
The 11 Best Braid Sprays To Give Your Protective Style The Refresh It Craves

There’s nothing better than a fresh set of braids. From knotless to boho braids, twists, and locs, these signature summer styles are undefeated when it comes to the versatility and ease that they bring to our lives.
Still, the itchy scalp that comes with product build-up or dryness can totally ruin the vibe of having your hair newly done. And since we want our braids to last as long as possible, scratching at our roots is one of the quickest ways to undo all the fresh parting we sat for hours to get.
That’s why it is important to have go-to scalp care to help maintain your protective style and keep scalp sensitivities at bay. To help, we’ve put together a list of the best scalp sprays, tonic, and lotions to soothe and refresh your crown.
Oh So Strong! Shine Boosting Moisturizer
Aunt Jackie's
Aunt Jackie’s Oh So Strong! Shine Boosting Moisturizer is the perfect solution for maintaining fresh braids while enhancing shine and moisture. This specially formulated moisturizer is enriched with a refreshing blend of biotin, honey, rosemary, and mint, providing essential nourishment to both hair and scalp.
Use daily to keep your protective styles soft, moisturized, and brilliantly shiny.
Camille Rose Mint Condition Braid & Scalp Spray
Camille Rose
Experience the rejuvenating benefits of Camille Rose’s Mint Condition Braid & Scalp Spray, infused with a carefully crafted blend of essential oils, herbs, and sea moss. Designed to alleviate dryness and itching, Mint Condition provides instant relief while softening hair roots and revitalizing strands.
Nourish your scalp and promote healthy hair growth with our handcrafted herbal tea blend, enriched with aloe vera juice and sea moss, to strengthen hair and minimize breakage.
Tgin Rose Water Curl Refresher
Tgin
Tgin Rose Water Curl Refresher has all the goodness of rose water and coconut oil with a unique formula that revitalizes even the most irritated scalp conditions.
Say goodbye to dryness and frizz as this refreshing spray hydrates, smooths, and revitalizes your hair. Extend the life of your braids effortlessly and enjoy the added peace of mind, knowing your hair is in good hands.
As I Am Rosemary Hair Water
As I Am
Experience the calming scent of As I Am Rosemary Hair Water with rosemary and peppermint oil, ensuring a soothing and refreshing haircare experience. Utilizing advanced sub-micron technology, it enhances the scalp's protective barrier, while also balancing the pH levels of hair and scalp.
Mizani Scalp Care Soothing Scalp Lotion
Mizani
This leave-in treatment by Mizani is enriched with a soothing blend of aloe vera, avocado oil, and invigorating eucalyptus. Providing nourishment and a cooling sensation, it will revitalize your scalp for optimal health and comfort.
Pharm To Table Scalp Relief Tea Tree Leave-In Conditioner
Pharm To Table
If your scalp needs some recusing, then you might want to try this leave-in conditioner. Pharm To Table Scalp Relief is formulated with tea tree oil, mint, coconut oil, and biotin. This blend provides cooling comfort to dry, irritated scalps while imparting an invigorating fragrance that energizes the senses.
Uncle Funky’s Daughter Defunk Neutralizing Tonic
Uncle Funky's Daughter
Greasy, dry scalp, be gone! Defunk Hair Refresher Tonic is here to deliver your roots from itchiness and promote hair growth. Suitable for all hair types, it's a refreshing pick-me-up and effective in treating odor and buildup removal in locs, braids, and twists.
Mielle Rice Water And Aloe Braid And Scalp Moisturizer
Mielle Organics
Mielle’s Rice Water & Aloe Vera Braid & Scalp Moisturizer is a lightweight, non-greasy spray specially formulated to hydrate and condition braids and scalp without leaving any buildup. This all-in-one product instantly absorbs, providing deep moisture to maintain hair and scalp health throughout protective styling.
Design Essentials Peppermint & Aloe Scalp Tonic
Design Essentials
Revitalize your hair with Design Essentials® Peppermint & Aloe Soothing Scalp Tonic. This refreshing tonic clarifies and purifies the scalp, eliminating dirt and excess oils that cause irritation. Infused with natural peppermint and aloe, it calms, soothes, and stimulates the scalp, providing instant relief from itching.
Use as a pre-shampoo treatment or leave-in scalp treatment.
Sunday II Sunday Root Refresh Micellar Rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar
Sunday II Sunday
Sunday II Sunday’s dry shampoo alternative utilizes the cleansing power of apple cider vinegar and micellar water to refresh your hair and scalp. Enjoy hair that appears, feels, and smells rejuvenated between washes.
Jamaican Mango & Lime Braid Your Way 6-in-1 Soothes & Revives Braid Refresher
Jamaican Mango & Lime
There’s nothing like finding a product that covers all your bases, and this 6-in-1 Soothes & Revives Braid Refresher by Jamaican Mango & Lime does just that.
It promotes hair growth and reduces breakage and inflammation, all while keeping your hair protected, moisturized, and healthy.
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Featured image by Good Faces on Unsplash
Originally published on May 14, 2024
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Self-Validation, No Meals After 5 P.M. & The Wellness Rituals That Helped Lizzo Take Her Power Back
Don't let the "weight release" fool you, Lizzo's transformation wasn't just physical. It was spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. In her Women's Health cover story, the "Good As Hell" artist opened up about the low point that became the catalyst for radical change in her life, inside and out.
In the summer of 2023, Lizzo found herself at the center of what she calls painful allegations when some of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her. The 37-year-old singer has denied their claims, and though she has experienced "backlash my entire career," going through such legal woes coupled with public scrutiny proved to be detrimental to her mental health, leading her to one of the darkest periods of her life.
She told Women's Health, "I got very paranoid and isolated. I wasn’t even talking to my therapist. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t open. I wasn’t myself anymore."
After spending months in isolation, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, decided to go to a tour stop on the Renaissance World Tour. She was nervous that the public would shun her, boo her, or reject her, but instead, she was embraced. It shifted something in her and after feeling so in the dark, she saw the light again. "It made me feel like, wow, maybe I don’t want to die," she shared with Women's Health.
"That was the kick-starter to me being like, ‘Okay, Melissa, get your ass in gear and take your f*cking life back.’"
Her first step in Operation Get Your Life Back? Cutting out the external noise. She gave her team total control of her social media and stopped looking at comments. "My validation was from external sources, people telling me they loved me, or that I look good, and accepting me," she explained. "But if that’s all I’m getting my validation from, when it changes—and it will, because people are not always going to like you—what happens? Where are you going to get your love from?"
Lizzo continued, "I can convince myself that I’m beautiful, my body fine, no matter how big or small. But reminding myself that you can’t let others tell you who you are—that was hard work."
Lizzo started going to therapy again, she started practicing quigong meditation, reading books, journaling, and doing sound baths. She released unhealthy relationships, drank echinacea tea, and began incorporating Pilates as a means to "feel sacred" and "be gentle" with herself.
But what many have interpreted as a "weight loss transformation" after she popped out sharing she met her "weight release" goal earlier this year, Lizzo has clarified that it has been something deeper for her than the aesthetic of a smaller body. "I wanted to be big-girl skinny," she told the mag. "Every big girl knows what I’m talking about. Big-girl skinny is 250 pounds." According to her, it was her back issues that inspired her to take the physical part of her wellness journey seriously.
I DID IT! #weightrelease
@lizzo I DID IT! #weightrelease
Through her friend Kelly Rowland, she linked up with her now-trainer Marvin Telp and developed a fitness regimen that prioritized strength and intention. Her weekly schedule now includes moves like single-leg deadlifts, reverse flies, and lateral lunges, along with infrared sauna sessions and cardio. Add to that a change in eating habits after realizing her vegan diet no longer served her (to be fair, she wasn't doing the vegan thing the "healthiest" way).
All the meat substitutes, bread, cashew cheese, and soy left her bloated and lightheaded, so now she's switched things up a bit to fill the nutritional gaps. When it comes to diet, it's heavy on the protein and vegetables for Lizzo. A typical day eating looks like scrambled eggs and cauliflower hash browns for breakfast, Thai chicken salad or lettuce wraps for lunch, and turkey meatloaf with greens for dinner.
She also has a strict cutoff of no meals after 5 p.m. to support her GERD and give her body the time it needs before bed to digest her food sans the acid reflux. Of her relationship with food and wellness, she told Women's Health, "There's a balance. I think that's what true health is."
Read Lizzo's full cover story with Women's Health here.
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Featured image by Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock