The problem? Hair, hair and hair

With friends you can share almost anything: secrets, food and even your favorite lipstick, a daily product that cannot be really shared is shampoo. Every individual has a different hair type, which means that a one-size-fits-all hair care product no longer meets the needs of an individual customer (Chen, 2019). Today, the average drugstore has more than 600 hair products on their shelves. This true sea of shampoos, conditioners, gels and hair masks should imply that we’ve started to love our hair even more and that there is something in stock for everyone, right?  Well this is not really the case, the fact that there is plenty of choice does not immediately mean that the perfect hair product to match your hair is in there.

Is there really a solution for everyone?

Is not everything more beautiful when it is actually made for you? Personalization, it is a principle that is often applied in the clothing and food industry. However, when talking about a personalized product, the hair industry is often left out (Spire,2019). There are several hair products that can be used for obvious hair types which is not applicable for each individual with an exceptional hair type. Every hair is different, which implies that each individual is in need of a specific hair-care option. Your red soft curls probably need a completely different treatment than someone who has wavy dyed blonde hair. In addition to the hair type, the hair products that are currently on the shelves are not concerned about external factors such as the environment and stress levels that may have a major impact on the hair. The company Prose, founded in 2017, has started to change this and produces a personalized hair care brand that fits your hair perfectly. Prose wants to drastically change the hair industry by using a survey to design a hair arrangement made especially for the user. We have seen this type of personalization in everything but shampoo. While brands such as Ouai claim to also  and offer comparable hair care services, Prose claims to stand out from the competition by providing one the most thorough consultation services on the industry. The outcome? A personalized shampoo, conditioner and mask, each made from a combination of 76 possible ingredients (Olsen & Teich, 2019).

How does it work?

The composition of each hair is unique because of its simplicity or DNA, adding factors such as geographical location, lifestyle and styling patterns can make things a little more complicated. Prose takes all of this into consideration when designing their customized products (Prose,2019).

To arrive at the personalized product, you need to answer a series of questions online so Prose understands the hair needs, environment and lifestyle of the consumer. Prose’s hair quiz is an in-depth study resulting in 85 data points and asks questions about everything to be provided with as much information as possible (Prose,2019). Questions are asked about for example: what products the consumer usually styles the hair with, what diet is followed and even questions are asked about stress levels (Booz,2019). It focuses on the current hair situation to create the solution that is most suitable for the hair.

Based on the hair quiz, the company knows which ingredients should be included in the adapted formula. The answers to the questions create a unique product which makes the hair care personal, what given the multitude of hair types and needs, is necessary. Once finished the quiz, the consumers can choose which tailored products they want to buy.

Will the personalized hair product be efficient?

Prose sells three products: shampoo, conditioner and a hair mask. The prices of the first two aforementioned hair products have a price between the range of 25 and 38 dollar (Prose,2019). While the hair masks costs between 38 and 58 dollars. Consumers can expect to pay at least the double of what they were used to pay for hair products at a drugstore (Chen,2019). The high price can make consumers decide to buy mainstream and affordable hair products. However, when purchasing a Prose product, the consumer signs up for personalization and the online specific questionnaire makes it clear that the individual needs are being targeted and this is accompanied by a relatively higher price. In addition to determine the success, it must also be taken into account that the personalized hair products are not always successful products at the beginning since the first quiz does not always lead to the perfect formula (Booz,2019). This could become very expensive if the consumers continue to change their formula which may cause the consumer to decide not to make a purchase anymore. The organization itself believes that Prose’s high-quality and better-for-your-hair formulations make the higher costs trivial. As a consumer you don’t need to bounce back and forth anymore to find your perfect shampoo or conditioner, with Prose you have a product customized to your own needs.

Chen, C. (2019). This personalized hair-care startup makes shampoo and conditioner for your specific hair needs and goals — and it actually works. [online] Business Insider Nederland. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.nl/prose-personalized-shampoo-conditioner-review-2019-1/?international=true&r=US [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019].

Booz, N. (2019). Is It Worth It: Personalized Shampoo and Conditioner. [online] GenTwenty. Available at: https://gentwenty.com/function-of-beauty-personalized-shampoo-and-conditioner/ [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019].

Olsen, C. Teich, J. (2019). This company made us our own custom shampoos—here’s what happened, If you’ve got hair trouble, Prose wants to talk. Available at: https://www.reviewed.com/home-outdoors/features/prose-custom-hair-care-review [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019].

Spire, E. (2019). How much do consumers care about personalised goods?. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@emilie_7567/how-much-do-consumers-care-about-personalised-goods-a325eff73434 [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019].

Prose.com. (2019). Fresh & Personalized Hair care – Prose. [online] Available at: https://prose.com [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019].