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The age-old beauty tradition has garnered quite a bit of popularity lately among folks with Afro-textured hair.
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But with chebe popping up in formulations, we wondered how does the stuff work anyway?
We asked the experts to dish on the hype surrounding the so-called miracle growth treatment.
The plant is believed to soften hair and make it feel thicker.
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New Jersey-based cosmetic chemistGinger Kingsays, “It’s good for hair conditioning, especially for textured hair.”
The women of Chad use the powder in conjunction with protective styling, Okereke notes.
In the West, beauty brands are using chebe powder a bit differently.
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“Conditioner is cationic, meaning it has the affinity to attach to hair,” she says.
Looser textures may have a bit of an issue with chebe.
“It could weigh [the hair] down,” explains King.
She recommends using a chebe powder from a manufacturer that has already done their own testing on the products.
Salwa Petersen’s Chebe du Tchad Hair Creamis one of the chebe products she is looking forward to using.
“Instead, chebe is thought to help with length retention due to its pH balancing and moisturizing properties.
“I’m looking forward to trying it myself.”
Mix with your favorite oil or hair conditioner.
Apply on wet hair until every strand is covered don’t forget to avoid your scalp.
Leave it on for no more than three hours.
For best results, the brand suggests using it every three to five days.
Then, stir in a teaspoon of the powder and apply to your hair.
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