This Holi Go Organic
It’s spring, there are flowers and colours everywhere and it is also the time for Holi, the festival of colours. While we love to play Holi, the question is are we playing it safe?
Holi is an ancient festival which is been celebrated for several decades now. People in the olden days used to make colours using plants, flowers and other natural ingredients that were purely herbal and safe to use. Unfortunately, over the period, the colours are synthetic products prepared with chemical solvents and toxic agents that can potentially cause serious damage to our eyes, lungs and skin. Luckily we have a list of brands that decided to go back to our roots and produce organic colours to help us enjoy our favourite festival to the fullest.
The 5 brands that are selling best the organic colours are:
Nirmalaya
Nirmalaya Fragrances introduces you to safe organic Gulaal made from colourful and bright flowers by rural women. These Gulaals are made using 100% organic materials so that you and your family can enjoy Holi without worrying about rashes, skin irritation, and hair damage. These powders are smooth in texture, soft on the skin, and filled with natural aromas. Apart from the Gulaal they also have rich, creamy and refreshing thandai powder with no added preservatives or artificial flavours.
TWF Flours
All their colours are made from regular kitchen ingredients like wheat, corn, turmeric, saffron, spinach, rose, beetroot, cranberry and so on. They are good for your skin and even if you swallow them by mistake, they won’t be toxic as those chemically-infested Gulaal. These come in three colours – yellow, green and pink.
Phool
Founded by engineering graduate Ankit Agarwal in 2017, this brand has earned itself the title of first-ever Gulaal certified for skin safety by IIRT and as the name suggests, the brand uses temple flowers and Nirmal from the Ganga river and extracts colours from it to recycle. Corn starch and blended essential oils are used for their aroma. They are soft on the skin, easy to wash and leave no stains. Phool. co raised undisclosed funding from Alia Bhatt in October 2021 and registered 130% year-on-year growth last year.
Satavic Farms
Based out of Kolkata Satavic farms began working and experimenting with natural Holi Gulaals made from agricultural produce, vegetable and fruit extracts, turmeric, herbs and flowers in 2008. They are non-toxic, talc-free, lab-tested, eco-friendly and come in plastic-free packaging and are super affordable as well.
MyPoojaBox
They have organic and safe Holi colours made using herbs, flowers, edible materials, fruits and vegetable extracts to make your celebrations unforgettable. What’s so different about them is that each colour carries a distinct fragrance inspired by the ingredient used. For instance; Kesari Elaichi Gulaal is the colour yellow, Lemon Grass Gulaal is green, Tusli Pudina Gulaal is Blue and the list goes on.
You can also make your own Gulaal by following these simple steps using ingredients available at home and in nature.
For Red
Take dry hibiscus flowers, blend them and add gram flour to make a fine red powder.
For Yellow
Use turmeric powder and mix it with either gram or corn flour in a 1:2 ratio.
For Green
With the henna powder, mix a little gram flour and rose water, and your green colour is ready.
For Pink
Grind beetroot in a fine paste and let it dry in the sun. Once dry, mix it with gram or corn flour.
For Orange
Use dried orange peels and grind them into a smooth powder. Add corn flour and a little turmeric and mix it well.
For Blue
Bring home blue hibiscus or any other blue flowers and make a powder, after drying them, add gram or corn flour.
