The eyes are said to be the windows of the soul. When it comes to women, they LOVE to adore their eyes with make- up to beautify them. One of the most popular eye cosmetics is ‘kohl’ or kajal, as it is known in India.
You may have applied the black color to enhance the beauty of your eyes hundreds of times; but, have you ever taken the time to find out what it really is??
Kohl has been in use since the Protodynastic Period of Egypt by the Egyptian queens and noble women. They used sulfide of antimony rather than lead. It was initially used to protect the eyes against eye ailments and not for beauty purposes.
Another belief said, darkening the eyes would protect them from harsh rays of the sun. Kohl is widely used in India. Mothers apply kohl to their infant’s eyes soon after birth to strengthen them and to protect them from evil eye. Apart from India, Kohl is widely used in South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and parts of West Africa.
Kohl is known by various names in South Asian languages, like sirma or surma in Punjabi and Urdu, kajal in Hindi and Urdu, kanmashi in Malayalam, kaadige in Kannada, kaatuka in Telugu and kan mai in Tamil.
Women in Karnataka still prepare eyeliner at home. According to local tradition, it is an excellent coolant for an eye and protects the eyesight and vision from the sun. In Punjabi culture, men wear sirma or surma, a traditional ceremonial dye, around their eyes on special social or religious occasions. It is usually applied by the wife of the brother or the mother of the male.
HOW TO MAKE KOHL AT HOME:
In today’s age of duplicity, no product is spared from being mixed with chemicals. Even vegetables and drinks are adulterated. These impure products are surely harmful and when it comes to Kohl, the side effects are no different. So, it is safer and absolutely more fun to prepare kohl at home. Here’s how you can make it:
Ingredients:
• 50 ml of sesame oil or pure cow ghee
• A big lamp that can hold 50 ml of oil/ ghee
• A long and thick cotton wick
• A copper plate
Procedure:
• Take half tbsp of ghee/ oil and pour it into a lamp.
• Put a wick and light it.
• Place the copper plate on top of the lamp in such a position that the flame touches the plate.
• Fixate the position of the plate with the help of a stand.
• Place this lamp in a place free from air; let the lamp burn over- night, or as long as the oil burns.
• When the oil is burnt, you will see a thick powdery black residue on the copper plate.
• This is the base of your kajal.
• Take the half teaspoon of oil you had kept aside in the start, and pour it into the black residue, drop by drop.
• Rub the residue and oil with one finger for a minute or two.
• Make the kohl as consistent as you want it. Ideally, it should have the consistency of eatable butter.
• Too thin kohl will smudge and too thick will form lumps.
• Your kohl is ready to use.
• Put the kohl in an airtight box.
• Refrigerate it for 2-4 hours before the first use.
• Remove and store it at room temperature.
• Apply on your eyes.
Homemade kajal is VERY dark, so one of the best ways to use it is, apply it heavily on your eyes at night before going to sleep. In the morning, wash your face. Look in the mirror and you will see a beautiful, natural tint on your eyes, which no makeup artist can replicate.
Homemade kajal has a long lasting color that won’t fade easily; undiluted and unadulterated.
Caution:
Homemade kajal is made from PURE ghee and lamp residue. So, the first time you apply, it might burn your eyes. Therefore, apply less, the first time you use it. The burn is not bad. The burning signifies that the impurities in your eyes are being worked upon and the water in your eyes will rinse them away.