Holi 2023: Natural protection tips for skin and hair

Holi 2023: Beauty expert Shahnaz Husain shares her tips on how to protect your skin and hair naturally this Holi 2023. The colors can adversely damage your skin and hair and it is important to protect them beforehand from getting damaged.

Protection from colours:

Apply sunscreen lotion about 20 minutes before going out in the sun on face, neck and arms. 

Apply leave-on conditioner or hair serum before playing holi. This protects the hair from the effects of sun exposure and dryness caused by colours. 

Apply transparent nail varnish on the nails. This helps to protect the nails from absorbing holi colours. 

Removal of Colours:

Skin:

To make your own cleanser, take half a cup of cold milk and add one teaspoon of any vegetable oil, like “til,” olive or sunflower oil. Mix well. Dip cotton wool into this mixture and use it to cleanse the face.  

For oily or combination skin, take half teaspoon of lemon juice, add one teaspoon each of cucumber juice and cold milk. Apply on the face with a gently massage. Leave on for 10 minutes and wipe off with moist cotton wool. Then wash with plenty of plain water. 

Mix two tablespoons olive oil OR sesame seed (til) oil with half a cup of curd and one tablespoon each lemon juice and honey. Also, add a little turmeric. Apply this on the face, neck and arms. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then wash off with water. Removes colours and also removes tan. 

Take one cup sesame seeds, two tablespoons each dried mint leaves, olive oil, honey and lemon juice. Crush the sesame seeds coarsely and powder the dried mint leaves. Mix with oil, honey and lemon juice. Sesame seeds actually have sun protective properties and also soothe sun-damaged skin. It helps to remove tan and produce an even colour tone. Mint has a stimulating effect and adds a glow to the skin, while honey moisturizes and softens the skin. Oily and lemon juice help to remove the colour. Rub gently on face, neck and arms. Leave on for a few minutes and then wash off with water. 

Ripe papaya is an excellent cleanser. Mix gram flour (besan), curd, lemon juice and one tablespoon coconut oil into a paste. Apply on the face and body, rub gently on the skin and wash off with plenty of water. 

Hair:

First rinse hair with plenty of cool water, to wash off the colours and pieces of mica and prevent them from settling on the scalp.

Apply pure coconut oil on the hair, massaging the scalp lightly. After an hour, apply the juice of a lemon on the scalp and wash the hair after 15 minutes. 

After shampoo, mix the juice of a lemon and half a cup of rose water in a mug of water and use as a last rinse. 

Add a handful each of dry reetha, amla and shikakai to one litre of water and soak overnight. Next day, simmer over a low fire till water reduces to half. Cool and strain. Keep in fridge. The liquid is enough for four hair washes. Avoid making large quantities at a time. 

Mix one tablespoon coconut oil with methi seed powder and curd. After rinsing the hair, apply this pack on the hair and shampoo after half an hour. Cools, relieves itching and removes colour.