For many, this year will mark the first return to Holi celebrations after a two year haitus. Every swipe of colour, every sweet, and every dance will hold three years’ worth of excitement and vigour.
But all fun and merriment set aside, we know you also want to care for your skin and hair, while you’re out enjoying the festival of colours. So, we asked Dr Apratim Goel, cosmetic dermatologist, all kinds of questions to safeguard ourselves from post-Holi regret. Take her advice seriously, prep your skin well, enjoy to the fullest while you play. Happy Holi!
Beauty Book: Holi colours can be harsh, especially if not natural. What is the basic prep our hair and skin needs before we play Holi?
Dr Goel: Think of your skin as a sieve, some things get through, others do not. When we’re preparing the skin before Holi, we need to strengthen the barrier so that even if it’s in contact with colours, which it eventually will be, they won’t harm your skin too much. Holi colours (even organic or herbal ones) are silicon-based powders that can cause friction or settle into your pores.
You should consider your skin type before preparing. Oily skin types are the most protected, as they have an inherent lipid layer on their skin. People with dry skin are the most at risk. If you have dry skin, you need to start prepping at least a week prior by stopping any glycolic acid or salicylic acid or retinol products you usually use. Instead, try using ceramide- or glycerine-based products.
On the day of Holi, you need to layer your products. Lots of people just use oil and step out. But you need to first use a serum and a moisturiser and then apply oil. For hair, you need to use a good conditioner before you oil your hair. Try keeping them tied up and use a bandana to protect direct colour reaching your scalp. A simple trick for your body would be to layer your clothes as well. Try wearing your swimsuit underneath so the colours on your clothes don’t reach the skin underneath quickly.
Beauty Book: A lot of people play Holi with water-based colours, is there a way to protect our skin from these colours?
Dr Goel: I can ask you to avoid watercolours, but that’s really not up to you. Someone or the other will eventually surprise you with water-based colours, so you must be prepared. Just know that watercolours are usually made of industrial dyes and may contain harsh chemicals like arsenic, lead, mercury or even glass particles, that can hurt your skin.
Don’t scrub these colours off. If you’ve played a fairly dry Holi just dust it off, otherwise stand under flowing water to clean stubborn wet colours.
Beauty Book: What kind of sun protection should we use, especially if there’s a chance of sunscreens getting washed away?
Dr Goel: Unfortunately, you won’t find a sunscreen that won’t get washed away while playing Holi. But to start with, use layers of skincare products and finally your sunscreen, so that it isn’t the only layer trying to protect you. Use a physical sunscreen with zinc oxide, titanium, oxybenzone that will reflect sun rays. However, there are other ways of sun protection that you can consider. You can take an oral sunscreen, such as Polypodium leucotomos. Even glutathione or crystal tomato supplements work (consult with your dermat before using these).
Try wearing full sleeves and ankle-length clothes, play in shade and always wear sunglasses. Also, don’t let the colours just sit on you and damage your skin. Wash away the colours as soon as you’re done.
Beauty Book: Are there any specific skin and hair care must-haves people could carry when stepping out to play?
Dr Goel: There’s not much to carry when you’re stepping out, but you can keep a couple of things handy. A scarf will be very useful, whether you need it to protect your hair or neck or just to wipe away too much colour. Keep a hydrating spray that you can use if you’re feeling itchy and dry. Also, just in case some colours don’t suit your skin, keep a tube or pills of anti-allergens with you. If possible, carry a small pet bottle of clear water in case you need to wash your eyes.
Beauty Book: What skincare routine would you recommend for after one has washed away the Holi colours?
Dr Goel: You have to keep in mind that Holi colours are not just physical colours that are sitting on your skin. They react to your epidermal cells and you cannot do much to speed up the cleansing process. Do not scrub or clean away all the colour at once, give it a few days. Your skin is very powerful, it will automatically recognise the colours as alien to the body and try to remove them. Do not use bleaching agents like baking soda or lemons, etc. There’s a chemical reaction occurring between the colour and your skin, you might aggravate it by adding more chemical elements to the mix. You can try a neutral oil like soybean oil to rinse off the colour.
Once you’ve washed away most of the colours, you need to hydrate your skin and protect it. Try a moisturiser with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerine and then layer it with sunblock.
Beauty Book: How can people with sensitive skin protect their skin better?
Dr Goel: Honestly, people with sensitive skin should refrain from playing with colours. And if they are going out, they should know that their skin will invariably react. So try and cover your face as much as possible, you can keep a mask on throughout, along with sunglasses. Play with dry colours.
You can also try using a barrier cream (like lamination for your skin) during prep, in addition to serum and moisturiser. If you feel irritation or any rashes popping up, wash your skin immediately and apply calamine lotion or see a doctor for a quick steroid or an anti-allergic tablet.
Beauty Book: Any suggestions regarding nail and cuticle care before and after Holi?
Dr Goel: Trim your nails as short as possible and paint them with transparent polish. This applies to guys as well. The easiest and best way to protect your nails and fingers from harsh colours is by layering them with petroleum jelly. After playing Holi, apply olive oil to the underside of your nails where colours often get caught. Avoid getting manicures and pedicures for at least a week after Holi as you might end up pushing residue colours into your skin or cuticles.
