Your got-to-guide to pre and post Holi skin care tips

Playing with colours during Holi can lead to lots of skin and hair problems. The colours we play with contain toxic chemicals, grease, and sometimes glass. Further, it can even contain harmful oxidized metals or industrial dyes.

Playing with such chemically synthesised colours may lead to rashes, allergies, dry brittle hair, and redness in eyes. It is thus advisable to take necessary precautions. Here are some essential skin and hair care tips for you to follow before and after the celebration.

Pre Holi skin care tips:

1. Try to use natural or herbal colours. You can make colours at home using natural products like henna, turmeric powder, dry rose petals, and other dry petals of flowers. Ground the dry petals to make a fine powder and use it as dry colour (gulal). Natural colours do not harm the skin like the artificial ones.

2. Before stepping out, apply mustard oil, olive oil, coconut oil, or moisturiser in generous quantity on all exposed body parts. Let the skin absorb it for at least 20-30 minutes. Oil or moisturiser prevents the colour from directly getting in touch with your skin. Apply waterproof sunscreen for extra protection.

3. Apply Vaseline inside nails, on feet, elbows, and at the back of ears.

4. Oil your hair to prevent colours from penetrating into the hair shafts. Massage coconut oil, olive oil, or mustard oil generously on scalp and along the hair length to prevent excessive dryness.

5. Try to wear clothes that cover most of the exposed body parts. It is good to wear a swimming costume under the dress, as it prevents the colour from getting in touch with your skin.

6. For extra protection, wear cap and sunglasses while playing Holi. Do not wear contact lenses.

7. Those who have a history of skin allergy can take an anti-allergic medicine on the previous night to avoid skin irritation and rashes.

8. Apply nail polish to protect your nails from absorbing the colours.

Post Holi skin care tips

1. Use lemon juice to remove colours from your body parts. Lemon juice is the most powerful natural whitening agent and is particularly effective for the fingers and nails. Apply lemon juice and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes. Wash off with warm water and apply a rich moisturiser to avoid dryness.

2. If the colour does not come off easily, apply warm olive oil. You can also apply curd or herbal pack made of gram flour and milk on face and body. Massage the pack gently to take out the traces of colour. The pack also softens the skin and helps to retain the natural grow.

After removing the colours, moisturise your skin with a paste of soyabean flour or besan mixed with milk.

3. You can use a moisturising soap while scrubbing off the colours, but never rub the skin vigorously.

4. Shampoo your hair immediately after playing Holi. Do not forget to condition your hair. If your hair remains dry even after shampoo, then opt for an oil massage or hot towel treatment next day. Wash your hair with a mild shampoo and rinse with either lemon juice or beer to bring back the shine.

5. Apply a mixture of sea salt, glycerine and few drops of aroma oil to water to get rid of colours. The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal elements in this mix can cure the damage caused by colours to some extent.

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