Should You Add Chebe Powder to Your Hair Care Routine?

This moisturizing ingredient may be the secret to longer, healthier curls.

@solangeknowles

Growing your hair out can be a long, grueling process, especially for curly-haired folks whose inches bounce up to a fraction of their actual length. Recently, Western hair care routines have benefitted from some wisdom courtesy of the Basara tribe in Chad, Africa. The women of Chad have long used chebe powder to help increase the length and sheen of their hair. Now, the fine, brown powder is making its way into our hair care products.

Those with thick, textured locks likely already know that moisture is key to maintaining the health and coil of your hair. That's where chebe powder can help. If you've been trying to grow out your hair, or simply repair damaged strands, see if you could benefit from adding this ingredient to your routine.

How does it work?

So does chebe powder really make your hair grow? Not exactly. Chebe powder can help moisturize and protect hair. It doesn't promote growth at the root like some other ingredients (rogaine, for example). Instead, chebe powder helps with length retention. In other words, it strengthens strands and leads to less breakage. Healthier hair grows longer.

Though the exact makeup of chebe powder can vary, it is typically a mix of all-natural ingredients, mainly the chebe grain, seeds, missic stone, cloves, resin, and oils. It is traditionally used to make a hair mask that works in tandem with protective styling. The paste is braided or twisted into the hair and left in for days at a time.

However, there are a variety of ways that the versatile powder can be used. You can treat chebe powder like other popular hair masks, and wash it out after leaving it in for an hour or two. Or, products are now coming out that incorporate the mixture into creams or other styling products. As popularity for this African gem grows, we may see it pop up in even more inventive ways.

Chebe Hair Products to Shop