How to make kajal at home

New Delhi: kajal is the basic thing required to highlight eyes, and several national and international brands are catering to those who use it. How about giving it a personal touch and using homemade kohl?

Priti Mehta, founder and director of non-toxiclifestyle brand Omved, explains how to make that black beauty stick sitting at home.

1.Take a lamp and fill it with oil or ghee.

2.Keep aside a teaspoon of it.

3.Make a wick with cotton, soak in ghee and place it in the lamp. Light the wick.

4.Place blocks on either side of the lamp and ensure there is no breeze.

5.Keep a silver plate upside down over the lamp, resting on top, between the supports.

6.Place the plate about half an inch above the lamp with the flame tip touching the plate.

7.Let the lamp burn overnight to collect the soot from the flame on the inside of the plate.

8.Remove the plate after the flame is extinguished.

9.Scrape the thick coating of carbon, black powdery residue collected on the cover into a clean container.

10.Cool and add the ghee drop by drop to make the soot smooth.

11.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.