Holi 2018: Here is how you can prevent dangerous side effects of Holi colours

Holi is a popular festival of colours that is celebrated in the month of Phalguna, according to the Hindu calendar. The annual festival that falls between February and March is the festival where people forgive all the sins of their loved ones and come together to celebrate the event.

The widely celebrated Hindu festival has no boundation of colour, caste or religion and it is celebrated not only in India but also in foreign countries. People splash a colour powder, water of colours and balloons on each other and a chanting of 'Holi Hai' is made with full of enjoyment.

The colours are made in a traditional way from spring flowers, berries, spices, and other flowers and also wet colours are made from flower like hibiscus etc. However, no doubt this festival brings a beautiful curve on our face but there are some dangers associated with the event too. If the colours are made out of harmful chemicals and toxic agents like a lead oxide, mercury sulfite, and copper sulfate etc.

These harmful chemical colours can damage our eyes, skin, and lungs, says beauty expert Shahnaz Husain. According to Husain, one can enjoy the festival with the use of organic and home-made colours. These are available in markets but cost more.

Taking care of our skin from the dangerous chemical in the colours is our main concern, However here are some important tips and preventives for the skin and hair.

# One and all to apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going out in the sun.

# Use a sunscreen of SPF 20 and above. If your skin is prone to pigmented patches, select a higher SPF.

# If your skin is very dry, first apply the sunscreen, wait for a few minutes and then apply a moisturizer. Apply moisturizing lotion or cream on the arms and exposed areas.

# apply hair conditioner or hair serum on your hairs. It protects the hair from the effects of sun exposure and dryness caused by colours.

# One can also apply hair cream containing sunscreen that is easily available in the market.

# You can also apply pure coconut oil and massage it lightly into the hair. This also provides protection against colours.

# You can make your own cleanser, take half a cup of cold milk and add one teaspoon of any vegetable oil.

Also read: Holi 2018: This is why the festival of colours is celebrated in India