Sama woman from Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia, with borak

Borak or burak[1] is a cosmetic face powder or paste that is applied on the face for protection from the sun. It is traditionally used by the Sama-Bajau people of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Borak is most commonly used by Sama-Bajau women to protect the face and exposed skin areas from the harsh tropical sun at sea.[2] Ingredients can include talcum powder, rice flour, turmeric, and other ingredients.[3]

When dry, borak is in powder form. The powder is first soaked in water to form a paste before being applied on the face.[3] The paste can be a yellowish color or sometimes white.

Similar pastes

In Myanmar, thanaka, a yellow-white cosmetic paste made of ground tree bark, is traditionally used for sun protection. In Madagascar, a paste of wood called masonjoany is worn for decoration as well as for sun protection.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Burak and Beautiful Women of Tawi-Tawi". My Mindanao | Mindanao Travels and Photography by Nanardx. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  2. ^ Tilmantaite B (20 March 2014). "In Pictures: Nomads of the sea". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Yakan - borak". SILP – Interactive Previously Published Resources. 2013-02-11. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  4. ^ Mesa, Camillo La; Ranalison, Oliarinony; Randriantseheno, Lovasoa N.; Risuleo, Gianfranco (2021). "Natural Products from Madagascar, Socio-Cultural Usage, and Potential Applications in Advanced Biomedicine: A Concise Review". Molecules. 26 (15): 4507. doi:10.3390/molecules26154507. ISSN 1420-3049. PMC 8348691. PMID 34361660.
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