JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/modernizr/2.5.3/modernizr.min.js"></script>
<input type="text" placeholder="Description..." />

CSS

.placeholder 
{
    color: #BBB;
}

JavaScript

var placeholder_OnBlur = function () {
    var input = $(this);

    if (input.val() == '' || input.val() == input.attr('placeholder')) {
        input.addClass('placeholder');
        input.val(input.attr('placeholder'));
    }
};

var placeholder_OnFocus = function () {
    var input = $(this);

    if (input.val() == input.attr('placeholder')) {
        input.val('');
        input.removeClass('placeholder');
    }
};

var placeholder_OnSubmit = function () {
    $(this).find('[placeholder]').each(function () {
        var input = $(this);

        if (input.val() == input.attr('placeholder')) {
            input.val('');
        }
    });
};

var placeholder_OnLoad = function () {
    if (!!$(this).attr('placeholder')) {
        $(this).on('focus', placeholder_OnFocus);
        $(this).on('blur', placeholder_OnBlur);
        $(this).parents('form').on('submit', placeholder_OnSubmit);
        $(this).blur();
    }
};

 if (!Modernizr.input.placeholder) {
     $('[placeholder]').each(placeholder_OnLoad);
 }