Kohl: a hazardous eyeliner

Abstract

Kohl is a widely used traditional cosmetic. It is mainly worn around the eyes in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The elemental composition of twenty-one kohl specimens originating from various parts of Saudi Arabia, India and the Middle East was determined by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The data indicates the presence of significant lead levels in two thirds (14/21) of the kohl specimens ranging from 2.9-100% (mean 48.5%). Other less frequent elements present in kohl preparations include aluminum, carbon, iron, titanium, calcium, magnesium, oxygen, silver silicon, sulfur and antimony. Seven kohl specimens were totally lead-free, four had a lead content in the range of 2.9-34.1% and ten had lead levels in excess of 84%. Carbon levels in excess of 60% were detected in six kohl samples. Antimony was present in only one kohl specimen at a concentration of 7.8%. Five western made eyeliner pencils analyzed for comparative purposes consistently revealed iron as a common constituent (mean 46%) but no lead or carbon were detected in these specimens. The findings of this study indicate that modern kohl preparations contain a number of metals derived from natural sources in addition to carbon. The predominance of lead in the kohl preparations tested is of major concern due to the documented adverse effects in humans and the increased susceptibility of children to lead intoxication. Application of lead-containing kohl needs to be considered as a source of lead in evaluating patients with symptoms of lead intoxication in regions where this tradition prevails. The documented toxic effects of lead in humans and the increased sensitivity of children to lead exposure serve to emphasize potential health risks of using traditional lead containing kohl preparations and the need for increased surveillance and regulation of the manufacture of kohl.

The eye of Horus in a subgaleal haematoma: where art imitates life

“…Occasionally, SGH can lead to bilateral orbital haemorrhages with loss of vision needing surgical intervention. 3 Kohl eyeliner 4 was worn by both men and women in ancient Egypt for adornment and to reduce solar glare and ward off evil spirits. How the practise originated is less clear.…”

Characterization of a hazardous eyeliner (kohl) by confocal Raman microscopy

“…In addition, kohl is known to prevent sun glare, thus it was used by Bedouins in the Arab Peninsula. Previous studies [2][3][4] have shown that kohl contains toxic heavy metals, such as lead, and case studies have revealed that blood levels were significantly higher in individuals who used kohl compared to ones who did not. It was also shown that blood levels in infants of kohl using mothers were considerably higher than those of non-kohl using mothers (5.2 g/dl versus 2.8 g/dl) [5].…”

“…Of the techniques [2,3], such as energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) that have been used to characterize the chemical content of kohl, many require the introduction of vacuum and energy (high excitation source), thus modifying the sample to be analyzed. In contrast, Raman spectroscopy is nondestructive and may be performed under ambient conditions.…”

Detectionof Toxic Metalsin Lipsticks Products in Riyadh

“…There has been studies and scientific debate on the exposure of the eyes to lead as a result of the use of cosmetics [15][16][17][18][19] . Underarm cosmetics are being investigated as a possible cause of breast cancer 20 while talcum powders have been observed to contain as bursiform and sizeable concentrations of Ni, Cr and Co 20 .…”