By Farida Abbas, Founder of IF Beauty
This is my best seller. It’s been my best seller on Etsy for years, and people always ask me the same thing. How do you make it? What’s actually in it?
So I want to walk you through everything. Every ingredient, why I chose it, and how it all comes together in these little gold lockets.
My kajal is traditional kohl, which is really the original eyeliner. Women in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa have been making and wearing kohl for thousands of years. It’s one of those things that gets passed down through families. All the things our grandmothers told us to do. This is one of them.
When I decided to make my own, I wanted it to be safe. Traditional kohl was sometimes made with galena, which contains lead. We know better now. So I started from scratch with only natural ingredients that are actually good for you.
Here’s everything that goes into it.
Coconut Charcoal: Where the Color Comes From
This is what gives the kajal that deep, rich black. Coconut charcoal is gentle and purifying, and it creates that intense color naturally. A lot of eyeliners use synthetic dyes or iron oxides. Those work fine, but they’re not doing anything for your skin.
It glides on smooth and stays put.
Castor Oil: This Is Why Your Lashes Will Thank You
Castor oil is so good for lashes and brows. So while you’re wearing your kajal, you’re actually nourishing your lash line. That’s what I love about this formula. It’s not just makeup. Your lashes are getting something good at the same time.
It also gives the kajal that creamy texture so it doesn’t drag or pull when you apply it.
Almond Oil: Keeping It Gentle
Sweet almond oil. Light, nourishing, absorbs well. It makes the kajal creamy and easy to apply without feeling heavy. If you have sensitive eyes, this is one of the ingredients that helps. It’s mild enough for the delicate skin around your eyes.
Beeswax: The Structure
Beeswax is what gives the kajal its shape. Without it, you’d just have a loose oily pigment. The beeswax binds everything together so you get that smooth, solid form you can pick up with a brush.
It also helps the kajal stay where you put it throughout the day. Once it sets, your liner isn’t going anywhere.
Sunflower Lecithin: The Ingredient You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
Sunflower lecithin is an emulsifier. It helps the oils and solid ingredients blend together so the formula stays consistent. Without it, the kajal could separate over time.
I use sunflower-derived instead of soy because it’s gentler and doesn’t carry the allergen concerns. You won’t notice it when you’re applying, but it’s doing important work in the formula.
French Lavender Essential Oil: Beautiful and Calming
Just a touch. It gives the kajal a beautiful subtle scent, and lavender is actually calming for sensitive eyes. I hear from customers all the time who can’t wear most eyeliners because their eyes get irritated. The lavender helps with that.
This is one of my favorite ingredients. I use French lavender in my Lavender Collection for dry skin, in my mascara, and here in the kajal. It’s soothing, it smells amazing, and it works.
Camphor Essential Oil: Traditional for a Reason
A tiny trace. This is traditional in South Asian kohl formulas. It gives a cooling, refreshing feel when you apply the kajal. Very small amount, but customers notice it and love it.
Camphor has been part of Ayurvedic eye preparations for a very long time. That’s why it’s in here.
Vitamin E: Natural Preservation
Vitamin E keeps the formula naturally stable instead of synthetic preservatives. And it’s an antioxidant, so it’s good for your skin while it’s doing that job.
I don’t use synthetic preservatives in anything I make. So that way you get preservation and skincare benefits from the same ingredient. You can read more about how I approach this on our Our Commitment page.
That’s It. Eight Ingredients.
I can name every single one, and they all have a reason for being there.
Flip over most eyeliners at the store. You’ll see 20, 30 ingredients, most of which you can’t pronounce.
I wanted to make something where every ingredient is actually good for you. No lead. No synthetic pigments. No preservatives. Just eight ingredients.
Why the Gold Lockets?
People always ask about the lockets. Traditional kohl has always been kept in beautiful containers.
So my kajal comes in these gorgeous little gold lockets. Some people wear them as jewelry, which I love. They’re practical too. The locket keeps the kajal protected and it’s easy to throw in your bag.
When someone gets this as a gift, it doesn’t feel like a tube of eyeliner. It feels special. And I think that’s how it should be.
How Is This Different from Kohl Eyeliner at Sephora?
Most products labeled “kohl” or “kajal” at big retailers are using the name for marketing. The actual formula is a standard synthetic eyeliner. They borrowed the word, but the product inside has nothing to do with how kohl has been made for centuries.
Mine is handmade with eight natural ingredients. You can feel the difference when you apply it.
Is It Safe for the Waterline?
Yes. I formulated it specifically for that. Waterline application is the traditional way to wear kohl. Women across South Asia and the Middle East have been applying kohl to the waterline for thousands of years, and that’s how my kajal is meant to be used.
The creamy texture glides on without pulling. I test everything on myself first.
What If I Have Sensitive Eyes?
I hear this a lot. The French lavender is calming, the almond oil is mild, and the camphor is just a trace. No synthetic irritants in the formula.
If you want to see the full ingredient list before ordering, it’s on the product page.
What’s the Difference Between Kajal and Kohl?
Same tradition, different names. “Kohl” is Arabic. “Kajal” is Hindi and Urdu. In Punjabi it’s surma. In Tamil, kan mai. Different names depending on where you are, but they all mean the same thing. A dark pigment for the eyes, made by hand, passed down through families.
The formulas vary by region and by family. There’s no single recipe. Every grandmother had her own way of making it. That’s one of the things I love most about this tradition.
Can Men Wear Kajal?
Men have been wearing kohl across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa for thousands of years. In many Bedouin communities, men and women both wear it daily. In Islamic tradition, kohl is considered sunnah. In Punjabi weddings, the sister-in-law applies kohl to the groom.
This One Is Personal
I make this kajal by hand, the way families have been making kohl for generations. It comes from a tradition I care about, made with ingredients I trust.
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it changed how I think about everything I put on and in my body. I stopped trusting ingredient lists I couldn’t read. I went back to the natural ingredients that women around the world have been using forever. The things our grandmothers knew. The argan oil, the turmeric, the rose, the lavender. We just didn’t believe it until the internet told us. But they knew.
My kajal is one piece of that. Eight ingredients, made by hand. I’m really proud of it.
If you want to try it, you can find it here. And if you have questions about the ingredients or anything else, I love hearing from you. Just reach out.
My tip: Pair the kajal with my mascara for a complete natural eye look. The mascara uses coconut charcoal too, plus biotin for lash strength.
Farida Abbas is the founder of IF Beauty, where she handmakes every product using natural ingredients and traditions from around the world. Read our story.
