There are many benefits of using organic gulal, or abir, on Holi. To start with, the natural colours are biodegradable and don’t add to environmental pollution. Since the colours are made from plant-based ingredients, they are also a sustainable choice, along with being skin-friendly. But, with the proliferation of so-called ‘organic products’, how does one truly identify which colours are actually as advertised? Read on on find out
Ingredients
Organic essentially means free of chemicals. Flowers and herbs are used to make the organic dry colours. For example, yellow comes from turmeric, green comes from spinach and orange from marigold. Red originates from beetroot, henna and roses of various hues.
Look, feel and smell
Organic colours are not overly bright, and do not come in fragrant variants iStock
Organic colours are lighter and do not sit heavy on the skin. The texture is fine, with no grainy or coarse particles irritating the skin. An organic gulal will also not have anything mixed with it, like sparkles. Organic colours are also not very vibrant, and do not come in fragrant variants.
Test it out
Organic colours do not irritate the skin Shutterstock
A good way to test if the colour is organic or is to apply it on bare skin and keep it for a couple of minutes, and then wash it off with water. If the colour is organic, there will be no residual colour left on the skin. If the user has sensitive skin, using organic colour will not cause allergy or itching.
Pocket pinch
Anything organic is usually on the higher side of the price spectrum. Since the ingredients that make organic gulal are all natural, and the process of production involves an entire life cycle — from sourcing the ingredients, cleaning and drying them, powdering and packaging them. But beware, costly gulal does not necessarily mean organic, unless the packet has certifications, like from the Institute for Industrial Research and Toxicology or the National Botanical Research Institute.
Brands matter
It is advisable to go for well-known and trusted brands while buying organic colours on Holi. If the colours are bought from popular vendors or brands that specialise in organic colours, you can ask for certificates that guarantee the authenticity of the colours. A couple of names in the market are Organic India and Phool.
