India is rightly considered a land of festivals and celebrations. Holi will be celebrated with great fervour on the 10th of March this year. This popular festival is a hot favourite amongst all age groups, and people and during this “ festival of colours “ one can rarely stay away without colour on their face and body. With the huge accent on eco-friendly colours these days we still need to consider what care we must exercise while playing Holi!
If we are aware of the few steps we need to keep in mind to avoid damage to our hair and skin it can be a safe Holi in the true sense of the word. The common after effects of this joyous festival are – post Holi rashes, dry hair and skin, pimples and skin problems including allergies and break outs.
Noted deramatologists advise against waxing, bleaching and facials a week to 10 days before and after playing Holi.
A thick coat of petroleum jelly proves to be very helpful if applied on your skin including your lips, your navel and the area behind your ears. The age old tip of applying oil on your hair and for men on the beard too proves very effective against colour retention.
Since Holi is played during the day and you are exposed to sunlight you may consider applying sunscreen liberally on all the exposed areas of your body including your face. You may apply this atleast 30 minutes before you venture out and if you are staying out for long hours in the sun then it would be helpful to repeat this application after every 3 hours to ensure its effectiveness.
Wearing full sleeves and covering your body will prove to be helpful and will prevent exposing your skin to the sun and the colours while playing.
Another useful tip is for women to wear nail polish this will help their nails form staining with the colours.
You should opt for dry and e safe colours and if wet colours are used then consider the organic ones. A big no no is the use of gold and silver paints which are extremely harmful for your skin.
The precaution to take which must be your priority is to wash off the colours as soon as you feel any discomfort or itching.
Moisturizers must be kept handy to moisturize your body and avoid any dryness.
Keeping your self hydrated is very important by drinking enough water.
If you must drink then keep in mind that over indulgence in alcohol must be avoided too.
Your post Holi bath should be taken while the colours are still wet so that excessive rubbing and scrubbing can be avoided.
Home made packs of ubtan , besan and dahi prove to be effective scrubs as against soaps available in the market.
Shampooing and conditioning your hair well is very important to avoid dryness of the scalp.
Good Hand and foot creams serve in reducing dryness of the hands and feet !
So if you are a Holi festival lover go ahead and enjoy it while keeping the above in mind.
Wishing all of you a Happy and Safe Holi !
