A variety of safe ingredients, easily available in nature or in your kitchen, can be used to make Holi safe, colourful and totally non-toxic. How to do it, you may ask. Here’s how….
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Red and orange:
The flowers of palash tree, also called the ‘flame of the forest’, are typical source of bright red and deep orange colours. Powdered fragrant red sandalwood, dried hibiscus flowers, radish, and pomegranate are alternate sources and shades of red. Mixing lime with turmeric powder creates an alternate source of orange powder, as does boiling saffron (kesar) in water.
Green:
Mehndi and dried leaves of gulmohar tree offer a source of green colour. Even spinach, available in every kitchen, can be easily used to extract green colour.
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Yellow:
The everyday turmeric powder is the typical source of yellow colour. Sometimes this is mixed with gram flour to get the right shade. Some species of chrysanthemums and species of marigold are alternate sources of yellow.
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Blue:
Indigo plant, Indian berries (blackberries) and special grapes are traditional sources of blue colour for Holi.
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Magenta and purple:
Beetroot is the traditional source of magenta and purple colour. Leave them overnight in water and you will have a bucket full of colour to play with.
Top tip: For each one of these, you can grind them into fine powder (dehydrated) for dry colour or leave them soaked in water overnight for water colour.
Post-Holi care
Taking care of your skin once the celebration is over is just as critical. Why not make these post-Holi rituals colourful too? Here are a few easy and colourful and effective face masks made with fruits, flowers and vegetables to give your skin the much-needed love and pampering after Holi or even otherwise.
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Orange: Orange peel + fresh cream/milk
Orange peel is an excellent ingredient to exfoliate your skin. The fresh cream/milk cream moisturises like a pro. Did you know that orange peel contains much more vitamin C compared to the pulp? It is also a rich source of calcium. Vitamin C is essential for neutralising the skin damage caused by the harmful free radical and oxidative stress. Its natural bleaching properties help in removing dark patches and suntan and improve skin tone effectively. Dry the orange peel in the sun and grind it in a mixer, add fresh cream/milk and make a paste. Apply and rinse in 15 minutes.
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Pink: Rose petals + glycerine
Keep fresh rose petals overnight or use dry rose petals powder with three-four drops of glycerine and ½ tsp of lemon juice. Apply this mixture to your face using a cotton ball every night. It will work wonders.
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Green: Green mango/apple juice + aloe vera
Add green apple or green mango juice to aloe vera for a lovely antioxidant injection and you will be thrilled with the goodness of it. Apply daily for a week.
It is a great idea to celebrate festivals and create camaraderie. But it’s even better to do it responsibly and keeping Mother Nature involved in a good way. Let there be love, colours and everything nice.
Aishwarya Biswas is the founder & CEO, AULI Active Ayurveda.
