Holi Skincare 2023: Take Care Of Your Skin This Year With These Pre And Post-Holi Beauty Hacks- Dermatologically Approved

Holi Hai! Use an oil based cleanser to get rid of the colors from your face

Skincare and haircare tips on Holi: Holi is here and there is no way to keep calm! From gulal to rain dance, everyone is looking forward to the most colourful time of the year with no bounds to happiness. Holi is celebrated every year in the Hindu month of Phalgun and is said to mark the beginning of the spring/ harvest season in India.

Holi is without a doubt the most enjoyable festival in India, and everyone makes the most of the festival of colours. India has long celebrated Holi, a celebration that both kids and adults enjoy to the fullest. On Holi, people seem to enjoy playing with colour and gulaal.

Dr Rohit Batra, Dermatologist and Dermatosurgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi shares tips that can help keep you safe from any skin/ hair issues during and after the Holi celebration.

Only a few days remain till the main day of Holi celebrations, the holiday known for its exuberant colours, joy, and excitement. The festival is appealing to people of all ages because of the colours, water pichkaris, and balloons! Some people oddly smear themselves with organic colours, herbal gulal, metallic colours, and egg/mud packs, among other things! 
Together with the festive mood and enthusiasm, take a few safety measures to ensure a happy Holi. The harsh chemicals in the surroundings demand protection for just about everything.

We've included simple, quick pre- and post-Holi preparation advice approved by Dermatologist that will help protect your skin and face from the harmful chemicals and dyes used often during the festival.

Pre-Holi Skin Care Tips 2023

- Use oil or moisturizing lotion

Applying oil or a moisturising lotion to the body, particularly the face, hands, and legs, before participating in Holi festivities will make it easier to remove the colour from the skin. Additionally, apply some oil to your hair. This guards it against colour-related harm.

- Don’t forget your nails & lip

Make sure you apply nail polish or use Vaseline on your nail cuticles before stepping out on the day of Holi. And to shield your lips from the damaging chemicals in the Holi colours, use a quality lip balm. Apply a thick coat.

- Use Waterproof sunscreen

Apply sunscreen lotion to your body to safeguard your skin from the damaging effects of colours. By doing this, the chemical impacts of colour may be lessened. A sunscreen lotion with an SPF of 30 or higher is useful and advised. Use a water-resistant sunblock.

- Wear clothes that cover a major of the part your skin

This will protect you not only from heat and sun damage, but will also stop the colour from directly staining your skin.

Post-Holi Skin Care Tips 2023

- The most crucial step is ultimately cleansing the skin and hair of all colours. When wiping the face of colour/ gulal, avoid aggressively rubbing the skin with soap; instead, use a gentle cleanser. 

- Apply lots of moisturisers afterwards, particularly those formulated for sensitive skin. Kerosene, gasoline, and spirits should not be used to remove colour stains because they will further dry out the epidermis.

- To remove the colours from your scalp and hair, give your hair a thorough rinse with lots of water. Use a gentle shampoo to thoroughly clean your scalp/ hair. After the hair dries, apply hair oil. This will help to keep the hair moisturised.

- If you have used chemical-based colours on your skin or body, avoid sitting outside in the hot sun because this makes the colours more intense and difficult to remove.

- Keep a medication box or pouch on hand that contains antiseptic cream or lotion like soframycin or betadine oint, savlon, and antihistamine pills like Allegra or cetirizine, etc., in case you get a sunburn or skin infection. For severe rashes, irritation or any skin issues due to colours, it is recommended to plan a visit to a certified dermatologist who can suggest you the right treatment after looking at your condition.

- Drink ample amounts of water and consume plenty of fruits & vegetables to help flush out toxins.

Dr Batra suggests, "It is advisable to use skin-friendly, non-toxic gulaal/colours. Avoid applying colours near the eyes, mouth and nose. Also, avoid rubbing colour onto the skin vigorously, as this can lead to skin damage and other issues and should be avoided. People who have underlying eczemas or overly dry skin should completely avoid playing Holi with colours."