▁and ▁North ▁Africa ▁ ▁K ohl ▁has ▁been ▁worn ▁tradition ally ▁since ▁the ▁Pro tod yn astic ▁Period ▁of ▁Egypt ▁( ca . ▁ 3 1 0 0 ▁B CE ) ▁by ▁Egypt ian ▁que ens ▁and ▁noble ▁women , ▁who ▁used ▁st ib n ite ▁( the ▁sul f ide ▁of ▁ant im ony ▁rather ▁than ▁of ▁lead ). ▁The ▁cos met ic ▁pale tt es ▁used ▁for ▁its ▁prepar ation ▁assumed ▁a ▁prominent ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁Pred yn astic ▁Egypt ian ▁culture . ▁ ▁K ohl ▁was ▁originally ▁used ▁as ▁protection ▁against ▁eye ▁a il ments . ▁There ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁belief ▁that ▁dark ening ▁around ▁the ▁eyes ▁would ▁protect ▁one ▁from ▁the ▁har sh ▁ray s ▁of ▁the ▁sun . ▁ ▁Gal ena ▁eye ▁paint ▁( l ater ▁term ed ▁K ohl ▁in ▁Arab ic ▁from ▁the ▁A kk ad ian ▁word ▁for ▁the ▁cos met ic ) ▁was ▁widely ▁applied ▁in ▁An cient ▁Egypt . ▁Upper ▁e y el ids ▁were ▁painted ▁black ▁and ▁lower ▁ones ▁were ▁colored ▁green , ▁as ▁dep icted ▁in ▁ancient ▁texts ▁that ▁describe ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁both ▁black ▁gal ena ▁and ▁green ▁mal ach ite . ▁An cient ▁gra ves ▁from ▁the ▁pre - histor ic ▁Tas ian ▁culture ▁point ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁application ▁of ▁gal ena ▁in ▁Egypt , ▁a ▁custom ▁stretch ing ▁from ▁the ▁Bad arian ▁period ▁through ▁to ▁the ▁Co ptic ▁era . ▁Although ▁found ▁locally , ▁both ▁black ▁gal ena ▁and ▁green ▁mal ach ite ▁were ▁also ▁imported ▁from