Design Essentials

African Chebe Herbal Pre-Wash Intense Repair Masque

Mask / Weekly treatment, lightly emollient

Mask / treatment
multi
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Protein-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size12 fl oz

Price$17–18 Good valuecommonly seen · 12 oz

Price / oz$1.49/ozat 12 oz

Where to buy4 stores · $16.99–17.89

Scent:

Notes: herbal.

Manufacturer page: designessentials.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types All types Not in your profile

Moisture level High Not in your profile

Time on the hair Moderate Not in your profile

Slip / detangling High Not in your profile

Weight on hair Medium Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Protein None Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Low Not in your profile

Scent Mint & herbalStrength not recorded Not in your profile

Show all 22 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed Not in your profile

Essential oils None listed Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol None Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Cruelty-free · PETA-listed Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Not yet verified Not in your profile

Heavy humectants Heavy Not in your profile

Hard-water defence None Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

pH adjusted No adjuster listed Not in your profile

Ingredient list 28 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Masstige Not in your profile

Where to buy it Brand websiteOne channel Not in your profile

The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.

Start your consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Lower cost than most masks and treatments

$1.49/oz at 12 oz — less than 80% of the 341 masks and treatments , which mostly run $1.63–5.59/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added

Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

Whether your hair needs moisture, protein, or bond repair right now depends on your damage history and how your hair behaves wet — that is what the consultation works out.

Wash day

How it fits into wash day

Read from the product’s own directions on the date shown. A step the label leaves out is shown as not stated, never filled in.

When: Before shampoo — Conditioning the lengths
Start on: dry hair
Where: lengths
Label wait: 10–15 minutes
Then: rinse, then shampoo
Needs: a shampoo
Conditioner after: not stated on the label
How often: not stated on the label

Apply generously to dry hair before shampooing.
Leave on for 10–15 minutes.
Rinse.
Follow with your regular wash-day routine.

Browse technique guides (general — not matched to this product’s directions)

Source: brand page · checked 2026-09-16

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Oils and butters Present, lower down

Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Water-binding (humectants) High

Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here.

Slip and detangling High

Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula.

Time on the hair 10–15 min

Long enough that it is a planned step, not a shower add-on.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Fragrance Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

Ingredient	What it does	Why it matters	Chip
WaterDeionized Water	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Glycerin	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Cetyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol	Softens
Isopropyl Myristate	light ester	Light slip without much weight	Softens
Cetearyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol	Softens
Peg-16 Macadamia Glycerides	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Softens
Acetamide MEAAcetamide Monoethanolamine	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Detangles
Behentrimonium Methosulfate	conditioning agent	Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through	Detangles
Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Linalool	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. No protein — a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label.

Full ingredient list (28)

US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.

1 Water · Deionized Water

General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
2 Glycerin

General function
A small water-loving molecule that draws moisture into the hair and holds it there. It is the most common softening ingredient in conditioners and leave-ins.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.

Scientific Reports
- humectant
3 Cetyl Alcohol

General function
A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

DependsFine or easily flattened hair
Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

PubChem
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
4 Isopropyl Myristate

General function
A very light ester that makes products glide and disappear quickly on the hair.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

PubChem
- light ester
- emollient
5 Cetearyl Alcohol

General function
A waxy fatty alcohol - nothing like drying alcohol. It gives conditioners their body and leaves a soft, smoothing film on the hair.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

DependsFine or easily flattened hair
Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

PubChem
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
6 Peg-16 Macadamia Glycerides

General function
A plant fat made water-dispersible by ethoxylation. It softens the formula and helps the oil and water phases stay together.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- emulsifier
- emollient
7 Acetamide MEA · Acetamide Monoethanolamine

General function
A humectant that also improves slip, used in conditioners and styling creams.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- humectant
- conditioning agent
8 Behentrimonium Methosulfate

General function
A mild cationic conditioner known for heavy detangling with a light rinse-out feel. Common in curly-hair conditioners.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
A C22 conditioning quat, the chain length that deposits most heavily in electrokinetic testing. It is the slip coarse or porous hair usually needs, delivered by chain length rather than by charge alone.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

International Journal of Cosmetic Science
- conditioning agent
- emulsifier
9 chébé powder
- botanical extract
10 Quaternium-91

General function
A conditioning agent used in leave-ins for detangling without much weight.

Secondary ingredient
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

PubChem
- conditioning agent
11 Centrimonium Methosulfate
- conditioning agent
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
12 Pentylene Glycol · Pentylene Glycol (and) Propanediol

General function
A humectant that also helps preserve the formula, often used where a brand wants a short preservative list.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- humectant
- solvent
- preservative
13 Caprylyl Glycol

General function
A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- preservative
- humectant
14 Ethylhexylglycerin

General function
A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

PubChem
- preservative
- emollient
15 Chlorophensin
16 Polyquaternium-10

General function
A cellulose-based conditioning polymer that leaves a thin, static-reducing film. Very common in shampoos as the ingredient that keeps them from stripping.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold
Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
17 Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil

General function
A thick, tacky oil used for sealing ends and for slick, held-down styles.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
18 Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil · Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

General function
Marula oil - light, stable, used for shine and softness.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
19 Plantago Major Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
20 Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract
- botanical extract
21 Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Nut Extract
- botanical extract
22 Citrullus Vulgaris Seed Extract
- botanical extract
23 Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
24 Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
25 Tocopheryl Acetate
- antioxidant
- vitamin
26 Fragrance

General function
An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
27 Caramel Liquid #1884
- colourant
28 Linalool

General function
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen

What the whole list adds up to

7 emollients
7 botanical extracts
4 humectants
4 conditioning agents
3 preservatives
2 solvents
2 fatty alcohols
2 thickeners
2 emulsifiers
2 oils
2 fragrances
1 light ester
1 conditioning agent
1 film former

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-23. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 12 oz

Commonly seen $17–18 Midpoint $17.89 · 3 stores · checked Aug 30

Good value under $19 Under $1.57/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $19 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $24 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 12 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores

Design Essentials
$16.99

12 oz · $1.42/oz

Aug 30Lowest per oz
Target
$17.89

12 oz · $1.49/oz

Aug 30
Walmart
$17.89

12 oz · $1.49/oz

Aug 30

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.

How we work this out

12 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 12 oz at recognised stores — the cheapest quarter and the dearest quarter are left out, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
Good value under $19 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.57/oz; at 12 oz that is $19. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $24 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 12 oz.

Formula

Formula score

5 of 10

Not the most complete treatment formula we have read, but it is under most of the range for masks and treatments per ounce.

How the score is counted

Costs less per ounce than 80% of the 341 masks and treatments we’ve priced
No rich emollients in the formula
Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
Masstige tier, sold at Brand website

Rich emollientsThe depth a treatment step is built around.3 pts
Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
Protein or amino acidsThe strengthening side of a treatment.2 pts
A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
A stated dwell timeThe brand says how long to leave it on.1 pt
Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job

Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.

Design EssentialsLowest cost per oz Honey Crème Moisture Retention Masque $1.63/oz $0.14/oz more

Protein-free
Curly method
Silicone-free

· Same function

Wash day: this one is not a before-shampoo product

Compare

Carol's DaughterSame function Goddess Strength Curl Restoration Concentrate $1.96/oz $0.47/oz more

Protein-free
Curly method
Silicone-free

Differs: 5.1 oz bottle
Sold in drugstores and mass retail
Wash day: this one is not a before-shampoo product

Compare

BiolageSame function Bond Therapy Intensive Treatment $3.92/oz $2.43/oz more

Protein-free
Curly method
Silicone-free

Differs: 5.1 oz bottle
Sold through salons
Wash day: this one is not a before-shampoo product

Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits

Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein, looking for a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or very dry or very humid climates

Best alternative if not

Nothing in our library matches it closely at a lower price.

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Apply generously to dry hair before shampooing.

These are the brand’s directions for use, not a claim about the formula.

—

Stated by brand

How to use it, not a claim.

Leave on for 10–15 minutes, then rinse and continue the wash routine.

These are the brand’s directions for use, not a claim about the formula.

—

Stated by brand

How to use it, not a claim.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

Reviewers often praise softer, hydrated hair and easy detangling without a weighed-down feel.

first-party reviewers

Some pre-wash users value the product for making dry or brittle hair easier to comb after their wash routine.

first-party reviewers with dry/brittle hair

Some reviewers note a runny consistency, limited slip before detangling, slow rinsing, or a disliked scent.

first-party reviewers

How this page was made

Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
3 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
Ingredient references are linked for 11 of 16 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-08-25.

African Chebe Herbal Pre-Wash Intense Repair Masque

Is this right for you?

How it fits into wash day

Read from the label, not the marketing

The ingredients that change a decision

What the whole list adds up to

Should you buy it?

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

What people report

More from Design Essentials

How this page was made

Your personalized hair plan