Holi is a great Hindu festival after Diwali celebrated with great pomp and show all over India. Holi comes in the season of March on the full moon day. This year Holi is on March 10. A day before Holi a bonfire is lighted which is known as ‘Holika Dahan’ that symbolizes the victory of good over bad.

There is a great mythological story behind Holi. There was a king named Hiranayakashyap, who considered himself a god and wanted everyone to worship him but his son Prahlad worship Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyap didn’t like this and wanted to get rid of his son. He asked his sister Holika to enter into a blazing flame with Prahlad in the lap as Holika was blessed that fire can’t burn her.  It is believed that Prahlad was saved because of his extreme dedication to Lord Vishnu while Holika paid price for evil desire. The tradition of Holika Dahan came from here only.

 The entire country is in the festive mood at the time of the Holi. Holi the festival of color is celebrated by applying different colors to friends and family. People use different colors like natural and chemical-based for playing Holi. In a festive mood, while playing Holi, everyone should take some precautions for protecting skin and hair from chemical-based colors. They should follow some skin and hair tips given below to avoid any infection from colors.

Skincare tips on Holi

• Apply a good amount of oil on your skin before playing colors.
• Expose your skin less to colors. Try to wear full sleeves clothes.
• Cover the eyes with sunglasses, so that colors don’t enter and damage the eyes. If your eyes are itching put few drops of rose water it will relax your eyes.
• Put cotton in ears to prevent colors from going deep in your ears.
• Apply a thick layer of nail paint on nails to avoid nails from getting colored.
• Wear a dental cap to avoid colors from getting in your mouths.
• To remove the color from your skin: apply a mixture of gram flour, sweet almond milk, milk cream and rose water on the parts where color is deepest. As the paste gets dry on the skin rub it softly to remove it.
• Apply sunscreen before going out.
• After shower moisturize your body properly.

 Haircare tips on Holi

• Cover the hair with scarf, hats or caps.
• Before going out to play Holi, massage hair with oil so that colors don’t stick to the scalp.
• Tie your hair properly so that no part of hair gets color treatment.

Use herbal colors

• Avoid using chemical-based colors, as they can cause infections.
• Use only organic colors or make colors at home using plants, vegetables, and flowers.
• To make Homemade color, take dry henna leaves, turmeric, and sandalwood powder and grind them and your homemade colors are ready. Different dried flower petals can also be used instead of colors.

General things to keep in mind while playing Holi

• Drink as much water as possible, so that you don’t get dehydrated.
• Wash your hand before having food, keep food items away from the playing area.
• Play Holi with lukewarm water instead of playing with cold water to prevent from getting any seasonal Flu.
• Keep the first-aid kit always ready as playing color with water can sometimes cause mild to severe injury at the playing area.

These are some of the tips and precautions that everyone should follow before going out for playing Holi. Have a Happy and Safe Holi this season!