Expert tips on how to celebrate the festival of colour without harming your mane or complexion!
‘Bura na mano holi hai’, is the line you’re going to encounter the most while being slapped and splashed with Holi colours. We are not buzzkills and are all for all kinds of festivities! Having said that, how many of you reading this have spent hours trying to get off the colour from your face or bodies? Or freaked out at the state of your hair after having a bit too much fun in the coloured water?
Don’t let the fear of skin/hair damage stop you from having fun. We at Man’s Life asked Mumbai-based celebrity dermatologist Dr Jaishree Sharad to let us in on the tips and tricks to have a safe Holi.
BEFORE PLAYING WITH COLOURS
▶ Prior to attending a Holi party, make sure that you wear clothes that cover the maximum parts of your body.
▶ If you have long hair, tie it into a topknot/ponytail and wear a bandana. Short haired guys can make do with a snug cap too.
▶ Apply a barrier cream—something which has coconut oil or Vaseline to all the exposed parts of the body so that the colour comes off easily. Use this under your nails and soles and on your elbows, knees and ankles.
▶ Apply a water-resistant, heavy-duty sunscreen without fail with SPF 50 at least. Reapply every two hours.
▶ Use oil on your hair too. This will prevent the colour from harming the roots of the hair and will also ensure that the colour from the hair washes off easily.
▶ It’s best to paint your nails with dark colours—so that you don’t stain your nails. All you need to do is to remove the nail paint.
WHILE PLAYING WITH COLOURS
▶ Chemical colours cause rashes or hives. It’s important to ensure that you only use organic ones. Colours made from flowers and coloured vegetables are the safest.
▶ Make sure to rinse your face and body with fresh water intermittently.
▶ Keep yourself well-hydrated and apply ice on irritated skin.
AFTER-PARTY CARE
▶ Do not scrub your face rigorously to get rid of gulal from your face trying to remove it all at one go. Opt for a mild cleanser or baby oil/coconut oil and massage to get as much of the colour off as you can gently. Then, use lukewarm water and a moisturiser soap and wash your face. Repeat the process with oil once more if need be. Mustard oil and dahi are excellent colour cleansers too!
▶ Once you’re done with the washing, use a moisturiser religiously all over. This will soothe irritated skin.
▶ Wash your hair with shampoo and follow this up with an ample dose of conditioner. Leave it on for 10 minutes before rinsing it off.
▶ For irritated skin or minor rashes, apply a mixture of calamine lotion with a few drops of mometasone lotion such as Elocon lotion. Apply an ice pack on the irritated skin. If the condition persists, go to a dermatologist immediately!
▶ If you have acne, wash your face with Cetaphil cleanser and apply an antibiotic gel like Clindamycin.
▶ In case of any rash or allergy, treatment would include taking a non-sedative, anti-allergic tablet, like Cetirizine or Allegra after consulting with your doctor!
Holi colours are suck the moisture off your skin and hair making them dry and rough. The above expert hacks will make sure you, your skin and hair have a truly Happy Holi! Have fun, guys and go easy on the bhang or not! (wink, wink).
[All Images Credit: Shutterstock]
Eva Pavithran
Vertical Head - Lifestyle