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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : March 6, 2023 2:12 PM IST
Apply a thick paste of Ayurvedic ubtan and leave it for a few minutes. Clean your face with wet towels or wash it off with cold water. According to the Hindu religion, if people use ubtan mixed with turmeric in the body and then throw the ubtan removed from the body into the Holika fire, all the house's evils will flow into the fire, and the body becomes free of disease.
Holi is a festival of colours that owes its origin to ancient India. According to Ayurvedic texts, vegetable dyes and natural ingredients were used to prepare colours for Holi. Today's, wet colours and the dry colour, known as "Gulal," contain chemical ingredients, particles of mica, glass and even lead. These not only irritate the skin and scalp, but are actually harmful to both health and beauty.
Protecting your hair and skin is a must before playing Holi. Try these tips for a worry-free Holi.
Apply sunscreen lotion about 20 minutes before going out in the sun. For dry skin, first apply sunscreen, wait for a few minutes and then apply a moisturizer. Apply moisturising lotion or cream on the arms and exposed areas.
Apply leave-on conditioner or hair serum on hair before playing holi. This protects the hair from the effects of sun exposure and dryness caused by colours. Take very little, spread on both palms and massage light into the hair, or smooth palms over the hair. Or, apply pure coconut oil and massage it lightly into the hair. This also provides protection against colours.
Apply transparent nail varnish on the nails. This helps to protect the nails from absorbing holi colours.
The tough part comes after you have had your fun. This is the time when you have to remove the colours, some more stubborn than others. Check out these tips.
Rinse the face with plain water and then use a cleansing cream, or lotion. Apply and massage it on the face. Then wipe off with moist cotton wool. 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 skin.
Sesame seed (til) oil can be used to remove colours from the body, massaging it on the skin. This also gives added protection to the skin. Sesame seed (til) oil helps to counteract sun-damage. While bathing, scrub the body gently with a loofah or wash cloth. Immediately after your bath, apply a moisturizer on the face and body, while the skin is still damp. This helps to seal in moisture.
While washing the hair, first rinse with plenty of plain water to wash away the dry colours and tiny particles of mica. Then apply a mild herbal shampoo, working it into the hair with the fingers. Massage the scalp gently and rinse thoroughly with water again.
Make your own mild herbal shampoo. 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. Make small quantities at a time.
Many natural ingredients help in caring for the skin and hair after playing Holi.
Turmeric has many healing properties. It is a natural antiseptic and has an anti-inflammatory action. It helps to soften the skin and remove tan. Mix together 4 parts of curd, add one part honey and very little turmeric. For a few days after Holi, apply on the face, neck and arms daily. Wash off after 20 minutes. It makes the skin soft and removes tan.
Aloe Vera gel can be applied. It moisturizes the skin, relieving dryness. It also heals and soothes sun burn as it contains zinc, which is anti-inflammatory.
Apply aloe vera hair pack: Take one tablespoon besan, two tablespoons curd and one tablespoon aloe vera gel. Mix together and apply on the hair, washing it off after 20 minutes with plain water.
The knowledge contained in the ancient texts has not only stood the test of time but are actually relevant through time. In fact, we should go "back to the future" and celebrate a safe herbal holi.
(The article is contributed by Shahnaz Husain, a Padma Shri Award recipient and pioneer of the Ayurvedic beauty movement and the head of a global network of franchise ventures and 375 formulations)
