Holi 2026: Essential Skincare Tips to Stay Safe and Glowing

The Holi fever has set in, and it is that time of the year when we are excited about looking like a multi-coloured canvas. The festival brings with it, a whiff of a mishmash of dry gulal and buckets of water. While we indulge in a burst of colours, what bothers most is how to deal with skin caused by the rampant use of harmful toxin colours that can make our skin dry and frizzy.

Why Holi Skin Care

The dry “Gulal” and the wet colours of today are not derived from natural sources. They contain chemicals, shiny particles of mica and even lead, which not only irritate the skin but also collect on the scalp. Since Holi is played outdoors, sun-exposure can also have a detrimental effect on the skin. Apart from harmful UV radiation, sun-exposure makes the skin dry by causing depletion of moisture and also tans the skin. The skin can become dry and dull after playing Holi.

Pre-Holi Skin Care Tips

Remember to apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going out in the sun. Use a sunscreen of SPF 20 or above. If your skin is prone to pigmented patches, select one with a higher SPF. Most sunscreens have built-in moisturisers. If your skin is very dry, first apply the sunscreen, wait for a few minutes and then apply a moisturiser. Light daytime make-up may be used. Touch up your eyes with an eye pencil or kajal and use a lip gloss.

Post Holi Skin Care Tips

Do not wash your face with soap immediately, because soap is alkaline and causes further dryness. Instead, use a cleansing cream or lotion. Apply and massage it on the face. Then wipe off with moist cotton wool. Remember to cleanse the area around the eyes too, using a light touch. A cleansing gel helps to dissolve the colours and facilitates their removal.

To make your own cleanser, take half a cup of cold milk and add one teaspoon of any vegetable oil, like sesame seed (til), olive or sunflower oil. Mix well. Dip cotton wool into this mixture and use it to cleanse the skin.

Til oil can be used to remove colours from the body by massaging it on the skin. This not only helps to remove the colours, but also gives added protection to the skin. Sesame seed oil actually helps to counteract sun-damage. While bathing, scrub the body gently with a loofah or wash cloth. Immediately after your bath, apply a moisturiser on the face and body, while the skin is still damp. This helps to seal in moisture.

The day after Holi, you may have to deal with the effects of sun-exposure, like dryness or tanned skin. Mix two tablespoons of honey with half a cup of curd. Add a pinch of turmeric. Apply this on the face, neck and arms. Leave it on for 20 minutes and wash off with water. Honey is a powerful natural moisturiser and helps to soften the skin, while curd will nourish and restore the normal acid-alkaline balance. It also removes tan.

--The author is a globally-acclaimed beauty expert known for pioneering the herbal beauty care movement

 We will soon come up with hair care tips, too by Shehnaz Hussain