By Danish Batra

New Delhi, Mar 7 (IANSlife): Holi is just round the corner and protecting our hairs has always been a challenge for both men and women, the festivity sometimes takes a toll on skin and hair while playing with vibrant colours. Protecting your skin and hair during Holi is utmost requirement for everyone, and it is always advisable to use organic and natural colours and one should always use more water and flower petals and less of colours.

Tips for Hair Care

Oil your hair (not necessarily from the scalp) just a few days before Holi, this will help in moisturizing the hairs which creates a protective layer and prevent them from Gulal and Holi colours. You can apply some coconut oil to your hair strands for moisturizing hair.

Do not keep your hair open while playing Holi you can rather go for a braided ponytail, wear head bandanas to protect your hair.

Avoid doing hair shampoo a day prior as it may strip off the natural oils and leave your hair dry after playing Holi. You can also use a leave-in serum or conditioner on the hair ends.

Use a clarifying shampoo to rinse colour from hair, after applying the shampoo, apply conditioner along with the length of hair. Leave it on for a couple of minutes and rinse with cold water.

Use colour protects conditioner for colour-treated hair.

Tips for Skin Care

A day before Holi, one can apply body oil all over the body and massage it into the skin. This not only hydrates your skin but also ensures that less colour is absorbed the next day.

Hydrate the skin properly, chemicals used in Holi colours tend to dehydrate the skin. Use a hydrating overnight sleeping mask the night before.

It's advisable to avoid any therapies like facials, bleaching, waxing, threading, peels or laser treatment, the week before.

Avoid saunas or being out in the sun for long durations or exfoliating treatment up to two days before and don't forget to apply sunscreen (gel-based, waterproof and SPF 25) after oiling your body. If you're in the sun for more than four hours, remember to re-apply the sunscreen.

To prevent staining your skin, coat your hands and nails with petroleum jelly.

While removing colours, don't rub your skin vigorously, this can cause more damage to your skin. Instead, use oil to remove colours gently.

After you shower, don't forget to apply nourishing body lotion and face moisturizer as the skin tends to become dry due to excess colour and sun exposure.