CLAIM: Kajal keeps the eyes healthy and prevents infections

Fact: False. Experts warn kajal has no health benefits and may even harm the eyes, especially if it contains lead

First Check received a fact-check request on our tipline +91 9311223141 from one of our dedicated readers who shared two videos from a channel called Hitaa Ayurveda. The videos titled, “Kajal – A must for Men and Women,” and “Unlock the power of Kajal” exalt the widely claimed benefits of applying Kajal (Kohl) to the eyes. 

“Ayurveda says that eye health can be maintained by wearing kajal. Eye health will remain optimal without the need for spectacles or infections. We put herbs in our organic kajal which helps the eyes, unlike commercially available cosmetics which are full of chemicals,” says the speaker in the video. 

Upon a simple google search First Check found that this is a widely held belief too.

Is applying kajal to the eyes healthy? We investigate

A letter of Dr Anup Mohta, currently the Director-Professor, Department of Surgery at Lady Hardinge Medical College, published in PubMed Central, warns  that kajal contains lead. 

“Most commercially produced ‘kajal’ contain high levels of lead.. Prolonged application may cause excessive lead storage in the body, affecting the brain and bone marrow, causing convulsions and anemia.. US FDA does not permit its use in a cosmetic or in any other FDA-regulated product,” the letter titled, “Kajal (Kohl) – A dangerous cosmetic”  reads.

Other doctors such as Dr Rupa Wong, a board certified pediatric ophthalmologist practicing in the US, too have come out against the practice.

“Traditional kajal or kohl typically contains lead so that’s why you need to avoid it,”  she says in this video, She also discusses how to safely apply kohl eyeliners so that they do not hurt the eyes. 

First Check found another video in which Prof. Dr. Mahipal S Sachdev, Chairman and Medical Director at Centre For Sight – Group of Eye Hospitals, stresses that  “Kajal does not actually provide any benefit.” 

“The pencil which was used to mark the eyes could lead to trachoma, when the pencil is shared among people. Kajal has no beneficial effect on eyes,” Dr Sachdev says. 

Yet another video by Dr Harshvardhan Reddy, an ophthalmologist and eye surgeon from Hyderabad,  specifically advises that cleaning the kajal at the end of the day is of great importance. 

“Kajal is harmful, it is very important to apply kajal below the waterline as it can block the oil glands, and this can lead to dry eyes, and excess tearing can happen,” he says. 

Also read: FACT CHECK: Are diabetics safe from eye sight loss if they control their blood sugar levels? – First Check

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