Skin Alive Clinics’ Founder Dr. Chiranjiv Chhabra says Guard your skin and hair this Holi!

By Dr. Chiranjiv Chhabra, Dermatologist, Skin Alive Clinics, Delhi

It’s that time of the year when one and all, young and old, are excited to smear themselves in multiple hues, play with the colors of joy, drench themselves in shades of life but, in all this bonhomie do not forget to take care of your skin and hair!

Do not forget how harmful the use of chemical and metallic colors can prove to be for your skin and hair. They can be very dangerous at times, in case you do not take precautions. Negative health effects like severe skin rashes, allergies, dry brittle hair and eye injury are only to name a few.

Being an Indian, we understand the sentiment of every festival and the enthusiasm with which we celebrate them. But I would strictly advise each one of you to take some precaution measure:

Here are 10 hair care and skin care tips for a safe Holi this year. Follow them and you would be ready to enjoy the festival ‘Carefree’! –

1.    Wear clothes that cover maximum part of your body giving minimum exposure. The more your body is covered, the lesser area your body gets smeared with colors and consequently you have lesser area to remove colors from.

2.    It is must to apply a thick layer of coconut or any oil on your body and hair to the point that your body becomes absolutely slippery. It is this oily coat which would play a major role in protecting you from the immediate effect of harmful chemicals of the colors. The grease will also help you to wash off the colors easily, later on.

3.    Your preparation for the day should start one night before. Paint your nails of both hands and feet with nail polish. Before going out, apply a thick layer of Vaseline under your nails, behind your ears and thickly on lips. As the strong chemicals in the colors leave the skin dry, application of petroleum jelly is strongly recommended.

4.    Try to use natural colours. It is advisable to play Holi with natural and skin friendly herbal colours or the ones made by reputed companies using natural products. They are safe and promise colour not scars.

5.    Use cetirizine incase of allergy. Do not wait for the colours to react and damage your skin further. In case of any rash or allergy, treatment would include taking a non-sedative, anti-allergic tablet, like Cetirizine.

6.    Protect your hair from getting damaged by wearing a cap or bandana. Try not to come in direct contact with the colours.

7.    Use lukewarm water to wash off the colors from your face and then apply a mixture of sea salt, glycerin and few drops of aroma oil which have an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effect which can prevent the skin from harsh effects of chemicals in the colors.

8.    You can rub lemon wedges over your skin to get rid of the colour. The natural bleaching agent in lemons helps remove the sturdy stains which otherwise doesn’t go away easily. Rub it on for some time and then wash it off. After washing it off, make sure to apply ample moisturizer to prevent the skin from dryness.

9.    One of the most important thing that you should keep in mind is to never rub the skin vigorously with soaps, etc. to wipe the face off colors, instead, opt for a cleanser followed with a lot of moisturizer. Also strictly avoid bleaching, waxing or facial for a week before and after Holi. This routine is recommended because the mentioned procedures leaves the skin pores open which can prove to be harmful as the residue of colors can easily seep into these pores and make their way to inner layers of skin.

10. If you feel that your hair is becoming dry, apply oil and sleep overnight and wash it again the next day with a mild shampoo. Complete your hair wash by conditioning your hair with a rich and deep conditioner.

The best way to avoid the hassle and ensure a healthy play of colors, choose herbal colors as alternatives to the ones induced with metallic chemicals.  Herbal colors are easily available in the market, and much to your surprise can be easily made at home too with the help of flowers, herbs, leaves and other household ingredients easily found in the kitchen.

Here are a few recipes for colors:

Green Color:   Dried Henna leaves, powdered and soaked overnight for wet color or mixed with wheat flour or refined flour for lighter shades. Vegetables like spinach and coriander can also be used after grinding.

Red Colour : Red sandalwood powder or vermilion can be used. Dried rose petals, soaked red hibiscus flowers or grated beetroot are also preferred alternatives.

Blue Color- Flowers like Jacaranda or blue Hibiscus when grounded can turn into beautiful blue holi colors. If you want a wet blue color, you can always use the crush berries of Indigo tree, add them to water and get the desired shade of blue.

Yellow Colour- Gram flour mixed with turmeric powder will surely do the magic!

So, either you choose to go the herbal way or play with the colors available in the market, don’t forget to have fun. Just enjoy this blissful festival and add colors to your life.