SKIN CARE ON HOLI – DECODING THE PRE AND POST RITUALS

Skin Care Rituals and Regime / By 

Weather transitions are a little difficult for our skin and hair. It is not just our wardrobe that asks for a major makeshift seasonal overhaul, but so does our skin and hair. Moving from winters to spring summer weather requires some significant changes in the skin care regimen too. We cannot just keep adhering to the same product lineup as we used to do in winters. Like from deeply hydrating and nourishing facial oils and thick creams, one needs to move to light-weight facial serums, toners, and gel-based moisturizers and lotions. Sunscreen and Sunblocks become even more sacrosanct as we move further head on into summers. Well, say a HELLO to breezy, airy, and all things light-weight in summers. 

 

The skin and hair are just amidst adapting to these new consistencies when the festival of HOLI strikes up. Falling in the month of March, Holi is one merry festival of colours, flowers, and water that is celebrated with much gusto and fervor, especially in the northern part of India. But, as your self-proclaimed skin advisors that we are, we can never let you go reckless and negligent with your skin and let any chemical-laden colour or synthetic cause deterioration to it. 

 

PLAY IT, BUT PLAY WITH CAUTION?

Adhering to the popular maxim, ‘Precaution is better than cure’, protect your skin and hair before inundating yourself into that Holi fun and frolic. Before the entire gang pounces upon you with their load of colours to cast you in all bright hues of yellow, red, and blue, cover up your skin and hair with layers of thick oil or moisturizer, so that nothing perilous penetrates deep. As much fun and a good time it might sound like, the aftereffects of all those synthetic Holi colours and dyes laced with chemicals can be hazardous. 

 

As an aftermath, it takes strenuous efforts to wipe off that colour from the upper layers of the skin. Though we wish the agony had stayed limited to that. But those synthetic dyes tread deep down into the dermis layer of the skin and clog pores causing breakouts and skin allergies. Might be hurtful to know, but the colours actually contain dyes, low grade synthetics, as well as even tiny particles of plastic in them. How potent they can be in causing irreversible damage to the skin, the lesser we talk the better. It is a skincare nightmare of sorts, to say the least. We might like to think that Holi is synonyms with fun, colours, playfulness, balloons, and togetherness. But that is not all that it symbolizes. For a lot of people, the festival of Holi represents allergies, hair dryness, and hair fall, scalp allergies and itchiness, acne, rashes, and breakouts. 

The scenario can be turned turtle if you are just a little more attentive to taking care and being a little mindful. OILING is the watchword. Splurge overloaded amounts of thick oil or a moisturizer onto your skin and hair. It forms a thorough protective layer and doesn’t let any internal damage happen. Washing off the colour would also be a relatively easier task, with the oil on. The thick layers of the humectants would ensure that the natural nutrients of the skin stay intact and do not get ripped off by the chemicals in the colours. Natural essential oils also help to keep skin allergies and microbial infections at bay.

 

PRE HOLI SKIN PROTECTION RITUAL you must totally abide by

 

The exhilaration of the festivity turns us totally oblivious to our skin and hair care needs. In the mad rush and thrill of that Holi morning, getting all the colours, and flowers together, filling up our water tanks and those colored water balloons, prepping up the delicacies, gujiyas, bhang and vodka shots, we forget to put a protective shield on our face, neck, and hair. But as your skin saviours we are here to refrain you from any lackadaisical approach to your skin care. First things first, right. 

  1. Starting a few days to Holi, start fixating more on your ‘Skinvestment’ regime. Be more regular with your twice a day ‘Cleansing-Toning-Moisturizing’, preferably putting into use organic ingredients. We suggest you use Jasmine Face Wash, Jasmine Toner, and Jasmine Moisturizer from our botanical range. The aroma of the flower lingers for long and totally resonates with the spring-summer feels of the month of March. 
  2. Keep your skin amply nourished and hydrated. Increase your water intake and even better, load up on a lot of fresh juices, enriching smoothies, shakes, and even fresh fruits. 
  3. On the day of Holi, go overboard with our reinvigorating Glo Radiance Facial Oil. It is a skin elixir of sorts, a concoction of emollient natural oils like Argan, Sweet Almond, Apricot, Grapeseed, Wheat germ, and Rosehip. Forming a thick protective layer on your skin while keeping it supple and rich, it would stave off the ill effects of any harmful chemicals on your skin. Even while washing away the colours, the oil would make it easier to get them off. 
  4. Put a final thick layer of our Glo Radiance Luminous Skin Protection Lotion. The rich SPF would save you from the colours as well as the sun tan while you can play and rejoice with your loved ones carefree in the outdoors. 
  5. For the hair, we suggest massaging your tresses with the Bhringaraja oil a night before, or even early morning on the day of Holi. This would again form a restrictive layer on the mane and keep it safeguarded. 
  6. In between the festivity, while you are all loaded with all colour, we strongly urge you to keep our Hydra Skin Cleanser handy. It is a micellar water formulation enriched with gentle, replenishing ingredients that neutralize toxins and clean the skin, without any need for a water rinse. Keep taking off that colour at regular intervals to curtail the ill effects to minimum.   

POST HOLI SKIN NOURISHMENT INVESTMENT that is oh so necessary!

 

Now, this is when the real toil begins. Do not go too harsh on your skin in the urge to take off those stubborn colours really fast. As much fun it is to splash them on your loved ones, it’s a task to get rid of them.

  1. Use a mild cleanser to gently wash and massage your skin so that the colours and chemicals come off easy. No rashes or irritation should develop on the skin. We suggest the soothing Jasmine Cleanser from our range that is surcharged with the pacifying properties of Aloe Vera and Jasmine. 
  2. Maybe not on the same day, but the next day, use a scrub or an exfoliator that helps unclog pores and remove the residual colour. If your skin is not too sensitive or prone to reactions, you can also exfoliate it on the same day. Use our Jasmine Scrub that has proven efficacy in removing dirt and impurities without depleting any natural moisture from the skin. 
  3. Apply a thick coat of a replenishing moisturizer to soothe the overplayed and over hassled skin. Well, you have had your share of Holi fun, but not at the expense of your skin. It deserves its much-needed attention and aftermath pampering. 
  4. For the other exposed parts of your skin, arms, legs, midriff, cleavage, and more, we suggest using the Intense Hydrate Cocoa Body Polishing Kit. It is a professional in-salon service that exfoliates, polishes, and nourishes your body. Offering meditative calmness, and relaxation, this pampering session is going to take away all the festive fatigue and lethargy that so succeeds the Holi enjoyment and jollification. 
  5. Your hair needs pampering too, don’t leave them unattended. Treat them to a deeply nourishing and enriching Hair Spa or Hair Treatment ritual. Novex Hair Masks from our bouquet of hair care products provide exemplary nourishment and restoration to distressed hair. 

We wish you all a safe and super fun-filled Holi. Splatter colour, water, love and bundles of positivity around. 

For our complete range of skin care and hair care products, visit ‘www.ozoneayurvedics.com’