Those who seek gold jewelry and precious gems can look no further than the shops on Patong Beach. There are several shops located on this part of the island that offer gold jewelry as well as gems such as emeralds and rubies for quite a discount. Pearls are also less expensive on Phuket than in the West.

Thai people value gold like currency and for this reason, much of the gold jewelry in Phuket Island is 24 karat, which is pure gold. Other gold jewelry is 18 karat. In the West, the standard for gold jewelry is 14 karat, so your Euro or dollar really goes much further when buying gold in Phuket Island.

Souvenir shopping is rife throughout the island. Much of the shopping in Phuket consists of looking for souvenirs and trinkets to take back home after the holiday. The beaches are littered with little souvenir shops and most of the items are priced very inexpensively.

In addition to the souvenir shops, you can enjoy some of the best shopping in Phuket Island by visiting the outdoor markets. The outdoor markets sell just about everything from electronic equipment to clothing. This is also the best opportunity to purchase some of the exotic fruits that are native of this area.

For more upscale shopping in Phuket Island, check out the various antiques and wood carving stores. One of the more unique stores on the island is Thai Style Antiques that has furniture pieces from India, Korea and other parts of Southeast Asia that have been restored to pristine condition. Wood carving is also plentiful throughout the island and make excellent souvenirs to take home.

An event that you will not want to miss when shopping in Phuket Island is the night market. The night market is held nearly every night and features just about everything, particularly food. The night market sales are generally cheaper than those in the day market by about 50 percent, so this is where you want to go to get bargains. The night markets are held throughout Phuket Town which is located in the Southeast part of the island.

If hand tailored garments are what you seek, look no further than Phuket Island. There is a host of tailors located throughout the island that can make anything from shirts to suits for a traveler. If you want a one of a kind garment, or simply tailored clothing at off the rack prices, come to Phuket Island.

Shopping in Phuket Island is an event you will want to enjoy again and again. You cannot possibly see all of the different shops on the Island in one visit, which is one reason why avid shoppers choose to visit this part of Thailand on an annual basis to take advantage of the one of a kind bargains. If you are really looking for a shopping haven during your holiday, look no further than Phuket Island, Thailand.

Tamarind
Tamarind seed extract contains high levels of AHA which is of great benefit in skin care. Studies have shown that tamarind seed extract significantly improves skin elasticity, hydration and smoothness.
This extract is water soluble and is recommended for facial toners, moisturizers, serums, gels, masks. It is particularly useful in anti-aging formulas.

Lemongrass
Lemongrass has been traditionally used in Thai cooking, but has been more recently discovered that the essential oils found in this fragrant herb can be used in cosmetics and beauty products. Lemongrass essential oil has antibacterial properties and can also be rubbed on the hands to kill everyday bacteria or used under the armpits as a deodorant. In addition, lemongrass oil has great astringent properties, which helps clear up excessive oily skin that can cause acne outbreaks. Furthermore, lemongrass is effective as a skin toner because it naturally dilates the blood vessels, tightening pores and minimizing wrinkles. Lemongrass oils have also been used for many years in Thailand as a natural way to repel insects such as fleas, lice, ticks and mosquitoes and offer an added benefit of relieving muscle pain.

Turmeric
Turmeric has been used for centuries in Thailand as a natural cleanser and is a wonderful body scrub. It leaves your skin soft, smooth and glowing. Turmeric in cosmetics has also been found to help remove blackheads and whiteheads from the skin. This Thai herb is also wonderful in reducing fats, thus purifying the blood and improving blood circulation in the body. One other great property of turmeric is that it can slow down the growth of body hair, essential for that nice, glowing skin women like.

Kaffir Lime
Kaffir Lime is a well known herbal remedy in Thailand used to help with hair and scalp problems. Its mild acidic property reduces oiliness in the hair while moisturizing the scalp. After rinsing with clean water, the hair will be shiny with the great smell of citrus. Kaffir lime is also a popular ingredient used in herbal compresses and is excellent for aromatherapy.

Southern Marine Seaweed
Southern Marine Seaweed has long been used by the Thais for food and healing and becoming increasingly popular in spas and cosmetic use. Southern Marine Seaweed provides numerous vitamins and minerals including, vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, C, niacin, iodine, iron, zinc calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium and trace amounts of B12. This seaweed also helps promote healthy skin and hair. Tests have shown Southern Marine Seaweed can control excess sebum and is excellent in delivering essential moisture to areas most needed – balancing the skin. Southern Marine Seaweed can also be found in many forms of Thai acne care creams as it has great detoxifying properties.
So now you can see that Thailand is ready to bring the ancient wisdoms of Thai herbs to the global market so they can share their traditions with you.

However, there is no need to panic. The trend is changing now and you will be able to find natural products available but limited. In this article, you will find these natural products with which you can make yourself beautiful without having to think about what kind of chemical ingredients are put into your makeup.

Many people would go for known makeups such as Maybelline, L’oreal, Avon, Yves Rocher, and there are too much of these to be named. But none would take time to look for what the mother nature has been providing for your own care. If only you would take your time searching, you would have find out that there are many alternatives for your favorite products such as Sbai-Arom and Rostedt. These are products use natural herbs which are mixed together with vegetables and fruits from Thailand that will make your skin better.

Sbai-Arom is quite famous in spa businesses and an etude has showed that Sbai-Arom is widely known in Europe among the spa professionals. The reason behind it is very simple. Because it is cheap and the fragrane that comes out of it is purely natural. The fragrance is very much different from the other counterparts. You might consider using Rostedt products also which are based on herbal medicine ingredients from different areas of Asia.

On the other hand, you will find other types of beauty care products that use less chemical products such as Oriental Princess, Mistine and Cute Press. Oriental Princess offers a variety of health & beauty products such as eyeliners, eye shadows, makeup foundations, lip gloss, lipstick and many skincare products. The same with Mistine and Cute Press which are highly affordable compared to the types of L’oreal, Maybelline and, etc.

Don’t you want to have a nice skin pattern same as a Thai lady? We bet yes as many other women who want to have skin as the sweet as the Thais.

As such, all the above natural products can be purchased directly from Thailand through JNL Siam Shop. It is said that the shop is a small family business that promotes the use of natural products.

Ear gauging is a way of stretching the piercing of an earlobe to larger diameters. These diameters can be a lot more than the original piercing, and go up to over an inch and more. It is usually carried out as a fashion statement, and to show that the recipient is ‘cool’. It cannot be described as ‘modern’, because King Tut had his ears stretched, as did Otzi the Iceman – way back in 3300 BC!

Many men have had their ears stretched to indicate their virility and sexual capabilities, although this is not as much a reason today as it was many years ago. Today, men have their ears stretched to make a fashion statement, or to follow the example of their favourite pop group. Thousands of years ago, however, the main purpose is believed to be to make a statement, not of fashion, but of stature in the tribe.

Chiefs had the largest stretching, while other male tribe members also used the size of their gauged ears to indicate their standing in the community. For women, this was often a means of adornment but also of signifying their womanhood, having started menstruation.

Why do people gauge earlobes today, and what benefits do they believe they get by doing so? Here is some information on how other communities regard earlobe gauging in today’s world.

A. Women of the Mursi People

The Mursi tribe live in Ethiopia, in the lower valley of the Omo River. After puberty, and once they reach about 15 to 18 years of age, their family – generally their mothers – will pierce their bottom lip (and sometimes also the top) and insert a wooden peg. This peg will regularly changed with a larger one until it reaches around 2 inches (4-5 cm) when it will be replaced with a wooden or ceramic plate.

This continues until it is felt the plate is large enough – from around 8 cm to over 22 cm (3 inches to over 9 inches in diameter). These young women will also have their ears pierced and then stretched until the gauge of their earlobes is considered acceptable for the tribe or community.

The young women that have undergone this ordeal are then known as Bhansanai, as described earlier, and are regarded with more respect within their community. The ear gauge discs and lip plugs should be worn at specific ceremonial occasions (weddings, serving food and others). The custom is no longer obligatory, and young Mursi women now have the choice whether to follow the tradition or not.

B. Ear Gauging Among the Masai

Although ear gauging has been customary among men and women of the Masai tribe in Kenya, young men have been increasingly reluctant to adopt the practice. Many women, however, still regard gauged ears as giving her status within her tribe, and will submit to piercing at an early age, using thorns, sharpened sticks or even sharp animal bones.

Ear gauging can then be carried out the traditional way or the modern way, both being used today in Kenya. Traditionally, the fistula is stretched by wearing heavy jewellery made of stones or heavy beads. The weight stretches the piercing, with the result that the gauge will increase with age. A typical Kenyan woman’s earlobe will have a long gauge rather than a neat round hole.

Modern methods can also be used, such as insertion tapers that progressively increase the gauging diameter with each size of taper. The type of plugs and decoration used can range from cross-cut elephant tusks and animal bones or horns, to decorative stones, wooden plugs and beaded items.

C. The Nigerian and Central African Fulani Tribe

Ear gauging is common among Fulani women, although the gauge tends to be higher than that of other African peoples. The higher gauge, of course, means a smaller diameter hole, and the gauging of the Fulani women are often fitted with hoops rather than proper plugs or flesh tunnels. These hoops are then used to hang earrings and other forms of ear decoration and jewellery. Another form of jewellery used by the Fulani are massive golden domes fitted into the gauged piercing.

D. Thailand and Myanmar Customs

The Lahu people of Thailand practice ear gauging in much the same way as the Masai. Known as the long ear technique, they too load their piercings with heavy jewellery so as to stretch out the size of the hole in their earlobes. The same is true in central Myanmar, where the Karen-Paduang people also stretch their earlobes using this method. To women it is means of beautifying them, while men believe it offers them greater strength. This tribe also lives in the Phrae province of Thailand where they observe the same practices.

E. Ear gauging in Aztec and Mayan Culture

The Mayans and Aztecs of Mexico and Central America also wore ear gauges designed to give them permanent large-diameter ear piercings. In Mayan culture, jade plugs or flesh tunnels were a sign of wealth and status, although people also used shells, stone, bone and wood. The Aztecs tended to use metals to which they had easy access, such as gold, silver and copper, although they also used the same materials as the Mayans who lived in an earlier era. Some of the most beautiful Aztec metal craftsmanship can be viewed to this day in the form of fabulous ear spools or plugs intended for use with gauged ears.

Ear gauging is used today by both men and women as a means of bodily adornment and to express their individualism just as they were by the ancient Ainu of Japan, or the Dayaks and Berawan of Borneo. There is vast range of ear jewellery available online today that can be used for normal piercings or for ear gauging. By checking this out you can enjoy expressing your own personality on the way you look to others.