Kohl or kajal is the basic thing required to highlight eyes, and several national and international brands are catering to those who use it. But how about giving it a personal touch and using homemade kohl?
Priti Mehta, founder and director of non-toxic lifestyle brand Omved, explains how to make that black beauty stick sitting at home.
- Take a lamp and fill it with oil or ghee.
- Keep aside a teaspoon of it.
- Make a wick with cotton, soak in ghee and place it in the lamp. Light the wick.
- Place blocks on either side of the lamp and ensure there is no breeze.
- Keep a silver plate upside down over the lamp, resting on top, between the supports.
- Place the plate about half an inch above the lamp with the flame tip touching the plate.
- Let the lamp burn overnight to collect the soot from the flame on the inside of the plate.
- Remove the plate after the flame is extinguished.
- Scrape the thick coating of carbon, black powdery residue collected on the cover into a clean container.
- Cool and add the ghee drop by drop to make the soot smooth.
- Close the jar and keep in the refrigerator for two hours. You can store at room temperature thereafter.
Homemade kajals have a good shelf life. Mehta advises to prepare it fresh at least once every four months to be on the safer side.
Since homemade kajal is very dark, Mehta suggests a way to use it. Apply it overnight and wash face in the morning or after bath. The remaining kajal leaves a beautiful and natural tint on your eyes.
