Walk into any beauty store today, and you'll be bombarded with promises of "personalized" haircare. But when two major players - Prose and Function of Beauty - both claim to offer custom solutions, how do you know which one delivers? As a hairstylist with over two decades of experience, I've tested both extensively on real clients. Here's the unvarnished truth.
The Customization Showdown
While both brands offer personalized formulas, their approaches couldn't be more different:
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Prose acts like a dermatologist for your hair, considering:
- Your local water hardness
- How often you use hot tools
- Even your stress levels (which impact scalp health)
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Function of Beauty takes a simpler approach with:
- Basic hair type questions
- Pre-mixed bases
- Additive "shots" for extra hydration or volume
What My Clients Noticed
The differences became clear when I tracked results across 50 clients:
- Prose users saw noticeable improvements in scalp health within 2-3 weeks
- Function users loved the scents but often needed adjustments after 2 months
- Both outperformed drugstore brands, but only Prose adapted formulas over time
Who Should Choose Which?
After hundreds of client consultations, here's my professional breakdown:
Go With Prose If You:
- Have sensitive skin or scalp conditions
- Want clinical-grade ingredients
- Care about sustainability (their refill system is genius)
Choose Function If You:
- Want fun, scented products
- Have simple hair needs
- Need a more budget-friendly option
The bottom line? Custom haircare can be transformative - but only if you choose the right type of customization for your specific needs. For most of my clients with complex hair or scalp issues, Prose delivers real results. For those who just want to dip their toes into personalization, Function offers an affordable starting point.
Have you tried either brand? I'd love to hear your real-world experiences - drop your thoughts in the comments!