Pre & Post-Holi Skincare: How to Prevent Damage from Colors

As the world prepares to celebrate Holi—the festival of colors, joy and happiness—the air is filled with excitement, smiles and colored powders. The families and friends then fill each others’ faces with colors, dance on traditional songs, and enjoy delicious and delightful sweets. But all that jollity and play aside, don’t forget that your skin also needs shielding from synthetic color’s potent chemicals, too much sun, and splashing water aplenty! With a few safeguards before and after, your skin will be healthy, glowing, and unscathed.
Here are five tips to prep your skin for a graceful and safe Holi celebrations:



Before playing Holi, you need to apply a barrier on your skin. Make sure to apply coconut oil, almond oil, or a heavy moisturizer onto your face, hands and other exposed areas of skin. This prevents colors from adhering to the skin and is easily removable after. Just be sure to coat your lips and around your nails with petroleum jelly so they are not colored.



Celebrating Holi is all about being out in the sun for long hours exposing your skin to harsh UV rays. Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 30 or higher 20 minutes before going out can help protect your skin from sunburn and tanning. If you're going out for a long time, reapply. Use a water-resistant and sweat-resistant sunscreen for a little extra coverage.



The kind of colors used on Holi is a major factor on skin health. Artificial colors are made of large amounts of chemicals that cause allergies, rashes, and dryness. Follow non-toxic, organic, herbal, or home-made colors made from flowers and natural products such as turmeric and sandalwood. They have skin compatibility, thereby reduce the risk of irritation.



Skin hydration: Hydration of skin is essential before and after Holi. Drink plenty of water: Water hydrates our skin internally, leaving the skin soft and preventing dryness due to high colours. After Holi, gently wash the colors off with mild soap that does not strip off natural oils. Follow with a gentle moisturizer or an aloe vera gel to seal in moisture and alleviate redness.


Post the celebration, the temptation is to scrub off the colours rather severely, but that could destroy the skin barrier. Instead use a gentle cleansing milk, micellar water or an oil remover to dissolve the colours. Avoid using harsh soaps or scrubbing too hard. A hydrating face mask, or a paste made with store-bought curd and honey at home will help restore moisture after washing off the colors. A lotion rich in vitamin E goes a long way in providing nourishment and helps in healing the skin.


As much as Holi is a festival, protecting your skin is non-negotiable. With simple yet effective Karva Chauth skincare tips, the celebration will be without damaging your skin. So prepare your skin, play it safe and may the colors of Holi spread joy and not harm. A very Happy Holi to all, stay safe!