So finally it is that time of the year which is much awaited by most of us.
Isn’t it?
It’s time for the most beautiful and colourful festival ever.
Yes, it’s holi!
And we can’t keep calm.
When holi comes around we are all worried about staining our skin with colour, getting rashes, irritated skin and damaged hair.
Fortunately, there are a few tricks and holi hacks that will help you keep all these problems away and allow you to have a carefree holi.
Let’s have a look at some of the tips on how to protect your skin and hair in holi 2022?
A word of caution
Not to lecture you guys but we have to remember that we are still going through that phase where physical distancing, social distancing is important.
Although the covid-19 vaccine is out but you know as said prevention is always better than cure.
So if you go out to play holi, please make sure that you are only surrounded by your family members. Plan a perfect holi with your loved ones.
It is so important to be responsible during these hard times while celebrating festivals.
Tips on how to protect your skin and hair in holi?
Here are 5 pre-holi tips
1. Use ice cubes
Rubbing ice cubes on your face can work wonders for you.
How?
Ice cubes close the pores of your skin and when your pores get closed, no dirt or holi colours are going to enter the deeper sections of your skin.
When dirt is trapped in your pores, breakouts and acne happen.
So to save your skin pores from dirt and colours rub ice cubes for 10-15 minutes before stepping out.
2. Oil your skin and hair
Oiling your skin and hair creates a barrier between your skin and the colours.
Apply lots of oil on the exposed parts of your body like your face, hands, feet and toes to keep the colours from entering your pores and causing damage.
Do not keep your hair open while playing holi.
Either braid your hair or wear a bandana to cover your hair and scalp to prevent excess colour from getting deposited there.
Don’t let the colours damage your lovely locks.
Try getting a haircut or trim for those unwanted split ends as they catch on colour easily and damage your hair further.
Apply a generous amount of castor oil or coconut oil before playing holi.
This prevents the colour from sticking to your scalp.
3. Apply sunsreen/ moisturizer
Holi is an outdoor festival nobody dares to play holi inside their house and of course, in that case, you cannot avoid the sun. So it advisable to put sunscreen on your face before stepping out in the scorching sun.
After applying oil you should top it up by applying a thick layer of moisturiser on your hands and feet.
This double layer of the product will not allow the colour to stick on your skin.
Do not apply makeup, just apply a thick layer of lip balm on your lips.
4. Apply a thick layer of nailpaint
Go in with a few coats of dark nail polish on your fingernails as well as on your toenails.
This will prevent the colour from getting inside your nails.
Massage your cuticles, your nail bed and the inner part of your nails with some oil.
Coat these areas with vaseline or almond oil to keep the colour from seeping into your skin.
5. Use petroleum jelly
Use a thick layer of petroleum jelly on your cuticles, toes, your ears where the colours get trapped.
Use this petroleum jelly on your lips.
Here are 5 post-holi tips
1. Say no to soaps
Rather than using harsh chemicals and soaps to take off the colour from your skin, try out this natural DIY.
- Put together a mixture of one-fourth of mashed papayas
- 2 tablespoons of Multani mitti
- 1 tablespoon of honey
Papaya acts as an exfoliator to get rid of the dryness and any accumulated dirt. Multani mitti reduces rashes, skin irritation and any appearance of acne. Honey on the other hand restores moisture back into the skin.
Mix all these ingredients well and apply them on your hands and other parts of your body where the colour refuses to budge.
2. Go natural
If you develop a rash, apply some fresh aloe vera over it to calm the irritated skin. The soothing property of aloe vera will reduce inflammation and keep the skin hydrated.
Shampooing your hair excessively can be more harmful to your hair and scalp.
So try this DIY hair mask before shampooing.
- Take 4-6 egg yolks depending upon the length of your hair.
- Add 5-7 tablespoons of almond oil in that bowl.
- Whisk them.
- Add 5-7 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil to this mixture.
- Apply a thick layer of the concoction to the length of your hair.
- Leave it on for about 45 minutes and then shampoo it off.
Egg yolks repair dry and damaged hair, almond oil and virgin coconut oil restore the moisture and dislodge the colour from your scalp as well as hair.
This is great for coloured hair as well, as the mix prevents the colour from staining the hair.
3. Use a mild moisturizer
Some colours are so harsh that they tend to take away the moisture from your skin making it dry and patchy. Using a good mild moisturiser will ensure that your skin remains hydrated and glowing.
4. Use oil to remove colours and do not scrub
Do not scrub your skin to remove the colours.
Scrubbing will make your skin more dry and patchy.
Instead of that use oil to gently massage your face and try to remove the colour.
If you are left with light stains on your skin, just dip a cotton swab in a bowl of organic sesame seed oil and go over the areas of your body from which the colours did not fade away.
5. Drink plenty of water
We all are aware that how important water is for our skin. So as a post holi skincare routine don’t forget to drink lots of water, eat lots of fruits containing water content and keep your skin and body hydrated.
This will even prevent you from heat stress.
Bonus tip
1. Don’t remove body hair
Before you step out to play holi, for the last two or three days, don’t use any hair removal products.
No waxing, no razor, no epilating, no threading not even hair removal creams.
No matter which way you remove your hair. After removal, your skin feels irritated for one or two days. The skin becomes very tender and sensitive.
So don’t do anything of that sort.
2. Don’t wear jewelleries
Make sure to remove all the jewellery before going out to play holi. Especially artificial jewellery is a big no-no because the metals can react with colours and can give you rashes.
Even if you are wearing gold or silver jewellery, consider removing it out because you know how holi is played there is a lot of pulling and pushing that happens in holi. It may happen that you end breaking or losing your jewellery. It happens with a lot of people.
Also, colours may enter in small spaces between the jewellery which is hard to remove.
3. Wear cotton clothes
It is a better idea to not wear synthetic clothes while playing holi because after the celebration you might spend some time with your friends and family, sitting and chilling.
So after playing holi you will take a couple of hours before actually taking a shower.
All these synthetic fabrics cause more irritation and rashes on your skin. Instead of that a better idea is to wear a cotton base outfit that is loose and comfortable.
Conclusion
With these easy DIYs, hacks and tricks, you can leave all your hair and skin woes behind and enjoy the festival of colours to the fullest.
Wish you a very safe and fun-filled holi.
Read this article in Hindi