Here’re a few shots taken in the markets showing women and children with the distinctive tanaka face powder.

Burmese people are some of the most welcoming and friendly you could ever hope to meet. Wander around the vibrant markets and every glance or tentative inquiry is greeted with a capacious smile and a handful of playful words shared with neighbours.

In the early morning and late afternoon, side streets are transformed into a canvas brushed with strokes of violent colour reminiscent of Gauguin’s palette. Squatting among nests of verdant green produce traders draw customers as eager for gossip as they are for fresh produce and a good deal. The atmosphere of markets in Myanmar is intoxicating. The lips of young girls offer thick smoky smiles whilst gently holding slender green cheroots and old ladies dispense ‘cure all’ herbal remedies. 

A raucous laugh may reveal a flash of gold proving that in Yangon it really does pay to put your money where your mouth is, or  betel stained teeth from years of habitual chewing.

Each woman’s face, cheeks washed with pale yellow powder extracted from the bark of the tanaka tree, exerts a mesmerising glow – smears of light illuminating sun-blessed skin. The markets of Myanmar are a sight for sore eyes; crowded and chaotic but never claustrophobic.

Tanaka wood is sold in the markets. It is rubbed on a grinding stone with a little water to extract it and then brushed on the cheeks, neck and arms.

Tanaka is used a beauty product but also as a sunscreen and skin softener. These days blocks of pre-ground powder and soaps are also available.

I’ll post some shots of markets at a later date.