Nowadays when you walk into any Beauty Supply business, and you ask what the most common bestselling products are, and you’ll get a variety of different answers. No one really knows for sure.  So, we did a little bit of DATA Analysis. According to the data collected, the number one selling category was GELS and has been GELS for some times now.  The gel category ranges from just ordinary Styling gels, Braiding Gels to Edge Control Gels.  No wonder why hair care manufactures are consistently making new gels to fight over our limited but valuable shelf space.

Gels are such a popular item to have because of its versatility when it comes to usage. You can practically use Gels for EVERYTHING! You can use it on natural hair, colored hair, relaxed hair, basically all type of hair.  So, let’s break down the most popular gel types.

Braiding, loc, and twist gel

This category has skyrocketed because of the braid, loc and twist hair style “trends”.  Now, braiding, locking, and twisting hair has always been around for centuries, but more and more people are wearing these type of hair styles now, and the manufacturers are taking notice. Back then, when this hair styles weren’t as popular, the braiders and locticians would just use normal Styling Gels with a little extra hold, but because of the popularity, the manufactures had to make a certain gel type to meet the needs of this hair style. So, what are key factors consumers are looking for in a Braid or loc gel?

Braid and locking gels must have the hold. People are spending lot of time and money for this style. They want it to last. The do not want their braids or locs to come loose or frizz up. They need it to look tight as long as they can. So, in order to have the hold, the gel must maintain its consistency.

No flaking. It cannot flake up, or dry up and leave residue, which will cause a buildup in the hair. Remember, the style must last long because it is not cheap to get braids done.  Also, you probably wouldn’t want a gel that you might have to use daily to maintain the style to cause buildup residue.

It must SMELL incredible.   No matter what, out of all your senses, sense of smell will most likely determine if you are going to purchase a product or not, especially in the hair care industry. Also, you’ll want to have a strong scent that can overcome the staleness of just your natural hair scent.

Here are some popular Braid Gels that are popular amongst Braiders and Locticitans.

Edge Control Gels

what is edge control gel and what is the difference between regular gel and edge gels?

If you don’t know, “Edges” refer to the little “baby” hair that grow on the edges of your hair line, usually around the forehead around the temples to the ears.

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Women, especially in the African American culture, will style their edges or “Lay” the edges, to go along with all different types of hair styles.

Like the early Braiders, people use to only use regular strong holding gels to lay the edges or style the edges, then the manufacturer saw the need to make a gel just for that purpose. Then the more the manufacturers researched, the edge control had to have category of its own. Because of all the different hair texture types and curl types, more and more different kinds of edge control were developed to cater to these needs. Later came the pomades and waxes.

So, what makes a great edge control?

The basic characteristics of an edge control is that it must hold the edges in place, preferably maintain the “all-day” hold, and it must not flake, because who wants to walk around with white flaky particles in your hair?

Not all Edge gels are “one size fits all”. That explains why there are so many different edge controls currently in the market and many more coming down the pipeline.

One of the most popular characteristics that consumers are looking for in an Edge control is the ability to maintain and hold the 4c or coarse hair.  4C is kinky curly.  The Edge control must be strong enough to straighten most of the curls and lay it down to the skin and hold it there for a long period of time.  It seems very tough to accomplish this with just a gel. It is true. That is why manufactures are having a difficult time to develop the “right” one, and also, that is why some people have used actual “glue” in the past to achieve this goal. Currently, it seems like whoever can make a gel that can hold the 4c type hair without all the negatives will win the edge control battle.

Now just as important as the “Hold” of the edge controls, the looks and appearance of the gel is very important. Because of so many edge controls in the industry, it must stand out. In the past,  we have seen bright colored packaging to please the eyes have succeeded over others.

Here are one of the most popular and the Newest Edge controls that are Strong enough to Hold those stubborn edges that just hit the market.

Shine’n Jams Rainbow Edges – by Ampro It comes in 5 different flavors, each with its own special characteristics.

Not only does these have the Extra hold and Extra Shine, but it also smells amazing. Its non-flaking, of course. This is the type of Edge control that the consumer will latch on to because it meets the requirements for a quality Edge Control Gel. This is what the customers will look for. And lastly, this is a GOOD size (4oz) edge control.

There are tons of hair care products currently in the market right now. It can be confusing for the consumers as well as sellers or the storeowners.  We can’t stop the trends or limit the styles that come out every day or every month or every year.   The best we can do is to educate ourselves to help our consumers to meet their needs.  In order to be successful as sellers of the Beauty industry, we must learn the needs of our consumers and know why it needed. Then, it will be easier to run a successful business.