One of the unique sights that capture a traveler’s eye when they arrive in Myanmar, and one that sparks the curiosity is the yellow patterns painted on people’s faces. The yellow circles, squares and lines seen on cheeks, noses and foreheads of people throughout Myanmar is thanaka, a yellow-white cosmetic paste produced by grinding the bark of the thanaka tree on a flat, smooth stone with water.

Thanaka is a distinctive feature of the culture of Myanmar. Thanaka cream has been used by Burmese women for over 2000 years. The earliest literary reference to thanaka is a 14th-century poem written by King Razadarit's consort. Mentions of thanaka also exist in the 15th-century literary works of Burmese monk-poet Shin Maharatthasara. The wood of several trees, such as murraya and wood apple, may be used to produce thanaka cream, and they grow abundantly in central Myanmar. 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 now it is also available as a paste or in powder form.

Thanaka cream is made by grinding the bark, wood, or roots of a thanaka tree with a small amount water on a circular slate slab called kyauk pyin which has a channel round the rim for the water to drain into. The creamy paste has a fragrant scent somewhat similar to sandalwood. It is applied to the face in attractive designs, the most common form being a circular patch on each cheek, nose, sometimes with stripes made with fingers or patterned in the shape of a leaf, often also highlighting the bridge of the nose with it at the same time. It may be applied from head to toe. Women, men and children apply thanaka to their faces, arms and legs for a variety of reasons.

Thanaka is valued as a sunscreen and as a beauty product that keeps the skin cool, stops oiliness, tightens pores, improves the complexion and adds a pleasant, soft fragrance to the skin. Thanaka is also used as a medicinal product to treat acne, fungus, skin sores, measles, epilepsy, poisoning and fever. In rural areas men and women apply thanaka thickly on their arms, legs and whole faces like a mask before they go out to work in the sun to prevent sunburn and sun damage to their skin. The active ingredients of thanaka are coumarin and marmesin.