Forget worrying about your skin and hair this Holi and enjoy the festival of colours. Use oil, sunscreen and lip balm to keep your body protected against effects of harsh chemicals, say experts.

Anjali Valani, Executive Marketing and Operations and Creative Face, The Beauty Co. and Rashi Bahel Mehra, Founder, Alanna have doled out tips for Holi.

Pre-care tips:

Skin

* Before playing Holi, it is very important to prep your skin to ensure the colours and sun do minimum damage to your skin as they contain chemicals. The simplest way to do so is apply either almond, coconut or olive oil on the body as well as the face. These oils act as a protective layer between your skin and the colours. Also, post Holi, it will be easier for you to get rid of the colours.

* To ensure protection from the harsh rays of the sun, one must apply a gel-based sunscreen. It will get absorbed by the skin easily and as you have already applied a layer of oil, cream-based sunscreen may start melting in the sun.

* Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes and also look trendy at the same time.

* Choose lighter cotton fabrics as they will reflect the sun and keep you cool.

* Don’t forget to apply a lot of lip balm.

Hair:

* Never forget to oil your hair before going out to play Holi.

* Adding a few drops of lemon juice in the oil can help reduce infections arising in the scalp from chemicals present in the colours.
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Post-care tips:

Skin

* Washing off the dry colour from the skin is very important. In doing so, you have to get rid of the colours by using baby oil or coconut oil for 5-10 minutes, especially on parts of the body entrenched in colours. It then needs to be wiped off either with a wet tissue or a damp cloth.

* The use of soap or face wash on the skin must be avoided as they are alkaline in nature, and applying them will only cause its drying. In fact, home remedies such as a mix of besan, curd, turmeric and honey should be used to clean your body and face.

* Moisturise: The harsh colours tend to take away the moisture from your skin and leave it feeling super dry and irritated. Moisturiser will ensure that your skin is well hydrated. Use it generously to get rid of roughness and make sure your skin stays glowing.

* Unclog the pores: Colours clog the pores and irritate them. All the dry and dead skin along with the clogged pores will come out after the use of glow mask. The mask will restore freshness and nourish your skin.

* Exfoliate: If the colours are chemical-based, they get deeply absorbed in the skin pores, and hence, it becomes really tough to scrub them off. Exfoliate the whole body and give the treatment it needs with a de-tan coffee scrub. A scrub will free your body skin from tan and restore your original skin tone.

Hair:

* Hair is most vulnerable to damage caused by the exposure to the chemical-based colours. It, therefore, needs to be cleansed, which can be done by standing underneath running water for 10 minutes. In addition, the scalp must also be gently rubbed to loosen up the formation of clots blocking the pores.

* To cleanse your hair off Holi colours, you can also use a mild natural cleansing shampoo or baby shampoo because they are completely free of chemicals. In case, on using this hair care product you find that the colour does not rinse out at one go, then do not stress because at times it does take few days for your hair to retain its natural shine.

* A serum used after a hair wash can also help in rinsing off the colours of Holi. It has to be applied to your hair, and then be left to air dry.