Yes, your mother is right. Your bad habits can worsen acne, including chocolate, coffee, soda, and other caffeinated beverages. Avoiding those, or at least limiting those will help some people. The worst offenders, however, are make-ups, soaps, and facial moisturizers. Even the “non-comeodogenic” products still can aggravate acne. Finally, stress usually brings out more acne. The better you handle stress, particularly at holiday times, the less your acne will bother you. Physical activity, relaxation techniques and just plain fun activities are good stress relievers. If all of those fail, then see your family doctor for treatment options.