Prose: Do Custom Hair Care Formulas Really Work?

As you guys know, we’re on a mission to find clean hair care alternatives that really work.

And we have to say, the struggle is SO real on this one! Finding clean shampoos and conditioners that actually leave your hair clean and shiny and bouncy is tough. Is it that too much to ask? Some leave your hair too dry, others leave your hair too oily and others just simply stink. Like really…they smell bad. But we weren’t about to give up!

After seeing ad after ad for Prose, we knew we had to give this trendy brand a shot. Clean, custom-formulated shampoos and conditioners? Sign us up! Plus, a number of you were wondering if this brand was worth trying or not. So we’re here to help!

Remember our last custom hair care experiment with Function of Beauty? That was a total FAIL. But we both had very high hopes for Prose, and in the spirit of the blog, knew we had to give these custom formulas a try.

As per usual, we both had very different experiences! But before we get into that, let’s break down this brand for ya.

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Claudia’s Experiment with Prose

Alright guys, let’s get into the details! The Prose experience is very much like Function of Beauty where you start things off with a pretty detailed hair survey. They ask you everything from your current hair issues to your ultimate hair goals…to your scent and ingredient preferences!

They even customize your formula to work best with the quality of water in your city. How cool is that?

My first Prose shampoo + conditioner formula breakdown:

• Goals: Volume, smoothness and shine
• Scent: Perle (omg this scent is unreal!)
• Ingredients: Collagen, Lilac, Hyaluronic Acid, Vegetal Oil, Jujube Bark, Prebiotics, Wintergreen Extract, Fermented Rice Water, Oat Lipid, Sunflower Seed Extract, Apple Vinegar, Caviar Lime, Argan Oil, Sacha Oil, Yushi Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil
• Other Preferences: I chose a silicone-free, gluten-free, vegan formula

Ok first, check out those ingredients! I mean, talk about C-L-E-A-N! I was so excited to give these suckers a try. So I instantly hopped in the shower and gave these a go.

What I loved about Prose:

1. The scent is seriously AH-MAZING. It’s not too perfumy but also doesn’t smell too “earthy” and clean, you know what I mean? I highly recommend you try the Perle scent.
2. The shampoo lathers on so well!
3. It washes off very easily.
4. These formulas give your hair a lot of shine.

What I didn’t love about Prose:

1. The conditioner is doesn’t feel moisturizing at all in the shower. It feels like it’s not really doing much of anything!
2. I noticed I was losing way more hair in the shower than usual.
3. The next morning (or even when I blow dried right after), my hair was super gritty around the roots and the ends were very stringy. It looked like I hadn’t washed my hair in days!
4. There was no volume in sight.

I did feel like my hair got a little more used to the formulas the more I used them, but overall, my hair just didn’t feel light and bouncy and clean like normal.

So, I explained my woes to the Prose team, and they instantly started a reformulation process.

Second time’s a charm?

I have to say, the customer service at Prose is seriously great! If you have any issues with your formula, don’t hesitate to reach out them. They are extremely helpful! After all, satisfaction is guaranteed.

I was stoked to give these products a second chance. I really, really wanted to like them!

After giving this new set a try for a week, I noticed my hair was right back to its gritty, stringy state. Womp womp. Sam gave me the rest of her Shiny Leaf shampoo to finish off, and as soon as I used it, my hair was back to normal! Super light, bouncy and CLEAN.

Sadly, Prose is just not for me.

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Sam’s Experiment with Prose

My experiment and results are entirely different from Claudia’s! I guess that’s one of the perks of Uncover the Glow, you get two REAL opinions for the price of one!

(Except the price is free…lol.)

My Prose Shampoo and Conditioner Formula Breakdown:

Unlike Claudia, I decided to let the professional silicone live in my conditioner! Why? Well I’m honestly not all that opposed to them in my hair, especially conditioner because I only apply it to the ends!

What I didn’t love about Prose:

• The smell. Next time, I’ll try what Claudia picked!
• My hair didn’t get any more voluminous…but that’s okay! I’ve come to terms with having flat hair unless I use my favorite styling products.
• I just sat here trying to think of another thing I don’t like and I’ve got nothing!

I’m so happy I tried Prose, but I’m totally bummed it didn’t work for my bestie. I’m definitely reordering my formula when I run out!

So what’s the verdict?

Well friends, as you can see we had veeery different experiences with this brand! But of course, everyone’s hair is different and you have to go through a TON of trial and error to find the formulas that work best for you. With that being said, here are our final score breakdowns for Prose!

Let us know what clean shampoos and conditioners you’re currently experiment with below!