Everyone has that one cousin/friend/lunatic colleague, who ALWAYS brings metallic and permanent paint to Holi parties. What follows in quick succession, is regret and the only conversation everyone from your Uber driver to your boss is interested in is,” will this colour ever come off?” I’m convinced that this is exactly what was going through the mind of my fellow passenger on a flight to London just after Holi a few years back. He had a shiny bald patch which was enhanced by a massive narangi stain (or map of Brazil) and when he touched his head with his bright green fingers, I thought I was seeing psychedelic visions of the Tiraṅgā.
Clearly Mr Tiraṅgā should have read this post as I outline the best way to protect your skin AND also, the ONLY Holi removal pack you will need this year.
Pre-Holi preparation
The single best way to defeat your cousin’s efforts at turning you into an Orc from Lord of the Rings is preparation, which involves the following:
- Nails: triple coat all your nails (hands and feet) with a transparent nail varnish – men included.
- Hair: oil your hair at least twice and keep it up in a bun or a plait.
- Skin: you only have one friend here – Vaseline pure skin jelly. Cover every inch of your body (that your hands can reach) with Vaseline. Then repeat. You want a thick layer that acts as a barrier between your skin and the colours. I appreciate there is controversy about impurities in petroleum jelly. That is the subject of another blog. However, it works and I don’t see why you shouldn’t use it for a few hours.
- Make the pack below and store it in the fridge.
Post-Holi colour removal pack
To replicate the effects of Holi, I coloured my arm in magenta strips using a Sharpie permanent marker. This was a mistake, as it took me forever and a day to get rid of the final stains.
In the process, I developed the only paste that you will need this year and this is the recipe. Combine the following to form a thick paste:
- 2 tbsp besan
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 2 tbsp Kama Ayurveda Ubtan
- 2 tbsp olive oil (or another heavy oil)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp yogurt
- (1 tbsp is about 10 grams, so this should make a lot of paste)
As you can see from the photo, this is a very thick paste. Leave it on for at LEAST 2 minutes and I get that you may not have the patience after Holi BUT there is no point using the paste if you don’t leave it on!
I have deliberately used ingredients that are readily available in your kitchen except the
Kama Ayurveda Ubtan which at Rs 850, is really worth the investment. If you don’t have olive oil please use castor oil. I would not suggest using coconut oil as it proved to be ineffective in trial runs of the paste.
What can you used instead of the Ubtan?
Rice flour and an additional tablespoon of honey are good substitutes.
How to calm inflammation and redness following Holi
Holi colours are very harsh on the skin and the best skin calming agents are aloe vera gel (hands down) and fridge cold cucumber juice. Once you have bathed please remember to moisturise as dry skin simply exacerbates skin inflammation.
Alternatives
I did use the following alternatives (accounting for the numbers on my arm) with minimal effect:
- Thick paste made of chickpea flour/gram flour or BESAN + water
- Paste made up of chickpea flour + coconut oil + few drops of water
- Kama Ayurveda Ubtan + water
- Coconut oil / Almond oil / Neem oil and a mixture of all three
- Forest Essentials soap
A paste made of white clay (kaolin), yogurt and tumeric with a drop of olive oil would work too. However, it is an expensive alternative and I prefer cheap and cheerful for Holi.
Please let me know what works for you!