Holi as they say Rangapanchami, is one the most widely enjoyed festivals of India, which is not only celebrated by a wide variety of Indians, but the foreigners as well love to drench themselves in the multi colors of this, humanity binding festival of colors. But as they say, all happy occasions come at a cost; this one could cost your skin and appearance much more, if precautions aren’t taken heed to.
One needs to ensure that the colors that they are using are chemical free the ignorance of which can lead to rashes to the face, skin and to any open wounds or cuts if ignored. The toxins within the chemical colors could lead to skin allergies, severe irritation of the eyes, body, etc leading to skin eczemas and blindness in extreme scenarios.
One can easily prevent having a troublesome Holi, by applying the following simple tips:
Skin
The ones with oily skin texture could oil their hair, face, back of their ears, fingers and hands to avoid the penetration of the color in their skin. And ones with dry body texture could go ahead and oil their entire body, in order to avoid the toxic elements from getting absorbed in their bloodstream via the skin. Any sort of body oil could be applied, but coconut oil is the best and most preferred, one can also use olive oil, etc.
Hair
Guys and girls can apply generous amounts of oil (coconut/castor) and pin up their hairs (girls) and wear a cap/hat in order to protect the hair from getting soaked in the various dry and wet colors/oil colors/dyes, etc.
Eyes
One can wear glasses in order to protect their eyes, and the ones with contact lens can do away with the same on this day. As it is quite perilous to have the foreign colors enter the eyes which may cause irritation and thus damage to the lens and retina in extreme cases. If by any chance the color enters your eyes, kindly do not rub as this might aggravate the irritation, one should immediately rinse their eyes several times till the irritation subsides and one can also put some rose water in order to stop the burning.
Nose
Some people are allergic to dust, as a result the dry colors can create havoc for them. One of the ways to avoid inhaling the dry colors is by applying petroleum jelly to the inside of your nostrils, so that the particulate matter gets trapped within the nostrils, letting you breath comfortably without inhaling the harmful chemicals.
Nails
To protect your nails the obvious part from getting exposed with the various harmful and stubborn colors (dry/oil colors), girls in general could apply a thick coat of nail enamel, over their nails and some on the slightly outside periphery to prevent the color from entering the nail beds.
Other measures involve, using organic or natural colors, like henna, turmeric, tea leaves etc for a safe and fun skin friendly Holi. One can also wear long and full sleeved clothes to avoid much exposure of the skin and never sit in the sun after playing Holi, as this will make it difficult for the colors to be removed and also harm your skin. One should use a good toner to close their skin pores, in order to avoid the colors from penetrating the skin. One can also put petroleum jelly/Vaseline/lip balms on their lips to protect the lips.
Alternatives
Ones who are not comfortable using oil on their body can use moisturizing cream, milk lotion, sunscreens on their skin to avoid rashes and allergies. One can also apply foundation on their face, if they are not comfortable oiling their faces prior to playing this most relished festival.
Treatment
Ways to ensure one gets the colors out safely is, firstly to dust off all the dry colors on their clothes, hair and body. Wipe ones face with moisturizing cream/lotion with cotton wool. Never use soaps on wet faces as it would cause further dryness. In case of rashes consult the physician/dermatologist. Rinse hair with water and use herbal shampoos and conditioners; remove the nail enamel with a remover prior to taking bath. And never take bath immediately after playing Holi, as the repeated washing and scraping can lead to dryness and redness of the skin and also ruin your soft skin and scalp. One can take bath after few hours of playing, after all the measures to remove the colors are taken care of.
Follow these simple methods and enjoy this beautiful festival of colors, without much to fret about once it culminates.
