Dry, Limp Curls? This Growth-Boosting Ingredient Can Help Make Them Juicy AF

Returning your curls and coils to their natural state after being chemically altered always comes with challenges. But with guidance from textured haircare professionals and a product lineup, transitioning can be a breeze. There are certainly essential ingredients you can find on the back of your everyday jars and bottles, but I've always wondered what I've been missing out on. Turns out, it was chébé seed and all the major benefits the naturally derived ingredient offers for tight textures.

To learn more about the widely underrated ingredient, I tapped two hair specialists and founders for the ins and outs of chébé. Keep reading for a look into the history of the chébé, how to get the most out of it, and the best expert-recommended products formulated with it.

Danielle Jinadu wears her healthy type 4 curls in a full afro

(Image credit: @daniellejinadu)

What Is Chébé?

Chébé seed comes from the Chébé tree (also known as Croton Zambesicus), most commonly found in the highlands of Chad, a country in Central Africa. For over 8000 years, Chadian women have roasted and sifted the seed into a powder as part of an ancestral ritual to achieve luxuriously softer, stronger, and longer hair. "This nutrient-rich seed is naturally packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and oleic acids—all essentials for beautiful hair," says Salwa Petersen, the Chad-born founder of chébé-based haircare company Salwa Petersen. "In techniques passed down from mother to daughter through generations, chébé is harvested, sun-dried, roasted, powdered, and mixed with other natural local ingredients."

Petersen, who was raised practicing the lengthy chébé hair ritual, spent years following her time at Harvard developing products for large names in beauty, but nothing compared to her unique experience with chébé. She returned to Chad in 2017 with the goal of "enhancing her culture's traditional ritual with the best of modern hair science." Her namesake brand launched shortly after, with her family land then transformed into an organic regenerative farm.

The Benefits of Adding Chébé to Your Hair Routine

Chébé is essential for maintaining healthy hair, and one of the reasons the women of Chad are celebrated for their long, healthy strands. In its purest form, the chébé seed is traditionally applied to clean hair and combined with water and oils to the hair shaft or length of the hair that's been sectioned. Once the mixture is applied to the hair, it's braided and left for three to five days (and sometimes reapplied once again after that).

According to Alicia Bailey, a licensed master cosmetologist and global education manager at Design Essentials, incorporating chébé can boost the health of all hair types, but is especially beneficial for curly and coily textures. "It's beneficial because it helps with moisture retention, less breakage due to increased elasticity, superior detangling, and overall manageability," she tells us. Adding chébé to your haircare routine can also address dry, damaged hair struggling to retain length.

Amaka Hamelijnck shows off her healthy, highlighted hair

(Image credit: @amaka.hamelijnck )

Getting The Most Out of Using Chébé

The traditional method requires chébé to be used as a leave-in treatment, but there are great products for individuals looking to streamline their chébé experience. For example, textured haircare line Design Essentials has an African chébé collection that blends the ingredient with cherry seeds, cloves, lavender crotons, and more to help protect and repair curls and coils. Another option is Salwa Petersen's line of products, which uses its 100% natural Chébébond Complex from single-source heirloom Chébé formulated in Paris.

So, how can someone ensure they get the most out of using chébé to elevate their haircare? Petersen and Bailey tell us it's all in the ingredients you use to amplify the benefits of the chébé seeds. "Chébé really plays well with a lot of other natural ingredients such as shea butter, aloe vera, flaxseed, green tea, and rosemary," says Petersen. Bailey also shares that it works well with plant oils like avocado, coconut, or sunflower. Chadian women also combine the seed with kakar and beef tallow oils.

Shop Our Favorite Chébé Products

Emmanuelle Koffi wears her full, bouncy curls with bangs

(Image credit: @emmanuellek_)

More Chébé Products to Try

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Maya Thomas
Assistant Beauty Editor
Maya Thomas is Who What Wear's assistant beauty editor based just outside of Seattle, Washington. Her strong love for all things beauty and fashion stems from a strong childhood interest in the fine arts. During a gap year spent in Paris studying the history of French fashion, she shifted her focus to English literature and journalism as a student at Loyola Marymount University with the goal of one day pursuing a career in fashion. After graduating in May 2021, Maya began freelancing for Parade.com as a contributing commerce writer while also building a following on her lifestyle blog, Itsmayalala.com. When she's not writing, Maya spends her free time catching up on reading, perusing art galleries, and enjoying a night out at the ballet every now and then.