The wrong product or application however, can manifest a hot mess—you’ve seen it: dried-up, flaky edge control lingering on the hairline. If you can find a product that can leave your edges smooth, moisturized, and flake-free, you have struck gold.
We tested nine popular edge control products to determine which ones effectively achieved their claims: firmly holding edges in place while leaving them moisturized and easy to style. We also considered their ingredient-safety claims and, when possible, considered an ingredient assessment by CR partner SkinSafe, a comprehensive database that scores skin care and hair care products based on their lack of the top-most common allergy-causing ingredients identified by Mayo Clinic.
SkinSafe claims on its website that “Products with the SkinSAFE 100 mark have been verified by our team of experts to be free from commonly-known irritants and allergens, making them safe and suitable for even the most sensitive skin. Over 49% of contact skin allergies can be avoided simply by using the SkinSAFE 100-rated products.”
The good news is that all the products we found on SkinSafe scored a 91, meaning they were 91 percent top allergen-free, but all contained some other potential irritants (which we list below), and others were not on SkinSafe.
If you’re concerned about bias, fear not. We paid retail for our edge control products to ensure we get the same products you buy as a consumer. This is standard for all products CR tests, and we do not accept freebies from brands. Period!
Meet the Testers
• Camille Briggs: That’s me! I’m a CR freelancer and conducted my evaluations while my hair was natural, unrelaxed, and styled in Island Twists. I have coarse 4B/4C hair that I normally chemically relax. After removing my Island Twists, I relaxed my hair again and retested all of the products.
• Jennifer Ford: A CR freelancer with 4C hair who conducted her evaluations while wearing braids or a ponytail.
We have crowned a winner and named several honorable mentions, but recommend only about half of the products. Let’s get into it.
