Katrina Stapleton is an ABC News graphic designer and animator who switched up her daily routine by using custom hair care for a month and documenting her journey along the way.
Recently I came across a hair care line called Prose that looked different from ones I'm used to seeing on the drug store shelves.
The system claimed to make a unique formula made just for me, but is it really unique? I decided to find out myself by trying it out for 30 days.
Prose is a custom hair care system based on a personal consultation. There are practically endless formulas and the company doesn't make anything until you complete a consultation.
Simply enter information about your hair and voila: you have a personalized hair system.
Currently, Prose makes a pre-shampoo mask, shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, leave-in conditioner and oil ranging from $25 to $48 each.
"Every formula is really unique and will never be made before you actually place an order," Prose co-founder Paul Michaux told me.
With a team of over 75 people working from Paris to New York, the company emphasizes customization and environmental factors.
"All the ingredients we are using are clean to make sure that not only the products are good for you but they are good for the environment," Michaux added.
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I have very thick hair that is wavy on top and curly underneath. I have never dyed my hair, so my normal hair damage is just from heat styling products, but I blow dry and curl my hair almost every day, so I wanted to make sure my hair was protected.
My scalp gets pretty dry and I use a shampoo and conditioner right now tailored to that. One of my other concerns is frizzy hair, so I'm hoping Prose can help.
I took the online consultation, which consisted of questions about my hair type and lifestyle and was quick and easy.
The questions included things like, "how thick is one strand of your hair" and "do you experience dandruff or flaky scalp."
Afterwards, I was given formulas for a pre-shampoo mask, shampoo, conditioner and hair oil meant just for my hair type. Some of the ingredients in my products include jujube bark, rose hip oil and fermented rice water.
At first, I noticed my hair was super soft right away, but I wasn't sure if it was actually from the product or if I was just having a great hair day. Over the next couple of days, I realized it had to be the product and I was super shocked at how amazing my hair started to look.
By the end of the first week, other people who see me every day noticed a healthy change. As the rest of the month went by, I kept receiving compliments on how healthy and shiny my hair looks along with how it smells so good, too.
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Overall my hair feels a lot smoother and lighter. I can run my fingers through my hair better than I could before, and my hair looks happy and healthy.
Prose honestly changed everything about my hair.
In the beginning I was skeptical and didn't believe this product would work for me, but after 30 days of using Prose, my only slight concern is that my scalp was a little itchy.
However, I stuck to my routine with Prose and when I finished up the month, my views on this product changed from "maybe I would buy this again" to "I'm definitely going to order more" because I don't think I have ever seen my hair this healthy before.
While Prose has a slightly heftier price tag than those on the drug store shelves, to me it is 100% worth it. Plus, I felt better knowing I was helping the environment even just a little bit.
Editors note: products for this story were provided free of charge.
