Kohl danger !

Kohl has traditionally been used in the Middle East and its use dates back to ancient Egyptian times.Just think Cleopatra’s black rimmed eyes. Later on some women believed that blackening their eyelids and eyebrows would protect them from the glance of the Evil Eye, and also prevent them from transmitting the Evil Eye to another person. 

Most women applied kohl every week, or for any social occasion, except during Ramadan, when kohl and all hennas were set aside.

Women often adjusted their eyebrow and eye paints to compliment their tattoos ( as u see the below .picture - the year 1097 woman with eyes and eyebrow tatoo ).

Homemade Preparation

Preparation of homemade kajal begins with dipping a clean, white, thin muslin cloth, about four by four inches square, in sandalwood paste or the juice of Alstonia scholaris,which is then dried in the shade. This dip and dry process is done all day long. After sunset, a wick is made out of the cloth, which is used to light a mud lamp filled with castor oil. A brass vessel is kept over the lamp, leaving a little gap, just enough for the oxygen to aid the burning of the lamp. This is left burning overnight. In the morning, one or two drops of pure ghee (clarified cow's butter) or castor oil is added to the soot which now lines the brass vessel. It is then stored in a clean dry box.

All the ingredients used in this preparation (sandalwood/alstonia,castor oil, ghee) are believed to have medicinal properties. They are still used in Indian therapies. India and Pakistan are the two largest producers of traditional kohl pencils. . But let’s see next if the claim of being beneficial for health is it true or not.

WARNINGS

Education is needed to inform long time users of traditional lead kohl of the potential hazards which include not only lead poisoning but also eye allergies and infections.

Manufacturers should be encouraged to use alternatives to lead kohl with other black pigments.

Consumers should be aware of the large amount of kohl lead exported worldwide.

Lamp-black was the most common source of pigment, though galena, (lead sulphide), and stibnite (an antimony compound), were also used for black, and copper compounds for blues and greens. These metals were toxic to bacteria carried by flies and contaminated water, so they provided some relief from conjunctivitis and other bacterial eye infections. 

The irritation from having soot in one’s eyes caused tearing, which kept the eyes washed clean of contaminants, grit, and bacteria. 

However, these toxic metals also entered the bloodstream of the wearer and the traditional formulae with these metals should never be used when there is safer cosmetic eye paint available.

Lead-contaminated kohl use has been linked to increased levels of lead in the bloodstream, putting its users at risk of poisoning and lead intoxication.

 Complications of lead poisoning include anemia, growth retardation, low IQ, convulsions,  Among the effects associated with high levels of exposure are kidney problems, and neurological damage that may include seizures, coma and death. 

Even at relatively low levels, chronic exposure to lead may lead to learning and behavior problems and in severe cases, death. 

Anemia from lead poisoning is of special concern in Middle Eastern and South Asian countries where other forms of anemia are prevalent — including iron deficiency anemia (from malnutrition) and hemoglobinopathy (sickle cell anemia, thalassemia).

IMPORTANT:

Before using a kohl beware in mind that kohl is it illegal in US because of the high level risk. . 

If u use kohl pencils, sticks or loose kohl, check where has been manufactured and the ingredient listing if available. 

If u are not sure, buy a kohl pencil from a well recognized company. 

I will recommend u Rani kohl, MD, saudi and egiptians pure kohl's r safe.

My favorite is it Terracotta Loose Powder Liner Kohl from Guerlain. They have got 3 colors, the turquoise is so gorgeous for the summer time, and the balck which i love it is it sensational.

It contains little glitter on it and it's a long stay. I could not find any difference  between the pure arabic kohl and Guerlain kohl .

This is what i'm talking about. U should also try this if u wanna have a safe product.
Beware of : Hashmi hohl,kajal,surma made in Pakistan and India.







Enjoy the video - how to apply Guerlain Kohl in traditional way