Issa Rae's Hair Stylist Recommends These 10 Edge-Control Products (2024)

Just like disciplining a new pup, getting our edges to lie down on command can be a battle. There’s resistance, mild frustration, and unpredictable obedience. Let’s just say sometimes our canine counterparts get the lying down thing more consistently than our crowning glory. In an effort for amazing edges, a taming product is just what those baby hairs need to be swiftly sculpted into both artful and everyday designs.

When it comes to choosing a product, one formula doesn’t fit all, and finding one to suit your style and hair type may take some trial and error, says celebrity stylist Felicia Leatherwood whose client roster includes Issa Rae and Lenny Kravitz. She likens the picking process to those luck-of-the-draw arcade games where you maneuver a claw to obtain a stuffed animal. Things like body temperature and hair texture can affect edge-control efficacy. But rest assured, there are parameters to make finding your match easier.

“I try to stick with an edge control that’s a bit healthier and not overly shiny,” says Leatherwood. Paraben- and sulfate-free are a plus and ingredients like castor oil, shea butter, honey, and olive oil can help nourish the delicate hairline. While formula type is a preference, in general gels are better for a fancy, swirly baby-hair situation since they have stronger hold, says Leatherwood. As for best application practices, a dab will do ya, and an edge-control brush (you can even use a toothbrush) is helpful. Be sure to clean it with warm, not hot, water and alcohol before use, says Leatherwood.

And although you may want your hairline handiwork to endure, Leatherwood recommends washing out edge-control products regularly and not layering on more. You don’t want to create follicle-clogging buildup. “I mean, you can keep it on for a few days if you wrap your hair at night, but you don’t want to keep putting product on top of product,” she explains. A little water may be all you need to hit refresh and activate the gel come morning. To help you lay your edges like a pro, we rounded up some of Leatherwood’s picks and a few of our own.

Want to go all in on an edge extravaganza and for your swirls and swoops to last all day in 90 percent humidity? Then this is specially formulated to hold you down, quite literally. This lightweight water-based tamer is meant to give all-day hold no matter what your texture or type, whether you’re 1A or 4C.

“I’m letting out my secret here, but I have used this for years, and it’s become my go-to,” says Leatherwood. “It slicks everything down, you wrap it, and it comes out perfect.” The formula gives maximum hold, is free of alcohol, which can dry hair out, and has strand-strengthening keratin.

Hold, moisturization, and shine sans flaking makes this one a preferred option for a protective style like braids. After all, you want your ’do to go the distance looking fresh. You can use this pick both during the braiding process on the entire lengths of hair to smooth things down or just on edges anytime.

This find not only contains conditioning and moisturizing argan oil but also has temporary color to camouflage grays and give a hairline that may be sparse a fuller look. “It covers my thinning hair as well as tames the flyaways,” said one reviewer. It comes in an untinted version, too.

Search for stats on this product and you’ll see that it wins rave reviews for its scent, a signature of the brand’s (FYI, there’s an entire line with everything from leave-in conditioner to combing cream). Ingredients like aloe and shea butter help to keep hair amply hydrated while smoothing and taming frizz. Said one reviewer: “This product is the truth! I have locs and when a friend asked if I relaxed my edges, I knew then...it's the best edge slayer!”

There’s some baby-hair behavior that can be counteractive to optimal hair health. We want the fragile follicles along our hairline to flourish, but we also want to swirl, smooth, and slick it to our heart’s content, which can be damaging. This formula addresses both scenarios with fortifying castor-oil (beloved for promoting healthy hair growth) and glycerin—and it happens to be Leatherwood’s fave. Reviewers agree saying it also doesn’t leave buildup or any white residue.

This is Leatherwood’s pick for those with 4C hair texture. Why? “It holds really, really, really well. Black Panther is strong and serious,” she says. In fact, the description says it has Wakanda-level vibranium strength. If your hair is 4C, Leatherwood recommends starting your style the night before so it has time to set. “Put it on, wrap it really well, and the next day, you’ll have perfect edges.”

From Tracee Ellis Ross’s beloved Pattern brand, this baby-hair wonder is specially made to be gentle and keep breakage at bay (as Ross says, it’s formulated to be good to your hair). What’s great is that it has nice glide to it so you’re not tugging too much as you style.

A product that can do double duty? Sold. Eco gel is a staple in many a curly girl’s styling arsenal. It can be used not only to define texture but to also shape up edges, thanks to ample hold. Note that the brand’s olive oil iteration may not be the one with the most hold, but it has hydrating ingredients, making it efficacious from roots to tips.

This gel is part of the brand’s line made specifically to define natural textures (read curls, coils, and waves). It’s infused with a hair-healthy one-two nourishing punch of castor oil and mango butter for moisture. Although it does have subtle hold, it’s ideal for those who want one multitasker to use on the hair and hairline.