orb ia ▁n eri ifolia ). ▁The ▁leaf ▁of ▁Mon os ha ▁is ▁covered ▁with ▁oil ▁and ▁is ▁kept ▁above ▁a ▁burning ▁di ya ▁( m ud ▁lamp ). ▁Within ▁minutes ▁the ▁leaf ▁is ▁covered ▁with ▁cre amy ▁soft ▁black ▁so ot ▁which ▁is ▁so ▁safe ▁and ▁ster ile ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁even ▁applied ▁to ▁inf ants . ▁ ▁Health ▁concerns ▁The ▁content ▁of ▁k ohl ▁and ▁the ▁reci pes ▁to ▁prepare ▁it ▁vary ▁greatly . ▁In ▁North ▁Africa ▁and ▁Middle ▁East , ▁hom em ade ▁k ohl ▁is ▁often ▁made ▁by ▁gr inding ▁gal ena ▁( le ad ▁sul f ide ). ▁Western ▁manufact ur ers ▁use ▁am orph ous ▁carbon ▁or ▁organ ic ▁char co al ▁instead ▁of ▁lead . ▁Plant ▁o ils ▁and ▁the ▁so ot ▁from ▁various ▁n uts , ▁se eds , ▁and ▁g um ▁res ins ▁are ▁often ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁carbon ▁pow der . ▁The ▁non - le ad ▁products ▁are ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁inferior ▁quality ▁to ▁the ▁older , ▁traditional ▁vari eties ▁and ▁therefore ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁hand made , ▁lead - based ▁k ohl . ▁ ▁For ▁dec ades ▁various ▁conflic ting ▁reports ▁in ▁the ▁literature ▁have ▁been ▁published ▁rel ating ▁to ▁k ohl ▁application ▁to ▁eyes ▁being ▁responsible ▁for ▁causing ▁higher ▁blood ▁lead ▁concentration , ▁which ▁may ▁cause ▁lead ▁poison ing . ▁While ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁research ▁studies ▁and ▁reports ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁published ▁ref uting ▁any ▁such ▁links ▁with ▁increased