STAY skin-wise
Dr Saumya Shetty Hegde, Dermatologist – Roots Skin Clinic, gives skincare tips to follow before and after playing with colours this Holi
We are just few days away from Holi, a festival of colours, water balloons, gujiyas, bhang, and freedom for pure colour madness. But as light-hearted as the fun of playing with colours is, there is the danger of having low-grade colours being put on you that may lead to itching and rashes, and even serious injury.
Before you go out armed with your colours, ready to attack, it would be better to cover even the slightest of cuts and scrapes with a waterproof bandaid, as some chemicals in the colours can lead to later-stage cancer, blindness, skin diseases, or (in extreme cases) even loss of limb should they enter your blood stream through the cut and get absorbed.
Some of the toxins used in the colours can result in a range of diseases, including skin allergies, systemic amyloidosis, irritation leading to chronic skin eczemas, etc. So, to make sure you have loads of fun this Holi, but don’t rue it later. After you have had all the fun with colours and can hardly recognize yourself in the mirror, it is now time to get back to your normal self. If you are wondering how you will ever get rid of all those stubborn colours, worry not.
Pre-Holi skin care regime
1 Dry skin allows the chemicals present in Holi colours to penetrate easily, so always oil the whole body. Preferably with coconut oil, olive oil, or vitamin E oil. For your hair, you can use mustard oil in copious amounts, at least an hour before you start to play. And remember to tie it up, if you have long hair.
2
Take care to oil areas behind your ears, between your finger tips and even near your fingernails. 3
One way to protect your fingernails from absorbing all that Holi colour is by painting it with the darkest colour possible so that the Holi colours are unable to go inside the nail bed. 4
Opt for a pair of old sunglasses while playing Holi so that you can protect your eyes. This way, you look fashionable too! If you don’t own a pair of disposable ones, you can buy an inexpensive pair just for the occasion. Trust me, it will be money well spent.
5
Do not forget to apply sunscreen over the layer of oil before venturing out. Opt for a gel-based one that is waterproof as well. Any brand with SPF 26plus is sufficient for Indians. Apply it around 30 minutes before playing. Should be out in the sun for more than 3 hours, then remember to reapply a coat later.
Post-Holi skin and hair care
1 Stand under running water for 5-10 minutes. Simply stand, don’t need to aggressively scrub or scratch.
2 Use liquid soap, applying it very gently on your body. For tough colours, opt for home remedies to deal with it. Home remedies like applying lemon juice directly on to your skin; curd and sandalwood mixture is great; and you can also make a turmeric and white flour paste, keep it on for 15-20 mins, and then wash it away with non-boiled milk. This mixture can be applied on all areas with colour after making it bit wet with plain water.
3 To clean your face, use olive oil on cotton to remove the Holi colour, but only after thoroughly washing your face with clean water. Again, opt for homemade scrubs like those using white flour to get rid of the tougher colour stains.
4 You can also apply a granular scrub on the body and face to get rid of the colours thoroughly.
5 Do not bleach, shave, wax or go for facials or clean ups for few weeks. Do not use kerosene, Petrol and Spirits to remove the stains as that can dry up your skin.
6 And make sure all the home remedies has to be done after two weeks otherwise it might start burning . Till then moisturize your body and apply sunscreen.