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| Take a tip from Ranbir Kapoor in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani — wear a bandana and sunglasses to protect your hair and eyes |
Beauty expert Priscilla corner’s tips for a happy, hassle-free holi
Skin
prep-up before play
Try and use natural, eco- and skin-friendly organic colours. They are available at most organic products outlets.
Cover up! Wear clothes that cover as much skin as possible and in a cotton fabric, preferably.
Keep the skin moisturised and hydrated from within. Most colours have chalk, silica powder and ground glass which leave the skin chapped and dry. Prep your skin beforehand.
Colour has a way of seeping into the larger pores of our skin and then it refuses to budge. Protect your skin with barrier creams like Vaseline or castor oil. Dab some over the area to be exposed, leave on for 10 minutes and then apply your sunscreen.
If your skin is prone to acne, skip the barrier cream and use an oil-free compact. Pat it on the skin at regular intervals.
Damage control
Avoid harsh soaps to remove colour as they can leave your skin feeling stretched and rash-prone. Use gentle liquid cleansers and tepid water for light residues of colour. For the greasy stubborn colour remnants, use oil. Wipe off with a warm, wet face towel. Make sure that you cleanse with gentle strokes and not harsh scrubbing.
A post-fest organic clean-up is a must. The gentle cleansing-toning-moisturising routine has to be designed to suit your skin type. It will thoroughly cleanse your face of all impurities and colour build-up.
Minor problems and allergies can be tackled with calamine lotion, aloe vera gel and topical potions. So don’t worry too much. If an allergy persists, consult a doctor.
Pamper, pamper, pamper! Bring on the butter, cocoa butter, shea butter, home-made butter. Bring all the creamy concoctions and lather on. If you have acne-prone skin, use organic essential oil-based treatments.
Home remedy: Apply a mask of curd and olive oil to cool the skin. Leave on for five minutes and wash with water.
Hair
prep-up before play
Bleached or highlighted hair grabs colours that cling to the hair shaft stubbornly long after the festivities. In case you have already had the process done, protect your hair with a scarf and with the tips given below.
Apply oil/conditioner/serum on your hair before stepping out. This prevents the gulal from seeping into the cuticles. Colour crawl can’t be totally prevented but you can get some protection against the damage. If the hair is coloured, lather on a conditioner for protection, and if not apply oil or serum. Oodles of it.
Plait the hair or tie it up.
Root touch-ups should be done before the festival as the gulaal can stick to grey hair.
Go for haircuts and trims post-Holi.
Damage control
Invest in a sodium-free deep cleansing shampoo and conditioner for daily use. Don’t scrub the scalp while washing as it can lead to dandruff. And that too pink coloured!
Go for a hair pampering session at a salon. This involves treatments that are argan oil-based. You will be amazed at how your hair gets back its lustre.
Opt for a formaldehyde-free keratin treatment. This will smooth all the tangles caused by excessive cleansing.
Creamy condionters for stripped hair, serums for rough hair, hair polish creams for dense or curly hair — go for it!
Home remedy: Mayonnaise applied on the hair is perhaps your best bet for instant softness and shine. Take an egg yolk and drop by drop, mix three tablespoons of olive oil. Add a half teaspoon of lime juice. Apply on the hair and leave on for half an hour.
and you thought holi was crazy! sachin varma picks crazier festivals from around the globe
For the past few years I have given advice on various aspects of the fun festival of Holi — about pre-care, post-care, chemical in colours and so on. As a dermatologist, I do see amongst patients various kinds of skin abuse that result from Holi colours and paints. The fact that people have fun with all kinds of colours despite their effects amuses me. But have you ever wondered what are the other crazy festivals around the globe which can result in injuries, reactions and are equally or more crazy?
Mud Festival
Where: Boryeong, South Korea
When: Summer
Rated as one of the wackiest and craziest festivals where people play in mud and throw mud at each other. There are a number of ways one can participate, from wrestling to sliding to mud-slinging. Not only is it crazy, it is believed that the mud has disease-curing properties, it firms up the skin and improves its elasticity. A mud bath that leaves you cured and younger — crazy isn’t it?
Baby-Jumping Festival
Where: Castrillo de Murcia, Spain
When: Every year on the Roman Catholic holiday in winter
It can’t get crazier than this. In this northern Spanish village festival, four-six infants less than a year old are placed on the road and men/ athletes are asked to jump over them like it’s a hurdle race. One slip and what can result is anybody’s guess. The baby-jumping festival is believed to scare away all the evil from a child’s life.
Thaipusam
Where: In Tamil Nadu and in some parts of Malaysia and Singapore
When: Full moon day of January or February
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival in which a lot of people pierce their various body parts with nails, spears and sharp skewers. From the mouth to the tongue to the cheek, any part of the body can be pierced. Some who are more courageous will then put a nail into these pierced areas and pull things through it. It is again believed that the demon from one’s life goes away after this.
La Tomatina
Where: Bunol, Spain
When: Last Wednesday of August
This festival, made popular by Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara guys and girls, involves throwing tonnes of tomatoes at each other. Every single person on the street is either hit by a tomato or has tomato pulp all over them. It started in 1945 when a group of rowdy young men staged a fight in Bunol’s main square. A vegetable stand was within reach, so they started grabbing produce and hurling it at one another. The same thing happened the subsequent year and has since become a tradition. Today, an estimated 50,000kg of tomatoes are dumped in the town’s Plaza del Pueblo for use in the hour-long tomato fight. Women wear white and men prefer to be topless. Forget what your parents told you about playing with your food!
Cheese rolling and chasing festival
Where: Cooper’s Hill, Gloucester, England
When: Last Monday of May
In this festival, about 20 contestants at a time try to beat a rolling cheese which is thrown 30 yards downhill. People topple over each other on the hill and sprains and bruises are normal — some even come away with broken bones and spines. If you win, you get to keep the cheese. All these injuries for a rolling cheese — bizarre but true!
Monkey Buffet Festival
Where: Lopburi, Thailand
When: November
Every year hundreds of monkeys are invited to eat from a huge table with a lavish spread comprising thousands of kilos of fruits and vegetables. The festival is said to be held to thank the monkeys for their part in attracting tourists to the region. The event itself attracts hundreds of tourists who turn up to see the monkeys being thanked. Remember not to tease the monkey or you may get bitten!
Battle of the Oranges
Where: Ivrea, Italy
When: February
In this festival, people dressed in old medieval clothes fight a complete battle with oranges as weapons! Thousands participate and more watch them.
To conclude, look at how lucky we seem to be playing Holi as compared to the other bizarre festivals across the world! But remember, festivals are more important than any temporary injury to man as they bring a feeling of togetherness and unity among people from various communities and give us a reason to rejoice in an otherwise monotonous life — not to mention the holiday that we all enjoy.
What’s the most bizarre festival you have been a part of? Tell t2@abp.in
on this day of colour, t2 spotlights some indelible colour-coded images from our films. can you add to the list at t2@abp.in?
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A GOBBLE GUIDE FOR HOLI-DAY — sweet and savoury
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