Figure 1.--The photo shows a group of children on their way to school in rural Myanmar. You can the he thanaka cream mother has applied to their faces, like sun screen in the West. It is made from ground bark. It is commonly used by women and mmothers often use it on their children.

Burma is located in he tropics, but well north of the Equator. Still the sun is very strong in Burma. There are many countries in the equatorial zone. Burma is the only country as far as we know that has devloped a skin care product with thraputic properties to protect he skin. It is usually applied to the face, but sometimes the arms. Girls and women have been using the finely ground bark of the Thanaka tree for centuries to make a gold-colored skin-protecting cream also called Thanaka. Thanaka is commonly found in Burmese markets. Many Burmese prefer it to Western cosmetics. Mothers commonly apply it to the faces of boys and girls playing outside or going to school. Modern studies have cinfirmd the theraputic benefits of Thanaka. The ingredients of the Thanaka help the skin to naturally protect itself from harmful UV rays and limit the loss of moisture. A study by the University of London and Bangkok has found that the high concentration of antioxidants and the barks anti-inflammatory properties rejuvenate skin.

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Created: 3:34 AM 5/7/2018
Last updated: 3:34 AM 5/7/2018