Thanaka

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title: "Thanaka" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["culture-of-myanmar", "cosmetics", "skin-care", "wood-products"] description: "Cosmetic paste made from ground bark, common in Myanmar" topic_path: "general/culture-of-myanmar" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanaka" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Cosmetic paste made from ground bark, common in Myanmar ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Thanaka_girls.JPG" caption="Ava]], Burma"] ::

Thanaka (; ) is a paste made from ground bark. It is a distinctive feature of the culture of Myanmar, seen commonly applied to the face and sometimes the arms of women and girls, and is used to a lesser extent also by men and boys.

History

Thanakha has a longstanding heritage in Myanmar, first used during the Pyu era.

The earliest extent evidence of thanakha appears in wall paintings of several Bagan pagodas, including the Gubyaukgyi, Nagayon, and Apayayadana temples, all of which depict young women with kyaukpyin. The earliest literary reference to thanakha is in "Thonteiktin", a poem written in 1383 by the consort of King Razadarit. Thanakha is also mentioned in the 15th-century literary works of Burmese monk-poet Shin Raṭṭhasāra (1486–1529), including Buridat Zat Paunggyo. Following the 1930 earthquake, the kyaukpyin of Princess Yaza Datu Kalaya, the daughter of King Bayinnaung, was found among the ruins of Shwemawdaw Pagoda in Bago.

Thailand began producing cosmetics containing thanakha , and began cultivating the wood thereafter. Thailand is currently working to register the scientific name of Hesperethusa crenulata (also known as Limonia acidissima) with the ASEAN Cosmetic Association, to get the species recognized with the World Plant List and given an INCI Name. In 2020, Myanmar submitted thanakha to UNESCO for registration as an intangible cultural heritage, but the submission was rejected, due to insufficient data and evidence in the submission.

Source and preparation

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Thanaka.jpg" caption="Thanaka wood (''[[Hesperethusa]] crenulata'') for sale"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Thanaka_kyaukpyin.JPG" caption="''Kyauk pyin'' stone slabs for grinding thanaka at a pagoda market in [[Sagaing"] ::

The wood of several trees may be used to produce thanaka cream; these trees grow abundantly in central Myanmar. They include principally Murraya spp. (thanaka) The two most popular are Shwebo thanaka from Sagaing Region and Shinmadaung thanaka from Magway Region. A more recent contender sold as a paste is Taunggyi Maukme thanaka from southern Shan State. Thanaka trees are perennials, and a tree must be at least 35 years old before it is considered mature enough to yield good-quality cuttings. Thanaka in its natural state is sold as small logs individually or in bundles, but nowadays also available as a paste or in powder form.

Thanaka cream is made by grinding the bark, wood, or roots which has a channel around the rim for the water to drain into.

Application, style and properties

Thanaka cream has been used by Burmese men, women, and children (especially women as make-up) for over 2,000 years. The creamy paste is applied to the face in attractive designs, the most common form being a circular patch on each cheek, nose, sometimes made stripey with the fingers known as thanaka bè gya, or patterned in the shape of a leaf, often also highlighting the bridge of the nose with it at the same time. A study was conducted in 2010 by the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and the University of London. Thanaka bark is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and absorbs UV rays. The research additionally revealed that Thanaka inhibits tyrosinase, the enzyme that triggers melanin synthesis and impacts pores and skin discolouration.

Image:Thanaka_woman.JPG|Market stall keeper wearing thanaka, Mandalay Image:Thanaka_kids.JPG|Market children with thanaka, Mandalay Image:Thanaka_seller.JPG|Thanaka seller at Kaunghmudaw Pagoda, Sagaing File:Karen Girl Wearing Thanaka.JPG|A Karen child with thanaka on her face File:Hindu woman in Myanmar, wearing thanakha.jpg|A Burmese Hindu woman wearing thanaka File:Girl wearing Thanaka paste in Yangon, Myanmar.jpg|A girl wearing thanaka in Yangon

Notes

References

1. Streissguth, Thomas. (2007). "Myanmar in Pictures". Twenty-First Century.
2. Mabberley, D J. (1997). "The Plant-Book: A Portable Dictionary of the Vascular Plants". [[Cambridge University Press]].
3. Kemp, Charles & Lance Andrew Rasbridge. (2004). "Refugee and Immigrant Health: A Handbook for Health Professionals". Cambridge University Press.
4. (2024-10-20). "The Uncertain Future of Myanmar's Thanakha".
5. Yeni. (5 August 2011). "Beauty That's More Than Skin Deep". The Irrawaddy.
6. Köllner, Helmut & Axel Bruns. (1998). "Myanmar (Burma)". Hunter Publishing.
7. Baker, William & Ira Bruce Nadel. (2004). "Redefining the Modern". Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.
8. (November 2010). "Biological activities and safety of Thanaka (Hesperethusa crenulata) stem bark". Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

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