Holi is near and your skin care routine must be up in arms or else you might end up looking like an alien from planet Pandora of Avatar movie. (All blue or pink)
Although this festival doesn’t require dressing up in extravagant attires, but what it lacks in the wardrobe section it compensates in the skincare regime. We all are familiar with the darkly stained nails, chapped coloured lips, skins rashes, spotty scalps, and discoloured ears post this notorious celebration.
NOT THIS TIME.
This time you are going to go to this war with arms and ammunition ready to tackle whatever this Holi (or small kids from balconies) throws at you. We have come up with a pre and post-Holi skin care plan that you mustn’t miss if you want to dance on ‘Rang Barse’ without making your skin go through the doomsday.
1. Ice your face before that SPF
Rubbing ice through a cloth over your face for ten minutes makes those bothersome pores (More like craters) to close. Applying Sunscreen after pores have closed make your skin absorb the SPF more successfully and efficiently. SPF below 30 isn’t your bae this festival so go 30 and above with your choice of sun protection. Tan look might be pretty on you but let’s leave the colourful tans for the president of the US.
2. Moisturize moisturize moisturize and oil.
Don’t be a sleaze and slather your body in moisturizer or coconut/olive oil (Just fill your bathtub with it and take a dive). Take a few minutes and massage the cream into your skin to make the layer between your skin and the stubborn colours as indestructible as ‘the north wall’.
3. Cloak yourself all over.
Yes, we know Deepika Padukone wore shorts and a red shirt in Balam Pichkari and you might also want to show off your legs you recently got waxed. It’s a free country and it’s your choice but If you don’t want to spend hours in washroom just rubbing and scrubbing, you better wear full-sleeves clothes and jeans which are cotton made that doesn’t cause rashes and itches after reacting with chemical colours.
4. Prep your nails
Having pink coloured nails with deposits stuck in those creaks might have been a symbol of pride in your childhood that you played Holi in the most fun way. But now it may look gross to you and can cause infections if they enter your digestive system and wreck havoc for your health. So paint your nails dark and trim them to avoid getting the residue of bhang pakoras and gujjias stuck there.
5. Stay hydrated
And we don’t mean Alcohol or bhaang but actual H20. Dehydrated skin can become dry and get sunburnt easily. If you plan to drink alcohol, remember to alternate with a glass of water as too much drinking can easily show up on your face in the form of puffiness and dullness. Or maybe just keep your mouth open when someone is throwing a bucket of water at you.
6. Don’t forget lips, ears, and eyes
Most people tend to miss these three places when they prep up for the festival of colours. Taking a glob of petroleum jelly and applying them around eyes, on your ears and lips can save you from looking red and green the next day.
7. Oil your hair and make a braid
Obviously, your mind must be thinking ‘champu’ while cringing a bit. But trust us you will thank us when ladies around you will be rocking the Gollum look with wet dead hair locks around their faces and months of cribbing about hair fall.
POST HOLI SKIN CARE
1. Cold water over hot water
Global warming has disrupted the seasons and for the past few years, Holi tends to start with a little bit of chilly in the air. But you need to put your brave heart at front and skip the hot bath. Lukewarm water tends to make it tougher to remove the color from the skin. Taking a cold shower helps the pores to close and the colours comes off with ease.
2. Face masks to the rescue
Now that you have survived the war, it’s time to cool off and get back to that baby butt smooth skin. It’s better to use homemade masks as compared to buying them over the shelf. It doesn’t even require you to be an experienced beautician. Just mix honey and curd and let them give your skin an orgasm. You can also use olive oil to wipe the stains away if you aren’t averse to the slippery ingredient.
3. Calm down with your makeup game
Avoid going heavy on your face for the next few days. As the residual colour can react with the chemicals in your beauty products and give you ACNE. A light moisturizing and a BB cream will do the trick. Giving your make up a break up will only help you in getting the radiating skin sooner.
4. Avoid salon visits
Its basic common sense that threading, waxing or shaving just after Holi is an invitation to rash-a-ville and acne-dom. We don’t want to exaggerate here but AVOID SALON VISITS AT ALL COSTS. Period.
5. Consult an expert if something weird happens
Sometimes, if you have very sensitive skin or if the colours used are too harsh and full of chemicals, your skin can react adversely and result in redness, irritation or breakouts. Inspired by Breaking Bad you might think if meth can be made at home, then you sure can treat an infection by yourself. Wrong. You may do more damage than good in the process and make it worse for your skin. If something fishy and suspicious is happening on your epidermis, then get professional help before it’s too late.
This all might seem like a task but don’t ever forget-
Beautiful skin requires commitment and not a miracle.
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