Holi 2019: How to Protect Skin, Hair During Festival of Colours

To ensure protection from harmful rays of the sun, one must apply a gel-based sunscreen and also wear sunglasses.

The festival of colours is here and before playing Holi, it is very important to prep your skin to ensure that the harmful rays of the sun and chemicals present in colours do not cause damage to your skin and hair.

Anjali Valani, Executive Marketing and Operations and Creative Face at The Beauty Co. and Rashi Bahel Mehra, Founder at Alanna, told IANS the different ways to protect skin and hair during Holi.

Holi 2019: Pre-Care Tips

Skin

• Apply almond/coconut/olive oil on the body as well as the face. These oils act as a protective layer between your skin and the colours. Also, post Holi, it will be easier for you to get rid of the colours.
• To ensure protection from the harmful rays of the sun, one must apply a gel-based sunscreen and also wear sunglasses.
• Choose light cotton fabrics to wear on the day of Holi.
• Don't forget to apply lip balm at regular intervals.

Hair

• Oil your hair properly before going out to play Holi.
• Adding a few drops of lemon juice in the oil can help reduce infection from chemicals present in the colours.

Holi 2019: Post-Care Tips

Skin

• Apply baby/coconut oil for 5-10 minutes on parts of the body entrenched in colours. It will help you get rid off the dry colours from your skin.
• Wipe it off using a wet tissue or a damp cloth.
• Avoid using soap or face wash on the skin as these are alkaline in nature and their application may result in dryness of skin.
• Use home remedies such as a mix of besan, curd, turmeric and honey to clean your body and face.
• Moisturise: Applying moisturiser will ensure that your skin is well hydrated. Use it generously to get rid of roughness and make sure your skin stays glowing.
• Unclog the pores: Apply a mask to get rid of the dry and dead skin along with the clogged pores.
• Exfoliate: Use a de-tan coffee scrub for exfoliation. A scrub will free your body skin from tan and restore your original skin tone.

Hair

• Stand under running water for 10 minutes to cleanse your hair. In addition, rub your scalp gently to loosen up the formation of clots blocking the pores.
• To cleanse your hair off Holi colours, you can also use a mild natural cleansing shampoo or baby shampoo because these are free of chemicals.
• Applying serum after hair wash also helps in rinsing off the colours. It has to be applied to your hair, and then be left to air dry.

(With inputs from IANS)