Holi Hai! Here's how to save your skin from damaging colours and enjoy

The festival of colors is celebrated with such high spirits. It is overwhelming as one and all, come together and celebrate the victory of good over evil by throwing or putting colors on each other to mark the festival. With Holi just around the corner, the preparations have already begun. In some homes, the mouthwatering delicacies have been prepared and, in the others, people are ready with their colors and water pistols. The festival is all fun but the colors can be full of chemicals and can cause damage to the skin. It is very important for one to take precautionary measures before they play Holi to protect the skin from any damage and irritation.

Dr. Noopur Jain, MD Dermatology, shares a few measures that you can take to prevent or minimize the damage while you fully enjoy the festival:

Oil- Oil? Yes, oiling your skin, preferably the entire body with oil as it prevents the color from direct contact with the skin. It creates a thin layer that does not let the color drill into the sin despite a high spirited Holi where the color is rubbed into your face. Oil is also essential as the color comes off easily with oil rather than rubbing any other product on your skin to later remove the color.

Beat the heat- Using sunscreen 365 days a year is a must as it helps in protecting your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun that can be very damaging to the skin causing skin cancer or sun burns. It will also act as a barrier between your skin and the colors used.

Aloe Vera gel- Applying a layer of Aloe Vera gel on your skin and massaging it for a few minutes can make your skin soft and this also helps in the color removing process or post Holi care.

Cover up- Fancy fits for Holi? Try covering up your skin as much to prevent the color removal process and long hours in a shower after you enjoy the festival. Covering your skin can be beneficial as you can freely play Holi without much direct contact to the skin. It will avoid the skin from any irritation or dryness caused by colors.

Hydrate- Playing Holi in the sun is fun but keeping yourself hydrated for a healthy and glowing skin is very necessary. It keeps you in the spirit and lets you make the most of this festival that comes once a year.

Last but not the least, if you are someone who is hosting a Holi party; make sure you provide only herbal colors and water. This way you can really help people prevent a lot of damage that can cause rashes, dryness, and irritation on their skin or even eyes for that matter. It is also suggested you wear sunglasses to prevent any color from going straight into your eyes.

Over the past years, Holi has always been about using chemical based colors and tons of water to fill the water balloons and pistols. Let us now make a change. Not only by switching to herbal colors to save our skin and hair but also reducing the usage of water as we waste tons of it down the drain. Yes, you & I can be the change and make the change!