Safe Holi.................

Let's all pledge to generate awareness about the various harmful effects around Holi Celebrations and celebrate an Eco-Friendly Holi this year. Here's how we can do so.....
ECO-FRIENDLY HOLI
Harmful Effects of Chemical Colors In earlier times, when festival celebrations were not so much commercialized, Holi colors were prepared from the flowers of trees that blossomed during spring, such as the Indian Coral Tree (Parijat) and the Flame of the Forest (Palash), both of which have bright red flowers. These and several other blossoms provided the raw material from which the brilliant shades of Holi colors were made. Most of these trees also had medicinal properties and Holi colors prepared from them were actually beneficial to the skin.
Over the years, with the disappearance of trees in urban areas and greater stress for higher profits these natural colors came to be replaced by industrial dyes manufactured through chemical processes. Around 2001, two environmental groups based in Delhi, did a study on all the three available categories of colors available in the market — pastes, dry colors and water colors. The study revealed that all of these three forms of chemical Holi colors are hazardous.
Harmful Chemicals in Holi Colors According to their researched fact sheet on Holi, the paste and powder colors contain very toxic chemicals that can have severe health effects. Danger of Wet Holi Colors Wet colors, mostly, use Gentian violet as a color concentrate which can cause skin discoloration and dermatitis.
The Holi Bonfire Burning of fuel wood to create the bonfire for Holika Dahan presents another serious environmental problem. Many groups are now advocating one symbolic community fire, rather than several smaller bonfires across the city as a way to reduce wood consumption. Others are also suggesting that these fires be lit using waste material rather than wood.

Holi Safety Tips Some Tips & Suggestions to make our Holi Safe & Joyous:
The best option would be to play with natural homemade colors. Our skin and hair will feel pampered with the use of skin friendly natural products. If natural colors are not possible, then ensure a better quality of colors. Buy colors from a reputed shop or vendor. Make sure that the face is well creamed before and after the play. Apply thick coating of nail paint on the nails - both fingers and toes so that they remain protected. Oil the hair well so that the color doesn’t stick on your hair and can be washed off easily later. If you are prone to skin allergies, avoid playing with Gulal altogether. Going to a dermatologist (skin specialist) serves no purpose, after the damage is done.

Natural Homemade Colors:
1) Mix Turmeric powder in water to get bright yellow color water or use turmeric powder as dry yellow color powder.
2) Mix Neel (used for whitening clothes) with talcum powder to get blue color powder Mix powdered Rakta Chandan in water to get red color water.
3) Mix Turmeric powder and Katha to get orange color water.
4) Mix Mehendi powder in water & strain it to get orange color water.
5) Soak Palash Flowers (called Flame of the Forest Flowers) overnight in water to get bright red color water.
6) Boil Beetroot in water to get bright red color water.
7) Boil Palak leaves in water to get bright green color water.
8) Soak Rose/Kewra flowers in water to get colorless but fragrant water