Surma and Kajal for Babies: Lead, Eye Infections and Safer Swaps
In many homes the first thing a newborn’s grandmother reaches for is the little silver surmedani. A line of surma along the baby’s eyes “to make them big and bright”, a black dot to keep off nazar. It’s done with love. Always. But traditional surma is often made from galena, a lead ore, and the honest verdict on surma and kajal for babies is simple: nothing goes into a baby’s eyes, and lead-based surma shouldn’t be in anyone’s.
This isn’t about mocking tradition. It’s about a heavy metal that a baby’s brain can’t afford, and a few easy swaps that keep the ritual without the risk.
Before you start
- The problem: many traditional surma and some kohl products contain high levels of lead sulphide. Health authorities have long warned about lead in surma, and it has turned up even in products labelled “lead-free” or “herbal”.
- Why babies: they absorb lead more readily, rub their eyes then suck their fingers, and their developing brains are most sensitive to it.
- Other risks: eye infections from shared sticks and fingers, irritation, and blocked tear ducts getting worse.
- For babies: nothing in or along the eyes; if the family wants a nazar dot, a small mark on the skin behind the ear with a labelled cosmetic pencil.
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What’s actually in surma
“Surma” covers many products. Some are finely ground galena (lead sulphide), sold as a grey or black powder with a metallic sheen, applied with a metal or wooden stick. Others are antimony-based, which is less studied but also a concern. Branded kajal pencils and liquid liners from regulated cosmetic makers usually use carbon black or iron oxides instead, and homemade kajal, made by catching lamp soot on a plate and mixing it with ghee or castor oil, is mostly carbon.
The difficulty is that you can’t tell by looking. A powder in a pretty bottle from a shrine shop, a street stall or abroad can be almost pure lead ore, and “natural” on the label means nothing: lead is natural too. The shiny, heavy, silvery-grey powder is the classic warning sign.
How lead from surma reaches the body
A little is absorbed through the delicate lining of the eye. Much more is swallowed: babies rub surma-lined eyes with their fists and put those fists straight in their mouths, and older children lick fingers after touching the powder. Tears carry it down the tear duct into the nose and throat, and every day of use adds more, and lead builds up in the body over months.
Lead in a baby is usually silent until it isn’t, which is why the test matters more than the symptoms.
Signs of lead poisoning to watch for
Low-level lead exposure often shows no obvious symptoms at all, even while it harms learning and attention. Higher levels can cause:
- Tummy pain, constipation, poor appetite and vomiting.
- Irritability, unusual tiredness, trouble sleeping.
- Pale skin and anaemia (lead interferes with making blood).
- Delayed milestones, poor concentration and learning problems later.
- Eating non-food things like mud, paint flakes or chalk (pica), which also raises exposure.
- In severe cases, fits, drowsiness or collapse, which are emergencies.
A simple blood lead test is the only way to know; if surma has been used on a child regularly, ask the paediatrician for one, even if the child seems perfectly well.
Eye infections and other risks
A surma stick shared between family members, dipped back into the pot after each use, is an efficient way to pass on conjunctivitis and other eye infections. Fingers do the same. So do towels. Stop sharing. Kajal pressed on the inner waterline can block the tiny oil glands, leading to styes. In newborns, many already have a slightly blocked tear duct that makes the eye sticky and watery; rubbing powder into that eye makes things worse. And no surma, of any kind, improves eyesight or makes eyes bigger; our pieces on nazar ki kamzori myths and what actually helps eyesight go into that.
Surma for babies: safer ways to keep the custom
- Keep everything out of and along the baby’s eyes. The eyes need nothing added.
- If the family wants a nazar ka tika, put one small dot, about 3 to 4 mm across, on the skin behind the ear, where hands and mouth can’t easily reach it. Not the sole of the foot: babies suck their toes.
- Use a labelled cosmetic eye pencil from a known brand, with a full ingredient list, rather than loose powder.
- Wipe the dot off with a damp cotton pad at bath time. Wash your hands afterward.
- Throw out any old surma pots in the house, or store them high and locked away, since toddlers love opening small bottles.
- If surma was used on the baby’s eyes for weeks or months, tell the paediatrician and ask about a blood lead test.
In Unani and folk practice, kohl was valued for cooling and protecting the eyes from sun and dust, and for beauty. Men and women in desert regions lined their eyes against glare. The protective instinct is real. The chemistry was not. The ingredients of old were chosen without knowing what lead does, and today we do know.
For adults who love their kajal
- Choose branded, regulated eye pencils and liners with a full ingredient list. Avoid loose powdered surma, especially shiny grey ones.
- Don’t share eye products, and don’t use testers on the eye in shops.
- Replace eye pencils and liners every 3 months, and throw them out after any eye infection.
- Remove eye make-up before sleeping, gently, with a cotton pad and a little plain oil or a proper remover, rather than scrubbing at the lids with soap and a towel the way many of us did as teenagers, because rough rubbing pushes pigment and bacteria into the lash line and irritates the thin skin around the eye.
- Avoid applying on the inner waterline if you get styes or wear contact lenses.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid traditional surma altogether, since lead crosses the placenta and passes into breast milk.
See a doctor urgently if a baby or child has fits, unusual drowsiness, repeated vomiting or collapses, especially if lead exposure is possible. Book a paediatrician for a child with ongoing tummy pain, constipation, pallor, poor appetite, pica or delayed development, and mention surma use; for a red, sticky, swollen or painful eye, or any eye problem in a newborn, see a doctor promptly rather than trying home drops. Adults with a painful red eye, blurred vision or light sensitivity should see an eye doctor the same day.
Myth: surma cools the eyes and makes them stronger
The cool feeling comes from the metal stick and the fine powder, not from any benefit. Eyesight depends on the shape of the eye, the lens and the retina, none of which surma can touch; if a child squints or holds books close, what they need is an eye test, not a stronger surma. More in our Eye Care section, and adults with diabetes should read why a yearly retina exam matters.
Surma and kajal questions
Is it safe to put kajal or surma on babies?
No. Nothing should go into or along a baby’s eyes. Traditional surma often contains lead, and any product can cause infection or irritation; a small dot behind the ear with a labelled pencil is a safer way to keep the nazar custom.
Does surma contain lead?
Many traditional surma powders are made from galena, which is lead sulphide, and lead has turned up even in some labelled “lead-free”. You can’t tell by looking.
What are the signs of lead poisoning in children?
Often none at first. Higher levels can cause tummy pain, constipation, irritability, poor appetite, pallor, eating non-food things and delayed development; a blood lead test is the only way to know.
Does surma make a baby’s eyes bigger?
No. It only darkens the lash line, and eye size is set by growth, not by anything a grandmother, a shop or a shrine applies to the lid.
Is homemade kajal from lamp soot safe?
It’s mostly carbon rather than lead, but it isn’t sterile and can still cause irritation and infection; keep it away from babies’ eyes, and don’t share it.
Can surma improve eyesight?
No. Eyesight depends on the eye’s shape, lens and retina; a child who squints or sits close to the TV needs an eye test.
Is it safe to use surma during pregnancy?
Avoid traditional surma in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Lead crosses the placenta and passes into breast milk; use regulated eye cosmetics if you wear eye make-up.
How can I get my child tested for lead?
Ask your paediatrician for a blood lead test, and mention surma use, old paint, and any traditional medicines, which can also contain lead.
Which kajal is safe for adults?
A branded eye pencil or liner from a regulated maker, with a full ingredient list. Replace it every 3 months, never share it, and remove eye make-up before sleep.
What should I do if surma got into my baby’s eye and it’s red?
Gently wipe the eyelids with cooled boiled water on a clean cotton pad, from the inner corner out, and see a doctor, especially for a newborn or if there’s discharge or swelling.