How to Remove Holi Color

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: July 7, 2022 References

If you had a blast celebrating Holi, you're probably covered in vibrant colors. These colorful powders are made of cornstarch and very strong industrial-grade dyes. While these bold colors are great during the festival, you might not want to be vibrant for days. Fortunately, you don't need any special cleansers or products to wash the concentrated pigments away. Just give yourself plenty of cleaning time and read our step-by-step suggestions.

1

Don't let the colors dry or stain.

Wash off the colors from your skin, hair, and clothes as soon as possible.^{[1]
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Research source} You're probably exhausted after a full day of celebrating, so you might think you'll just wait to wash your clothes and clean the colors from your body. This is a mistake! You'll have a lot easier time lifting the colors if they're still wet or haven't set into the fibers of your clothes.^{[2]
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- Don't worry—if you don't get around to immediately removing the color, it will come off, it just might take more time.

2

Apply oil or lotion and wipe it off to remove pigment.

Squeeze coconut oil on your hand and massage it onto your skin for 3 minutes. Before you reach for soap or a cleanser, use oil to lift a lot of the Holi colors. If you don't want to put coconut oil directly on your skin, use an oil-based lotion instead. Rub the oil or lotion anywhere you see pigment—your skin, hands, and face. Then, take a soft dry cloth and wipe it across your skin to get rid of the oil and a lot of the pigment.^{[3]
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- The oil or lotion also helps moisturize your skin so it looks soft and hydrated.
- The oil will melt the colors from your skin, helping the soap wash away the excess later.^{[4]
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- You can also make a paste by mixing wheat flour and a carrier oil. Apply it to your skin and leave it in for a few minutes before washing it off with a cleanser.^{[5]
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3

Use cool, not hot, water when you shower.

Don't use hot water which could set the colors so they're harder to wash off. Instead, gently wash your skin with your regular body wash and cool water. You might be surprised how much color washes off!^{[6]
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- If you don't use a body wash product, regular soap is fine.

4

Wash your skin with a foamy cleanser.

Massage your skin with a gentle soap or facial cleanser to remove more pigment. You'll still see color on your skin even after wiping a lot of it off with the towel. Splash your face with cool water and squeeze liquid body wash onto your skin or rub facial cleanser onto your face until it's foamy. Then, rinse your face with cool water and pat it dry with a soft towel.^{[7]
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- If you feel like there's still some color that won't come off, wait a day and use an exfoliating product on your face or skin.
- Don't rub your skin back and forth or you could make it red and irritated.

5

Avoid harsh cleansers.

Alcohol-based cleansers can irritate and dry out your skin. Holi colors are bright and bold so you may think that you need a super-strong cleanser or skincare product like a toner to lift the pigments. However, harsh cleansers and toners can strip natural oils from your skin so it looks red and flaky.^{[8]
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- You may have seen home remedies like wiping your skin with kerosene or petrol. These are unsafe to use on your skin!

6

Shampoo your hair.

Wash your hair multiple times to get all of the colors out. Use warm water and a clarifying shampoo to strip the colors from your hair. Try to be as thorough as possible to get most of the color out. You might need to wash your hair 2 or 3 times!^{[9]
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- If you're planning on dying or chemically treating your hair, give it a few weeks to recover before going to the salon.
- If you're feeling daring, apply an egg yolk and leave it on your hair for 45 minutes before shampooing to get rid of the holi colors and chemicals.^{[10]
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7

Apply conditioner to your clean hair.

Work a deep conditioner through your wet hair and let it sit for at least 3 minutes. Use an ultra-moisturizing conditioner to hydrate your dried, stressed hair and help seal it to protect from further damage. This is a great time to use a leave-in conditioner or a hair serum, especially if your hair looks dull.^{[11]
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- If your hair still feels dry or damaged after you've gotten rid of the color, apply a deep-conditioning hair mask and let it soak into your hair before you rinse it out.

8

Moisturize your skin.

Give your sensitive skin extra hydration after Holi. Your skin might look red, dry, or irritated after you wash all the color off. This is totally normal—it just means your skin needs some extra moisture! Apply a hydrating body lotion that has natural oils like Argan or Moroccan oil to your hands and anywhere else on your body that was colored. Then, massage a moisturizing lotion on your face.^{[12]
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- If your skin is prone to acne, you can find lots of oil-free moisturizers that will still plump up and hydrate your skin. Look for products that are non-comedogenic so they don't clog your pores.
- Don't forget to be really gentle—avoid rubbing your skin back and forth when you moisturize.
- Apply a multani mitti face pack a couple of days a week for two weeks so your skin can remain soft.^{[13]
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- Avoid skin treatments such as facials, waxing and topical medications for three days after Holi.^{[14]
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9

Clean your nails with warm water and oil.

Fill a small bowl with warm water and a few drops of almond oil or vinegar. Stick your fingertips in the liquid and let them soak for a few minutes. This encourages the Holi colors to rinse out. If you put nail polish on before the festival, use nail polish remover to take it off and let your nails go bare for several days before you paint them again.^{[15]
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- In the future, apply a clear coat of nail polish before Holi. This protects your nails from the colorful dyes.
- If your nails are getting yellow-colored, soak them in lemon juice for 10 minutes.^{[16]
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10

Soak your clothes in baking soda before you wash them.

Keep your Holi-colored clothes separate from regular dirty clothes. This way, the colors don't stain more of your clothes. Soak your Holi clothes in a bucket or sink filled with cool water and 1 cup (220 g) of baking soda for 1 hour to loosen some of the pigment. Then, wash the clothes on a regular cycle in the washing machine or wash them by hand with a few teaspoons of laundry detergent.^{[17]
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- Check that the colors have washed out before you dry the clothes. If you put them into the dryer, the heat may set the stain.
- If the clothes are white, you can soak them in hot water with some non-chlorine bleach. Remember to wash them separately from other pieces to avoid the discoloring of other clothes.^{[18]
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