Breakage-Blowing Beauty Secret: Chebe Powder For Hair
Heat-styling tools may create beautiful beach waves and luxurious coils, but they can leave your locks damaged and vulnerable to breakage. Luckily, chebe powder offers a new breakage-busting beauty trend to protect against this damage:
Reddish-brown powder, mixed with water to form a paste-like consistency, is typically applied directly onto braids and twists and left in for three to five days before taking out.
How to Use
Moisturizing natural hair can be one of the hardest aspects of growing it out. Chebe powder could be just what's needed to keep it nourished and in tip-top condition; traditionally used by women of Chad's Basara tribe to maintain their locks in its best possible state, and now appearing in Western products as a fine brown powder.
Chebe's benefits for hair go beyond simply providing essential nutrition: according to some, its powder may also reduce breakage and promote faster hair growth, thanks to the hydrating shebe seeds (Croton zambesicus) it contains. These seeds strengthen your locks for less breakage and greater manageability of your locks.
Master Cosmetologist and Global Education Manager of Design Essentials Alicia Bailey says chebe helps keep natural hair hydrated for greater length retention and healthy growth. Chebe works by coating each individual strand, which maintains its moisture and elasticity - as well as detangling tangled strands and keeping them stretched - ultimately preventing single-strand knots.
Chebe can be used alone, but more commonly it's combined with other ingredients to produce customized hair products tailored specifically to meet individual needs and goals. You could use it to make a leave-in conditioner, hair oil for wear in braids and twists, pomade for styling your strands or even spray that helps tame flyaways.
Chebe is usually best used when combined with natural oils or butters to form a paste, then applied directly onto either your scalp or hair as part of a deep treatment treatment for up to three hours. Be prepared for some messiness as this recipe tends to get messy fast - all part of the fun! This DIY mix has become a mainstay in many naturalista's hair regimens and can easily be found online.
Benefits
Chebe powder has long been used by Basara women to keep their textured, waist-length locks from breaking off, but more recently has made its way into Western hair regimens thanks to its hydrating and strengthening properties - not to mention its ability to increase growth potential. Chebe powder "can reduce breakage while preventing dryness, making hair stronger and capable of growing longer," states Boston-based board-certified medical and cosmetic dermatologist Uchenna Okereke.
Master Cosmetologist and Global Education Manager of Design Essentials Alicia Bailey confirms this observation by noting how Chebe Powder keeps strands moisturized, aiding length retention. She further mentions how its ingredients can also reduce split ends while making detangling easier due to being more hydrated than before.
Posina advises against making definitive statements as to whether this product can actually grow hair; she notes that there are various factors involved, including genetics, stress levels, medical conditions such as hormone imbalances or diet as well as environmental influences that play an important role. "However if you are experiencing issues with breakage and length retention then this product may be ideal," says Posina.
If you want to give chebe powder a try, mix it with a carrier oil like Karkar oil, castor oil or shea butter in order to form a paste which can then be applied directly onto the scalp and hair strands. Next, cover your head in a shower cap and allow the mixture to set overnight before brushing out or combing out your locks.
Pre-shampoo powder treatments may also be applied by mixing it with water and applying to your hair before shampooing. When shopping for Chebe products online such as Amazon or eBay, be wary of unreliable vendors which could contain potentially unsafe ingredients.
Concerning the safety of Chebe powder, both Posina and Bailey believe it to be safe for sensitive skin types. Both recommend conducting a patch test prior to using to make sure no allergic reactions arise due to any of its components.
Precautions
Growing long, healthy locks may seem like an endless journey for curly-haired women, so people are constantly on the lookout for products to assist in reaching waist length locks. One such product is Chebe powder used by Basara tribe in Chad for decades to protect their locks from breakage while simultaneously keeping it hydrated and strong.
Even though this product resembles mud in texture and appearance, its benefits for hair health are numerous. Moisturizing can prevent dandruff and itching while helping balance pH levels is vital for overall hair wellness.
Traditional hair powder applications use mixing water and powder together to form a moisturizing paste for use on braids or twists for up to a week, leaving behind brown clay-like coloration with chalky textures. However, beauty brands may add the powder into other products like leave-in conditioners and oils in order to make using their products simpler and less messy.
Manchester-based hair stylist Rebecca Johnston recommends Chebe powder as a remedy for dry or damaged strands, due to its powerful hydrating properties. However, thinner locks shouldn't use too much Chebe powder since too much may lead to breakage; she advises using it mixed with an oil such as Karkar oil, castor oil or shea butter.
Chebe powder should not replace regular shampoo and conditioner; rather it serves as a deep conditioning treatment once or twice each month. For optimal results, mix chebe powder with your chosen hydrating hair oil in order to create a paste, which you then apply directly onto your locks. Once it has dried completely, the dark and grayish-black hue similar to that seen with tar will appear; leave this mixture in for at least 3-6 hours for optimal results.
Where to Buy
As any woman with curly locks knows, maintaining healthy locks requires moisture from within - something traditional beauty remedies like moisturizers and heat protectant sprays cannot do alone. Chebe powder for hair provides this crucial hydration source while helping your strands avoid breakage and achieve longer, healthier coils.
Women from the Basara ethnic group traditionally combine powder with an oil and tallow mix, then apply this paste directly onto their locks in order to maintain waist-length locks, according to board-certified medical and cosmetic dermatologist Uchenna Okereke in Boston. She believes this technique has allowed them to do just that.
The all-natural powder reportedly works by nourishing and protecting your hair, keeping it soft, supple, and tangle free. Furthermore, it helps regulate pH levels on the scalp at around 4.5-5.0, helping avoid issues such as dryness and itchy scalps.
Chebe powder is an aromatic combination of shebe seeds (from Croton zambesicus plants), mahllaba soubiane seeds, missic stone, and cloves that is typically sold loose. You may also find pre-packed sachets which you can mix with oil or butter to form a paste for use in your hair. Note: Due to its brown hue, those with lighter locks should avoid too frequently using it or it may stain their locks permanently.
For best results when using Chebe powder on your hair, begin by shampooing and conditioning it as usual. Next, mix a teaspoon of the powder with oil or butter (such as Karkar oil, castor oil or shea butter) of choice (Karkar oil, castor oil or shea butter) to form a paste and apply to hair strands under a scarf or bonnet for at least two hours before rinsing thoroughly afterwards. You could even combine Chebe powder with your deep conditioner for an added boost of nutrients and moisture!
Before applying chebe powder to your scalp for the first time, it is advisable to perform a patch test. As with all hair products, some people may react negatively to its natural ingredients which could include redness, itchiness or hair loss if any is detected during application. Should any signs of an allergic reaction be evident then discontinue usage immediately.