Hair growth – well we’re obsessed with it, of course. How to boost hair growth. How to maintain long hair. Foster faster hair growth through mindful meditation. Our appetite for length retention content remains insatiable. Taking tips from qualified experts to road testing weird and whacky potions – snail mucin, anyone? – search engines are working overtime to churn out results. In fact, market intelligence organisation, Spate, reports that hair growth is the top hair-related term searched on Google with an 86% surge in a month. So, when a throwback ingredient like chébé enters the arena with reports of miracle growth, do we believe the hype? We let the experts weigh in.
What is chébé powder?
“Chébé powder is formulated with a mixture of herbs, spices, and seeds, including cherry seeds, cloves, lavender crotons, stones, and resin tree sap”, explains Alice Dawkins of Milk & Blush. “It can reduce shedding and breakage by nourishing and hydrating locks for thicker and fuller-looking hair. While there is no direct evidence to suggest that it can increase the rate of hair growth, by improving hair health, it will increase hair retention and lead to better growth over time.”
Where does the chébé method come from?
The chébé method has its roots in Chad, North-Central Africa and dates back at least 7000 thousand years. It derives from a shrub from the tree of the same name, and it is commonly found in a mountainous region in Chad known as Guera. Women from a tribe native to the region named the Basara tribe, discovered that the leaves from the chébé plant could be harvested, roasted and then turned into chébé powder. The result? A powerful hair treatment with hair softening and strengthening qualities that encourage healthy hair growth.
What is the chébé method?
“The women of the Basara tribe are renowned for Rapunzel type hair lengths that would extend beyond their waists,” says Alicia Bailey hair expert and global education manager at Design Essentials. “They often wear it in protective styles coated in chébé paste allowing the hair to stay hydrated and protected from damage.”
A YouTube video filmed six years ago titled Long natural hair secret from Chad in Africa: Chebe powder – garnering 13 million views – shows women from the Bassara tribe applying the chébé method by roasting and grinding the chébé sap until it transforms to a reddish-brown powder form. Oils and butters are then added to the powder until it forms into a thick paste. Once set, it’s applied directly to the hair (avoiding the scalp), as it is intended to condition and strengthen the hair shaft rather than stimulate hair follicles.
How is it used today?
Granted the traditional chébé method is not cut out for today’s fast-paced lifestyle, but luckily there are options. The raw powder form can be purchased online and mixed with water or a carrier oil to create a paste. “I like to slater it on the length of my hair down to the tips to minimise split ends,” says influencer Rose Adams aka Natural Hairpedia. “I struggle with dry, frizzy hair, and mixing this paste has worked wonders to address those issues. It leaves my curls well-defined, hydrated, and visibly healthier. I’ve noticed less breakage and fewer split ends, which is a testament to its intensive repair capabilities.”
The new wave of chébé-infused hair products in the form of shampoos, conditioners, hair masks are proving to have equally impressive results. Hair entrepreneur, Salwa Petersen has created the first 100% natural proprietary extract organic chébé seed, proven to promote longer, stronger and softer hair. “I launched Chébé du Tchad Hair Cream, the world’s first mass-marketed product made with Chébé. Delivering results for all hair types and textures, it created an ongoing craze around the Chadian chébé hair ritual, playing a major role in the revelation of the ancestral ritual of chébé to the outside world. It has since been joined by seven other products, quickly becoming favourites among the textured hair community.”
Does it really work?
The chébé method is hailed for minimising breakage and retaining length. Hair types in the 3 and 4 categories tend to be fragile and therefore benefit from the strengthening properties of chébé. For example, the paste-like consistency when mixed with oils provides a barrier shielding the hair from environmental damage, friction, and over-manipulation. The blend of herbs in powder is believed to moisturise and fortify the hair shaft, making it less prone to breakage.
“If you want to maintain length retention it’s worth including chébé to your routine but it doesn’t actually promote more growth,” says award-winning hairdresser Hector Obeng. The cold truth is: there is no scientific evidence to suggest chébé powder directly stimulates new hair growth at the follicular level as this is largely determined by genetics, diet, and overall health. But in the quest of maintaining longer, stronger hair – it’s worth a try!
Brands to bookmark
Salwa Petersen Chébé Hair Milk, £18 // Design Essentials African Chébe Anti-Breakage Moisture Retention Shampoo, £14.29 // Sunny Isle Pure Chébé Intensive Repair Masque, £14.99 // Camille Rose Black Castor Oil And Chébé Buttercream, £14.99
