Updated: August 17, 2022
In this post, we’re going to be talking about where Chebe powder comes from. We’ll also cover the benefits of Chebe butter and how it works for type 4 hair. And finally, we’ll cover how exactly you can use Chebe powder in your curly hair routine.
Are you curious about Chebe powder? Are you wondering if this Chebe powder can actually grow 4C hair long, like all the claims?
The History of Chebe Powder
The Basara Arab women of Chad, as a group, have the longest hair in Western Africa. They have type 4 hair that they are able to consistently grow and maintain up to thigh length.
When asked about their secret, they attribute it to Chebe Powder. And not their genetics! To prove this, they cite the fact that they don’t apply the powder to the front of their hair, and that part of the hair stays short and kinky.
Their hair may not appear to be type 4, but this is because of the literal weight of the Chebe powder on their 4c hair which weighs it down. The weight of the Chebe powder then stretches out their curls and prevents it from shrinking. This causes the curl pattern to appear different from 4C.
How to Make Chebe Powder for 4C Hair
Chebe powder is made of a mix of:
- Shébé seeds (Croton zambesicus)
- Mahllaba soubiane seeds (cherry plant)
- Missic stone for fragrance
- Cloves (we have an entire article about cloves here)
- Samurh, a resin
- Fragranced oil
Each ingredient is roasted, manually ground, and sieved until it becomes a powder.
Next, you choose your favorite hair butter or oil to use with the mixture. Traditionally, the mixture was made with beef fat, but they changed this because of its strong smell. Now, you can use it with any hair butter or oil of your choice.
Where to Buy Chebe Powder for 4c Hair
You can buy Chebe powder or Chebe butter for 4C hair from these reputable sources:
Why Chebe Powder works for 4C Hair
Though Chebe powder or chebe butter don’t magically grow 4C hair out faster, it does provide a few other benefits. These benefits then provide the best conditions for healthy hair growth from the scalp and length retention down the strand. It does this in the following ways:
1. It is a natural pH balancer
The natural pH level of the scalp is between 4.5 and 5.0. If that pH level is off, it can cause problems like dry, frizzy hair and an irritated scalp. Once this happens, the hair needs to be rebalanced. Chebe powder has tons of alkaloids in it that make it perfect for neutralizing the pH of the scalp.
2. It is anti-inflammatory
The ingredients in Chebe powder have anti-inflammatory properties. i.e. when your scalp is irritated or itchy for any reason, then Chebe powder is a great solution. Chebe powder will soothe and heal your scalp so that your follicles can get back to growing your strong hair.
3. It is moisturizing
When used with a great oil or butter, Chebe powder provides great lubrication and moisture benefits for 4c hair. It locks all the moisture and value of the herbs into the hair until the next washday.
4. It reinforces the hair strand
Chebe powder works to reinforce the hair strand and prevent it from breaking. As a result, the Chadian women are able to retain such lengthy hair. Because it is also used with protective styling, they almost never experience breakage.
4 Way to Use Chebe Powder on 4C Hair
Chebe powder is so versatile that you can either use it by itself or enhance it with other Ayurvedic herbs. Some Ayurvedic herbs that work well with Chebe include amla, fenugreek, cassia, ginseng, and aloe vera. For an even bigger boost, it can be used with Ayurvedic oils like castor oils and babassu oil or shea butter. Keep reading below for 4 different ways to use chebe powder on 4c hair!
1. The Traditional Way
Traditionally, the Chadian women apply this mixture to the hair using the following steps:
- Dampen a small 1-2 inch section of the hair with water
- Apply the Chebe powder to the damp hair, combing it through from root to tip using a wide-tooth comb
- Coat the hair with an oil or butter of your choice, and massage the hair strand
- Lightly finger detangle to remove shed hair
- Repeat all four steps until the hair is fully saturated
- Rebraid the section as a protective, low manipulation hairstyle
The process is repeated every 3-5 days.
2. In Your Deep Conditioner
You can add a teaspoon of Chebe powder into any deep conditioner of your choice and turn it into a Chebe Gloss! You can then take these steps to make the most of your Chebe deep conditioner for 4c hair.
- Apply the Chebe gloss to your hair in sections after shampooing it
- Cover it with a shower cap and leave it on for at least 30 minutes, but up to 4 hours (depending on your hair porosity)
- Optional: Apply heat during the deep conditioning process with a heating cap like this one to really maximize the benefits
- Rinse out the deep conditioner
- Moisturize and seal your hair using the LOC or LCO method
- Style your hair as usual – preferably in a low manipulation style
3. In Your Light Protein Treatment
Chebe powder can be used as a light protein treatment when mixed with eggs. So you would simply need to mix a teaspoon of Chebe powder in with 1-2 eggs. Then take the following steps:
- Apply the treatment to freshly washed hair
- Let it sit for 30 minutes
- Rinse the treatment out of your hair
- Follow up with a moisturizing deep conditioner
- Rinse and style your hair as usual
4. As Your Moisturizer (Chebe Butter)
You can choose to use Chebe powder in a way that’s very similar to the traditional one. You can reap the benefits of chebe by making butter with it. So if you’ve read our post on the LOC or LCO method, you understand what the cream should be. You would do the following steps to use Chebe powder the traditional way:
- Dampen the hair with water as your “L”
- Apply the Chebe powder to your hair as your “C”, or stir the chebe into your whipped shea butter mix (recipe here) to reap its benefits
- Seal it all in with your favorite oil as your “O”
You can watch this mini-documentary about the Chadian women of chad and see exactly how they use Chebe powder in their type 4 hair here:
