What is Chebe Powder & How Effective is it As A Hair Mask?
Introduction : What is Chebe Powder?
This powder is a traditional formulation that has been used by African women for over centuries, and is thought to have originated from a central African country ‘Chad’ where women usually have thick, densely curled hair. So this traditional formulation has been created and used by the local women to make their natural hair type stronger and more styleable. With the internet and online shopping platforms it is now known and available worldwide by the name ‘Chebe powder’. It is said about it that it is primarily for hair growth, while it is not technically true about it since its ingredients do not directly affect growth of new hair cells in the scalp but it does so indirectly by first making the existing hair (including the new ones) stronger and less brittle.
Lavender croton or lavender fever berry or Croton zambesicus; Mahaleb cherry or St. Lucie Cherry or Prunus mahaleb; and cloves (the flowers of Syzygium aromaticum) are the main ingredients of Chebe powder with added Arabic gum, resin, vegetable oil and perfume for consistency.
Lavender croton is also known as Chebe, giving the powder its name. It is known for its hydrating effect on hair. Mahaleb cherry is known to nourish the hair and provide it with strength, shine and volume. It also repairs damaged hair. Cloves are known to improve blood circulation and prevent dry and rough hair.
Does It Really Grow Hair?
Hair growth is not the only parameter that defines hair health and its beautiful appearance. There are many other conditions, such as total hair volume and the thickness of each strand, the texture and how brittle it is individually and as a whole near the scalp, etc. So, we cannot call a hair type healthy if it is soft and fine but it breaks so easily that its softness doesn’t matter as much. Hair has to be strong in order to sustain growth and maintain other qualities as it grows since some hair types are extremely prone to splitting as they grow and it definitely overshadows their other beautiful characteristics.
Hair strength has also become the most important and desirable quality because these days there are so many trends and fashions in the beauty industry that even an ordinary girl wants to change her hairstyle every day. Frequent and different styling exposes hair to chemicals, protective serums (which are also chemicals), heat treatment and frequent washing which prevents normal oil secretion in the scalp and causes brittle hair, dandruff, rough and dry hair and what not. Rough hair can be smoothened and frizzy hair can be bound, curly hair can be straightened and straight hair can be curled, but weak hair cannot be frequently styled or treated in any way. Therefore the most (or only) desirable thing about hair is its strength.
So, while it may not instantly and directly grow new hair, Chebe powder is said to help prevent breakage and hair fall by strengthening it – and that leads to hair becoming healthier and more resistant to damage caused by the environment and styling methods.
How To Use And What To Expect?
It is recommended to use Chebe powder as a strengthening and conditioning mask on dry and brittle hair, and making curly and densely packed hair more manageable. Experts suggest that it be applied as a paste to cover whole hair once or twice a week and then washed off. However, one should take care to manage it since it can be sticky and messy to prepare and use especially if one is not used to preparing and applying hair masks on one’s own.
Usage Instructions :
- Take 100 ml of any hair oil that you usually use or would like to use, like pure coconut oil or any composite oil. Mix a tablespoon (around 18-10 grams) of Chebe powder into it and make a smooth paste.
- Wash hair as usual or wet it with plain water.
- Apply the prepared paste on to hair and again wet it with plain water.
- You can also use a hair cream to wet the hair.
- Take care not to apply to the scalp.
- Keep applying alternate layers of the paste and water/ cream until all the paste is utilized.
- Now tie the hair into a bun or a braid. Then again apply a layer of water so that all hair is wet.
- After at least an hour, wash the hair gently with mild shampoo and regular water according to season and temperature.
- It should be repeated after every three to five days.
One shouldn’t expect their hair to grow magically overnight like Rapunzel’s hair. Rather, restoration of broken and damaged tissues with all natural ingredients is a process that takes time and patience. Some experts suggest that people with thin hair should take extra care while using this since such masks may cause hair fall, making their effectiveness less apparent than their benefits. You can also mix your choice of hair serums into it while preparing the mask. It should ideally be used once every six days on an average. It can be the most beneficial for people with curly and thick hair types.
Conclusion
One’s body type and appearance is predominantly determined by their genetic buildup and hair is also a part of it. While you are most likely to have hair like your grandma, mother or father has, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything to make it better looking and more manageable. Hair health also depends on how much harmful circumstances it is exposed to and how healthy you are on the inside. Therefore diet and routine can boost your hair health and natural rejuvenating supplements like the Chebe powder can prevent it from damage caused by chemicals used in the manufacture of hair products.
