For centuries, Chadian women have used this ancient ingredient.

All natural hair is beautiful, regardless of length or texture. Now, if maintaining length is one of your goals for 2023, then you may want to consider adding chebe to your routine.
Alicia Bailey, Design Essentials’ beauty guru and global education manager, also touts the benefits of this ingredient for hair. “It helps reduce split ends and breakage, keeps hair moist and extremely soft, and provides easier tangling, which helps maintain length,” she says.
Ready to learn more about Superstar Ingredients? Keep reading to discover all you need to know about chebe.
What is chebe?
As mentioned earlier, chebe is a Chadian “shrub that grows in the mountains” and is known for its ability to strengthen hair. So it’s easy to see why it’s been used by women in the country for centuries.
Peterson notes, however, that while the ingredient has started to become more popular in the West over the past few years, not all sesame seed powders are created equal.
“The kind that has this effect on hair only grows in specific areas of Chad,” she says. “I bought some powders on Amazon and other places on the Internet – none of them are chebe. i don’t know what that is – sand, henna, cigarette hash?” Oops.
That’s why she says it’s important to know where you’re getting your chebe from and who’s involved in the purchasing process.
“Beware of people who sell ‘African’ chebe, because it’s a completely different breed and has no effect on the hair,” she warns.
How do you use chebe?
Typically, the bush is crushed into a powder, then mixed with water, natural oils and butter and applied to the hair. “[You can use] shea butter or kaka oil,” Bailey shares. “Or [you can use] a carrier oil of choice, like sesame oil or coconut oil.”
Traditionally, Basara women in Chad gather together and take turns applying the moisturizing cream to each other’s hair strands while weaving each saturated section. The mixture is then left in the hair for a few days. However, for those of us in North America, if it’s been a while since you sat between your mother’s knees, feel free to use Petersen’s Chébé Du Tchad hair cream, which is the perfect leave-in treatment.
“The ritual of chebe is recorded in prehistoric petroglyphs,” she explains. “It has long been respected and passed down from generation to generation in Chad. I learned about it from my mother and the women in my family.”
How often should I apply chebe?
Traditionally, chebe is applied to the hair 2 to 3 times a week. But it can really be used as often as you like.
Bailey explains, “Some people may choose to use it as a leave-in, or if they can’t use it as Basara women traditionally do, they can use it in oil or butter.” “The women of Basara often apply it to their hair twice a week. They sometimes reapply the mixture every four days.”
What makes chebe good for hair?
“By applying the paste to the hair and braiding it, it keeps the hair moist and helps maintain length,” Bailey says. In turn, this prevents damage and breakage, which leads to healthier hair overall.
“A lot of women, especially black women with textured hair, feel like their hair isn’t growing out,” Peterson says. “Their hair grows back, it just breaks faster than it grows.”
Petersen’s line in particular has taken chebe to a new level by extracting the best ingredients and putting them into her products.
“My proprietary patented extract from my chebe seeds gives us unprecedented access to all of the seed’s active molecules to increase its strength and repair hair from the inside out, as if it were new,” she explains.
Is there anyone who should avoid chebe?
Bailey says those with great hair may notice a heavy feeling. But otherwise, chebe is a universally beneficial product, with only a few exceptions.
Petersen says, “It can also be challenging for people with locks or protective styles to use traditional chebe powder because it can get tangled in the hair and not rinse out properly.” “But as long as you have a genuine product from Chad, there are no contraindications. To be safer, you can do a patch test, and of course, if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, it’s recommended to consult your healthcare provider for advice. “
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