The festival signifies the arrival of spring, end of cold winter days, and the beginning of the summer. On this day, people smear each other’s faces with Gulal (colored powder) or simply throw colored water or balloons filled with water.

Playing Holi with one’s friends and family is fun but one could end up with skin infections if care is not taken well in advance.

Traditional colors
Traditionally, people played Holi with homemade natural colors that did not harm skin when applied; instead they had therapeutic values.

However, these days strong presence of chemicals in colors damages people’s skin and hair. Hence, the use of natural and herbal colors is recommended and people are also waking up to the advantages of using herbal colors.

Tips to make Holi harmless
1. Wear full-length clothes to cover maximum parts of your body. Avoid intimate contact with colors by simply applying almond oil, cold cream, olive oil or moisture on the exposed body parts.

2. Massaging some oil mixed with few lemon juice drops on one’s head before heading out to play Holi could protect you from skin infection.

3. Do not wear contact lenses while playing Holi. If by chance color gets into eyes then immediately wash them with cold water.

4. It’s very important to rinse all the color from your skin after playing Holi. Rejuvenate the skin by using some home-based paste of soya bean (besan) mixed with milk.

5. Use warm water and soft moisturizing soap to get rid of the color. A mixture of glycerin, sea salt, and few drops of aroma oil can ward off the ill-effects of colors on the skin.