3 natural ways to clean your colour-stained nails after the Holi fun!

When the Holi festivities are done, colours ofen get to get stuck over and under your cuicles for the next 4-5 days! While more attention is given to removing the colours from visible body parts such as the face, limbs, and hair. One important body part that is often ignored is the nails. It becomes extremely important to clean your nails and remove the colours from them, as these colours often contain toxic elements such as lead, which can easily go inside your body while eating your food or washing your face. Furthermore, it does your body harm, when it just stays near your nails for a long time. Here are some easy tips to get your nails cleaned after the Holi masti!

Ruchita Acharya, a skincare enthusiast and the founder of Glow and Green, tells HealthShots some tips to clean your nails after Holi.

What one must note is to ensure precautionary means to take care of their nails before Holi too. For example, before going to play, apply coconut oil thoroughly. Another trick is to either put two coats of transparent nail paint on your nails which helps in removing the colours easily or else, going for a really dark shade of nail paints which prevent the colours from seeping in and around your nails.

Even after this, if the obstinate colours still seem to make their way through, try the following!

Simple tips to clean your nails after the Holi fun:

1. Lemon water soak

Even our grandmothers recommend this trick due to lemon’s bleaching properties. In a bowl, take some cold water and squeeze a whole lemon in it. You can add a few drops of rose water if you wish. This helps in the nourishment of your nails after the bleaching process. A common mistake people make is directly soaking their nails in lemon juice, which is not correct. The acidity of the citric juice harms your skin, hence ensure to add a little bit of water at least. Also, ensure the water is cold and not warm.

2. Banana yogurt and sugar scrub

An easy nail scrub to make at home is to grab a banana, mash it, add sugar crystals to it. Then, as per the consistency, add finely whipped curd and then just apply it on your nails and gently scrub. The scrub will both nourish as well as help remove the toxic substances deeply rooted in the nails. Bananas help in the absorption of toxic substances from the nails. Again when exfoliating don’t be too harsh on the skin, as the skin around your nails is very sensitive, so vigorous and intense brushing should be avoided.

3. Vitamin E massage

After the colour play, your nails are prone to becoming brittle. And most people opt for vigorous brushing, which in itself is wrong. As mentioned earlier, using milder and smarter techniques will ensure shiny and healthy nails. A key component to healthy nails is Vitamin E, which can be provided through oils such as castor oil, mustard oil, almond oil, coconut oil, and even oils such as eucalyptus and lavender. All these gently aid in removing the colours while also moisturizing.

And lastly, let your nails breathe. Before you haul for another manicure, let your nails free for sometime before painting them again.