It is the spring time, a period between end of winter and advent of summer. We all are in the transition phase of winter and summer. During this month of Phalgun which is the month of March as per the Gregorian calendar on the full moon day, the festival of colours ‘Holi’ is celebrated in different parts of the country with pomp and gaiety. To express joy on this festival, people sing songs, dance on the tunes of dhol and play with colours and water.

Colours play a vital role in the festival of Holi. In ancient times, when people started playing Holi, the colours used were made at home from natural sources like marigold flowers, rose flowers, blue hibiscus, palash flowers, neem leaves, mehndi leaves, spinach leaves, beetroot and many more of such natural ingredients. The playful throwing of powdered colours and pouring colourful water made from these natural sources had a healthy effect on the human body. But now a days, the trend has completely changed. Mostly people cannot even think of making their own natural colours. They rely on store bought colours and the market is flooded with toxic synthetic colours. Herbal colours are not available in adequate quantities and they run out of stock very fast. Also they are much more expensive than synthetic colours. So people buy them with the mind-set that they do not have to apply them on their own skin but on the skin of others. These synthetic colours contain toxic components, such as, diesel, mercury sulphide, aluminium bromide, copper sulphate, lead oxide and chromium iodine which lead to serious skin diseases and severe hair damage.

Here are few home remedies to remove these stubborn toxic colours from your skin and hair quickly and restore the hydration levels and balance of skin and hair texture:

For skin:

· Take one cup of gram flour. Add three tablespoons of fresh milk cream, one tablespoon of rose water and few drops of lemon juice. Mix well to make a thick paste. Apply it on your face, neck and other coloured areas of the body. Rub gently for 15 – 20 minutes. Then take a normal water bath. After wiping off the body, apply coconut oil to hydrate your skin.

· Take one cup of ground oatmeal. Mix two tablespoons of full-fat yogurt, one tablespoon of mustard oil and two teaspoons of lemon juice in it. Mix well. Apply this paste on areas which came in contact with colours. Massage in circular motion for 15 to 20 minutes. It will help remove the colours without damaging your skin. Then, take a cold or lukewarm water bath. Apply coconut oil generously all over your affected skin areas.

· Take one cup of wheat flour. Add two tablespoons of raw whole milk, one tablespoon of fresh milk cream, one tablespoon of aloe vera pulp and one tablespoon of papaya pulp into it. Mix well and apply it all over your skin. Rub gently with small strokes for 20 minutes. Take bath with normal water afterwards. Apply any herbal moisturiser generously after wiping off the body.

· Take a half cup of Fuller’s earth powder. Add one tablespoon of honey, a pinch of turmeric powder, two tablespoons of curd and two table spoons of orange juice. Mix well and apply this paste after playing Holi. Massage for few minutes in circular motion. Then leave for five minutes and take a normal water bath.

· Take one cup of red lentils powder. Add one tablespoon of dried orange peel, two teaspoons of mustard oil, a pinch of turmeric powder and three tablespoons of coconut milk into it. Apply this paste on your face and other skin areas which have Holi hues. Massage in circular motion to lessen the visibility of stubborn hues.

For hair:

· Apply coconut milk on your scalp and hair before shampooing. Leave for an hour. Rinse off with a mild shampoo and normal water.

· Beat two egg yolks with half cup of yogurt. Mix well. Apply this mixture on your scalp and hair like a pack. Let it sit for an hour. Then shampoo with any herbal shampoo and lukewarm water. This will help remove Holi colours and minimise the extent of damage.

· Apply mustard oil and lemon juice mixture on the scalp and hair. Make it in the ratio of 2:1. Let it sit for an hour. Rinse off with a mild shampoo and lukewarm water.

· Make a paste of half cup of Fuller’s earth powder, two teaspoons of methi seeds powder, and one-third cup of curd. Mix well and apply on your scalp and hair. Leave for half an hour. Rinse off with a mild shampoo and lukewarm water.

· You can always use beer to get rid of Holi colour and nourish your scalp and hair.

Precautions to be followed before starting playing Holi: It is always a good idea to drink plenty of water before you start playing with colours. It will keep your skin and scalp hydrated. Apply a thick layer of coconut oil, olive oil or castor oil on your face, hair and other exposed body parts to prevent harmful colours from coming into direct contact with your skin and tresses. If you wear lenses, remove them before indulging in colours. Use sun glasses to protect your eyes. Apply a lip balm on your lips. Ladies should apply nail paint on their nails and gents should not shave.

Precautions to be followed after playing Holi: After playing Holi, one of the most important things to be kept in mind is to stay away from sunlight till the colour is removed. Also, do not take hot water bath or rinse off your coloured skin or hair with hot water. Hot water makes the Holi colours more rigid and tougher to get removed. Rather, it will stick the colour harder on your body. It can also cause serious reactions. So either take a cold water bath or use lukewarm water. While washing off colours, do not use strong chemical based soaps and shampoos. They can react with Holi colours and cause further damage. Try using herbal soap and shampoo. Do not go for beauty treatments like facial, bleach, wax, perm and so on at least for a week after Holi.

With these home remedies, the stubborn Holi hues may not get removed completely in one go, but they will definitely get lightened. You may use these home-made scrubs and masks once daily till you get rid of the colours completely. Choosing these natural ingredients would be the best thing to remove the Holi colours and reduce the damage.