Thanaka, a 2000 year old sunscreen

The first thing you will notice when you arrive in Myanmar is most of the women and a few men have their faces painted with a yellow paste. This traditional makeup is Thanaka, a cosmetic made by grinding small logs of the Thanaka tree against a wet stone. The paste is then applied to the face and arms in either a decorative pattern or just slathered on. The tannic acid in the Thanaka bark has skin tightening affects and is said to be the secret to how young and beautiful the Burmese women look. I was seriously amazed at how young these women look. Several times a lady I thought to be in her teens turned out to be in her late twenties or thirties. It's not only used as a beauty aid but as a sunscreen as well and it's use dates back over 2000 years.