Travels and Trails of Sangeetha

 Collecting shells at the Whitesand Beach 'Kohl' is the eye-liner used commonly by women, kids and even older men in the MENA region. Do you remember those sketchy eyes and arched eye-lashes of the people of the Nile from ancient Egypt? Yes, they are sported Kohl liners as cosmetics way back in 1200 BC. It stems from the Arabic word - Kuhl which is normally made from a powder carbon / sulphide along with some essentail oils such as the olive oil. In Oman, a study of Kohl samples revealed that they contained powdered Galena (Lead Sulphide) ( http://isebindia.com/05_08/07-07-1.html ) and some mollusk shell powders. Another common recipe is to brun the fragnant gum 'Luban' from the Frankincense tree (Boswelia Sacra) and collect the soot from an inverted bowl to mix with herbal oils. Historically the Murex mollusks were used to make the famous Tyrian Purple dye and the colour 'purple' is still considered a royal colour. ( http://pffc-online.com/mag/1348