Aimed at anyone wearing or installing braids, locs, twists, or cornrows who wants a gel that holds through the styling process and sets the finished look without leaving a stiff or flaky residue.

Works for both DIY home styling and professional braiders/loctitians. Best suited to textured and coily hair types typically styled into these protective styles.

For protective styles like braids, locs, and twists, the gel's main job is giving stylists working time and control while the style is being sectioned and wrapped, then locking that shape in as it dries — without the flaking or white cast that some braiding gels leave once fully dry. The castor and coconut oil content is there to offset some of the dryness that repeated braiding/twisting sessions can cause at the root.

Apply to clean, damp or dry hair before or during braiding, twisting, or retwisting. Work a small amount along the part, roots, and length of each section as you go, smoothing with fingers, a brush, or the tip of a comb for clean parts. Let the finished style dry fully — air-dry or under a hooded dryer — before separating or manipulating the hair further.

• Section clean, damp or dry hair
• Apply gel along the part and roots of each section
• Smooth with fingers, brush, or comb tip while braiding/twisting
• Style hairline/edges as desired
• Allow the style to dry fully before separating strands

Pros:

• Formulated specifically for the mechanics of braiding/twisting — holds hair in place during sectioning without the stickiness that makes strands hard to work with
• Contains castor and coconut oil, which help condition hair and roots during a styling process that can otherwise be drying
• Dries down clear and flake-free, which matters for styles left in for days or weeks

Cons:

• Contains synthetic dyes (Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1) and fragrance allergens (limonene, linalool, coumarin, benzyl salicylate), which can be an irritant for sensitive scalps
• Not a leave-in conditioner or deep treatment — its castor/coconut oil content supports the styling process rather than replacing a separate moisturizing routine
• African Pride does not market it as an edge-control product in its own right, so those wanting dedicated edge control may want a purpose-built edge gel alongside it