Celebrating Holi has been a tradition in India since the very beginning… The splash of colours, the laughter, the dancing, basically, the fun! Since last year didn’t really go according to everyone’s plan, Holi was cancelled. So naturally this year, while we’re being cautious and weary about the spread of the virus, here are a couple of things one needs to keep in mind when it comes to their hair, skin and nails. Think of this as your one-stop guide from a Delhi-based dermatologists, Dr. Kiran Sethi, owner and founder of Isya Aesthetics to know how best to take care of your body when it comes to playing Holi.

P.S: If you’re skipping the Holi shindig this year, save this post for next time do you end up playing!

Holi skincare no-nos:

  • do not apply any retinol, retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids, polyhydroxy acids or salicylic acid the night before.
  • do not do any laser on the face/neck or exposed areas for at least 6 days before Holi.
  • do not do any chemical peels for 6 days before.
  • do not do any scrubs the night before or the day of Holi before you play colours.

Holi skincare musts:

  • use only all-natural vegetable dye-based colours that wash away easily.
  • moisturise as much as possible to create a strong skin barrier.
  • use vaseline petroleum jelly the night before and the day of Holi to create a barrier against those tough colours.
  • wear a hat for sun protection.
  • wear a lot of sunblock! And reapply throughout the day… Who cares if u can see the sunblock you will get colour on you anyway!

Post-Holi care:

  • first wash off the colours as soon as you can gently with a foaming cleanser.
  • then use a cleansing oil to get rid of those oil soluble colours.
  • use a scrub gently on the skin to remove some tough to remove colour.
  • use a toothbrush for those tiny hard to reach crevices with some cleanser.
  • for the last remnants of the oil- massage oil into your skin then wash it off in round circular motions—this gets rid of that tough colour.
  • consider a facial like Silklove with exfoliates off the colour while infusing nutrients lost during holi and the post-holi color removal process!

Holi nail care:

  • first moisturise those nails with lotions like Bioderma‘s Atoderm Baume.
  • apply vaseline jelly to your nails and cuticles prior to playing holi then reapply throughout the day.
  • scrub off color with a toothbrush gently.
  • moisturise right after and apply vaseline jelly again.

Holi hair care:

  • pre-Holi no hair treatments like highlights/keratin/perms because they open up the hair cuticle and colour can get in
  • don’t shampoo the day of or the day before to keep the strands a little oily.
  • apply coconut oil the night before and the day of to create a barrier against the colour from penetrating those strands. The oil prevents the colour from penetrating.
  • tie up your hair.
  • wear a little sunblock (like a spray) on the hair to protect the strands from sun damage
    wear a hat.
  • after holi, shampoo the oil out and apply a conditioner, then re-shampoo and condition again.

Have a safe and happy Holi everyone!

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