be in the spirit of the festival

SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2010
BANGALORE TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA 5
A Consumer Connect Initiative
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BE IN THE SPIRIT
OF THE FESTIVAL
It’s Holi and it doesn’t come
every day and staying away
from the celebrations for the
sake of your hair, isn’t
something that you would
want to do. According to
Dr. Rashmi Shetty, hair expert
for Parachute Advansed, “Holi
is the season when the whole
town comes alive and
celebrates. The spirit of
bonhomie is contagious and
striking. However, Holi can be disastrous to your hair
and skin if proper care is not taken. Oiling your hair
with coconut hair oil before you step out in the world
of colours will help you enjoy the festival better.”
HOLI BLUES
Holi Hai! Two words that make us forget all our worries
in life. And the very two words that make us forget
about taking any precaution to keep hair damage in
check as well. Colour, heat, dust and dirt are an enjoyable part of Holi, but can also spell disaster for your
hair.The colour can make your hair brittle and dry. Holi
can come with its share of blues if care is not taken.
●● Chemicals in the colours can cause damage to the
protective protein coating of your hair, thus making
your hair brittle causing it to break and fall.
●● Dandruff hair clubbed with colour can worsen the
scalp and lead to chronic itching.
●● Colours in dry or liquid state can cause a condition
called 'acute irritant contact dermatitis' i.e. rashes and
redness, with intense burning and itching in the exposed areas resulting is flaring up existing allergies.
If you follow these basic tips you will avoid the
post Holi blues and thus keep the spirit of Holi
alive:
●● The simplest way to take care of your hair from all
the harshness of the colours is to give it good champi
with coconut hair oil an hour before starting the celebrations.
●● Wear a hair-band / scarf or a bandana around your
head to protect your hair from entangling or damaging due to artificial colours.
●● Sun tan lotions protect your skin while you play in
the hot sun.
●● Moisturisers nourish your skin after you wash off
all the colours.
●● Vaseline should be applied under nails and soles,
elbows and other dry areas of the body.
●● Natural remedies like a paste of soybean flour or
gram flour (besan) with milk etc could be used.To
clean use warm water and moisturising soap to scrub
off the colours. Using a cream cleanser or baby oil,
gently massage off the left over colour.
●● Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal do not take care of
the damage of synthetic colours.
●● Apply thick coating of nail enamel on your nails both in fingers and toes so that they remain protected
●● Organic colours are always colourful and kinder to
your hair, skin and eyes
AFTERCARE
●● Try using a paste of soya bean flour or gram flour
with milk to replenish the skin
●● Gently massage off all the remaining colour using a
cream cleanser or baby oil
●● Do not rub the skin vigorously with soap, instead,
opt for a cleanser
●● If you are planning to bleach your face or do a
facial, then wait for at least a week after Holi.
●● Only use cold water to wash the colour off your
face
●● Do not wash your face again and again, it will only
make your face drier
~~ DEEPIKA PADUKONE, film actor
~~ ESHA DEOL, film actor
I always celebrate Holi but unfortunately as I am shooting the next
day, this year I will be unable to
participate in the festivities. Holi
as a child was really fun and I can
recall playing Holi when I was in
school with my friends in my
building. Though I thoroughly enjoy playing with colours I use coconut hair oil to ensure that my
skin and hair remain safe.
I associate Holi with lots of fun and having
a wild time. I played Holi a lot as a kid and
we used to go really wild. I remember
throwing eggs at people and once I ended
up pelting a police person and had to go to
the police station. I have definitely sobered
down now, but still thoroughly enjoying
this festival. Our first ritual is to put colour
on Lord Krishna’s murti, before we start
playing. Applying coconut hair oil on my
hair before playing is also one of the rituals for me.
‘CELEBS’RATING HOLI!
If the harmful chemicals of the Holi colours are restricting you to enjoy the spirit of
the festival then follow the hair and skin care regime of celebrities and throw
caution to the wind and have a fun-filled Holi, says Monisha Pratap Shah
~~ VIDYA MALVADE, TV actor
I am totally looking forward
to Holi this year since it happens to be my first Holi after
my wedding. My husband
and his family have plans to
drench me in colour of their
love and tradition. The best
way to take care of skin and
hair is to apply loads of oil, so
that the colour does not stick.
I feel coconut hair oil is a
good option.
~~ DIVYA DUTTA, film / TV actor
Right from my childhood I am a dedicated Holi player. I
love going to Shabanaji’s Holi party as it has some great
music, food and of course, colour. I love the entire feel and
mood of Holi. To protect my hair and skin I follow nani
maa’s nuska of applying coconut hair oil. Prior to the
Holi celebration I oil my hair and skin properly, so the
colour doesn’t stick for long. After the celebration is over
then I remove the colours with oil and cleanser.
~~ AVIKA GOR, TV actor
I love playing Holi and do so with great
pride. This year I plan to colour everyone
around me, as I feel no one should be left
clean. Holi is a festival of colours and it’s
meaningless without it. However, I ensure
that my hair remains safe by applying coconut hair oil.
~~ NARAYANI SHASTRI, TV actor
Holi is the only festival that I actually celebrate. The celebration is about hopping from
one party to another and finally settling with
family and close friends. As such I do not
have any fears related to Holi since we play
Holi with safe colours like gulal and herbal
colours. I just oil my hair and face with coconut hair oil. It is like a coating of safety.
After the celebration, it’s important to wash
off the colour from the hair and body thoroughly and let it stay without any make up
as it will help the skin to breathe.
~~ BHUMIKA CHAWLA, film actor
Holi is a festival of colours, togetherness and fun though these days the way people play is not
too appealing. I remember the Holi celebrations of 2007 since I really had a great time. After
that the celebration is just restricted to get together, dance, eat sweets and add a touch of
colour, as it tends to spoil the skin and hair. I feel it’s better to take care of the skin and hair by
applying some good hair oil before starting the party. I wish everyone a great and fun- filled,
Happy Holi!
~~ ANUSHKA SHARMA, film actor
I have always loved Holi because of the energy it possesses,
the joy it brings and the colours it adds. However, in all the
madness of gulal, water balloons and pichkaris, one should
still be careful.A coconut hair oil champi for your hair before
you go out to play Holi is an absolute must. Applying coconut
hair oil on your scalp acts as a barrier and prevents colours
from directly coming in contact with hair and will lessen the
damage.
After the celebration, it is important to wash off the colours
from the hair with a good shampoo and conditioner. If hair
gets dry then warm oil accompanied with hot towel treatment
should be taken the next day. This will help the hair to retain
its lustre.
~~ DIANA HAYDEN, model / TV actor
Holi to me means lots of fun and also it’s one festival that transcends
all religion and castes. This year I plan to go to a friend’s bungalow at
Madh Island. I remember having a blast as a child. It was great fun
with the pichkaris and colours. I used to play with my brother and his
friends. I clearly remember that as I got a little older I became conscious of playing with the boys. I had locked myself on the terrace
but they broke down the door and got me all coloured. It was riotous.
I have no fears about Holi. I think Holi is meaningless without
stains. However, I recommend that one can oil their hair as a precaution. Some colours are so harmful, so I recommend moisturising the
body with olive oil or coconut hair oil.