6 Beauty Tips From A Senegalese Surfer Babe
6 Beauty Tips From a Senegalese Surfer Babe
Close your eyes and imagine a surfer. More likely than not, the image conjured is one of an impossibly tanned, shaggy towheaded figure emerging from the ocean in bodycon neoprene. “There’s often an association between surf culture and blond Australian or Californian beach bums,” says Yodit Eklund, founder of Senegal-based Bantu Wax, a lifestyle surf brand with a mission to change the stereotypical image surrounding surfers. “In Dakar, I surf with kids who learned to surf before they could swim; in Morocco, there are guys who are super religious, but they get out of their djellaba and into a wetsuit and are nice enough to let me take their waves. There are many beach babes from many different tribes.”
Growing up between Ghana, Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, and California, Yodit is a surfer and swimmer herself, and has clocked countless hours at the beach. “I go to the beach at least five times a week in Dakar,” she says of her current home base. “But I’m not the type of girl who likes to just lie on the beach—I need to be active.” But however brave she may be paddling into the waves of the Almadies Peninsula in Senegal or Anchor Point in Morocco, she admits she takes a softer approach to skincare. “Salt can be harsh and drying for my skin and hair,” she says, recalling times she was unprotected in the water, leaving her thick curly hair dehydrated and brittled. Here, Eklund walks us through her summertime essentials that beat the heat, sun, and sea for surfers—from all over the globe, with an array of skin types and hair textures—and non-surfers alike. After all, she says, “At Bantu Wax, we want everyone to feel like they belong.”
Get generous with your sunscreen.
“Women in Africa underestimate the necessity of wearing sunblock. Everyone needs to protect their skin; Bob Marley died of melanoma, after all. I like to use this great sunblock I buy from a spa in Ethiopia called Tilla.”
Turn to braids for extra conditioning.
“I would describe my hair as “Scary Spice”—thick and curly. I like to braid my hair into two or three braids when I’m in and out the water. It avoids the annoyance of hair getting in my face, and you can keep an oil or conditioner in it throughout the day so it doesn’t get damaged. I really love Shu Uemura’s hair products, especially the Black Cumin, and I also like to buy argan oil on the drive from Marrakech to our store in Taghazout, Morocco from the different women’s cooperatives."
Always listen to your skin.
“I love using a variety of different oils before and after sun exposure on both my hair and face. I try to pay attention to what my skin feels like and what it needs. I really like the consistency of this baobab oil that I buy in Dakar, since it’s thick and hydrating but not at all greasy. I buy it here in Senegal since you can find it pretty much everywhere, and it’s not too expensive. My skin always feel super soft and nourished after I use it. For [after-sun recovery], my friends make Obal oil, a combination of argan, sour cherry, sweet almond oils, and a few other essential oils. It’s amazing for the face, especially after a long day at the beach, so I like to apply it in the evenings.”
Hydrate from the inside out.
“What I drink and eat is such a big part of my beauty routine. For a day at the beach, I drink lots of water to keep my skin and hair hydrated, but fruit is also great for this too. I absolutely love watermelon! And if I happen to forget to bring fruit with me to the beach, there’s almost always someone selling mangos, berries, or some kind of fresh juice for me to grab.”
Forget makeup, double up on fragrance.
“I like to keep it pretty low-key when it comes to makeup, so my skin care routine really is my beauty routine. But if I do wear makeup to the beach, it’s typically eyeliner. Chanel’s Le Crayon Kôhl in noir stays put pretty much all day. And it if does smudge, it still looks great and creates a smoky look. And I like to wear perfume when I’m at the beach, surprisingly! Frederic Malle’s Portrait of a Lady is my favorite. I’ve always been a tomboy but somehow this makes me feel like a lady every time I wear it. I spray a little bit in the morning and I swear it lasts all day!”
Arm yourself with confidence.
“Being at the beach and chasing waves, you’ve got to be confident. Confidence [to me] is feeling healthy and happy. I have a trainer in Dakar who I do circuit training on the beach with a couple times a week. Dakar has a real workout culture. By 6:00 p.m., the whole city is out on the corniche or in their neighborhoods playing sports or working out. It’s really amazing because you’ll see people of all shapes, sizes, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds working out side by side.”