Holi's almost here ... and with the pichkaris and the barasta rang comes the extra baggage of rough skin, coarse hair and brittle nails

Skin care: Keep yourself well-hydrated by having a good amount of liquid liquids, to avoid any ill effects on the skin. "Apply oil on your body and hair before going out to play. This will prevent allergic reactions and staining on the skin. Apply Vaseline on your lips and foundation on your skin to protect it from dark colours." Go for herbal colours. They cause minimal harm to the skin.

"One teaspoon of jojoba oil mixed with one drop each of lavender or neroli aroma oil along with tea-tree oil can make a protective base for the skin,". Skin becomes very sensitive post-Holi.

"Don't scrub the skin too hard to remove colour. Keep it moisturised and remove the colour with a cleanser."

Hair care: Massage your hair with warm olive oil. To bring back lustre to your hair after Holi, mix half a cup of olive oil, an egg white and a little quantity of honey and use it to coat your hair. Rinse after half-an-hour. Always use a detergent-based clarifying shampoo. "Hair conditioning is a must. Apply a hair pack of olive oil and honey after shampooing."

Nail care: Apply bright nail polish to avoid colours from sticking to your nails. Apply petroleum jelly and nail paint on the surface as well as inside the nail folds. "Apply a base coat and then the nail polish making sure you cover the nail cuticles and the rounded edges."

Eye care: "Don't wear contact lenses since these tend to irritate the eyes while playing Holi."