Holi Colors Damaging Your Skin? Here’s What Your Dermatologist Wants You to Know

Holi brings vibrant colors and celebration, but it also calls for extra skin care. They are often heard saying aloud “Bura na mano. Holi Hai” while smearing dry or wet Holi colors on someone’s face or body, and unknowingly causing harm to someone’s skin. But nowadays, as more people understand the importance of skin health and wellness, they are concerned about the effects of playing Holi with colors, so they avoid it.  Dr. Niti Gaur, a renowned dermatologist  in Gurgaon at Citrine Clinic, explains that most post-Holi skin complaints stem from chemical-based colors and inadequate skin protection.

Those who enjoy the festival of colors need to know that Holi colors can be damaging to their skin. If you don’t want your skin to be compromised while playing Holi, you must know how to protect the skin from the damage by Holi colors, how to ensure no damage from Holi colors during celebrations, and also how to care for skin after playing Holi. Let’s know these from the dermatologists’ viewpoint.

Here, Dr. Niti Gaur shares expert skincare tips before, during, and after playing with colors to ensure overall skin health and protect it from damage.

How Holi Colors Can Damage Your Skin?

Most synthetic Holi colors contain toxic metals like mercury and lead, chemical dyes, and industrial chemicals that can penetrate the skin and cause irritation, dryness, allergies, and long-term cellular damage. Further, UV exposure of skin with Holi colors can trigger chemicals in the colors, leading to abnormal skin growths. There could be a higher risk of developing a melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancer over time.

Pre-Holi Celebration: Protect Your Skin Barrier from Holi Colors

Before setting out for Holi celebrations, it is very important to prepare the skin. Here are the pre-Holi celebration precautions that must be followed:

• Follow the pre-Holi morning ritual. Gently cleanse skin, then apply a ceramide-based moisturiser and water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 50 on face and body. In highly sensitive areas, apply a protective ointment- a petroleum jelly. Besides oiling of hair and body, keeping hair tied, and the use of dark nail paint are also suggested to avoid Holi colors from sticking and penetrating the surface to cause damage
• Avoid laser, facials and other such facial skin-related procedures that could irritate or sensitize the skin, about a week before Holi
• Discontinue the use of actives like AHA, BHA, or reti-nols, 2-3 days before Holi, to avoid the skin’s absorption of harmful Holi colors
• Twice daily use skin barrier repair product- ceramides-based moisturiser, if having dry skin, for 4-5 days leading up to Holi.

The Holi Festival: Celebrate Holi Smartly

Now, if you have decided to play Holi with colors this year, you must keep these in mind:

• Choose the right Holi colors: Harmful Holi colors have a strong chemical smell, a rough texture, and come in intense, bright, and metallic shades/sheen. Researchers suggest checking the label of Holi colors and making sure the colors you purchase are free of toxic chemicals like copper sulphate, lead oxide, chromium, or mercury sulfite
• Dermatologists’ advice on doing a patch test with Holi colors and buying only those that cause no unwanted skin reactions. Most importantly, purchase from trusted sources, with labelling as “certified organic” or “herbal”
• Cover up the face and body: To avoid direct contact of skin with Holi colors, be completely draped in clothes
• Gently play: Avoid harming the skin barrier by aggressively rubbing Holi colors on the skin
• Don’t forget to protect your eyes: Shield them with sunglasses to avoid Holi colors and the harmful UV rays from reaching your eyes and the delicate skin around them.

After Playing with Holi Colors: Practice Gentle, Dermatologist-Recommended Skin Care

Here’s what dermatologists recommend after playing with Holi colors:

• Rinse: Wipe off the dry Holi colors and rinse the face and body with plain, lukewarm water.
• Gently cleanse: Use a mild, soap-free cleanser, a mild oil-based cleaner, and a hydrating body wash to remove residual Holi colors from the face and body.
• Avoid further irritation: After exposure to chemicals in synthetic Holi colors, your skin barrier will become highly sensitive, stressed, and inflamed. These damages should not become severe or persistent, but rather naturally heal quickly. Thus, dermatologists’ advice is to avoid using bleach, chemical peels, harsh scrubs, alcohol-based toners, and face wax, and to go for chemical/heat-based skin treatments.
• Soothe and hydrate the skin: Heal the damaged skin with gentle skincare. Soothing skin treatments, organic facials, deep hydration/calming therapy, and barrier-repair skin treatments are strongly recommended.

When to See a Dermatologist for Skin Damage by Holi Colors?

Those who play Holi with colors should consult a dermatologist if they experience worsening, persistent, or severe discomfort, rashes, breakouts, dryness, peeling, or sensitivity. Also, take note of the warning signs of skin cancer. If there are persistent rashes, unusual moles, non-healing wounds, or abnormal skin discoloration, they must see a dermatologist promptly. A dermatologist can provide state-of-the-art diagnosis and advanced, personalised treatment for specific skin damage.

Dr. Niti Gaur, a leading skin doctor in Gurgaon, can be your best choice for care and guidance on skin damage before and after the Holi season.