If you take a survey to find out which is the one makeup item that Indian women cannot live without, chances are that kajal will be the clear winner. That black sooty mixture is many a women’s makeup must-have. Lining the eyes with kohl is a daily ritual for most women akin to brushing their teeth or having their morning coffee. If you belong to this category that just cannot do without kajal, then you should consider making your own organic kajal at home.
Historically, kajal was used not just to beautify and add drama to the eyes but also to soothe the eyes and strengthen eyesight. The cooling properties of homemade kajal helped to cool the eyes and clear out any impurities. But as we moved on from organic homemade kajal to mass-manufactured commercial kajals, we’ve also lost the health benefits. We’ve actually replaced the good qualities of kajal with chemicals and other substances that could harm our eyes. This post aims to bring back the art of kajal making with the hope that it inspires more people to try making their own kohl at home.
[Also Read: How To Apply White Kajal]
Here are the different methods of making kohl at home.
Method One
Things required:
- Two bowls of equal size
- A small lamp (diya) with oil and a wick in it
- A steel plate
- A handful of almonds
- Almond oil
Place the diya on the floor and light it. On either side of it, place the bowls. Place the steel plate on top of them, using the bowls as a stand. Make sure that the flame touches the bottom of the steel plate. Now place an almond on the centre of the plate. Each almond should burn for around three minutes (one and a half minute on each side). Discard the almond after three minutes and repeat the process with the rest of the almonds. When the almond burns, it releases oils that then form the soot. Once you’re done burning all the almonds, scrape out the soot using a knife and store it in a clean container. Add a drop of almond oil to it and mix well to form your kajal.
Method Two
Things required:
- Two bowls of equal size
- A small lamp (diya) with oil and a wick in it
- A steel plate
- Castor oil
Light the diya and place it on the floor. Place the bowls on either side of it. Apply some castor oil on the steel plate and place it on top of the bowls. Let the plate heat up for half an hour. The castor oil will burn and the soot can then be scrapped off and stored. Add a drop or two of oil to bring the kajal to the desired texture.
Method Three
You can follow the exact method described above but substitute castor oil with ghee. Ghee is very helpful in cooling the eye and getting rid of dark circles. So if that is your concern, then use ghee in place of castor oil and follow the instructions given in the above method.
Method Four
Things required:
- Two bowls of equal size
- A silver or copper lamp
- Castor oil
- Pure cotton wick
- A copper plate
Fill the lamp with castor oil and dip the cotton wick in the oil and light the lamp. Place the bowls as stand and place the plate on the bowls. Make sure the plate is turned upside down as it needs to collect the soot from the lamp. This method requires a lot of time so it is best if you do it at night. Do this before you go to bed, making sure the lamp is in a secluded place and will not be put out by wind. Let the lamp burn for around ten hours. Carefully upturn the plate (use towel as the plate will be super hot) and scrape out the soot using a knife. Store it in a clean container, adding a drop or two of oil to it.
[sc:mediad]
Method Five
This method follows the exact steps of the above method with the only difference being that the cotton wick is dipped in sandalwood paste and let to dry. This is done repeatedly till the cotton has absorbed as much of the sandalwood paste as possible. This wick is then used to make the kajal. The soot obtained thus is particularly helpful in cooling the eyes.
Method Six
Things required:
- Ten camphor pellets
- Two bowls to act as a stand
- Two copper plates
Place a plate with the camphor in its centre and place the bowls on either side of it. Place the other plate (inverted) over the bowls. Light the camphor and let it burn out completely. The soot gets collected on the inverted plate and can be scraped out and used as kohl. The camphor has amazing cooling properties and will keep your eyes clean as well. This is probably the quickest method of making kajal. The camphor burns really quickly and the entire process will take you less than ten minutes.
Method Seven
Things required:
- Muslin cloth (four by four inches)
- 3 to 4 Ajwain seeds
- Sandalwood paste
- Copper lamp
- Copper plate
- Two bowls of equal size
- Castor oil
Dip the muslin cloth in the sandalwood paste and let it dry in shade. Place the bowls on either side of the lamp and fill the lamp with castor oil. Keep the Ajwain seeds in the muslin cloth and roll it to form a wick. Tie the ends with a thread to keep it from coming apart. Light the wick and place the plate on top, using the bowls as a stand. Let the lamp burn till all the oil is exhausted. The soot collected on the plate can then be scraped and stored in a clean container.
