Holi 2021: Simple tips to ensure you buy genuine and safe colours

Holi is here and it is all about getting drenched in the colours and spirit of the much-awaited festival. But since we don’t want to dampen the celebrations by harming the skin and health of our dear ones, we choose only safe, eco-friendly and organic gulal.

“But what if the so-called organic gulal does not come off as easily as it should, or even worse, has a reaction on the skin or harms the health of your loved ones? Then probably what you thought was organic is actually a fake harmful chemical colour,” says Nakul Pasricha, President, Authentication Solution Providers’ Association (ASPA)

So how not to get mislead into buying fake colours? Below, he shares some simple ways to identify fakes from original colours and make sure you are not cheated.

Check the packaging – A company that makes good quality products will never cut corners on the packaging. If the packaging seems flimsy or tampered with, then there is a good chance that it is a fake product. Do not buy such products.

Shiny particles are a giveaway – If you are buying natural organic gulal then look closely at the colour, if there are shiny particles in the colour then it is not naturally produced. Natural holi gulals are made with turmeric or henna (mehndi) flowers such as Marigold, Chrysanthemum, Rose and have ingredients like gram flour or rice flour. None of these has shiny quality of particles. So, note that shiny particles mean chemical content.

Read the label – Bold text can be misleading. Most often truth can be found in fine print, take a couple of minutes to read the ingredients and warnings printed on the product. If you don’t understand a term search online to understand it, make sure the product is as safe as it claims. Also, natural products will not have a long shelf life.

Skin test or water test – If possible, do a skin test before buying. Natural colours would wash off completely with water and will not leave a mark. One can also just mix a small amount of colour in water, if the colour dissolves completely then it is natural.

Don’t’ fall for offers – Many a time, attractive offers — freebies and discounts — are a Trojan Horse to sell fake or bad quality products. Good quality products might cost a few rupees more but will not cause harm to your health.

A little care and attention from your end while buying colours and products for Holi can save your loved ones and you from harm and health issues. Make sure that you get what you were promised and your Holi celebration colours are not faded by fakes.

Happy Holi!