Skip spray cans, use home-made Holi colours

With the festival of colours, Holi, round the corner, city markets are flooded with colour bombs, compressed spray cans and high velocity pichkaris, prompting doctors and experts to warn residents against their use.

Bright packets of synthetic gulal and metallic powders line shop shelves, but health specialists caution that many of these products contain harmful chemicals that can damage skin and eyes. High pressure water guns, they say, can cause serious injury, especially to children.

Dr Sandeep Aggarwal, Assistant Professor of Paediatrics at Government Medical College, advised people to avoid chemical based colours. “Even in small quantities, chemicals can cause rashes, allergies and eye injuries. It is safest to stay away from synthetic colours,” he said.

Experts are instead encouraging residents to opt for natural and homemade colours prepared from common kitchen ingredients such as arrowroot powder, henna powder, turmeric powder and annatto seeds.

An elderly resident, Gurinder Kaur, said such ingredients were safe and edible. “These are part of our daily cooking. Even if a child accidentally consumes some colour while playing, it will not cause harm,” she said.

A study compiled by the Department of Clothing and Textiles, College of Home Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, highlights the wide variety of colours that can be derived from flowers and plants.

Marigold, amaltas and tesu (jungle flame) can produce yellow hues, while beetroot slices yield deep pink or magenta. Madder and golden drop roots give deep red shades, henna leaves produce green, annatto seeds create orange and jacaranda flowers can be used for blue. Rose and dahlia petals may also be added for fragrance.

To prepare dry colours, these natural sources can be blended with besan, arrowroot or rice powder. For wet colours, ingredients can be soaked overnight in water for deeper shades. Simple combinations such as arrowroot with henna for green, arrowroot with ratanjot for purple and arrowroot with annatto for orange allow for multiple shades depending on proportions.

“Unlike chemical colours, homemade alternatives are gentle on the skin, environmentally friendly and safe for children,” stated health experts.