In an era where almost anything can be purchased online, it’s getting easier and easier to find products that don’t just work for you but are made with you specifically in mind. You’ve probably seen colorful bottles adorned with cute stickers plastered all over Instagram, often photographed in chic, minimalistic bathrooms or held by a hand with a perfect manicure. Say hello to Function of Beauty! The company specializes in hair, body, and skin products tailor-made to fit your needs. It got its start with shampoo and conditioner but has expanded into a wider selection, including co-wash, leave-in treatments, lotion, and more. Keep reading to learn more about the full line-up, the customization process, and answers to all your questions.
How does Function of Beauty work?
First, you choose which category you want to explore – hair care, skincare, or body care – and then take the quiz to determine your perfect match. Since FOB is best known for hair products, I fully built my hair profile and answered the following questions/prompts to show you the process:
- What’s my hair type? Wavy
- What’s my hair structure? Medium
- How is my scalp moisture? Oily
- Select up to five hair goals: Deep condition, fix split ends, soothe the scalp, anti-frizz, and oil control
You can also choose a silicone-free formula during this step if you’d like.
Next, you pick your fragrance, fragrance strength, and product color for two bottles of shampoo and conditioner. You can choose between mango, lavender, rose, peach, eucalyptus, pear, or fragrance-free scents. For strength, you can choose between light, medium, and strong. All nine color choices are absolutely gorgeous, and there’s also a dye-free option. You’ll input your name for both bottles for extra customization (sorry, no emojis allowed!). Enter your email, and then you’ll be taken to the checkout page.
The skincare quiz is similar. You’ll answer questions about your skin type, sensitivity, how much makeup you wear, and your skin concerns, i.e., redness, shine, large pores, etc. The set of cleanser, serum, and moisturizer can either be fragrance-free or a refreshing scent made with cucumber and citrus.
The body care quiz, meanwhile, is the simplest quiz of all three. Select your skin moisture level (balanced, dry, or very dry), then pick your fragrance and color choices for a set of body wash and body lotion. Both the fragrance and color options are the same as the ones for your shampoo and conditioner.
Where is Function of Beauty headquartered?
Function of Beauty is headquartered in New York City, but the company has fully operational facilities in Pennsylvania. The state-of-the-art factory in Catawissa (the Function cofounder’s hometown) opened in 2015 and later expanded into a second factory in Paxinos. Every product is 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and produced in the U.S.
What other products does Function of Beauty offer?
The company offers shampoo, conditioner, co-wash (a process where you ditch shampoo and only clean your hair with conditioner), hair masks, hair serum, hair mist, leave-in treatments, body wash, body lotion, skin serum, moisturizer, and cleanser.
How much does Function of Beauty cost?
Since there are so many products and different prices, here’s a helpful breakdown:
1.) Shampoo and conditioner set: buy once at $59.99 OR subscribe for $29.99 and get a refill every three months for $39.99
2.) Cowash: buy once at $29.99 OR subscribe for $19.99 and get a refill every three months for $19.99
3.) Hair mask: buy once at $29.99 OR subscribe for $12.99 and get a refill every three months for $19.99
4.) Leave-in treatment: buy once at $29.99 OR subscribe for $19.99 and get a refill every three months for $19.99
5.) Hair serum: buy once at $34.99 OR subscribe for $24.99 and get a refill every three months for $24.99
6.) Hair mist three-pack: buy once at $34.99
7.) Body lotion and body wash set:
- 8-ounce bottles: buy once at $29.99 OR subscribe for $19.99 and get a refill every three months for $19.99
- 16-ounce bottles: buy once at $39.99 OR subscribe for $29.99 and get a refill every three months for $29.99
8.) Cleanser (jelly or micellar gel): buy once at $34.99 OR subscribe for $24.99 and get a refill every three months for $24.99
9.) Skin serum: buy once at $69.99 OR subscribe for $49.99 and get a refill every three months for $49.99
10.) Moisturizer (gel, lotion, or cream): buy once at $59.99 OR subscribe for $44.99 and get a refill every three months for $44.99
College students can snag a free hair mask with their first purchase of a custom hair and conditioner set – click here for details.
I value transparency in my products. Where can I learn more about ingredients?
Function of Beauty adheres to European Union cosmetic regulations, which ban almost 1,400 ingredients as compared to only 11 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They don’t test on animals, the products don’t contain parabens or sulfates, and everything is gluten-free. You can read in-depth about ingredients and sustainability here and here.
How do I modify or cancel my subscription(s)?
You can make changes to your plan(s) by going to the account page, selecting “Your Subscriptions,” then “Manage.” You’re able to edit formulas, edit bottle sizes, change the frequency of shipments (you can choose every two, three, or six months), add/remove pumps and adjust your billing information.
There is an option to cancel your subscription, but be aware that you cannot get a refund after your order has been billed and processed. Once you cancel your plan, Function of Beauty, you’ll receive an email confirmation. If you don’t receive it, use this form to reach out for assistance.
Are Function of Beauty products only sold online?
Nope! If you prefer shopping in-store for your hair care, you can find Function of Beauty at any Target store. The customization process is a lot simpler than it is on the website. Here’s how it works: you’ll select your base bottles of shampoo and conditioner based on your hair type (straight, curly, wavy, or coily) and then pick from 10 booster shots to address your top hair goals:
- Anti-frizz
- Soothe scalp
- Deep condition
- Volumize
- Color protection
- Shine
- Curl definition
- Thermal protection
- Lengthen
- Strengthen
The booster shots come in packs of two, one for your shampoo and another for your conditioner. Snap open the boosters, mix into the base bottles, shake each one for 15 seconds and you’re good to go! The company recommends only using three different boosters per bottle.
I heard there were lawsuits filed against Function of Beauty. What’s that all about?
Here at Wishlisted, as part of our commitment to scouting the best products and services to help you live a great life, we know acknowledging negative feedback is just as important as acknowledging the positive. You may have seen TikTok videos circulating where women speak about how Function of Beauty products have allegedly caused their hair to thin and/or fall out in large quantities – and some videos have the hashtag #lawsuit in the captions. In April of this year, Lorna Sommerville, chief marketing and customer experience officer, told VICE that fewer than 0.1% of products sold have resulted in complaints like these. She said that the company will be conducting more rigorous testing and fully investigating any more hair loss claims.
When crafting your Function of Beauty formula, it’s important to select the right hair type, structure, and level of scalp moisture to ensure that the ingredients work the way they’re supposed to. Spend some time getting to know your hair and observing its specific needs before diving headfirst into the process.
