Five indie platforms that offer all-natural and consciously produced colours

If like us your earliest memories of Holi are synonymous with stubborn colours that sting your eyes and leave lasting stains on your skin that resist hours of sudsy scrubbing itrsquos time to revisit the festival of colours with new eyes A number of homegrown platforms are promising to transform your festive experience with herbal organic colours some of which are also infused with skin and wellness benefitsHimanshu VermaldquoWe decided to bring back traditional gulaal and revisited the creative process of creating these colours from scratch using traditional recipes mdash be it the powders we use and the stories behind them which are so intricately intertwined with Holi traditions or even the essences and fragrances which makes using these gulaals a multisensory experiencerdquo shares Himanshu Verma founder of Red Earth a Jaipurbased arts organisationTraditional colour bombsIn keeping with Vermarsquos vision Red Earthrsquos gulaals are made of fresh allnatural and locally sourced ingredients These blends are made at home in Jaipur and use components such as multigrain flour camphor arrowroot and multanimitti Theyrsquore also offering traditional gulaal gotas Rs 400 for six which are lac balls filled with pastelhued gulaal ldquoThe practice of using gulaal gotas is centuriesold and was popular in Jaipur In the IndoGangetic belt these are also referred to as kumkuma and find mention in Vaishnava Holi songsrdquo Verma addsLog on to redearthindiacomSupporting traditional craftsmanshipRose petals beetroot alfalfa lemongrass and turmeric mdash the ingredients used by this platform to create their Holi colours Rs 425 for a box of four colours sound quite similar to a pantry list Itrsquos no wonder then that they claim to create colours that are safe enough to consume which should come as a relief for parents especially These colours are handcrafted by Bhils from Rajasthan using traditional processes Log on to monksbouffecomNo bad skin daysIf you have sensitive skin and avoid stepping out during Holi for fear of being accosted with chemicallaced artificial colours switch to herbal gulaal by Green Practices Rs 450 for 700 gm These colours are made using herbs flowers edible materials such as cornstarch organic turmeric foodgrade colours and fruit and vegetable extracts and can be used both wet and dry As a bonus the makers claim that this gulaal requires 50 per cent less water to wash off as compared to conventional coloursLog on to greenpracticesinGreener festivitiesYour festive celebrations can also be infused with concern for the environment with this platformrsquos ecoconscious gulaals Their ingredients list includes marigold flowers orchids and essential oils while their packaging is made from 100 per cent recycled paper and cotton scrap Their Holi art kit Rs 595 also comes with a set of postcards made from recycled paper and seeds of various plants mdash the postcards can be coloured and sent to your loved ones who can then plant themLog on to plantablesstoreSay it with flowersInfused with the freshness and vibrancy of temple flowers Phoolrsquos gulaal varieties are lightly fragranced and wash off easily Their light and fine texture ensures they feel soft when applied to the skin and the gulaal is 100 per cent plant derived This year the platform is offering a curated box Rs 585 of four gulaals and a bottle of refreshing thandai from VaranasiLog on to phoolco