Maldives is famous for its white beaches, turquoise lagoons, and breathtaking underwater life. There is also a special identity for this unique country in its people—the unique beauty of Maldivian women. Their distinct looks are known since the dawn of time. TTheir almond eyes, double eyelids, long thick black hair, and olive skin are truly unique. They are petite and vivacious. To maintain and preserve the beauty, they always use the available resources to fulfill their needs and desires.
“It is a beauty among women to have the hair very long, thick, and black: they dress and bathe it often; they let it float in the wind until it is perfectly dry, then they apply oils, very odoriferous, in such wise that their heads are always soaked and oily.” This is what the outstanding writer François Pyrard de Laval described about Maldivian women.
Apart from the virgin coconut oil they use for cosmetics, an imported cosmetic product was prevalent in the community for years: the Hoi Tong powder. I have seen this powder in the 80s. I conducted an online search to determine its production location. They also called it ‘Sam Fong Pressed Powder.’
How many of us remember seeing this on your grandmother’s dresser? This paper box of pressed powder will no doubt bring back memories for many Maldivian ladies; it was, after all, a staple of our grannies. I tried to search the manufacturer and was fortunate to find that this product is still in existence. This powder is still available in the international market.
Chinese women were the first to use it extensively. It served as a substance of friction to aid the removal of pesky hair strands or protected the skin from the threading action. It contains calcium carbonate, which is a naturally occurring soft abrasive. Sometimes, museums use it to combat the tarnish of silver exhibits because it’s less harsh than chemical abrasives.
According to www.missmonmon.com, Sam Fong Powder translates to Three Winds Begonia Powder—a compressed powder block made up of calcium carbonate, talc, and fragrance. It is most well-known for its beautiful packaging : a golden box adorned with flowers, coins, and a beautiful portrait of a lady. Sam Fong Powder is made by a Hong Kong company, Sam Fong Cosmetic Co., which was established in 1933.
There are two types of this powder; one was from Hong Kong, which is very finely milled, has a slightly smaller slab of powder, and comes in white and pink. The other is made in Malaysia, which isn’t milled as fine and has different ingredients: magnesium silicate, calcium carbonate, talc, methyl paraben, propyl paraben, aquademin, and fragrance. According to blog.lemonshortbread.com, the Malaysian version is more textured and grainier. The Hong Kong one is much smoother than the other one (which is grainier), and slab sizes are different, it states.
According to experts, this powder can act as a buffering, pacifying, and bulking agent. Additionally, it is used as an absorbent in cosmetics. Besides calcium carbonate, the powder also contains magnesium silicate, talc, methyl paraben, propyl paraben, aqua demin, and fragrance. Some call this rice powder because of its whiteness, but the ingredients don’t even mention rice.
This powder is not harmful. People have been using it for generations. Actually, it’s just a white slab of calcium carbonate. And they say it makes the skin white. This was a special product for the Maldivian women. However, today’s market is overflowing with branded products that cater to the needs of Maldivian women.
