Post Holi detox

The high octane festival of colours ushered us into a kaleidoscope of bright tints and energetic revelry coupled with bhang-laced goodies. Looking to now cleanse your skin and body?

HYDERABAD: It was rang barse time again! Even as the pandemic required us to enjoy with only a handful of known people, Bura na mano Holi hai reverberated through the day on Monday as people splashed each other with gulal and drenched one another with pichkaris of coloured water in shades of blues, yellows, greens and reds. 

Along with the elaborate colourful gaiety, like all Indian festivals, the focus was on lip-smacking food. Dahi bhalla, bhaang vade, pakoda, flavoured bhang drinks and thandai... from gujiyas to malpuas, the scrumptious variety of delicacies is difficult to say no to. However, just as the after-effects of artificial colours on the skin can be harmful to the body, over-indulgence in sweets and other delicacies can also cause an upset tummy. 

This means it is a perfect time to detox. “Detoxification helps to reduce the toxin base in the body, give the organs rest and help the body rejuvenate,” says city-based clinical nutritionist, Deepika Chalasani. 
Detox the body

Dr Srikanth HS, senior naturopath, Jindal Naturecure Institute shares simple hacks that will go a long way towards boosting the body’s natural detoxification process.

• Avoid alcohol 
• Get eight hours of sleep 
• Keep yourself hydrated with at least three liters of water 
• Sulphur rich foods such as onions, garlic, and broccoli help counteract the adverse effects of harmful heavy metals
• Replace sugary drinks and junk food with healthier alternatives 

Detox drinks

Indulged a little bit more than you should have? “Detox drinks are fun, tasty and convenient way to reduce the body´s inflammation and toxin base,” says Deepika. She recommends quick drinks that will help.

• Green juices:  Made of moringa leaves/as gourd/cucumber, ginger and lemon/spinach, celery and coconut water with mint/bottle gourd. 
• Anti-inflammatory drinks: Turmeric, ginger, pepper and cinnamon juice with lemon. 
• Smoothies: Mixed greens with parsley and half banana and strawberries; cucumber with carrots, beetroot, ginger and mint with a bunch of grapes. 

Rejuvenate your hair and skin 

All those colours can wreak havoc on your skin making it feel clogged. Hyderabad-based Dr Shuba Dharmana, CEO/Founder, Lejeune Group of Medspas tells us how to detox skin post Holi. 

• Use an oil-based cleanser to cleanse skin using circular upward massaging strokes. Double cleanse with oil and facewash. Avoid oil-based if you have oily skin. 
• Moisturise skin and use sunscreen to protect from further damage. 
• Wash colour off hair with shampoo. Make a deep conditioning hair mask by mixing ripe avocado, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp honey. 
• For the body, use a moisturising body wash. 
• Use a pumice stone, sponge or loofah to exfoliate.
• Use moisturising cream or lotion on the body after shower. 
• Hydrate cuticles and lips with a balm.
• Apply Calamine lotion over irritated areas if rashes, itching or red patches develop.

Soothe the eyes 

Gulal contains chemicals such lead oxide, copper sulfate, asbestos, or silica. Liquid colours may also contain an alkali base. “If these enter the eye, they can cause allergic reactions, irritation, or rarely chemical injury that may affect vision,” says Dr Milind Naik, consultant ophthalmologist and eye plastic surgeon, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. Milind recommends: 

• Cup your palms gently and fill them up with clean water. Lower your face, and immerse the eyes into the water. Try and open your eyes, blink frequently and move your eyes around to help rinse off the colour. Another method would be for someone to hold the affected person’s eyes open, and allow a gentle stream of clean water trickle over the surface of the eye from its outer corner flowing towards inner corner. 
• Do not use contact lenses as the chemicals can retain as a depot, and leak out of the lenses causing prolonged damage to the surface of the eye. It would be a good idea to avoid contact lenses for one to three weeks until the eye is completely healed.

— Tamanna S Mehdi
 tamanna@newindianexpress.com
 @tamannamehdi