By Dr Smriti Naswa Singh,
Holi, the festival of colors is just around the corner. Given the present scenario, we all must have made our plans to celebrate Holi responsibly. And carefully just among close family & friends. Amid the gloom of the rising incidences of COVID19 cases in Mumbai. Moreover, Holi colors will refresh our minds, moods and bring cheer. While it is significant to maintain all the required protocols to safeguard ourselves from the virus. We must also protect our skin and hair from allergic reactions, acne breakouts, and dry, frizzy hair.
Further, following small steps can help to prevent damage to hair and skin and let you enjoy tension-free.
PRE HOLI PREPARATION
Protecting your skin on the day of celebration is not going to be enough. Certain precautions can be taken a few days in advance to obtain optimal results.
- Avoid bleaching/ waxing/ facial one week before and after Holi celebrations
- Apply a thick coat of oil or petroleum jelly or cold cream on your skin – Do not forget lips, behind ears, and the navel
- Oil your hair and beard too – liberal quantities to be used
- Sunscreen should be applied in generous amounts on all sun-exposed areas, 30mins before going out in sun, and repeat every 3 hours if in the sun for longer hours
- Nail polish is a good idea to protect your nails from Holi colors which may stain them blue & green
DURING HOLI CELEBRATION:
- Maintain social distancing, wearing a mask is a must
- Prefer dry organic colors
- Avoid colors like gold, and silver paints
- Avoid too much physical touch
- Wash out the color at the first sign of irritation or itching
- Keep moisturizer handy – Moisturizers work best on wet skin, so wet your skin with water and apply moisturizer. Whenever you feel irritation, either apply ice or just splash some water & then put loads of moisturizer on top of it
- Keep yourself hydrated – drinking water ensures the deeper layers of skin are nourished
- Avoid too much alcohol
POST HOLI CLEANING:
- Keep the wet and dirty clothes separately
- Take a bath with warm water
- Use Ubtan – Ubtan like packs made of earthen clay (Multani Mitti) or a combination of Wheat flour, Curd, Haldi is a good idea to be applied all over the body to remove the color. This ensures the skin doesn’t get too dry as against using the soap whose detergent action might dry out the skin
- Use a cleansing milk with lukewarm water, especially for the face and can be used as a second wash after ubtan
- Sea salt, Glycerine & aroma oil is also a good option to remove the color
- Do not scrub out the color. Remove the Ubtan while still a bit wet, especially for age groups with acne-prone facial and truncal skin
- Shampooing is necessary to clean the scalp, and a conditioner will help condition & moisten the hair, preventing them from getting frizzy
- Post bath moisturizer for skin, and serum for hair is recommended
About the Author
Dr Smriti Naswa Singh, Consultant Dermatologist & Cosmetic Dermatologist, Fortis Hospital, Mulund, Mumbai~
