The fact that the Arabs themselves have not produced an etymological dictionary so far is probably due to the sacred status of the Arabic language. A historic approach, such as ours, is more common in the European tradition than in the Arabic one," Guth explains. He has previously lived in Arabic-speaking countries, in Cairo and Beirut.

Further information: Antimony §Etymology Ancient kohl cosmetic tube from western Iran, dated 800–500 BCE A Tamil woman applying kohl on her son in India Traditional kohl (kaajal) container in silver in South India The content of kohl and the recipes to prepare it vary greatly. In North Africa and Middle East, homemade kohl is often made by grinding galena ( lead sulfide). Western manufacturers use amorphous carbon or organic charcoal instead of lead. Plant oils and the soot from various nuts, seeds, and gum resins are often added to the carbon powder. The non-lead products are considered to be of inferior quality to the older, traditional varieties and therefore there has been an increase in the use of handmade, lead-based kohl. Swain, Simon, ed. (2007). Seeing the Face, Seeing the Soul: Polemon's Physiognomy from Classical Antiquity to Medieval Islam. Oxford University Press. p.277. ISBN 978-0199291533.

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In the United States, kohl is not on the list of color additives approved by the Food and Drug Administration, which considers kohl unsafe for use due to its potential lead content. It is illegal to import into, or sell in, the United States. [36] See also [ edit ] Antimony can be found in soils, waters and air in very small amounts. Antimony will mainly pollute soils. Through groundwater it can travel great distances towards other locations and surface waters. Simply put, the Arabic noun كحل (kuhl) refers to any cosmetic used to colour or darken the edges of the eyelids ( 1) ( 2). The fact that we are advised to use 'khul made of ithmid' implies that there are (and were) other types of non-ithmid khul available. Love : because the prophet`s صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ commandment for us to use Ithmid Kohl is a reflection of his never-ending efforts to teach his Ummah everything that is of a benefit to them. Some even consider Ithmid Kohl as a miracle showing the truthfulness of the prophet as the prophet described accurately benefits of Ithmid Kohl (vision improvement and hair growth) which always occur as exactly as he صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ mentioned.

In South Asia, traditional kohl transcends surface-level beauty and is often used as a form of protection against the evil eye, a jealous gaze believed to cause fatalistic harm and injury. "Recently, I had a bride come to me for her makeup, and her mother told me to put a dot of kajal behind her ear [to ward off the evil eye]," says Syed Zubair, a Karachi-based makeup artist. Parry C, Eaton J (August 1991). "Kohl: a lead-hazardous eye makeup from the Third World to the First World". Environmental Health Perspectives (94): 121–123. Li-Yun C, Wen H, Jian-Feng H and Jian-Peng W (2008). "Influence of deposition voltage on properties of lead sulfide thin film". American Ceramic Society Bulletin, 87(6): 9101–9104 Almost all the Hadiths relating to the use of kohl explicitly refer to Ithmid kohl only. T he prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ recommended and used Ithmid Kohl only.Pastes of Sb2S3 powder in fat or in other materials have been used since ca. 3000 BC as eye cosmetics in the Middle East and farther afield; in this use, Sb2S3 is called kohl. It was used to darken the brows and lashes, or to draw a line around the perimeter of the eye.

Galena [formula: PbS], also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide. It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver.Until today, the kohl found in Middle East, North Africa and Iran are made from lead sulphide or ithmid. What are the roots of the word “alcohol”, and do its origins have anything to do with a “body-eating spirit”? Yes. FDA has learned of recent instances of kohl-related lead poisoning in children in the U.S. A number of studies have shown that children exposed to kohl have increased levels of lead in their blood. This exposure puts them at increased risk for the serious consequences of lead poisoning.