Function of Beauty
# Reviews
Function of Beauty offers fully customizable, natural shampoos and conditioners. On the website, the consumer can take a quiz on their hair type and hair goals in order to find the right formula for them. After that, they are able to choose from a variety of colors, sizes, fragrances, and even choose a name for their product. As one takes the quiz, each goal they select for their hair will show them the corresponding ingredients that will help them to reach that goal.
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- Function of Beauty offers fully customizable, natural shampoos and conditioners. On the website, the consumer can take a quiz on their hair type and hair goals in order to find the right formula for them. After that, they are able to choose from a variety of colors, sizes, fragrances, and even choose a name for their product. As one takes the quiz, each goal they select for their hair will show them the corresponding ingredients that will help them to reach that goal.
- The shampoos and conditioners at Function of Beauty are made with 100% cruelty-free, vegan formulas. The company mission statement declares that they are dedicated to ethical and sustainable production and consumption. In order to do this, they built a factory from the ground up in Pennsylvania that would suit their company ethic. Function of Beauty bases their ingredients off of European, rather than American, safe cosmetics regulations. They are members of PETA's Beauty without Bunnies program, committed to not use any animal ingredients, animal bi-products, or testing on animals. Additionally, their recycled packaging makes for a lower ecological footprint.
- The ingredients available for custom formulas at Function of Beauty are to be clean, scientifically backed, and ethically sourced. With the goal of making a healthy product, Function of Beauty offers ingredients that are free from harmful sulfates, parabens, and phthalates. Additionally, the products are gluten-free. On the Function of Beauty website, the consumer can access a full alphabetized list of each of the banned harmful ingredients that the brand steers clear from. Along with this, they can access a list of the ingredients that are used, and what benefits each ingredient provides for hair care.
- Function of Beauty provides the option of a subscription for the consumer? convenience. Once you?e found the product that? right for you, you can set it up to be delivered regularly, either once a month, once every three months, or once every six months, depending how often you use it. Function of Beauty offers various discounts for subscribers, but most consistently, subscribers enjoy free-shipping benefits.
Function of Beauty's shampoo and conditioner products generally run up to $49.99 for a set of both. This price is justified on the website by the natural ingredients contained within and the specific customization of each product. However, the price itself is somewhat customizable as well: a smaller set of bottles at 8 Fl oz instead of 16 will cost you $39.99, and a mixed-size set runs at about $44.99. Single 8 Fl oz bottles are $30, while a 16 Fl oz bottle is $40. First-time buyers can enjoy 10% off and subscribers can enjoy free shipping.
Compared to other natural, plant-based, and vegan shampoo and conditioners brands, Function of Beauty's price lies somewhere in the mid-range. $49.99 for a set is pricey for many customers to regularly spend, however much the brand claims the price is worth the individualized customization. This option is still cheaper than the more luxury brands like Cel MD, which runs up to $59.95 for a set of shampoo and conditioners. However, customers can find cheaper options with Wow Skin Science, which is $34.95 for a set, and Pura d?r, which runs at about $25.99.
Pros:
The fully-customizable nature of Function of Beauty products is a big attraction for many consumers with specific or fluctuating hair needs. Not only are the formulas customizable, but the rate at which subscribers receive the product, the sizes of the bottles, and the fragrances. Many report to enjoy the feeling of a product which is made special for an individual, tailored to their specific needs and goals.
Function of Beauty is a good option for the ethical consumer. The products are vegan, cruelty-free, and ethically sourced. Additionally, the company is based in the US, meaning a smaller ecological footprint from shipping, and their packaging is 100% recyclable, made from 30% post-consumer recycled materials.
Function of Beauty products are healthy for your hair, as they are organically based and free from harmful sulfates, parabens, and phthalates. They are also gluten-free. Additionally, the various oils, minerals, and nuts used are rich in vitamins that make for long-lasting, healthy hair, like Vitamin A and E. The effect of natural ingredients tends to last, even after a few days without washing. Many report that the fragrance of the product is fresher, and less artificial that other alternatives.
Function of Beauty offers advice to the consumer on how best to use their products via an FAQ section on the website and a blog which tackles many topics within the beauty world. Additionally, the website promotes influencers and beauty-gurus on Instagram, which can help to guide consumers with their more specific hair needs. The brand strives to create a community with their hashtag #definitionofbeauty through which customers can share their stories. Additionally, if unhappy with the product, the consumer can reach out via email to Function of Beauty within 30 days of their purchase for a one-time, free re-formulation.
Cons:
Natural ingredients like those used by Function of Beauty are not right for everyone. While the product can make hair feel healthier or fresher, it often falls short in terms of consistently moisturizing dry hair. The oil used in certain formulas can cause hair to look heavy and greasy, but will not always make it feel genuinely moisturized. Consumers want the product to do what mainstream, synthetic brands already accomplish, and more.
While many enjoy the customization of their Function of Beauty product, the formulas used in each variety of shampoo and conditioner are not actually that unique in comparison to other cruelty-free, vegan brands. The use of Moroccan Argan oil, avocado oil, and coconut, for instance, is fairly generic for an organic brand. For this reason, the price of $49.99 for a set is a bit steep for mere customization, especially when the product doesn? wow the customer, or really stand out in comparison to other even mainstream or synthetic brands.
Several reviews of Function of Beauty on Facebook and Amazon claim that the product has led to hair-thinning and some hair loss, especially for those formulas involving scalp treatment of dandruff buildup. Whether this is the result of one specific ingredient, or many, is hard to pinpoint, and the customizable nature of the product allows the brand to claim you simply got your personal formula wrong. However, the website also only offers a re-formulation one time, on first purchase only, and the customer must reach out via email within 30 days. This doesn? leave much time to test the long-lasting effects of the product, or to get the formula exactly right without breaking the bank.
Many consumers find the pricing and size of the product to be steep. For a small, 8 oz set of bottles, the customer will be spending up to $40 for a bottle set that may not last too long. Additionally, the fragrances used in the products tend not to linger in the hair for long, and for some, the hair can turn to look oily quickly. This causes some to question the price, especially for a product that benefits may wear off quickly, and may need to be used more frequently.
IDEAL CUSTOMER
Function of Beauty targets vegan or vegetarian, ecologically friendly demographics. Their advertisements are fairly diverse with their models, so the product seems to be geared toward all genders, ages, and races as well.
How long does the product last?
Depending on frequency of use, Function of Beauty products can last anywhere from a few weeks to a couple months. For most kinds of hair, the website recommends using it two to three times a week, which will make a 16 oz bottle last about a month and a half. Some purchasers of the 8 oz bottles complained about their shampoo or conditioner being depleted after a short time, which was usually only a couple of weeks.
Coupon/sales
Function of Beauty offers 10% off your first order, and free shipping for subscribers. Promotions and coupons for Function of Beauty generally range from 20% to 40% off.
GOOD FOR GIFTING?
Function of Beauty products make a great holiday gift. Due to their customization options, the customer can create a product that feels personal to their friends or family members, accustomed to their unique hair and scalp needs. The bottle will come with the friend or family member? name on it, which will further add a personal, spa-like flair to the gift. Additionally, it can be made with a loved one? favorite scents. However, longer shipping times make it a necessity to plan ahead.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Function of Beauty offers a variety of services to their customers, including an FAQ for questions and concerns and a blog for beauty guides. However, any other form of contact is limited to email and social media inquiries. This includes complaints about broken products or wrong products, which can only be re-formulated within 30 days, and only for first-time purchasers. There is no phone number listed for convenient customer service. The website makes an effort to be transparent by providing a page containing all their reviews, from 5-stars to 1-star. However, the thousands of reviews are filtered with the 5-star reviews on top, and no actual convenient way to read the negative reviews without scrolling through tens of pages and hundreds of reviews.
Visit Contact PagePackaging
Function of Beauty's packaging is 100% recyclable, made from 30% post-consumer recycled materials. Additionally, the bottles come with a custom name, with the function of (insert name)·printed on the bottle. Each bottle comes with its own attachable plastic pump. These pumps can be somewhat flimsy for some consumers and break or malfunction.
shipping
Function of Beauty's products are shipped at $7.99. However, subscribers of the once a month, once every three months, and once every six months packages will enjoy free shipping. The products are shipped from Pennsylvania. With a large customer base in the US, this is an environmentally sustainable option. Function of Beauty products can sometimes take upwards of 5 days to a couple weeks (especially during busy seasons) to arrive to non-subscribers or first-time purchasers. There is no quicker delivery option offered on the website, and the product can be difficult to find in stock on popular fast-shipping sites like Amazon.