When Holi is here, there is also the fear of bad skin, cough and cold.
If health problems are the only reason that makes you wary of playing Holi, then you should give yourself a chance with these home remedial tips.
Dermatologists, beauty connoisseurs and Ayurveda experts speak about the natural ways to get rid of the colours.“Many a time, harmful chemicals penetrate easily
on the skin layer so it’s always good to moisturise your skin well with oil or moisturiser
before playing. It works best for the skin and prevents chemical accumulation” says Dr Nivedita Dadu.
Kiran (name changed), 27, a bank employee shares her nightmare of Holi.
“It was a horrible incident that had happened last year. My friends had used grease and other chemical colours which led to eczema. My skin began to inflame and itch badly, besides that it had blisters and was flaking at a very high level. I underwent a week-long medication to get over my skin allergies.”
For instances such as these, beauty connoisseur Anupama Malhotra — who makes cosmetics by the label Vert — shares some do-it-yourself face packs for oily, dry and normal skin. Many people also share experiences of ‘Holi-hangover’, where the tiredness, cough and cold because of the festival, lasts for many days.
According to Ayurveda specialist Aarti Gaur, whether you paint the town red, white or blue, this Holi, you can keep cold and cough at bay with simple yogic techniques.
n ‘Jal neti’: (Nasal cleansing) Take 500ml luke warm water in a neti pot, add half tea spoon black rock salt and a pinch of turmeric. Stand evenly and bend slightly forward. Tilt the head at 45 degrees angle towards left. Insert the nozzle of the pot into the right nostril. While breathing normally from the mouth, tilt the pot so that the water runs into the right nostril and flows out from the left. Repeat on the other side. Breathe normally afterwards.
“Saline water is the best cleansing medium,” she says, “which absorbs and scrapes away infectious pathogens accumulated in the nasal passage. Also, turmeric is a disinfectant, antiseptic and scouring agent.”
n Foot massage: Heat some mustard oil mildly, and massage the soles before
retiring. Loose cotton socks can be worn later. “Mustard oil is hot and massaging generates heat in the body to fight any symptoms of cold and infection,” says Gaur.
Also, many people during Holi adopt horrendous measures to get rid of the colours from their skin. “The biggest concern is, once people are done playing Holi, they are too impatient to get rid of the colours. And thus they end up doing bizarre things. Last year, we had a patient who tried removing colours using a detergent and ended up with rashes and skin abrasion,” shares Dr Manmohan Lohra, a dermatologist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurgaon.
He suggests the use of aloe vera gel after scrubbing the colour off, to sooth your skin.
“Wash if you feel excessively grease or oil on the face. And never use cold water to remove colour as it will only fixate the colour into the skin even more,” he says.
Face packs to remove colour
For oily skin: Mix two tablespoons of multani-
mitti in glycerine and water to make a paste. Apply it on your face for 15 minutes and wash off.
For normal skin: Take two table spoons of oats and mix it in one tablespoon of flour. Make a paste by adding rosewater and a pinch of turmeric. Apply it on your face for 10 minutes and wash off.
For dry skin: Mix gram flour in milk. Add glycerine and a pinch of sea salt to make a paste. Scrub your face for 10 minutes and wash off.