EXCLUSIVE: Be Holi ready with Shahnaz Husain's skin and hair care rituals

With the festival of colours just around the corner many of us must have already started chalking out a beauty regimen While keeping the skin prepped up for an exposure to chemical colours and synthetic pigments is imperative indulging in artificial products to reverse the aftereffects of Holi might not be the best optionmiddaycom spoke to beauty mogul Shahnaz Husain to understand the damages caused by chemical colours She also revealed a natural hair and skin care ritual with ingredients available in your kitchenImpact of chemical colours our skin and bodyHusain says ldquoColours made with artificial chemicals and solvents like Lead Oxide Mercuric Sulphate and Copper Sulphate can cause damage not only to our skin and hair but also it can harm our eyes kidney and lungs The shiny particles of these chemicals can irritate the skin and scalp Usually they cause abrasions irritation itching rashes allergies eye infections hair damage etc which often take significant time to healrdquoCommon damages caused by chemical coloursldquoThe mildest form of adverse health include hair and skin problems like dryness chapped skin abrasions irritation itching rashes allergies eye problems and hair roughnessrdquo she adds ldquoMore serious forms include poisoning impaired respiratory issues impaired vision bronchitis Asthma skin cancer and damages to kidney and liverrdquoCan the damages be permanentHusain says ldquoIt all depends on the amount of exposure to colours and your sensitivity to them Also the kind of chemical used in the colours and its strength also determine the damage It has been found that these chemical sometimes cause irreversible pigmentation and make the skin sensitive to lightrdquoTo keep your skin shielded from the harshness of Holi colours try these Shahnaz Husain approved preHoli rituals and celebrate colours carefreePreHoli ritualsApply mustard oil or olive oil or almond oil along with sunscreen lotion SPF 30 on the exposed area before playing HoliApply Hair oil or hair serumWear scarf on the head to protect hairWear full sleeves clothing so that only a little area of the skin is exposedTo protect eyes one can use sun glasses before stepping out to play HoliKitchen ingredients that help get rid of coloursPaste of turmeric gram flour and almond oilUsing lemon for skin cleansingApplying mustard oil or olive oil before playing HoliUsing paste of yogurt rice flour with water for cleansingAmla powder soaked in hot water for hair cleansingPostHoli ritualsWash your hair with loads of water and then with herbal shampoo Apply coconut oil Wash the face with mild herbal soap or face washUse a natural face pack containing gram flour honey curd olive oil and turmericClean the face using lemon with rose water as it will help in removing or lighting the coloursApply cucumber papaya paste or a paste of calamine powder almond oil in case of skin irritationApply herbal moisturizerLastly Shahnaz Husain says the herbal ingredients will help reverse the adverse effect of the colours Ingredients like turmeric amla almond oil lemon yogurt and olive oil not only help in the lightening the colours but also provide nourishment to the skin and hair