Hacks To Holi-Proof Your Skin and Hair This Season

Follow a pre and post-Holi hair and skincare ritual for a safe Holi.

To make your struggle easy, here are some tips that can come in handy and make you skin and hair Holi-proof.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

“I don’t know who you are, but I will find you and colour you” - that’s the spirit of Holi in most parts of India.

While you soak in the carnival of colours and food, don’t forget to Holi-proof your precious skin and hair; or deal with allergies, breakouts and irritations over the long weekend.

Follow our Holi-grail of flawless skin during the riot of colours, and repeat after me : ‘I will paint the town red, not my skin.’

1. Face the Colours

Avoid facials a week before Holi - any kind of skin treatment that involves exfoliation or peeling of the superficial layer of the skin will make the skin sensitive and irritable towards colours (Photo: The Quint)

At least two hours before you step out into the madness of colours, generously apply this holi-grail of a mixture all over your body and face - behind your ears, between your toes and inside the navel.

Repeat the ritual just before leaving the house. This will prevent dryness, moisturize your skin well and won’t let the harshness of chemicals invade your skin. If you’re too lazy to make this super-easy mixture, just do with ample coats of coconut oil and keep aloe-vera, cucumber juice and rose water handy - in case you need some post-Holi skin healing if the colours are abrasive.

Always wash your eyes with cold water and see an eye specialist if the irritation persists after few hours of Holi (Photo: Reuters altered by The Quint) 

(Photo: Reuters altered by The Quint) 

2. Nail the Problem

The colours tend to accumulate in the nail folds, so you can protect them by applying nail paint. Apply vaseline petroleum jelly beneath the nails and also over it. This will prevent permanent staining of your nails and adjacent areas (Photo: iStock altered by The Quint)

If your nails absorb the colours, it will take forever to go. So don’t forget to apply a nail paint and dab some vaseline in your nail beds and on the cuticles for a complete coverage. And even if you look gross after Holi, please don’t go for a pedicure or manicure immediately. Your skin is sensitive -give it a couple of days before you damage it further with all the exfoliation.

3. Glide Some Lip Balm

(Photo: iStock altered by The Quint)

Bring on the Holi swag and with lip balm and a coat of your favourite lip colour. The double layer will keep the toxic colours from seeping in through the lip cracks.

4. Be Fair To the Hair

(Photo: iStock altered by The Quint)

Massage the scalp with warm coconut oil and run it through the length of your hair. Dry hair tends to get brittle and you don’t want to spend thousands on expensive hair spas after the festivities - so moisturize your tresses well, braid them or make a bun, making them less accessible to colours.

5. Other Precautions

Please see a doctor if any post-Holi irritation persists after 5 to 6 hours of playing with colours.

Don’t wear contact lenses unless you want multiple trips to the eye doctor. Make some soothing packs for your skin - personally, I swear by the besan, milk paste with a few drops of rose water for a smooth, hydrated skin.

If you are asthmatic, stay away from all types of colour, even the organic ones can flare up an attack.

That’s it, have a colourful Holi, you all!