It’s that time of the year again when I shed my inhibitions and am free to paint the world and get colored in turn, I revel and splash water all around, wet the floor and dirty the basement without any explanations, make a ghost of myself and binge in on sweets, spray water on unknown people and not have hide myself, Oh! Holi turns me into a child again!
Much of red dabbed over heaps of brown and both mixed with a dash of orange and streaks of silver, Oh! My face is one painted canvas! And on Holi, I want to enjoy, make merry, dance in clouds of gulal and soak myself wet in coloured water!
But wait a minute, do I also need to be cautious?
Yes, you do. From traditional times when colors were made from flowers and the natural colored extracts from seasonal herbs, Holi has come of age. The fragrant natural colors used in earlier times, had therapeutic value and were beneficial for skin and health, but today, chemicals and other toxic substances have replaced flowers and herbs in the colors. The colors of today contain harmful industrial dyes that come with risks of skin and hair problems, allergies, and irritations. These colors have in them heavy metals, harmful chemicals such as lead oxide, copper sulphate, mercury sulphite all which are toxic and can result in anything from skin allergies and eye irritations to cancer and blindness.
We show you how you can enjoy a whirlpool of colours, and keep, infections and allergies at bay. Use these to have a safe, happy and a healthy Holi…
Before you hit it off-
Skin:
If ‘Prevention is better than Cure’, this is the time you put it into practice. Dr Anup Dhir, senior cosmetic surgeon, Apollo Hospital explains why you must take extra care of your skin before you venture out into the pool of colors. “Harsh chemicals present in colors used in Holi can cause itching and rashes which can lead to eczemas upon scratching. Dry skin leaves a lot of scope for these harmful chemicals as the skin layer allows the color to penetrate easily,"
Ensure you
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Wear clothes that can cover maximum part of your body so as to prevent exposing your skin to colours and chemicals. Preferably, wear a fullsleeves shirt and full length jeans.
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Apply a thick layer of a good quality cream or oil to your skin, especially on the exposed parts, including the face and hands.
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While playing Holi, use more of red or pink colors, which can easily be taken off with a cleanser and does not require deep scrubbing. Moreover, dark colours including gaudy purple, green, black, deep brown have more harmful chemicals in them and should be avoided.
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In case, while playing Holi, you sense some kind of irritation on your skin, immediately wash off color from that part of the body and apply soothing calamine lotion or a cold cream.
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Apply sunscreen if you intend to play Holi outside in the sun
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Vaseline should be put under nails and soles, elbows and other dry areas of the body.
Hair
Now all the care and love you keep showering on your hair the year throughout cannot be allowed to just wither away on the day of enjoyment right? But too much of colour on your hair can be the worst for your hair as these can turn them dry and brittle and can even increase hair breakage.
Agrees Hema Pant, A dermatologist with Kaya Skin Clinic, "Though no serious damage is done on the roots or scalp, the hair begins to break, due toi the excessive colours used. It happens due to the harmful chemicals and dyes used in the colors and the dust present outside".
Hence, it is important to
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Oil your hair before you start meddling up with colours. This will ensure that the colour does not stay in your hair for too long and will come out easily when washed.
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Wash your hair as soon as you are done with the colourful extravaganza! This is because, leaving colour in your hair for long, is only going to worsen its texture.
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The best is to wear a hat or a cap to protect your hair, before you let colours get the better of you.
When the colours have dried-
Oh what a party it has been! You are drenched, you are colored, your face looks like it has been replaced with someone else’s, hair seem to be in a world of their own, colored pink, silver, black and god knows what! More than anything, this has been one medley, where you can’t even recognize yourself! Okay, Now what? How do you get rid of all this colour, to be able to go office, spic and span the next day?
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Yes, getting your skin and hair rid of all color is important, but it doesn’t mean getting every spec of colour out to remove any witness of ever knowing something called Holi. Go slow, and know it’s perfectly okay, to let some colour remain, if it does, your office will understand and not be harsh on your skin.
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Never ever use, kerosene, petrol, spirits, and other such things to get the colour out of your body. These will not only further dry the skin, but also spoil the complexion and skin texture.
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Don’t use soap to wash your face, opt for a cleanser. And follow it up with lots of moisturizer or cold cream.
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Wash your hair, first with water and let all the colour go away, after which apply a branded shampoo and rinse with a conditioner. Conditioning becomes all the more important as the colours can make the texture dry.
A way to rejuvenate your skin after Holi -
Besan and milk: After you wash your face and cleanse it of colour with a cleanser, dab it dry, apply a moisturizer and let it remain. After about an hour or so, take a mixture of besan, haldi and cream and gently massage apply it on the face. Keep it for ten minutes after the massage and rinse. This will be therapeutic and will restore your original skin texture, and you would get an instant glow and will make your skin shine!
So, go ahead, revel in the colours, on this full moon day that marks the arrival of hope and new beginnings. Rekindle the colourful spirit of life and have a very Happy Holi!
