Prose’s custom haircare advertisements have adopted me across the Internet for years, promising to ship the perfect hair of my life by means of shampoo and conditioner designed particularly for me. But as somebody who used to purchase all her magnificence merchandise on the drugstore, plucking merchandise off the shelf as I rushed some other place, the sticker shock all the time prevented me from attempting Prose. The firm’s bespoke haircare runs at $25 every for shampoo and conditioner, and $38 for a scalp masks. I didn’t even wish to know what costly shampoo was like: I didn’t want that added expense in my life. But then, after all, the pandemic occurred, and I had extra time to rethink my magnificence routines as my merchandise ran out. So when Prose supplied to ship me a set of merchandise to attempt, I believed, Why not? I used to be skeptical that they might be that a lot better than the common stuff, however given how sometimes I used to be going out or dressing up, a custom shampoo appeared like a small, attainable indulgence. And so it’s with extremely mushy and voluminous hair, and a lighter pockets, that I inform you: This custom shampoo is so price it.The strategy of ordering Prose begins with taking the corporate’s on-line evaluation, a a number of selection quiz of kinds about your hair size, texture, and targets. It additionally takes into consideration your atmosphere (together with local weather, city or rural setting, and so on. and even zip code) and well being habits—a set of questions that felt barely invasive. After I chosen my traits (size: lengthy, texture: straight, location: suburban, local weather: temperate), the Prose algorithm got here up with a set of custom merchandise. In my case, that meant a pre-shampoo scalp masks, a shampoo and conditioner, a leave-in conditioner mist, and a dry shampoo. This was, admittedly, a number of extra steps than I usually embrace in my haircare routine, however within the curiosity of giving the system a good shot, I ordered all 5.[Photos: courtesy Prose]The merchandise arrived—in two batches—just a few weeks later, neatly packaged in particular person bins with accompanying directions. The formulation themselves are available in darkish brown bottles with purple, peach, coral, and gentle blue labels, which checklist your identify, the 2 predominant targets of the product, and, oddly, your zip code. I dove into them nearly instantly, and tried (at the very least for the primary few run-throughs) to comply with the directions to a tee. The very first thing I seen about my Prose merchandise was the scent. My scalp masks got here in a lovely, costly smelling Eucalyptus perfume. For my shampoo and conditioner, I had chosen the Perle scent (“a powdery and musky scent made up of bergamot, white lilac, and musk”), and discovered it a little bit too mature for my style. Which is to say: It smelled like my grandmother’s fragrance. But that one is on me—the corporate has a half-dozen choices for scents, so I’m optimistic that my subsequent order will swimsuit my style higher.As famous within the directions that got here with my set, I began my bathe routine with the scalp masks, a dense, darkish, natural goop with a gritty texture. I’ve a number of hair, and discovered it tough to use the masks in a means the place it felt like I used to be truly reaching my scalp, not simply coating my hair, nevertheless it smelled good and washed out simply. The actual magic got here within the shampoo. My present dwelling has actually onerous (mineralized) water, which makes getting cleaning soap and shampoo right into a lather tough. Prose’s shampoo instantly bubbled right into a satisfyingly sudsy state that made me really feel like I used to be capable of scrub each strand all the way down to the roots. Having chosen “quantity” as a significant hair purpose, I used to be to see how the conditioner turned out, as they usually are too heavy on my superb hair and weigh it down. But Prose’s gentle method (that includes plum and poppy oil, in response to my quiz) delivered good moisture, earlier than washing out utterly and leaving my superb strands mushy and easy however under no circumstances oversaturated. After I obtained out of the bathe and towel dried my hair, I additionally utilized the leave-in conditioner mist, and had an easy time combing out the ever-present knots that seem every time my hair will get near waist-length.[Photo: courtesy Prose]I used to be pleasantly (and a bit begrudgingly) stunned to see how rapidly my hair appeared to react to Prose. It was shiny, easy, and did certainly have extra quantity than it had with my drugstore go-to. Two months into utilizing the merchandise, it looks like I can go longer between washes than I as soon as did (from thrice per week to 2 and even one), with hair that stays mushy, buoyant, and flower-scented for much longer. I’ve seen that not like another “volumizing” shampoos I’ve used, Prose appears to nourish my strands, conserving the ends easy and mushy, whereas nonetheless giving my roots a lift. And to high it off, Prose’s formulation are “clear,” which means they don’t use any harsh chemical, parabens, phthalates, or different icky and scary chemical substances.There are just a few caveats: I’m not satisfied that I would like your entire system Prose beneficial. After testing it out just a few instances, I hardly ever attain for the $38 pre-shampoo scalp masks, which appears pointless except you’ve particular dandruff or sensitivity points. And whereas the dry shampoo the corporate despatched definitely works, I discover it inefficient for my life; it is available in an eco-friendly, non-aerosol bottle, and whereas I respect the gesture, I discover it onerous to model with and no more practical than a few of my drugstore staples. Overall, I’m impressed with Prose, and I’ll undoubtedly proceed ordering the shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in conditioning spray. The formulation really feel bespoke, the scents are wealthy and elegant (in case you decide the precise one for you), and the outcomes—for me—had been fairly plain. The firm additionally despatched me one among its boar bristle brushes, a fantastically crafted hair software that appears like a little bit little bit of luxurious each time I exploit it. These days, having a custom haircare routine—and nice outcomes—looks like an exquisite, attainable indulgence effectively price the associated fee. And hopefully quickly I’ll have the ability to showcase my well-manicured mane in the true world.Fast Company might obtain income for some hyperlinks to merchandise on our web site.
