How to take care of your skin during the festival of Holi

Holi – the festival of colors.

We Indians take our festivals pretty seriously (pun intended ). Holi for me while growing up has been associated with 3 things ; Food ( still remember the awesome sweets my grandmother used to prepare) , fun & freedom( as our final terms used to get over around that time ). However for many years I have shied away from playing the actual messy Holi (the one that involves dry and wet colors of all varieties and takes ages to go away ) the reason being my super sensitive skin .But, after discovering and following a particular skincare regime that can lessen the damage caused by the strong colors ,I have started enjoying Holi  the way it should be enjoyed with actual colors.

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Points to remember before you step out of your house :

• The most important thing is to cover your car seats with polythene or plastic sheets , trust me this ensures that post holi you only need to work on yourself and not on your car.
• Same applies to your cell phones or cameras (which should be avoided if possible). Cover them with polythene or plastic sheets.
•  Apply a generous layer of mustard oil on your entire body (not just the exposed parts), oil your hair like there is no tomorrow. You can use coconut oil, castor oil or any other oil that works for you.
• Trim your nails as short as possible, apply any dark color nail paint  to protect the nails. 
• You can also cover your head with a scarf and if that’s not comfortable then tie your hair in a bun to protect it .
• Avoid wearing contact lenses, choose spectacles or sunglasses .
• Wear synthetic clothes that don’t absorb water or weigh you down.
• People who have sensitive eyes can carry eye drops (example Refresh Tears).

Points to remember post holi :

• Make sure that you have an ample amount of warm/hot water for your shower as this helps to relax your body.
• Stand under the shower for good 5-10 minutes before you apply any soap or shower gel. Don’t over apply the shower gel .
•  Rinse your hair extremely well with water before you shampoo it and again remember that it may take 3-4 washes for the color to come off so be patient. Follow with your regular hair mask or conditioner to add moisture. You can also apply curd pack to your hair the next day to add shine and moisture
•  The color takes its sweet time and you can’t get rid of it one go.
• No matter the amount of color on your body, don’t scrub .As,your skin as is already sensitive because of the color and scrubbing can cause damage.
• After 4-5 hours of your shower you can massage your face with some cleansing milk and remove the same with a cotton swab dipped in rose water to get rid of the left over color .
• For your face you can try either of the 2 home remedies. Make a paste out of Bengal gram flour (besan) , fresh cream ( malai) and curd and apply this for 10 minutes and rinse with lukewarm water. Alternatively, you can soak some Pink lentil (masoor dal ) in milk and make  paste and apply that on your face and rinse with lukewarm water . Both these packs add moisture to your skin and also lighten the left over color on your face.
•  As the colors are very drying in nature , moisturize you body with a thick cream or lotion in generous quantity.
• Do not use bleach or wax on your body for atleast 3 days.

Here's, wishing everyone a very happy and safe Holi. Remember that the festival of Holi marks the end of the evil and the victory of good. So , let this be the time where you let go of all your fears , inhibitions or anything in life that’s holds you back and welcome the good that life has to offer you