In the olden days, kajal / kohl / kanmai / surma was prepared by women at home by hand. Lamp oil soot (obtained through the simple process of keeping an inverted copper or silver plate over a burning wick and scraping off the residue that collected on it) was mixed with gingelly (sesame) oil or castor oil. The method was always the same, though sometimes the raw materials varied (sandalwood, camphor, ghee, aloe vera and sometimes, even almonds were used for their various medicinal properties).
The resultant mixture, a jet-black paste, would be stored in small airtight containers. Mothers and grandmothers would scoop a minute amount of this onto their index fingers and then apply it to the eyes of children (both boys and girls; for proof, just look at the vintage black-and-white photographs of your grandparents!), first on the rim of the upper eyelash and then on the rim of the lower.
The belief was that the kajal cooled and soothed the eyes, strengthened eyesight, prevented infections by removing impurities and warded off the ‘evil eye’. Once the application of the kajal to the eyes was complete, a ‘beauty spot’ would be applied on the cheek of the child — again to ward off the evil eye. The rest of the kajal adhering to the finger would be rubbed into the hair of the applier (an effective dye). Young girls and women would use the kajal generously merely on the upper eyelash and then blink rapidly to get an even tone on the lower eyelash as well.
Leaving aside tradition, it follows, naturally, that kajal is the first ‘cosmetic’ item used on every child in India. In many rural areas, even today, it is the only ‘make-up’ allowed for young girls attending schools and colleges. It was inevitable that as the stock of organic homemade preparations slowly dwindled due to lack of time, an enterprising entrepreneur would step in to exploit the market with mass-produced kajal .
The first name associated with kajal , one that is almost synonymous with the product — especially in South India — is Eyetex.
Beginnings
Aravind Laboratories, the flagship company of the Eyetex Group, was set up in 1938 in Triplicane, Chennai. The founder, Vasudevan, was the driver of the legendary Carnatic musician MS Subbulakshmi, and it was the latter who helped him set up the business. He manufactured both kajal and kumkum / chaandu (a deep-red liquid used to draw bindis) in the traditional manner, under the Eyetex brand name. The quality of the products soon made the brand extremely popular in Chennai.
In 1958, the business was acquired by AV Srinivasan. Initially, he continued the method of preparing kajal by hand, employing mainly women who worked out of rented households in West Mambalam, Chennai. The business, incidentally, sees more female workers than men, several of whom have continued with the same company for decades now.
As business grew, the firm expanded its reach beyond Tamil Nadu, spreading to Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka in the 1960s. In the next decade, Eyetex had gained a foothold in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. Today the brand is available in more than 22 states in India.
Expanding offerings
New products like eyeliner liquids, eyebrow pencils and a range of kumkum varieties (paste, liquids, pencils, stickers) in various colours under the sub-brands Pallavi, Divyaa and Poornima were introduced in the 1970s and 1980s. Eyetex even claims that it introduced the the ‘buy one get one free’ concept to the market by selling a 2-in-1 pack for the price of one. Attractive plastic containers were used for packing.
The increase in business naturally led to an expansion in manufacturing facilities, the first of which was set up in Ramapuram, Chennai, in 1968. More space was added in 1982 and 1996. Today, with two main depots, 25 super stockists and about 750 distributors, around 65 Eyetex products reach more than 135,000 exclusive retail and wholesale outlets all over the country.
Any product that comes in contact with the skin or eyes has to address the concern of itchiness, irritation or infection caused either by the ingredients or through contamination. To prevent such problems, Eyetex has put in place several safety measures. Raw materials and finished products are tested to rule out contamination of any sort and to ensure conformity with BIS specifications and the rules of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act. The firm has two testing laboratories and is authorised by the State Drugs Control Directorate to carry out in-house testing and issue certificates.
Not just this, keeping the safety of the customer in mind, manufacturing procedures have also been upgraded. The eye-care range is prepared using natural oils and herbal preparations make up the other products. Even the kumkum stickers have been made safe to use — they do not use the harmful PVC-based flock fabric. In a first in India, only non-woven flock fabric – a specialised velvet that is said to ‘breathe’ and an adhesive that matches the pH of the forehead skin is used. (The adhesive does not remain on the skin once the sticker is removed.)
As the focus of the customers shifted from health benefits to beauty, the brand also evolved. The product range now includes colour cosmetics under the Dazzler line (face wash, lotion, lipstick, talcum powder, hair wash, nail polish, nail polish remover and the like) and deodorants. Moisturisers and shaving creams for men may also be added soon.
Growth and popularity
More than anything else, Eyetex’s popularity is the result of word-of-mouth publicity from satisfied customers. Though it mainly caters to the lower income segment, with its kajal selling between ₹10 and ₹50 and other products priced lower than the competition, it does not compromise on safety and quality.
Rural India accounts for 60 per cent of the sales of Eyetex products. From sales of just 30,000 pieces ( kajal and kumkum ) in 1958 to more than 100 million (all products) is a quantum leap indeed. Market watchers, however, warn that introducing new product lines should be followed up with or be supported by aggressive marketing. Most customers are still not aware of the range of products on offer; brand recall for the Eyetex name is still associated with kajal and kumkum .
Experts feel the brand should opt for celebrity endorsement of its products to expand its reach.