Holi, the vivacious festival of vibrant colours and celebrations is just round the corner and of course you wanna be a part of it. Nevertheless, I am sure I would be speaking your mind if the post-holi-mess and possible skin damage has bothered you and prevented you from indulging. Well it shouldn’t, provided, you’d care to follow the tips below.

  1. Dress well & show less skin – There’s no better protection than that offered by physical protection of clothes. You’d definitely wanna pull on those full length denims and full sleeved tops/t-shirts. Guys, it may be good to show off those abs, but reserve it for the Holi-after-party.
  2. Organic/herbal colours – Indeed welcome! Make sure they are genuine though.
  3. Use a good barrier cream before heading out – Apply a thick layer of micronized zinc oxide cream like sunstop-19 or suncross soft (I am not promoting any brand!) all over the body, especially exposed areas. A high SPF sunscreen like 50+ usually acts a good barrier cream. If you want more protection you could layer it with some petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly should also be applied over the ears, lips and other sensitive skin areas. Don’t reapply barrier creams in between while playing since it can lock the colour inside!
  4. Avoid vegetable oils like coconut oil since some chemicals dissolve in oil and penetrate the skin. However, oils like coconut oil would be a good option to apply on hair (not scalp) to prevent colours from damaging the hair cuticle and cortex.
  5. Women may wanna paint their nails, unless they wanna show off the holi-colour remnants on their nails for weeks later. Make sure you paint even the skin fold surrounding the nail. Infact guys could use the transparent nail paint so as to prevent displaying the ugly pink-stains in office later!
  6. Avoid playing if you have any active skin condition like eczema/atopic dermatitis
  7. Play just ‘dry’ if possible and gently dust the colour off whenever you can. However, make sure you drink loads of water/juices (not alcohol) to keep yourself hydrated.
  8. Needless to say but avoid eating with colour-smeared hands – you might be ingesting loads of chemicals with just a bite.
  9. Soon as you feel the itch or irritation while playing, wash the colour away with plenty of water. If you develop severe itching or irritation of skin while playing, you have possibly developed a reaction /allergy to a chemical and you might not want to continue.
  10. Don’t scratch – this may push the colour deeper in skin layers.
  11. After all the play and mess – first wash with lot of water and soap. Gentle rubbing with fingers is sufficient; avoid using a rough pumice or scrub. Using besan or gram flour may be a good option if you really want to scrub those last colour stains.
  12. You’d want to see your dermatologist if you develop any rash or persistent itching. Wishing you a wonderful Holi, enjoy!