It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the plethora of options in your local store’s haircare section, but it turns out that most shampoo and conditioner formulas are fairly consistent across brands.
Function of Beauty, a new Y Combinator company, wants to change that.
The company allows users to pick their own scent and describe their hair type, which ranges from straight to curly, dry to oily, and thin to coarse. Users can then choose from a variety of hair goals, combining things like strengthening, heat protection, and anti-frizz.
Based on hair type and goals, Function of Beauty currently offers 450 million different combinations.
“The majority of products will cater to either a hair type or a specific goal,” said Zahir Dossa, cofounder and CEO. “Only a few cater to multiple objectives.”
If you’re unsure what you require, Function of Beauty offers an instant chat with a hair chemist to assist you in self-evaluation and goal setting. In the future, the company says it will offer a kit to help people figure out what formula they need.
For the time being, the team is filling each bottle by hand and using a software algorithm to determine ultra-precise shampoo and conditioner formulas. Function of Beauty, on the other hand, will eventually use an advanced robotics machine to automate the creation of each formula and the filling of the bottles.
“Once we build the machine, we’ll be able to handle 100 different ingredient blends, resulting in 900,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 “That figure dwarfs the world’s population, let alone the relatively small number of shampoo and conditioner options available.”
Aside from formula customization, the company also allows you to name your formula, which will be printed right on the bottle.
“Some people may be completely sold on the products they use and refuse to change a single thing,” Dossa said. “However, those people are few and far between, and even then, products must be rotated based on the season or a change in hairstyle.” “Based on these changes, we can quickly change formulas for customers, allowing an infinite number of tweaks so that our customers always have the perfect shampoo.”
By selling directly to customers online, Function of Beauty keeps prices low. A 16oz set will cost $38 and an 8oz set will cost $26. Low-end products such as Suave cost around $10 to $15, whereas high-end products such as Fekkai shampoo and conditioner can cost up to $50 per set.
Two MIT graduates, Zahir Dossa and Joshua Maciejewski, as well as Cosmetic Chemist Hien Nguyen, founded Function of Beauty. The company was primarily funded by the founders, with a $100k round from friends and family.
“Oh yeah, I heard someone talk about that on YouTube,” I’ve become someone who can’t hear about a product without saying. You can probably guess where this is going: I first learned about Function of Beauty, a personalised hair care brand, from a vlogger who was paid to review the product by the company. As a result, this post is #NotSpon.
The commercials are aimed at image-conscious young women who want to wash their hair with unique formulas while looking stylish. The bottles even come with a sticker page to personalise them.
What is the Purpose of Beauty?
The trendy brand bills itself as “the world’s first fully customizable hair care brand,” allowing you to customize shampoos, conditioners, and leave-in treatments based on your hair type, style goals, and even color and fragrance preferences.
All of the products are free of sulphates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oils, and gluten—ingredients that have been deemed unsuitable for a variety of reasons, including their effects on hair (sulphates can be drying), the environment (mineral oils do not biodegrade well), and even the user’s health (phthalates are linked to endocrine disruption if ingested, which means they could interfere with hormone production). They’re also cruelty-free and vegan, which means they don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or aren’t tested on animals.
The idea is that instead of worrying about those aforementioned “controversial” ingredients (if you want to avoid them), you should focus on what qualities you want your hair to have when choosing your perfect hair products.
Overview of Beauty’s Function
Hair, skin, and body care products customized for you are available from Function of Beauty, the world leader in customizable beauty (and only you). Each product is handcrafted using cutting-edge science and technology to ensure that your formulas are as one-of-a-kind as you are. A new custom self-care ritual awaits you, with literally trillions of possible formulations.
What It’s Like to Be a Function of Beauty Subscriber
For more personal experiences, read the reviews further down the page.
What is the Function of Beauty?
Begin by taking the hair, skin, and/or body quizzes.
Tell Function of Beauty about your hair, skin, and body, and select some preferences (including #hairgoals and #skingoals) along the way.
Function of Beauty creates your custom formula and delivers it to your doorstep.
Example of a Beauty Product’s Function
Hair products from Function of Beauty include everything from shampoo and conditioner to hair masks, hair serums, and co-wash. Body wash and body lotion, as well as face cleanser, moisturizer, and serum, are all available from Function of Beauty.
Beauty’s Function Pros and Cons
Pros
Formula that can be customised to meet a variety of hair and skin needs
Automatic deliveries according to your preferences
A wide range of products are available.
A welcome offer, members-only pricing, exclusive colour and fragrance options, early access to deals and product launches, and product testing are all included in the Function with Benefits membership programme.
Cons
After your order has been processed, there are no refunds or returns; however, the “You x Function Contract” provides a satisfaction guarantee, allowing first-time buyers 30 days to raise concerns, after which Function of Beauty will issue a one-time complimentary reformulation.
If you cancel your subscription after it has been processed, it will not take effect until the following billing cycle.
