It’s a bottle of wildness uncorked after a year of restraint! Holi is that time of the year when we are not interested in putting our best face forward, neither do we desire to display our cultivated and civil personality.

Holi is about wild celebrations and we all love it. But often in the flurry of celebrations, we overlook the precautions needed to keep Holi skin-friendly.

While we indulge ourselves and splash colours everywhere, it is our skin and hair that bear the brunt. First, the onslaught of synthetic colours, and then the strenuous post-Holi washing ritual leaves the skin dry and deprived. Doctors are flooded with patients after Holi complaining of either skin irritation or dry patches everywhere.
Dermatologist and aesthetic physician Dr Amit Luthra of Ishira Skin Clinic says, “There was a time when Holi was played with powdered flowers and herbs. Now, they are made up of acids, mica, glass powder and alkalis. Sometimes dyes are also used in making colours which can cause serious skin ailments like eczema, blisters, flaking and itching.”

“Run through a list of things to do before and after Holi. First is to oil and moisturise your body thoroughly. Mix equal quantities of coconut and olive oil and massage it all through your body and hair. Remember to reach the ears and back of the ears especially as colours tend to settle there. You can apply sunscreen thereafter but makeup is best avoided.”

Remember to take care of your nails and cuticles if you don’t wish to carry red nails through the next year, says Dr Chiranjiv Chhabra, dermatologist, Skin Alive Clinics. “The night before Holi, paint the nails on both your hands and feet. This will protect them from chemicals. Dip your fingers in coconut oil as it will protect your cuticles.”   
“It is important to protect the eyes too,” reminds Dr Amit, “Don’t wear lenses when you go out to play. While Holi colours cause irritability to the eye, lenses have a tendency to absorb the colour making it worse. Wear glasses and keep wiping them from time to time.”

Renowned cosmetologist Dr Blossom Kochhar tells us how to clean the skin post the Holi splurge. “Do not scrub the colour off with soap,” she warns, “Instead, use a cream- based cleanser. If the colour refuses to go, mix two tablespoons of besan and sandalwood powder, one tablespoon of orange peel powder and milk with few drops of sandalwood oil. Apply on the body. Then take a bath.”

To remove colour from hair, she says, “Rinse your hair completely without using shampoo first. Once the colours are removed, then wash hair with a mild shampoo and conditioner. To revitalise hair further, mix yoghurt with few drops of rosemary oil. Leave on the scalp for 30 minutes. Then rinse off.”

There are some new-age clinic-based skin treatments available as well if you like a squeaky clean complexion pre and post the colour riot. Dr Simal Soin, dermatologist, Three Graces, says, “A few sessions of a dermal filler like Juvederm replenishes the lost hyaluronic acid in the skin and has a deep moisturising effect. It’s a skin investment that will hold you good for many Holis, not just one.”