Typically, the shrub is pulverized into a powder, then mixed with water, natural oils, and butters and applied to the hair. "[You can use] shea butter or kakar oil," Bailey shares. "Or [you can use a] carrier oil of choice, like sesame or coconut."
Traditionally, the Basara women of Chad gather and take turns applying the moisturizing paste into each other's strands, while braiding each saturated section. The mixture is then left in the hair for several days. However, for those of us in North America, if it's been a while since you've sat between your mother's knees, feel free to apply Petersen's Chébé Du Tchad Hair Cream, which was perfectly designed as a leave-in treatment.
"The ritual of chebe is documented in prehistorical rock art paintings," she explains. "It has been long revered in Chad and passed down for generations. I learned about it from my mom and the women of my family."