Children are often daubed with thanaka for it sun-blocking properties and cute look. Pic: Christopher Davy

MA OHNMAR grinds thanaka bark with a sprinkle of water on a stone slab. When the thanaka is ready she calls her children, who have just finished bathing, to come and stand in front of her. She applies the watery thanaka sparingly from head to toe. Then, on each cheek she daubs much thicker layers in the shape of leaves and circles. The kids are now ready for school.

“Thanaka is suitable for people of all ages, especially children with sensitive skin,” says Ma Ohnmar, 38. For her children, wearing thanaka is just a normal part of their daily routine.

Daw Khin Sein, 74, advises people on which thanaka roots are most suited to their skin-type.

“Thanaka makes skin cool and smooth, it heals itchiness and eases prickly heat,” she says.

“Thanaka has been used traditionally for hundreds of years. People used to wear thanaka combined with fragrance on special occasions. When we were young, cosmetics were not popular like they are nowadays,” she adds
Daw Aye Aye Win, 43, also likes thanaka but is sometimes too busy to prepare it. “Thanaka is effective for freckles, it makes the facial skin smooth when used regularly, but grinding thanaka takes a lot of time and it is difficult choosing good thanaka bark. As an office worker, I like to use cosmetics made of the best ingredients as they are often more convenient than thanaka, care for the skin and save time,” she says.

Ma Zin Minn Soe, 23, uses thanaka for its protective properties. “Thanaka is my favourite cosmetic; it is inexpensive and can protect the skin from the sun’s heat, which I like because my skin tans really easily. When I return from the office, I usually apply thanaka paste to my face and hands as it makes me feel really cool and fresh,”

Thanaka is also used to keep pimples under control. When Zin Minn Soe was younger and more prone to spots, she would often drop a little blob of thanaka on each spot. Although thanaka doesn’t remove them immediately, some people say it dries the spot and stops it from developing. Some people dispute this, arguing that thanaka blocks pores and actually causes spots.

“Thanaka, Myanmar’s traditional cosmetic, can work to dry oily faces but it may not remove spots completely,” says Dr Soe Win Oo from the Department of Dermatology at Yangon General Hospital.

“A thick layer of thanaka on the face doesn’t go with European-style clothes. I think only Myanmar tradit-ional dress matches thanaka properly,” says journalist Yadana Htun.

“Compared to well-balanced cosmetics, thanaka is not so effective in keeping the skin smooth and it cannot reduce spots. Nor does it cause side-effects, though using mildewed thanaka bark or roots can lead to skin problems,” she adds.

Nowadays, ready-made thanaka make-up is available as a liquid or cream. “There are various types of ready-made thanaka, but we don’t know what chemicals are mixed in to make them last longer. It’s better to use pure thanaka bark and roots to avoid harmful effects on the skin,” she says.

Users of thanaka often claim that it is highly effective in maintaining fresh, young-looking skin. “Wearing thanaka often can delay the onset of wrinkles in old age,” says Daw Khin Sein.

The different varieties of the Thanaka tree vary in quality but those produced from Shwebo district, the Shinma taung and Pakokku district are the most famous.

“Thanaka is cute and many women wear it in both urban and rural areas. It is obvious that we cannot neglect thanaka, despite the popularity of cosmetics,” says dressmaker Ma Nwe Nwe Win.

But thanaka does not last long so some women apply it on top of foundation cream. Thanaka is dry, and cannot moisturise the skin. But a generous coat of thanaka after a bath at the end of a long, tiring day will leave us cool, fragrant and refreshed.

“Thanaka can’t really keep skin healthy the way skin lotions, facial cleansers and moisturisers can. Some women use thanaka more than usual when acne or sunburn are present. It smoothes the skin and can remove annoying spots without damaging the skin,” she adds.

“Ready-made thanaka products are available at a reasonable price. They are durable and more convenient to apply, but...cannot effect-ively protect skin like organic thanaka. The chemicals used to make ready-made thanaka more durable can be potentially damaging to the skin. Organic thanaka is better,” Phyu Phyu Naing (24) said. “After a short craze for popular cosmetics, we reverted to traditional thanaka because it keeps skin fresh, cool and smooth,” she adds.