Thanaka & Pearl Powders

The latest addition to my skincare treatments is these two products: pure Thanaka Powder and Pearl Powder. Anyone who knows me would confirm that I prefer ready-to-use skincare products, but because these two goodies were something I’ve never tried before, I was excited to see what results I’d be able to achieve.

Pure Thanaka Powder* (65g)
Because I’m obsessed with travel shows, I have heard about thanaka powder before. I knew this was what Burmese women from villages in Myanmar used to mark their faces with. I believe it was used for beauty (like makeup nowadays), but also played a practical role as a sun cream. Though I couldn’t find any information if this powder has actual SPF. Other than that, thanaka powder has powerful anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits and is particularly useful in fighting acne.

Thanaka is a light yellow powder with a gentle wood scent. The powder can be used on its own or mixed with water and applied as a mask. I have heard that thanaka has a cooling effect on the skin, but I didn’t feel anything like it. After I had removed the mask, my skin felt clean and refreshed.

Pearl Powder* (15g)
Not only pearl powder sounds fancy, but it’s probably one of the most expensive powders I’ve ever used. Made out of carefully ground freshwater pearls, this white powder has an impressive list of benefits for skin and beauty:

*Boosts process of replacing dead skin cells;
*Stimulates new skin growth and healing;
*Removes sun damage and age spots;
*Increases collagen levels;
*Removes blotches, acne, acne scarring, dry patches, and rosacea.

Though most of these benefits would be only visible after using pearl powder for a longer period of time, there are benefits that you will see after one or two uses as well. Like thanaka powder, pearl powder can be used on its own or mixed with water or other ingredients (i.e. aloe vera gel, honey, etc.) and used as a mask (this is how I chose to use it).

There are two things that I would like to say about this powder: one of them is good, and one of them is bad. Starting with the bad, I literally have not to breath when using this mask. I can’t really explain the scent, but it’s like a mix of wet clay and fish. Good news is that the results are entirely worth the effort. I think the oily and problematic skin would enjoy this pearl powder because it leaves the skin tight, clean, and so soft that I can’t stop touching my face after using it.

Have you tried thanaka powder or pearl powder?