The festival of colours is finally upon us. The eagerness to celebrate Holi with friends and our near and dear ones keeps us going the entire year. Without a doubt it is one of the most vivid, colourful, and joyous celebrations of the years. Set to be celebrated on March 25, Holi is traditionally celebrated with buckets of water and dry gulal, however, in recent years, the use of artificial colouring in the colours has increased. The possibility of the chemicals harming your skin and hair has increased. Here’s a way to take care of yourself while having the time of your life while celebrating Holi.
Skincare Tips:
As per a report by HT Lifestyle, they spoke to Dr. Rashmi Shetty, Cosmetic Dermatologist, Ra Aesthetics and Dermatology - Mumbai, and Hyderabad for some steps one can use to take care of their skin.
1. Precautions: Maintaining a skin barrier while playing Holi is absolutely necessary. As a way of taking care of your skin, one should avoid bleaches, laser treatments, and AHA-BHA peels for around a week before the celebration. One can use petroleum jelly and cocoa butter on exposed areas for increased barrier protection.
2. Consumption Of Food: One must increase their intake of colourful fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds while reducing the intake of dairy and sweets to strengthen your body against oxidative stress and inflammation. It is also important to start taking antioxidant and anti-inflammatory supplements like Ra Bright and Ra Defense. It contains ingredients like Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, Xanthin, etc. One can also consume tulsi, ginger, piperine, and curcumin.
3: Skin Care: For dry and sensitive skin, one must focus on moisturising and strengthening the skin with products like nourishing creams and night repair creams. One should consult a dermatologist if they have acne-prone skin so that they can be prescribed the appropriate anti-inflammatory supplements or medications.
4. Tips To Follow Before Going To Play Holi: Moisturise your skin well, so that washing off the colour becomes much easier. Using natural ingredient-based products like coconut is very essential to maintaining your skin. Make sure to moisturise not only your face but your entire body. To prevent from aggravating your skin further, make sure to apply sunscreen thoroughly, before deciding to go out in the sun, especially around noon.
5. Clean-Up: It is very necessary to cleanse your skin properly after playing Holi. Using lotions for dry/sensitive skin is really effective. For oily skin, one can use cleansers, which act like toner. Make sure to thoroughly moisturising your body after giving it a wash to stave off the irritation and dryness of the chemicals, the colors can cause.
Keep in mind to seek immediate medical attention if you feel any effects from colours, which might have irritated your skin.
Haircare Tips:
1. One should apply a generous amount of coconut oil on both your scalp and hair strands, so that creates a barrier against the harsh colours.
2. To minimize exposure to colours on your scalp, make sure to tie your hair in a bun or braids. It will help in reducing the risk of colour entanglement and potential damage to the scalp from both the environment as well as the colours.
3. You can also use a leave-in conditioner. Apply it on your hair before going to play so that it prevents the colour from entering into the hair shafts. It is recommended to use deep conditioning treatments for frizzy, rough, or curly hair.
4. Just like your face and body, one should also promptly wash their hair after the festivities. Rinse your hair with lukewarm water and opt for sulfate-free shampoos. Massage your scalp delicately and focus on the areas with excessive colour.
5. Make sure not to use heat-styling tools like blow dryers, straighteners, and curling irons. Allow your hair to naturally air dry, to prevent further damage.
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