Considering the various health risks of using adulterated colours on Holi, scientists have recommended the use of various easily available plant products for making a range of dry and wet colours at home which can actually benefit the users. SPECS secretary Dr Brij Mohan Sharma states that organic colours made at home are the convenient and more suitable alternative to colours being sold in the market. He informed of various options for making organic colours at home:
Green
Dry Colour: Use pure henna powder (sans Amla powder), separately or mix with equal quantity of any suitable flour to attain green shade.
Wet colour: Two teaspoons of henna powder in one litre of water stirred well; paste of the leaves of spinach/ coriander/mint/tomato leaves in water.
Yellow
Dry colour: Mix two teaspoons of turmeric powder with double quantity of gram flour. Haldi and gram flour are good for the skin. Dried and crushed petals of flowers like Amaltas (Cassia fistula), marigold, yellow chrysanthemums, Black Babul yield different shades of yellow while the dried and ground rind of Bael fruit also yields yellow colour.
Wet Colour: Add one teaspoon of turmeric to two litres of water and stir well. This can be boiled to increase the concentration of colour and further diluted. Amaltas or marigold flower can be boiled in water and left overnight.
Red
Dry Colour: Red sandalwood powder or shade-dried and ground red hibiscus flowers can be used for dry colour. The red seeds of the Sinduria fruit yield both dry and wet colours.
Wet colour: Put two teaspoons of red sandalwood powder in a litre of water and boil before diluting and using or boil peels of red pomegranate in water. For a bright orangish-red mix thoroughly a pinch of lime powder with two spoons of turmeric powder and a few drops of water and use only after diluting with 10 litres of water. Rhododendron or red hibiscus flowers soaked in water overnight give a red which also has medicinal value.
Magenta
Wet colour: sliced or grated beet root can be soaked in a litre of water for magenta which can be boiled or left overnight for a deeper shade. Boil the peels of 10 - 15 pink onions in half litre of water for an orangish-pink colour. Soak Kachnar (Bauhinia variegata) flowers (pink) in water overnight, or boil for a pinkish colour.
Saffron
Dry colour: Dried and powdered Tesu flowers lend orange colour. It is believed that lord Krishna used to play Holi with Tesu flowers.
Wet colour: Tesu/silk cotton/Harshringar flowers soaked in water overnight give an orange colour. Soak a few stalks of saffron in two table spoons of water. leave for few hours and grind to make a fine paste. Dilute with water for desired colour strength. Though expensive, it is excellent for skin.
Brown
Wet colour: Kattha (Acacia catechu) mixed with water will give a brownish colour. Boil tea leaves or coffee in water, cool and use.
Black
Wet colour: Boil dried Indian gooseberry in an iron vessel and leave overnight. Dilute with water and use. Extract juice of black grapes and dilute with sufficient quantity of water to remove stickiness.