Pre & Post Holi Care : Crash Course

All geared up to play Holi? Cool.

So I hope you also know there are some small things that will help you play Holi without having to worry about ruining your skin & hair. Holi colors can be really harsh on your hair & skin and can suck out the natural oil out, making them rough, dry & damaged. I am putting up some pointers here so that you can enjoy this festival of colors, without having to worry about the after effects of the colors on your skin and hair. These are all tried and tested ways to stay safe without compromising on the fun part.

Below are some Pre-Holi precautions that will save you from after Holi horrors:

Choose The Right Outfit

Holi is a festival with a dress code. White is the best color to wear before stepping into the Holi Jam. The clothes would be ruined for life, no doubt. In case you have some old white/ light colored clothes lying around use them. It is not important to wear white clothes, unless you really want to take those perfect after Holi pictures for your insta account.

You can wear any color. Make sure it covers you totally & perfectly. You should wear well fitted clothes as opposed to baggy clothes so that your skin has minimal contact with colors. You clothes should cover your body parts perfectly to minimize the risk of damaging your skin from colors. Also make sure your clothes won’t go transparent after you are splashed with a water bucket while running around.

Also slather a layer of Coconut or Olive oil on your body or at least to the exposed parts of your body to create a protective layer on your skin.

Put Your Makeup On

Yeah, you read it right. I am asking you to wear your makeup. Put a nice foundation layer on your skin most importantly if you are going to play dry holi (playing Holi with dry colors only). It’s to protect your skin from the harmful reaction that some colors might have on your skin. In case you do not have any foundation lying around, you can wear a BB cream or any that sort of thing so that you have a protective shield on your face (do not forget your neck). Once you are done playing Hoil, you will notice it is easy to take off all the color since your foundation did not let it penetrate into your skin. Do not forget to put your lip balm on your lips.

In case you are going to play wet Holi, I guess a lot of water will be involved. You should put a layer of coconut or baby oil, since foundation will definitely wash away.

Bun Is The Way To Go

Hair are as important to protect from harmful chemical laden colors as your skin. You must oil your hair with Coconut Oil or Olive Oil & put them into a bun before showing your fun colors. This will save you from all the after Holi hair spas.

Hydrate Yourself Well

I don’t think I need to explain this. You need to stay well hydrated every day. When it’s a festival, you must not forget to hydrate yourself from within. Dehydration can have severe and direct bad effects on your hair and skin while you might not even have a clue about it.

General Things To Take Care For A Fun Filled Holi

Always opt for natural & herbal colors.
In case you wear lenses, take them off and instead opt for glasses for the day.
Stay away from mud games.
In case color gets into your eyes, never rub them. Wash your eyes repetitively with water until the color is out. In case you still feel irritation or there is swelling or redness in and around eyes, go to see a doctor ASAP.
Never force someone to play Holi against their will. It won’t be fun for any one. You can only insist but leave the decision to the person.

Post Holi Care For Skin & Hair

In case you are a heavy Holi player, you would surely attract color on to your body and hair. Do not panic. Just chill & do not try to take off the color at once by rubbing your skin vigorously. Instead do this:

If you followed Pre-Holi Precautions & wore foundation, take it off with a makeup remover or baby oil. Most of the color would come off easily. In case your foundation was not waterproof and you played wet Holi there might be chances that you skin might have some stains. Be gentle with your skin. Apply generous amount of Coconut/Olive/Baby oil while rubbing slowly and allowing the oil to dissolve the color. Let the color stay on your skin for few minutes before wiping it with wet cotton pad. In case you still have some color left on your skin, let it be. Just do not over cleanse, or you will hurt your skin. The color will come off soon if you keep on repeating the oil cleansing for next few days.
Moisturize your skin with heavy moisturizers & body lotions after you have taken a shower. This will heal your skin if it has been damaged by the colors.
Be gentle with your hair too. Do not rub your hair /roots vigorously to take out the color. Oil your hair & use a mild/ herbal shampoo. Do not just pour unusual amount of shampoo to your scalp this will dry out your scalp beyond repair. In case the color does not come out completely of your hair, let it be there, until next 2 – 3 days, when you shampoo again. But do not shampoo before oiling your hair. You can use coconut or olive oil. The oil will dissolve the color and help you take it out completely in a few washes.