Going Green:
Exploring the Beauty and Benefits of Natural Colors in Holi and Rangoli
“As a South Indian, I never grew up celebrating Holi, but during my college years, I got to experience it with my friends, and it was a lot of fun. However, the aftermath of the celebration left me with skin and eye irritation, and the colors stayed on my skin for days. As I got older, I realized that these colors contained harmful chemicals that could cause serious health problems, both for individuals and the environment.”
The chemical colors available in the market for Holi contain substances such as heavy metals, acids, mica, glass powder, and other toxic chemicals. These ingredients can cause a range of health problems, including skin irritation, rashes, eye infections, respiratory problems, and even cancer in some cases. Furthermore, the production of these colors is often unregulated, making it challenging to determine what chemicals are present in the product.
The use of chemical colors can also have a negative impact on the environment, particularly on groundwater. The toxic chemicals in these colors can seep into the soil and contaminate groundwater, leading to serious health issues for humans and animals.
Holi is a popular festival celebrated across India, and I have many fond memories of it. However, it is crucial to understand the dangers of using chemical colors and make the switch to natural color products. This is where Vrudhi’s natural colors for Holi and Rangoli come in.
Our natural colors are made from ingredients such as Turmeric, Natural Kumkum, Indigo, Beetroot, Rice flour, Kokam, and Herbal roots. The colors extracted from these ingredients are free from harmful substances and do not cause any harm to the environment. By choosing our natural colors, we can celebrate the festival while also taking care of our health and planet.
It is essential to note that the use of colors during Holi has been a part of the tradition, but it originally involved herbal decoctions, a more technical approach. To protect yourself from harmful colors, it is ideal to have a sneha, which involves massaging your body with oil. You can mix a little turmeric in coconut oil and apply it all over your body to create a protective barrier.
Applying coconut oil generously to your hair will also help prevent colors from penetrating your scalp. After playing Holi, it is important to wash off the colors from your body and hair and limit wetness to half an hour or 45 minutes. Drying yourself before playing Holi again will prevent major health issues from developing.
If you do end up with colors on your skin and hair, Ubtan is an ancient technique that can help remove them. To make Ubtan, you need to mix Bengal gram flour or besan, turmeric, milk cream, and any oil that suits your skin, such as coconut oil or almond oil, to make a fine paste with a toothpaste-like consistency.
Before applying Ubtan on your skin, make sure to apply oil either before or after playing Holi to make it easier to remove the colors. After applying the Ubtan paste on your skin, let it sit for at least five to ten minutes before rubbing it off. The earlier oil layer and the oil you applied after playing Holi will make it easier to remove the Ubtan.
Vrudhi also offers two amazing products, Shikakai Hair Wash Powder and Shikakai Shampoo bar, that can help remove even the toughest of colors from your hair after Holi.
By choosing natural and organic colors and following these simple steps, we can celebrate the festival of Holi while also taking care of ourselves and our planet. Natural colors have therapeutic benefits for the skin and can improve skin health. Let’s switch to natural colors and protect our health and environment while celebrating this joyous festival.
