How to get Holi colors off? This question annoys us every year during the time of this colorful festival that marks the arrival of spring.
But fret not! We have you covered! Today, we present to you a detailed article on ‘How to get Holi colors off’. Read on to find out how to get Holi colors off from the hair, skin as well as nails and clothes easily!
Holi is an ancient festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Holi signifies the onset of spring, the end of winter, and the colors that are to come into our lives.
Although it is a Hindu festival, it is widely celebrated across India, parts of Asia, and other Western countries as well. Now, while Holi celebrations can last for hours, the colors may not seem to get off later. What do you do then?
The splashing of colored powders and colored water while celebratory is a reason for concern among many. The dirty but smiling faces after the celebration are greeted by the need to get the colors off of clothes, skin, and hair, which is never as fun as the time we relished.
Most of us use synthetic colors today, which may cause damage to the skin while also making it more challenging to get them off. While soap is popularly used to get the colors off, we all know that it takes repetitive applications that tend to make the skin dry and prone to rashes.
How to get Holi colors off is the central question that lurks inside everyone after a day of frenzy and fun. This is exactly what we’re going to discuss here. As a bonus, we will also see a few precautionary measures. This will make our job more manageable after the celebrations.
The Precautionary Measures-
1. For the Skin:
Applying any type of oil on the exposed skin makes sure that the color powder does not get into the pores of the skin, while also making it easier for us to get the colors off while washing.
In the case of dry or healthy skin, applying oil on the face is also useful. However, in case of oily or pimple prone skin, it is best to use a thick layer of oil-free moisturizer on your face.
Applying Vaseline inside your ears and rubbing it in well can prevent the colors from staining your ears, instead of having the colored powder sticking around for days.
2. For Haircare:
Oil can be applied on the hair as well, to prevent it from going dry due to the damage caused by synthetic colors. It is advised to tie up your hair so that the colors do not get to your scalp, and your hair roots remain safe.
3. Protective coat for nails:
You can apply a nail coat (basecoat). So when you remove the coat, the color stuck in and on the nails will also come off. This prevents the situation where your nails remain stained for the next few weeks. This also prevents damage to the nails.
Applying a coat of dark nail polish will also help the situation while adding a chic look to your appearance.
Moving on, let’s see some rare methods and materials to get rid of the festive colors.
It is always advised to use cold water to wash off the colors. Using warm/ hot water leads to the colors becoming more stubborn.
How to get rid of the color-
1. Sanitizer
Wash off the colors well using water. Apply sanitizer over the stained skin, spread, and rub it well. Lather soap over this and wash it thoroughly with water. While most of the colors and stains have left the surface, there might remain a slight trace of the color.
You can remove these slight traces by applying sanitizer all over again. One thing to keep in mind is not to wash off the sanitizer with water. Instead, rub it off with a cotton cloth or towel.
2. Coconut Oil
Soap acts harshly on the skin, especially after it is irritated by the colors. Therefore, instead of repetitive and almost futile applications of soap, we may use coconut oil. Take a cotton pad, dip it in coconut oil, and rub it over the color stained region.
Wash skin with water, and repeat the process. This is much easier and less damaging to the skin as coconut oil is an excellent moisturizer as well. For other benefits of coconut oil, visit.
3. Gram flour (Besan) + Milk + Lemon
Now, these are two ingredients that are available in almost every household. Mix two tablespoons of gram flour (besan) with enough milk to get it into a paste form squeeze a bit of lemon into this mixture.
Apply this over your face and body, leave it on for 10 minutes and then wash it off.
An added benefit of this is that the gram flour and milk mixture is also used to remove tan, and it is the most readily available homemade face pack.
4. Nail Polish Remover
This is another readily available commodity, especially among youngsters and teenagers, therefore making it a more accessible and affordable option.
Apply nail polish remover over the color to get them off more easily. Make sure to use a moisturizer for your skin after usage.
5. Glycerin- Lemon Combo
Prepare a mixture of glycerin and a small amount of lime juice. Apply this over the skin and scrub it off. Rinse after some amount of time. Take care not to apply the lemon directly on the skin.
The glycerin helps to keep the skin soft as the colors tend to make the skin dry and prone to rashes. Lemon also has awesome properties that are great for health.
6. Curd- Honey Combo
It is astonishing to note how a small mixture of curd and honey can do wonders for your skin. Apply it over the color stained area. Leave it on for a while and then scrub it off to get clear, spotless skin.
The honey soothes the skin pores, and curd helps to exfoliate it well, giving off a fresh and rejuvenated feel.
7. Wheat flour + Oil/ Lemon
Wheat flour is yet another common commodity in households. However, it is the least expected answer when you’re baffled about how to get holi colors off after a day of partying and fun. Make a paste out of wheat flour and a bit of oil or lemon. Spread this over your skin and scrub off the colors before you shower.
The oil makes sure that the skin doesn’t go too dry, and the wheat flour acts as an excellent scrub to remove the colors.
Next, we have a few tips for taking extra care of your hair after the festivities to help it recover from the damages or problems that may ensue.
Some extra care tips-
It is always a worry when playing holi and hair care are both the winners. Ultimately, it comes to the question ‘how to get holi colors off of your hair’? Hair, being a delicate part, requires more care, but we’ve got you all covered!
1. Egg and Banana
This method prevents the hair from looking dry and dull. All you need is an egg and sliced bananas. Mix the two.
You may add a bit of vanilla essence (not necessary). This can be applied to your hair for half an hour and then washed off.
The nourishing goodness of banana and egg yolk combination will prevent and repair the damage caused by the colors. Your hair will look bouncy and fresh, right from the root to the tip!
2. Egg Yolk/ Curd
This is a reasonably simple method. Apply either egg yolk or curd 45 minutes before shampooing your hair to reduce damage and get off the colors.
3. Fenugreek powder+ curd
Prepare a hair mask consisting of fenugreek (methi) powder and curd. Leave it on for 30 minutes and wash it off.
In case of unavailability of fenugreek powder, substitute it with aloe Vera gel and lemon. Mix aloe Vera gel and lemon with curd and repeat the procedure.
Make sure you use conditioner and serum after washing your hair to prevent damage and dryness of the hair strands.
Getting Holi Colors off the clothes
The next immediate concern is how to get Holi colors off of clothes. Now, this is a more difficult task, but we’ve got you covered!
1. White Vinegar
Mix white vinegar (half a cup) and detergent in cold water. Soak the clothes in this mixture and wash off. Doing this right after playing Holi will help to remove the stains effortlessly.
2. Baking Soda
Using baking soda while washing clothes, especially with the combination of bleach, will do wonders! This will be more effective if the stain is concentrated on an area or patch, where the baking soda can be rubbed onto in a paste form.
Take care to use non- chlorine bleach for colored clothes. Keep in mind not to use chlorine and non- chlorine bleach together as their effects will cancel each other out and make it more challenging to get the stains off.
3. Lemon juice
Lemon juice is a great agent to remove mild stains. This property can be put to use to when we wonder about how to get how to get holi colors off. Soak the stained cloth in half a cup of lemon juice for a while. It’d be more useful to focus the lemon on the stained region. Rinse it off with soap or detergent to obtain bright, stain-free cloth!
4. Toothpaste
Toothpaste is a common household commodity that makes this one of the easiest and most accessible ways to remove the colors from clothes. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and toothpaste. Rub it over the stain and wash it off. This will remove the stain.
Holi is the festival of colors, welcoming the colors into our lives and spreading it to others as well. It marks the arrival of spring after a harsh winter; the colors symbolizing the transition.
Worrying about how to get Holi colors off should not stop us from rejoicing this ancient festival, the way it has been passed down over generations. Instead, we should daringly step forward into the crowd, ‘coz we’ve listed down all the hacks you’ll need for a stress-free celebration.
You may also want to use olive oil to get rid of the colours. Holi in India can get quite messy – but don’t let it spoil the mood.
These tried and tested approaches will make your Holi easy and hassle-free, presenting you with a remarkable, fun-packed festive season.
‘How to get Holi colors off?’ do you know any more ways? If you do, share your methods with us! Let us know what you are thinking in the comment section below!
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Last Updated on by Sathi
Excellent article. Well explained.
Excellent article and well explained.