Can You Do A Braidout Using A Leave-In Conditioner Without Gel?

Hi natural heads and those who just enjoy reading and learning about natural hair care.  My question to myself on yesterday was "Can you really do a braidout without gel?"  I really wanted to see if it would work on my hair.  Last night I co-washed my hair with Suave juicy green apple conditioner.  I then applied Giovanni Direct Leave- In as my leave in conditioner.  I purchased it last week at Whole Foods.  It is chuck full of great natural ingredients.

The ingredients in giovanni direct leave in conditioner are as follows: Aqua, Aloe Barbodensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja  (Soybean) Seed Extract, Betula Alba (Birch Extract), Malva Sylvestris (Mallow), Achillea Millefolium Extract, Chamomila Recutita (Matricaria), Flower Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Lavender Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Clary Extract, Thyme Extract, Coltsfoot flower Extract, Nettle Extract, Grapefruit Extract, Cetyl Alcohol,  Tocepherol (Vitamin E), Panthenol (Pro Vitamin B5), Citric Acid, Phenooxyethanol, Natural Fragrance.

On the front of the bottle it says: for all hair types- natural botanicals moisturize and detangle hair while infusing weightless body for easy styling.

So once, I applied the leave-in, I finger combed it through and then used a large detangling comb to comb it through my hair.  It was definitely a great detangler, with great slip.  In fact it detangled better than my favorite conditioner Suave juicy green apple.  It smelled like a flower garden, like rose petals to be exact.  It was white and reminded me of a creamy lotion.  Once applied it felt really light-weight and seemed frothy on my hair.  I  proceeded to add some olive oil and shea butter to my hair.  Next, I braided 8 braids, blotted my hair with a t-shirt to remove some moisture and then went to bed.  My hair was 85 percent dry this morning when I took it down.  I then used my blow-dryer to dry it completely, the same way that I do when I use gel and my hair is still damp in a few spots.  I noticed that my hair was extremely soft, like cotton.  My hair had a softer wave pattern as well compared to my braidouts with a little gel.  In fact it had more body on day 1.  I started to pull my hair up and then back to figure out how I was going to style it for the day.  Then I realized that my hair had more frizz than usual, and it lacked the extra "holding" power that gel gives my curls.  I instantly knew that this wouldn't last for the week, and that I would have to rebraid daily to maintain the definition in my hair.  If I didn't mind restyling daily, I would consider using the giovanni without gel.  However, I do enjoy the convenience of washing my hair once a week and adding products that will maintain my curl for  5-7 days so that I don't have to restyle unless I choose.  By the end of the day my hair was so stretched out, that I figured that the light hold would be a great way to stretch my hair if I ever decided to flat iron in the future.  I do leave conditioner on only when I'm wearing a puff, however since it's either humid or rainy in Chicago this Spring, I need something to give some "hold" to my curls.  In the future I plan to try the giovanni leave in conditioner again as a leave in underneath my gel.  For now, I just cowashed again , and did my regular routine.  You may ask why, and my response is because tomorrow's a work day (LOL).  So to answer the question: Can you do a braidout using a leave in conditioner without gel?  Yes, you can, however expect a softer hold, plus a great smell, softness, and awesome detangling if you use giovanni direct leave in conditioner.

Braidout with giovanni direct leave in conditioner without gel

I decided to place a few large twists across the front and pulled it up into a bun for the day.