For one simple reason, traveling in Burma/Myanmar requires knowing about Thanaka, as this is something that plays an important role in the daily life of all Burmese, especially Burmese women; something seemingly so insignificant but so obvious to the eye. All women in Burma/Myanmar love it; no matter how old or young, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, healthy or sick. Also, it doesn’t matter if they are unknown commoners, famous singers, actresses, popular politicians or whatever; Thanaka is very important to them.

The first known literary reference to Thanaka in Burma was made in AD 1384. by Daw Talamidaw, a daughter of King Binnya U. She was the first consort (the second was Daw Thuddhamaya) of Prince Binnya Nwe, the later Mon (Hanthawaddy) Razadarit King who reigned from AD 1368. C. until 1422 d. C. But it may have been in use much earlier.

So what exactly is Thanaka? Even if you already know the answer (or think you do), what I’m about to tell you will probably give you additional interesting information about Thanaka, and if you don’t know the answer at all, then I’ll give it to you right now. Thanaka is a light to dark beige paste made from what most people simply call the Thanaka tree. But to be more specific, it is mainly the bark of Santalum paniculatum, commonly known as sandalwood, that Thanaka is made from. The bark of Orange Jasmine (murraya exotica or murraya paniculatum) or Wood Apple (limonia acidissima) is also used. The wood of the first and second is extremely hard. However, the most fragrant and long-lasting scent comes from sandalwood. Once, for example, the sandalwood tree has reached the mature age of about thirty-five years, the branches are ready to be cut to give the best possible quality of Thanaka. The branches are cut into pieces and sold in the markets in their natural state, which is the preferred form in which Thanaka is made available and purchased. But Thanaka is also sold in paste, powder, or tablet form.

When buying raw pieces of wood, preparing Thanaka to apply to the skin is quite laborious, naturally requiring the wood, some water and a slap of stone which is usually round and about 30cm/12in in diameter. If purchased as a paste, Thanaka needs no further refining and when purchased as a powder or tablet, only a little water is needed to transform the ‘ready-to-use’ Thanaka into a smooth paste or cream. The necessary steps of the process of turning the Thanaka from its natural state to the necessary paste are a) putting a few drops of water on a slap stone called ‘Pyauk pyin’ and b) grinding the bark from the pieces of wood on the slap stone. The next and final step is to apply the Thanaka on the skin. This can be done in a simple or more artful style. Fantasy has no limits; leaf decoration, round patches, stripes and circles, you name it. When the Thanaka is applied freshly, either with your finger or a toothbrush, it is almost invisible, but it dries quickly and can be seen by everyone.

Where do these trees come from and grow now? Murraya paniculatum, Orange Jasmine (also called, among others, Chinese Box or Simulated Orange) is native to China, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Limonia acidissima, the wood apple, is native to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Santalum paniculatum, the sandalwood, is native to Hawaii, but species members of the genus Santalum are native to Australia, India, and various countries in South and Southeast Asia.

Especially sandalwood trees are growing abundantly in Myanmar, particularly in central Burma, where climatic conditions are very favorable for them. Some of the am species are very slow growing and endangered due to over-exploitation and excessive illegal logging because they are not only used for Thanaka but also for, among others, the production of other cosmetic and medicinal products or ingredients (oil), incense sticks and wood carvings (statues, chess figures, etc.), scented sandalwood fans, rosaries, floor and ceiling tiles, furniture and wall coverings. I know, these products have nothing to do with our Thanaka theme, but I’ll mention it anyway so you get an idea of ​​the extent to which sandalwood is used and understand why it is a threatened species. Cross-border smuggling of sandalwood is a big problem in Southeast Asia. Forgive my brief excursion into the realm of non-thanaka sandalwood products but, well, hmm, it doesn’t hurt to briefly mention these things as well. It is not like this?

There are four places or regions in Burma where I am told by reliable sources the best qualities of Thanaka come from. Which of these four is the overall winner of the contest certainly cannot be said easily, if at all, because there are a number of different criteria involved in the decision-making process. In other words, the decision as to which of these places is preferred certainly largely depends on where the respective users come from, price, individual skin conditions, and personal taste; after all, taste is not taken into account. Therefore, I will abstain from voting and will limit myself to naming the cities, regions and brands in question. These are Sagaing Division (Shwebo Thanaka), Mandalay Bagan Division and Magwe Division (Shinmadaung Thanaka) and lastly the latest entrant in the race for the ‘Best Thanaka’ title, Southern Shan State (Maukme Thanaka).

So now we know what Thanaka is, what are the most preferred regions of origin, what forms it is available in, how it is prepared and the different styles in which it is applied to the skin, but not why it is so loved by Burmese/Burmese women. As a footnote, I want to point out that the use of Thanaka is not limited to Burma/Myanmar; it is used in many Asian countries. Okay, now we come to the answers to the questions about what are the properties of Thanaka and the reasons why he is so loved.

Well, the most obvious reason why Thanaka is worn is for beautification, ie to fulfill the Burmese woman’s ideal of beauty. But there are, of course, several equally or more important reasons for using Thanaka. Two of these reasons are that Thanaka effectively protects against the negative results of sun exposure, such as sunburn, and that it has a cooling effect. The others state that Thanaka can be used at any age, that it is an absolutely natural product with several health properties, that it has a tightening effect, antiaging the skin, and that it can eliminate acne. Last but not least, Thanaka is also an antifungal. In a nutshell, Thanaka has many cosmetic and medicinal uses. Therefore, Thanaka is more than meets the eye. Whatever the main reasons why individual Burmese wear Thanaka, it is certain without a doubt that the common sight of people, especially women, with Thanaka patches and stripes on their faces (and occasionally on their arms) will be an important and highly enjoyable part of their Burmese memories.