Senegal & the facial: healthy skin first
The climate sets the agenda. In the dry season, the skin loses water and turns dull; during the rainy season (hivernage), the humid heat makes it shiny and encourages small blemishes; all year round, city dust and sand find their way into the pores. A well-performed facial responds to all three: it removes what the day has left behind, rehydrates and calms. And it reminds you of the step that matters most, every day, once you have left the salon: sun protection, whatever the colour of your skin.
The face also holds a special place in social life. A wedding, a naming ceremony, Korité or Tabaski: you want clear skin in the family photos, and the facial often joins the series of preparations leading up to the big day, along with the hairdo, the pedicure and the make-up.
There is one line we hold across the whole section. In Senegal, the Press Code bans advertising for skin-lightening products in the media, and voluntary depigmentation, xeesal, remains a real public health issue. Some of these products contain mercury, hydroquinone or corticosteroids diverted from their intended use; the World Health Organization warns about their effects, and the Minamata Convention aims to get mercury out of cosmetics. On the skin, dermatologists describe stretch marks, dark patches, thinning skin, acne and infections. The risk lies in the substances, not in the people who use them. The treatments presented here work on your complexion as it is: clean, nourished, radiant. None of them promises to lighten it.
Formats: from an express facial to a face and body package
- Express or simple facial: cleansing, mask and hydration in around twenty minutes, ideal between two appointments or at the end of a stay.
- Skin cleansing or deep cleansing: make-up removal, gentle exfoliation, extraction of impurities, a suitable mask; the basics for skin clogged with dust.
- Hydrating, oxygenating or radiance-boosting facial: for dull skin or skin dried out by the harmattan, aiming for a healthy glow, nothing more.
- Organic facial, oriental facial, eye contour treatment: variations focused on the products used or on a specific area.
- Men’s facial: cleansing and hydration designed for shaved skin, often irritated by razor burn.
- More advanced techniques: seaweed peel, dermaplaning, cold treatment. They call for more precautions (see below).
- Packages: a facial combined with a massage, a body scrub or, before a wedding, a pedicure and manicure.
To choose, start from your skin and your calendar rather than the name of the treatment: if your skin is sensitive or an event is coming up, stick to gentle treatments.
Where to get a facial in Senegal
- Dakar: the widest choice, in beauty salons, with a menu ranging from the express facial to a full one-hour treatment, men’s facials and face and body packages. Bookable on your own or for two.
- Cap Skirring, in Casamance: a half-hour session in a salon, with techniques and products suited to your skin type and to sun-exposed skin, or a 45-minute facial and massage package. The right moment is at the end of a beach day or the day before you leave.
When to get a facial
A facial happens indoors: you can book one all year round, whatever the weather. The season mainly decides the type of treatment. During the dry season, from November to May, and even more when the harmattan blows, mainly from December to February, the skin feels tight and turns dull: go for hydrating treatments. During the rainy season, from July to October, the humid heat calls instead for cleansing and a purifying mask.
The family calendar matters just as much. Before a wedding, a naming ceremony or a celebration, plan the facial a few days ahead rather than the day before, to give any redness time to fade. Korité and Tabaski move forward by about eleven days each year: check their dates early, as diaries fill up in the days before.
Good to know & budget
Before the treatment. Tell the practitioner whether your skin is dry, oily, combination or sensitive, if you have a known allergy, if you use a treatment on your face or if you are pregnant. If possible, come without make-up.
Dark skin and exfoliating techniques. On dark or mixed-race skin, irritation can leave a brown mark that takes time to fade. Peels, dermaplaning or vigorous scrubs are therefore not something to improvise: ask for a gentle technique if you are new to it, and mention any burning sensation during the treatment.
After the treatment. Your skin is more sensitive to the sun, especially after exfoliation: avoid the beach during the hottest hours on the same day, and wear a hat and sunscreen in the days that follow. That applies to Black skin too.
What a facial is not. A facial cleanses, hydrates and relaxes. It does not treat severe acne, persistent dark patches or a skin reaction: for those, see a dermatologist.
Booking and paying. The price of each treatment is shown on its listing, per person; it varies with the format and the length. You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day of the appointment. There are no additional official fees. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off (the exact rate is shown on each listing).
Who is it for?
If you are a resident, Senegalese or expatriate, you will find a maintenance appointment to slot into the year, at the change of season or before the holidays, with the resident rate. If you are a visitor, you will see it more as a break: a hydrating facial in Cap Skirring after several days on the beach, a cleansing facial in Dakar before the flight, ideally away from the sunniest hours. To round things off, see body treatments, traditional massage, make-up for the big day, or the whole wellness & relaxation section.
At the end of 2019, Senegal’s broadcasting regulator showed that the ban was not just a principle. After several reminders sent to television and radio stations, then a formal notice, it cut the signal of a private channel that kept broadcasting adverts for depigmenting creams. The screen stayed black for a few days, until early January 2020. Since then, the line has been clear for the whole beauty sector: you can sell clean, hydrated, protected skin, not lighter skin.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a facial last?
Around twenty minutes for an express facial in Dakar, half an hour in Cap Skirring, up to an hour for the longest treatment. Packages with a massage or a scrub last longer.
Can a facial lighten the skin?
No. In Senegal, the Press Code bans advertising for skin-lightening products in the media, and the treatments in this category aim for clean, hydrated, protected skin, in its natural colour.
Can I go out in the sun after a facial?
It’s best avoided on the same day, especially after a peel or a scrub. Wear sunscreen and a hat in the days that follow, whatever your skin tone.
Are facials suitable for men?
Yes. The Dakar menu offers a treatment designed for men’s skin, and cleansing and hydrating facials suit everyone.
How does payment work?
You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day of the appointment. There are no additional official fees; if you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off (the exact rate is shown on each listing).
