Stop Skin Damage Due To Holi Colours

Skin Care

oi-Anwesha

By Anwesha Barari

Tuesday, March 6, 2012, 16:25

When it is Holi in 2012, that is this year, then excesses are bound to happen. But why should your skin bear the brunt of your fun and frolic. To protect your skin from damage this year, it best if you do let the Holi colours settle on your skin at all. This does two thing; firstly your scrubbing work becomes easier post Holi and it your skin is in a vastly better position compared to other years when you have rough patchy skin for days after the festival of colours is gone.

To protect your skin from damage on Holi 2012, you can try these simple home brewed tips.

How Stop Colours From Settling On Your Skin?

1. It is the relentless scrubbing you do post your colour fighting session that hurts your skin the most. You have to scrub really hard to get rid of the colour from your skin. The harsh chemicals on the soap and numerous other self made remedies (like toothpaste, vinegar etc) you use totally erodes the top layer of your skin leading to skin damage. You can avoid this if you stop the Holi colours from settling on your skin in the first place.

2. The best way to keep Holi colours at bay is to apply a thick layer of petroleum jelly on your skin. Cover all exposed parts of your body with this layer of petroleum jelly. You need to apply it at least 45 minutes before you go out to play Holi because it takes time to settle. This layer does not allow the colour to come in direct contact with the skin.

3. Out of the various body oils used to save our skin from damage, coconut oil is so far the best. The rich saturated fats present in it are really bad for your heart (they clog your arteries) but for your skin it is elixir. Soak yourself in oil down to your nails before you go out on Holi. Apart from protecting your skin it may also help you slip out of the grip of your tormentors.

4. It is very important to use a very good sunscreen on your body before your go out. The Holi colours erode your skins layers and that makes your skin susceptible to sun damage. It is March and the summer is starting to peak so you need a sunscreen of at least 40 SPF under the tropical sun. Apply the sunscreen as the first layer of cream on your skin because over the petroleum jelly and oils it won't seep through.

5. Never go for fancy skin treatments just before Holi. For one thing the colours will definitely ruin the effects of your expensive facials. Moreover, it might make your skin more fragile than it is (chemical peels do that) and your skin may then succumb to rashes and allergies under the onslaught of colours.

Use these skin care tips to protect your skin from damage this Holi.