Myanma Thanaka

Myanma Thanaka (ျမန္မာ့ သနပ္ခါး)

One of the first thing that the first time visitors notice sooner or later is the faces of the women of all ages and children coating with yellowish white substance.
Then they ask the guide: What is that white stuff on their faces? What is that for?The guide explain them proudly about the “Thanaka” which is the beauty secret of Myanmar women.In the bedroom of a Myanmar woman on the floor besides the dressing table there has an 8″ long Thanaka wood cutting, a flat circular surfaced whetstone or grind stone and a small water bottle with a pore on the lid.After a bath she sits at the whetstone put several drops of water on it and rub the Thanaka cutting on the whetstone continuously at a circular motion with body pressure.Because of the friction of water soaked whetstone and the Thanaka wood bark the paste forms on the whetstone.When the enough paste of Thanaka deposited on the whetstone, it has collected by forefinger and apply on the face and body.

Thanaka is truly an organic medication for a skin condition and multipurpose.
Since mildly astringent and emits a fragrant aroma it is good to use as a combination of skin conditions, perfume and cosmetic.
It cools the skin; control oiliness by tightens pores and thus prevents pimples,as well as being a most effective sun block.
Its use originated with the women when transplanting rice seedlings in the paddy fields on the month of July,

August under the tropical sun exposure.To protect from excruciating hot rays of the sun, the women wear thick layer of

Thanaka on their arms and faces.For the city girls Thanaka is applied for beauty as natural make-up and for fragrant aroma.It should say Thanaka is the gift of the Saint to Myanmar women.

Because Thanaka trees are very hardly thrive well on non-fertile soil of Upper Myanmar arid region where there has a little rainfall.Thanaka trees are perennials and the age must be 35 years old to be mature enough to yield good quality cuttings.