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Thanaka Wood

Q: Is Thanaka Wood natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Not commercially extracted for international perfumery. The bark is traditionally ground into paste with water on a kyauk pyin (circular stone slab). Fantasy accord for international use..

WOODS AND MOSSES / woody · creamy · warm

Thanaka Wood

Category	WOODS AND MOSSES
Subcategory	woody · creamy · warm
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	Hesperethusa crenulata
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Myanmar
Pyramid	Base

Sandalwood-adjacent, powdery, and floral. Burmese thanaka bark ground into paste smells of warm, clean wood with a delicate, almost powdery florality.

Scent
Terroir & Origins
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Warm, sandalwood-like, and powdery-floral. Like pressing freshly ground thanak a paste to your face -- the bark releases a clean, woody warmth with a powdery softness and a gentle floral quality. Less creamy than sandalwood, more delicate, with a particular Burmese character.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Warm, woody, with a clean, powdery-floral quality.

After a few hours

The florality settles. Smooth, sandalwood-like warmth.

After a few days

A subtle, warm, woody-powdery residue.

Terroir & Maturity

Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.

The Full Story

Thanaka (Hesperethusa crenulata, syn. Limonia acidissima) is a tree native to Southeast Asia whose bark has been ground into cosmetic paste in Myanmar for over 2,000 years. The paste is applied to the face and body as sun protection and skincare.

The aromatic profile of thanak a paste is notably pleasant: a warm, sandalwood-like woodiness with a clean, floral quality and a powdery softness. The bark contains coumarins (marmes in, suberos in), flavonoids, and essential oils that contribute to this complex, clean scent.

In perfumery, thanak a wood is a niche note offering an authentic Southeast Asian aromatic identity. The sandalwood comparis on is apt but incomplete -- thanak a is lighter, more powdery, and has a particular floral lift absent from true sandalwood.

The note functions in the heart-to-base range, providing a warm, culturally specific woody-powdery quality.

This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Almond Tree · Ambrox Super · Amburana Wood · Amyris · Blonde Woods · Caoutchouc · Cashalox · Cashmir Wood

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Thanaka use is so widespread in Myanmar that it appears in national identity discussions -- over 80% of Burmese women apply thanaka paste daily. The practice predates recorded Burmese history, with references appearing in ancient chronicles dating to the 1st century CE.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Not commercially extracted for international perfumery. The bark is traditionally ground into paste with water on a kyauk pyin (circular stone slab). Fantasy accord for international use.

↑ See Terroir & Origins for origin-specific methods.

Molecular Formula	Complex natural mixture (key: marmesin C₁₄H₁₄O₄, coumarin C₉H₆O₂)
CAS Number	N/A — natural wood, no single CAS
Botanical Name	Hesperethusa crenulata
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	THANAKA · THANAKHA · HTANAKA
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium

In Perfumery

Heart-to-base note in Southeast Asian-inspired, woody-powdery, and skin-scent compositions. Functions as a lighter, more floral alternative to sandalwood with authentic cultural specificity. Coumarin-containing; powdery and warm.