Holi: Precautions and After Care.

Holi is a major Hindu festival of colors and happiness which is celebrated in spring every year. It is celebrated across the four corners of India or rather across the globe. The festival of Holi signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, and the end of winter; but it is mostly celebrated as a day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken or forgotten relationships. It lasts for two days, first day is known as Holika Dahan and the second as Dhulandi. It’s the second day when we go outside our homes to play with friends and family. Elaborate plans are made to color the loved ones as everyone wants to be the first one to color the other. In the ensuing battle of colors, everybody is drowned not just in colors of gulaal but also in love and mirth; but the same colors make us regret after all the excitement has died down and we are left with useless efforts to clean up the evidence of playing Holi. Therefore, a few precautions may save you a lot of time and some after-care tips are cherry on the cake.

Precautions:
Precautions play an important role to ensure you don’t spend hours after Holi in taking off the colors.

1. Skin Care.
   (Holi skin care)Layer your body. Applying a layer of oil before going out, preferably coconut or olive oil will prevent the skin from direct exposure to damaging colors. Since the colors will not reach deep in our skin, it will be easy to get rid of them after the event has ceased. Oil will also keep the skin moisturized against colors that dry up the skin. You can also apply Vaseline for the same results.

2. Oil the Hair.
   (Holi Hair care)Holi colors are not even a bit healthy for hair and will leave your hair damaged and frizzed. Just like the previous tip, layering your hair with oil will help keep the color away from penetrating deep in the hair shafts and will prevent the scalp from drying up. Oil your hair generously a night before Dhulandi to prevent color deposition on scalp and hair.

Also read: 4 Hacks To Defrizz Your Hair Fast.

1. Preventing Nails.
   (Holi Nail care)Our hands get the maximum exposure to colors and it gets way too deep in our nails. If you have ever played Holi before, you might be aware of the struggle to clean the nails. Coating the nails with thick nail paint prior playing with colors will serve better than coloring them later on. Boys can massage their nails with almond oil or ghee a few days before Holi.

2. Use Herbal Colors.
   (Holi herbal colors)This tip should have been at the first place but I went with order. It is difficult to tell the difference between natural colors and dye colors but it is always suggested to buy quality colors that claim to be natural. Herbal colors will be easy to get rid of and will do less damage to the skin and hair.

After-care:
Precautions are important but you should always follow some after-care routines to prevent further damage and fasten the repairing process.

1. Remove Colors While Its wet.
   It is advised to remove colors while it’s still wet. Dry colors are difficult to get rid of. Use lukewarm water to take shower and try to rinse as much color as possible. However, if colors have already dried, don’t panic as it will come off eventually with each shower.

2. Be Gentle.
   (Be gentle)Be gentle when you are trying to remove colors off your body. Use a mild shampoo and conditioner for hair and a gentle face cleanser to wash the face. Never rub your skin vigorously in order to remove colors as it may clean a little bit but will cause more damage to already irritated skin.

3. Limit Your Efforts.
   (Limit Washing your Face)Your mind may motivate you every time to try once more to wash of the colors, but anything in excess will always yield negative results. Repeatedly taking baths or washing face will only damage the skin and hair, and will make the condition worse by stripping away essential oils.

4. Soothe the skin.
   (Aloe for skin)The color will go off eventually but the damage caused will take more time if you do not take care of it. Moisturize exposed area thoroughly with Aloe Vera gel or an effective moisturizer to soothe the irritated skin. Stay away from chemical facial or hair procedures for at least a week after playing Holi. It will cause irritation and colors, instead of coming off, will settle deeper.

Keeping these tips in mind, make beautiful memories with friends and family on the occasion of Holi and never forget to Be The Bee’s Knees!

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