have dried up the blemish but you haven't address what caused the blemish in the first place. So as soon as oil, dirt and debris builds back up on the skin you will be right back where you started...with toothpaste covered pimples! My suggestion to you is a product called End-Zit and it can be found at www.SkinRxClinic.com. I have always had acne, it was the cystic type and and they were big, hard, under the skin bumps that would not for the life of me go away and couldn't be extracted/popped. The only product that I found worked, and work fast was the End-Zit Acne Control Drying Lotion. Almost overnight this product can heal and minimize the appearance of pimples. The active ingredient is Sulfur 5% instead of your typical Salicylic or Benzoyl Peroxide Acne products. The product lasts forever! All you need is a dab before bed at night and your pimples will be gone in the morning!

You are in luck because I have the perfect recommendation for you! SkinRxClinic makes an Aloe Soothing Masque. As you mentioned above Aloe by itself doesn't seem to help you! So I suggest this product due to its added ingredients and benefits! It is a gel masque loaded with botanical extracts for gentle, calming effects. Azulene, Chamomile and whole leaf Aloe Vera provide healing and hydrating benefits and Willowherb Extracts calms the skin and reduces inflammation. You can find the product and description at www.SkinRxClinic.com.

You don't "need" to moisturize but I highly recommend it! If you are using the correct moisturizer you can actually control sebum (oil) levels. I also have oily skin and tend to be prone to breakouts. There is nothing worse than feeling like you are wearing a heavy moisturizer so I understand why you asked this question. That being said...I recommend trying Skin Rx Clinic's Acne/Oil Control Gel. It's non-greasy, lightweight gel contains salicylic acid and a botanical blend that is clinically proven to control and regulate sebum. It also contains natural anti-bacterial ingredients to decrease bacteria on the skin's surface. It’s a 2 in 1 product that will hydrate the skin while controlling and reducing oil production. You can find it at www.SkinRxClinic.com search "oil" and the product and description will come up.

The answer to both of your questions is yes. Waxing will help, it does however get expensive and you are still susceptible to razor bumps and ingrown hairs. That being said I can recommend a product that works miracles Skin Rx Clinic carries a product called PFB Vanish. It is specifically formulated to heal and prevent ingrown hairs, waxing/razor bumps & razor burn. It is a soothing gel that immediately calms redness and irritation. Also, and I know you don't want to hear this but... Shave "with" the growth of the hair...not "against" it! I know everyone thinks you get a "closer" shave when you shave against the hair (and you do) but you are also setting yourself up for unattractive, sore, irritated skin with razor bumps and ingrown hairs! And let’s be honest, even when you shave against the hair there is already stubble the very next day...only to be accompanied by razor bumps, ingrown hairs and irritation! So just to recap...shaving "with" not "against" the hair shaft will drastically reduce the possibility of ingrown hairs and razor bumps, and PFB Vanish will immediately heal and prevent existing and new bumps from emerging. You can get the PFB Vanish at www.SkinRxClinic.com search "vanish" and the product and description will come up.

I have some recommendations. First you could go with a Skin Care regime Cleanser, Eye Cream, Moisturizer....SkinRxClinic has high quality professional grade Skin Care products at affordable prices and they offer free and International shipping. Depending on your moms skin type they make a Glycolic Dry kit and Glycolic Oily Kit, both are anti aging and both come with a cleanser, eye cream and moisturizer. You could also opt for something stronger like a "At Home" chemical peel. Glycolic Acid at home peel is one of the best anti aging products on the market and you can now do the same peel "At Home" that your cant get at the Dr office without having to pay for the Dr visit. It is safe and extremely effective and comes with everything you will need to perform the peel "At Home" To find these products you go to www.SkinRxClinic.com search "glycolic dry kit or glycolic oily kit" and the products and information will come up. Same for the Peel search "glycolic" and all the different glycolic anti aging products will pull up.

Most people you talk to will say stay neutral and natural...go with brown, gold  and darker shades. I also thought this was true until I became a Make Up Artist and Skin Specialist! When you have dark hair and hazel eyes you do not want to hide them with dull, blah colors that will if anything make you look washed out! Opt for a purple shadow something light like Lilac MineralSecrets offers mineral based eyeshadow with high quality pigments for better color and all day stay! Look in to Celestial, Ivy & Haze. They are sure to be a huge hit for the season! Go to www.MineralSecrets.com they come in Pressed and Loose Minerals, just search "eyeshadow" and they will come up! They also offer eyeliner that go with the shadows. When you on the site search "eyeliner" and they will come up Sage goes great with Ivy, Purple looks great with Celestial & Chanti

It is good to hear you like wearing blush...as a Make Up Artist I know the importance of blush and you are absolutely correct....the right shade is vital!! First you want to go with a Pressed Blush...preferable Mineral Based (because you have darker skin tones the pigments in the mineral blush will show up better and you won’t have to apply it so heavy). I have some color suggestions for you and exactly where to go to get them...Mineral Secrets is a Mineral Make Up company that has high quality pigments at affordable prices. Here's how you find them. Go to www.MineralSecrets.com search "blush" and check out "St Tropez" it looks dark but I assure you it is a beautiful color once applied and looks fabulous on darker completions. If you are looking for something a little more mild with a little less color go for "Ginger or Maple Leaf" But I can tell you right now looks can be deceiving and although it looks dark and bright in the picture St Tropez looks fabulous on!

Heat is never good when you are dealing with redness caused by acne. Redness is a sure sign the skin is irritated and inflamed, and heat will just add fuel to the fire! First you need to understand whats going on to cause this redness and discomfort. When the pores get clogged bacteria grows and as a result of this your skin gets red and sore and pimples appear. We then (because it is hard to resist) try and extract the pimple and this make the whole thing worse! Here is where the whole heat is good for acne myth came from…heat helps draw out the bacteria so it said to “hot pack” the infected area to bring it to a head and then pop it. Here’s the problem with this…once you have drawn out the bacteria you now have to pop it and if you do this incorrectly you can damage the skin and cause scarring, and in my book that is worse than the redness! So here is a alternative…Skin Rx Clinic has a face wash called “Arnica Facial Wash” it is a mild cleanser that removes make up and oil build up that can leave residue on the skin and clog the pores. Most importantly Arnica and Aloe extracts offer Anti-inflammatory and Antimicrobial benefits. So you will be killing the bacteria causing the redness and as a result reducing the inflammation. Simple, kill to birds with on stone. I also suggest a medicated spot treatment. You can also find this product at Skin Rx Clinic. It is called just that…”Medicated Acne Spot Treatment” It is a light gel containing 2% Encapsulated Salicylic Acid in a slow release delivery system called Liposome technology that quickly clears away blemishes with out drying out the skin. It targets sebaceous glands, reducing sebum and helping prevent new breakouts. These two product will put you on the right path to healthy clear skin.