How to make organic colours this Holi

New Delhi: As the festival of colours is just around the corner, the soaring scent of spring flowers swirls in the air.

Before you go on a shopping spree for a myriad of colours and lots of spray guns to play Holi with your near and dear ones, a word of caution from experts to stay away from harmful synthetic colours for they may leave you with itchy skin, dry hair and burning eyes.

The celebration of the festival has undergone significant changes over the centuries, and it is rather sad that the festival is largely celebrated with toxic, unhealthy and deadly chemicals these days.

Industrial dyes are now being used in Holi colours since they are cheaper and often gaudier. These synthetic colours, which were not meant for human use, usually contain toxic substances including mica, acids, alkalis and pieces of glass.

Even the mildest use of such substances can cause abrasions, irritation, itching, rashes, allergies, eye infections and hair roughness.

In order to play Holi the right and the safe way, one can make natural colours by simply using turmeric, chandan and henna and mixing them in different combinations. such colours are harmless and can easily be washed off.

Obviously, you wouldn't like to rub a toxic powder on the face of your friends, neither would you like your friends to splash a bucket of the acidic mixture on you, which the synthetic colours widely available in the market are.