Our first Oya Time Center has just opened in Africa, in the capital of Senegal in Dakar. A new challenge for one of the members of the In'Oya team, Anta, today Store Manager of this unique place designed for the beauty of black, dark and mixed skin.

ANTA FROM MARSEILLE TO DAKAR : SETTLING IN AFRICA, A CHALLENGE FOR THE AFRICAN DIASPORA 

What is your adventure with IN'OYA Laboratory?

In 2019, I had the chance to meet Mr Bengeloune and Ms Mkimer who are the founders of the IN'OYA brand. I joined the brand as a Customer Service Manager, then Marketing Assistant and finally Amazon Project Manager.

Being a very passionate person by nature, I was able to demonstrate a strong desire to succeed as a daughter of immigrants and I think that is why the founders, who had a project to open IN'OYA in Senegal, proposed me to be part of this adventure by becoming the manager of the first showroom of the brand.

It was an incredible opportunity. I accepted it without hesitation!  That's how I started this new experience.

Today I am the Store Manager of the Oya Time Center 221: my main missions are to supervise the daily operations of the showroom, making sure it runs smoothly and efficiently. I also take care of recruiting, training and motivating the sales team. I work every day to develop the sales activities and animate the Oya Time Center.

Wasn't the decision to live alone in Africa difficult? 

Yes, making the decision to live alone in Africa was not an easy one. First of all, because I am very close to my family and I have never lived anywhere else than in Marseille. I hadn't been to Senegal for a little over 10 years.

I had some thoughts that made me think a lot about my decision to leave France for Senegal. I was often asked "Why would you want to leave the comfort of the West? I also had some apprehensions because when you are born and raised in France, you don't necessarily have the mentality of your country of origin. We are torn between two cultures. You have to be solid in your head!

I am very proud to have made this choice even if it is true that it is a real challenge on a daily basis, both personally and professionally. Indeed, I was born and raised in France but I couldn't dream of anything better because today I work every day for women who look like me in my country. I feel more than ever at home, even if people make fun of my Wolof and my accent a little too toubab (Frenchy)

Today, is your daily life different between your life in Dakar and in Marseille?

I find that there is a slight similarity between life in Dakar and in Marseille because of the mildness of the climate, the sea, the friendliness and generosity of the inhabitants.

My daily life is a little more punctuated by my duties but also by the fact that when you move to a new country you have to make the effort to get to know and discover all the different environments and settings.

Senegal is a very pleasant country to live in. Contrary to what one might think, Dakar is a capital city that is developing at great speed. It is a colorful, lively city that offers many possibilities of visits. There is no lack of leisure activities!

To be honest my TO DO LIST of places to visit only increases as I discover the country. I share my daily life on my Instagram account @alltyhinganta for the most curious among you. 

OYA TIME CENTER - FOR THE BEAUTY OF BLACK, DARK AND MIXED RACE SKIN

Did you participate in the creation of the Oya Time Center?

I can say that I participated in the creation of the Oya Time Center because when I arrived in Dakar, the showroom was under construction. It was a real challenge because I had to imagine and organize everything. For example, we had to think about the purchase and installation of the equipment or the recruitment of our team of Oya Experts.

I love the idea of starting from scratch and designing a project as we go along. It was a real satisfaction to see the project come to life, to welcome our first clients and celebrate the launch of the adventure together. Our clients love the space and compliment it every day during visits.

What do we find in the Oya Time Center? 

The Oya Time Center has several areas:

• A diagnostic area with 4 skin diagnostic machines that measure the skin's moisture and sebum levels. The OYA SKIN DIAG 360° has the particularity of being able to determine the physiological age of the skin according to its texture, brown spots, redness, fine lines etc. This allows us to offer each of our Oya a personalized care protocol according to her skin type and problems.
• A make-up area where our Oya Experts can provide you with make-up services for your events and also give you precious beauty advice. You will discover our partner brands:
  • • Djuliciouscosmetics : a French brand of sparkling and colorful makeup, which offers a wide range of products such as eye shadow palettes, lipsticks, false eyelashes, etc.
    • BeRadiance: a brand made in France that offers healthy skin makeup. In other words, makeup for healthy skin: no perfume, no silicone, no preservatives.
• A cocktail bar where you can taste cocktails inspired by the whole world carefully prepared by us. The idea is to propose a world tour: the Caribbean, the Maghreb or Asia.  Each month, we travel to a different continent/country to make you discover different flavors. For the purchase of each cocktail we commit to donate the profits to an association.
• An "Agora" area, a space for discussion and exchange where we regularly organize workshops and master classes on various themes such as voluntary depigmentation, acceptance of frizzy hair or makeup. For example, we organized a masterclass with Khady Niang Diakhaté, a professional make-up artist from Dakar.
• A treatment institute where we offer personalized facials according to your skin problems: spots, imperfections or dull complexion

The word Time takes on its full meaning here because it is a space where women and men can spend a pleasant moment. We welcome them with a smile, full availability and listening skills to ensure that they can fully live their Oya Experience with us!

What types of treatments are offered at the Oya Time Center beauty salon?

The institute offers specific treatments for black, dark and mixed race skin.

This is the first time that the IN'OYA Laboratory has put forward its expertise in the development of a wide range of facial treatments. Our expertise is primarily in the treatment of hyperpigmentation spots and/or imperfections, but we also offer deep cleansing and lifting treatments, etc.

Just like our skin diagnosis machines, our care machines respect the cutaneous characteristics of pigmented skin.

We know that there is a strong trend towards voluntary depigmentation in Senegal. How do you accompany people who depigment their skin?

Indeed, we regularly receive people who use or have used lightening products. These people suffer from the side effects of the use of lightening products such as pimples, spots or stretch marks.

What is important to know is that we are never judgmental. Indeed, we understand with experience that the causes of voluntary depigmentation are very diverse and specific to each person. We therefore take the time to listen to them and to make them aware of the harmful effects of these lightening treatments on their skin as well as on their overall health. Our goal is that they understand first and foremost why they should stop depigmenting their skin.

Secondly, we offer them our support. This includes the proposal of a personalized care protocol according to their problematic. We reassure them that our treatments do not contain any dangerous or lightening molecules. On the contrary, they are patented active ingredients with clinically proven effectiveness. Afterwards, we regularly contact these people to review the progress of their treatment.

What types of events can we find at the Oya Time Center?

At the Oya Time Center, we regularly organize master classes on different themes such as makeup, hair care and skincare. We want the Oya Time Center to be a place where people can meet and exchange ideas.

For example, on International Women's Rights Day, we organized the first edition of the Oya Chic Event: a real moment between women, with an exhibition and sale to showcase brands made in Senegal and a debate on women's entrepreneurship.

We also participate in events held outside the Oya Time Center, such as the Dakar International Salonwhere we were able to offer skin diagnoses to visitors.

You have chosen to elect muses, what are their roles?

We chose to elect muses for the launch of the Oya Time Center in order to show that the identity of the brand and the Oya Time Center is first and foremost its Oya!

So from left to right we have:

• Anna: the muse who represents the brand IN'OYA and Skin Care
• Dieynaba : the first runner-up who represents the make-up and puts forward the products of the brand Djuliciouscosmetics and Be Radiance
• Sylvanna: the second runner-up who represents the hair, she highlights the products of the brand Les Secrets de Loly

The muses are real ambassadors for the Oya Time Center. They share the values of IN'OYA and the Oya Time Center.

That's why we regularly invite you to the Oya Time Center to attend future events with them.

Why do you think we should come to the Oya Time Center?

The Oya Time Center is a real meeting place to first offer a dermo-cosmetic service accompanied by an analysis of the skin's condition. The goal is to offer treatments adapted to each problem and therefore to treat each need in a unique way.

The space is glamorous, designer, chic, innovative, multi-ethnic, friendly and warm.

Our Oya Expertes really listen to and take care of everyone who walks through the door of the Oya Time Center!

We invite all those who wish to spend a pleasant moment, to learn a little more about the state of their skin and to find personalized adapted care, to come and visit us. We are located on the turn towards the old airport, on the same alignment as the BICIS bank. See you soon!