Thanaka

Hola! Today im going to share something informative with you guys! Anyone of you know what is Thanaka? Most of you might have known about it already by the product Bio-Essence who launched a range of Thanaka White something something series right? Well, am gonna share with you guys about the benefits about it!

First, let me tell you what thanaka is all about! Basically, thanaka is a ground bark of a tree. It is famous in Myanmar and used among the locals (be it young or old) there.. Its like a soothing masks that they wore all day long. What is it for? Thanaka is widely use as a sunscreen.. As in Myanmar, the country is all about agriculture and most of the locals will have to go down to the field to work under the scorching hot sun! In order to avoid from getting sunburn, they apply thanaka on their skin(face/hands/legs/etc).

this picture of thanaka is taken during my last trip to Myanmar last year!
we bought 2 back and each cost around 3-5USD without the stone.

locals with thanaka applied on their face! :)

Now i'll tell you guys how it works..

this is my set of thanaka and the "kyauk pyin"(the circular stone thingy)


first, pour a little amount of distilled water on the stone.. then take the thanaka and 'grind' it in a circular motion to make a cream paste..

only the outer layer of the bark is usable.. the inner bark itself cannot be used. *i think

thats how the 'cream paste' looks like... apply it onto your skin and wait for it to dry!

when it is dry, it will look like this.

the locals in Myanmar usually apply this the whole day but i think its impractical for us to do that in Malaysia dont you think so? haha.. everyone will definitely give u THE look if u go around with thanaka on your face! So, i just apply thick layers of thanaka whenever im home! very soothing since the weather is soo freaking hot these days.. -.-''

Oh ya, the benefits of thanaka..
-it has a whitening effect (which explains why Bio-Essence is using that as their product range)
-sun protection/sunblock
-removing acne
-eases insects bites/minor burns
-for smoother/moisturized skin
-it also has the anti-fungal effect (due to the cooling nature)

this is my previous thanaka.
see the outer layer of the bark? almost used up!


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Myths of Sun Safety :

While some people wear hats and carry large umbrellas outside during the day to protect themselves from being burnt by the scorching sun, there are those who think the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation won’t do much damage.

Let us crack a few common myths on sun safety.

1. Having a healthy tan protects us from the sun.

A golden tan on our skin is often interpreted as a healthy, but in truth, there is no such thing as a “healthy tan.”

This “healthy tan” occurs when melanin (a pigment in our skin) reacts to protect us from UVB rays from the sun. Unfortunately, it would only provide limited protection equivalent to a sun protection factor (SPF) of about 4. That is hardly enough when dermatologists recommend that we use lotions and sunscreens with at least SPF 15 for our daily protection.

2. Not getting sunburnt on a cloudy day

Just because we don’t see the sun, does not mean its solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation can’t get to us. That’s because 80% of UV rays can penetrate through smog, mist, clouds and even fog.

We always need to make sure our skin gets the all-around protection it needs, even when it looks like a cloudy day.

3. I only need protection when I'm outdoors

The sun is the sun, no matter where you are, no matter the weather. While jogging, gardening or even when driving, the sun still hits us with its UV rays. This is called incidental sun exposure. Accumulation of these incidental exposures can cause significant skin damage. So the next time you step out, it’s best to apply some sun protection.

4. SPF 15 + SPF 30 equals SPF 45?

SPF is not simply about adding up numbers. Items of different SPF values contain different chemical combinations. As such, applying different layers of SPFs at the same time could actually impair the effectiveness of the products, as one product could contaminate the other.

If you need to stay under the sun for a while, a safer bet would be to use the minimum sun protection of SPF 15, as recommended by dermatologists. Considering that the average person’s skin would redden between 10 to 20 minutes, SPF15 will give you protection of up to 5 hours.

source by : Amazing You on Yahoo! Malaysia
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now that im home, imma apply thanaka mask each and every day! to promote a much healthier and smoother skin of course! Am suffering from major breakouts due to exam and now its time to pamper myself.. :) Anyway, if you guys wanna try this.. i think Bio-Essence products would do the same thing as well.. I guess thats all for now!



till then!