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Read this in Hindi.
Sindoor, also popularly known as kumkum in the southern part of India, is commonly used by all married Hindu women as it signifies the sacred bond of marriage. Sindoor is regularly used along the parting of the hair. Some women even use it to make a dot on the forehead, called bindi. In olden days, sindoor was made at home using turmeric powder, alum, calcium salt, camphor, saffron, sandalwood and beet extracts. However in present times, this sacred red orange powder must be used carefully because it has side effects beyond imagination.
Chemical composition of sindoor
The synthetic dye industry grows low-priced red dyes termed as sindoor which are available everywhere and mainly contain the following:
There are many unbranded blood red powders available at cheap rates in the market, because the manufacturers aim at producing any local dye which is readily available along with toxic substances and other bulking materials. These can render rich colour that is attractive and most women don t look at ingredients when buying sindoor.
Side effects of using sindoor
Apart from rashes, itching, hair loss, other problems that can be caused include:
Ways to stay safe from the side effects of sindoor
Make your own sindoor at home
Making sindoor at home is an easy process and requires the following:
Preventive measures being taken on a global front
Sindoor or kumkum is one of the major factors which lead to lead poisoning, especially in the rural areas where application of sindoor in large quantities is a must for every married woman. It is high time that people become aware of its side effects and take precautionary measures. Buying it from local market where it is sold in loose power form must be strictly avoided and restricted.
Photo source: Getty images
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Citations
1. Lead nephropathy due to Sindoor in India.
Kute VB, shrimali JD, Balwani MR, Godhani UR, Vanikar AV, Shah PR, Gumber MR, Patel HV, Trivedi HL.
Ren Fail. 2013 Jul;35(6):885-7. doi: 10.3109/0886022X.2013.801301. Epub 2013 Jun 5.
2. Case of elevated blood lead in a South Asian family that has used Sindoor for food coloring.
Vassilev ZP, Marcus SM, Ayyanathan K, Ciuffo V, Bogden JD, Kemp FW, Ruck B, Jennis T, Jani N, Halperin W.
ClinToxicol (Phila). 2005;43(4):301-3.