HOLI FESTIVAL SPECIAL

HOLI HAI…come Holi and vibrant colours, water balloons thrown from terraces, coloured water come to the mind. Traditional colours were made from herbs and flowers that had medicinal value and benefited the skin. This is a far cry from what we have today, synthetic colours that can cause skin allergies, hair dryness and damage!

Yet we are unable to stop ourselves from playing Holi. For the Holi enthusiasts, here are some skin and hair care plans that you can follow before, during and after Holi.

Dressing up for Holi

Get those full sleeve shirts and pants out for Holi! It is recommended to put on clothes that cover most of your body. This will lessen the task and worry of taking off stains post celebration!

Pre-Holi skin and hair nourishment

It is a good idea to start nourishing your skin for 2-3 days before Holi. Mix sesame (til) oil, glycerin and little hot water and apply on the skin. You can also use sunflower seed oil or almond oil. Alternatively, apply a thick layer of your favourite moisturizer, or coconut oil on your face and other exposed parts. The oil lubrication will help prevent the dyes and colours from directly contacting your skin. You must also apply a layer of waterproof sunscreen to avoid the tan that the outdoor play with chemical colours can cause.

Be sure to lubricate your lips, behind your ears and areas around the nails with petroleum jelly or oil. This will help form a protective layer against the harm that the colours can cause.

For hair care, get out a bandana/scarf from your wardrobe to wrap around your head. This will prevent direct contact with colours. Oil your hair and scalp with coconut, olive or castor oil. Add a few of lemon juice to the oils to help prevent dandruff that the chemical colours might trigger.

Water for skin hydration

Keep yourself hydrated by consciously drinking plenty of water since the chemicals in the colours leave the skin dry and de-hydrated resulting in your skin pores opening and absorbing more colour.

For those lovely eyes

A pair of sunglasses is a good choice to keep your eyes protected while playing Holi. Keep your eyes shut if someone sprays water colours on your face. If you wear contact lens, take them off before playing.

Now that you’re done with the Holi celebrations…..post holi skin and hair care

You’ve enjoyed all the play, now comes the task of washing off! Here are some tips that will come handy.

Try to start the process of washing off as soon as possible, the earlier the better since dry colours are a little difficult to get rid of. Hence, it makes sense not to sit in the sun after playing. However, there is no need to press the panic button; the colours will gradually come off with every shower.

Do not rub your skin vigorously with soap; this would damage the skin more than removing the colours. You can apply some sesame (til) oil to your face and body before stepping in to bathe; this will help remove the colours. Use lukewarm water followed by a body scrub with a mixture of sea salt, glycerin and your favourite aroma oil. This anti-fungal and anti-bacterial mixture will help reduce the harmful effects of the colours. For those stubborn stains, you can try rubbing some lemon wedges over your skin. Rub it on for a while and then wash off. Follow this up with ample moisturizer to prevent dryness.

You can try exfoliating by applying a paste of ground yellow mustard mixed with milk cream. Apply it on the body and scrub it off once the paste dries. An alternative exfoliating paste could be made with besan and milk.

Once you are done washing up, do not forget to moisturize your entire body and face with good lotion or almond oilmixed with drops of aroma oil.

For your hair, use plenty of water to wash off the colours. Follow it with a mild herbal shampoo. Add lemon juice to your last rinse to restore the pH balance of the scalp. Another natural option of hair cleansing is a hair pack of henna powder, lemon juice and curd kept on your hair for an hour followed by warm water wash up or buy ready hair pack with this combination.

Some precautions

It is best to avoid bleaching, facial or waxing a week before and after Holi since these will leave the pores open causing the residue of colours to seep into the pores and enter the inner layers of the skin.

In case of any allergic reactions like itching, burning or rashes, it is advisable to contact your doctor immediately.

Here’s to a Happy, Safe and Healthy Holi !! 

Non toxic, Herbal and traditional style Natural colours made from flowers are available at http://www.joybynature.com/collections/holi-special