The festival of colours – HOLI – is around the corner. Although it comes with a lot of fun and happiness, it can also come with various skin and hair problems due to harmful chemicals present in the colours we use during Holi.
Recent studies have found that various ingredients used in synthetic colours such as mercury sulphide (red), aluminium bromide (silver), copper sulphate (green) and lead oxide (black) can cause various health problems – from dermatitis to eye allergies.
Natural colours are best! Just like our elders in the old days, you can also make the colours at home. In fact, you can easily get organic/ herbal colours from the shops to play safe Holi. It is also advisable to follow certain things that can help ensure a safe Holi. Few tips that can help you protect your hair and skin from colours are:
Hair care tips
After playing Holi, your hair can become dry due to direct contact with harmful chemicals present in colours. To avoid this,
- Try and cover your hair with a cap to reduce the risk of direct contact with colours.
- After playing Holi, immediately rinse hair with water to get rid of colours and other particles that can harm your hair. Apply shampoo with good conditioner.
- Apply coconut, olive or castor oil to your hair before you go to play Holi. This can help give your hair a protective shield from harmful chemicals, dust and dirt. This can also help remove colours from your hair easily.
Skin care tips
- Apply olive, coconut or castor oil to your face, arms, legs etc. This can help protect your skin from direct contact with harsh chemicals and dust by forming an oily film.
- Use a waterproof sunscreen (SPF 30 & above)
- Protect your nails from colours with nail polish. You can also use a nail polish remover to remove the colours from your nails after the celebration.
- Avoid using harsh soaps to get rid of colours. It can make your skin dry.
- Cover your lips with lip balm
There are also other potential dangers of Holi. Few tips to avoid those dangers are:
- Avoid consuming Bhang in large quantities. It can lead to high blood pressure, increased heart rate and psychosis. Also, avoid drinking too much of alcohol.
- If you wear contact lenses, remove them before going out to play Holi. If someone is spraying colours on your face, close your eyes to avoid potential damages.
- If you are asthmatic or suffer from any kind of allergy, avoid playing Holi.
