Sponsored by Prose. Editor’s Note: We only select and work with partners that meet our quality standards, so you can rest assured we only endorse products we believe in.
Having curly hair is hard. I grew up envying my classmates’ shiny, straight hair – all they had to do each morning was run a comb through their hair once (maybe twice?) and head out the door. I always had to wake up extra early to shower, apply a litany of creams and gels, and pray that my frizz would behave.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to embrace my curls – thanks entirely to Prose. The brand creates haircare that is customized for your hair type, environment, hair goals, and several other factors I hadn’t even considered until becoming acquainted with the brand. If you’re thinking of restocking your shower with haircare that’s good for you — and made from natural ingredients — you’ve got to check out Prose.
We like
- My hair has never looked better. This stuff works!
- The scent! I’ve never come across such good-smelling haircare in my life!
- The brand tailors its haircare to your specific needs – each bottle is made for you!
- Prose offers a subscription that saves you 15%.
We don't like
- It’s easy to wash your way through 8.5 ounces pretty quickly.
- The pumps are a bit tricky to set up correctly.
Made Just for You
The first thing I had to do to procure my new collection of Prose products was complete their online consultation. I was asked some of the obvious hair questions, like what my hair type is (how oily, how long), but I also had to answer less obvious questions about the porousness of my hair and the sensitivity of my scalp. After completing the five-minute consultation, I was given my results, which included information about the air and water quality in the city where I live, which has a big impact on the overall health of my hair. I was then prompted to make a few more selections to finalize my hair formulas, and was shown all the ingredients that would be used in my products, like: bamboo charcoal, turmeric extract, zinc, Vitamin B complex, and tucuma butter.
Prose’s team of specialists guarantees that the ingredients in your custom Prose haircare are sustainably sourced, cruelty-free, and free of sulfates, parabens, GMOs, phthalates, and alcohol. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover how lovely and intoxicating Prose fragrances are. Both my shampoo and conditioner ($28.90 each with a subscription) smell like jasmine flowers, and the scent only intensifies with the steam from my shower. So many other hair products that tout lovely scents fall flat, or aren’t able to impart the scent onto your hair. Even after rinsing out both products, my hair smells just as clean, soft, and lovely as it feels. I was impressed by how clean my scalp feels after using a shampoo that doesn’t have any of those harsh chemicals traditionally responsible for removing dirt and oils. I had been nervous about the conditioner since one of my hair woes is the difficulty of detangling with natural ingredient-based conditioner, but Prose’s iteration makes it quick and easy to pull a comb through all my strands. My shower time has now been cut in half.
Care and Repair
I don’t have the luxury of time in the mornings while I’m getting ready for work, so it was a little while before I was able to try out Prose’s scalp and hair masks ($40.80 each with a subscription). Formulated with eucalyptus oil, kale extract, and kombucha tea, my scalp mask has a jelly-like texture that helps to exfoliate and restore scalp — because we all know that healthy hair starts at the root.
Though I don’t have many issues with my scalp, my formula was made to minimize flakiness and to help prepare my hair for shampoo and conditioner. The hair mask, which is a bit creamier and made with mango butter and oat oil, is meant to be applied to the lengths of the hair in order to hydrate and repair. I applied both to my damp hair for about fifteen minutes and noticed that after my hair was washed and conditioned, it looked healthier, more buoyant, and had a softness to it that I hadn’t felt in a while. Waking up fifteen minutes earlier was totally worth it.
After rinsing and drying some of the excess water from my hair, I applied the product I was most excited to try: Prose’s custom curl cream ($25.50 with a subscription). I’m definitely particular about curl creams, because I’ve tried a lot of them — and most don’t do a single thing to hold my curls. Others get gunky, don’t fully blend into my hair, or make large chunks of my hair stick together for an uneven ‘do. Prose’s curl cream is lightweight — the first green flag — and quickly dissolves as I spread it out over my fingertips. After I smooth it through my hair, there’s no residue or evidence of product at all. Just shiny, curly locks that I couldn’t have achieved on my own. Once my hair dries completely, I blend in a bit more of the cream in the areas that need more structure and they quickly form into the desired ringlets.
I must admit I was dubious about using Prose. I’ve used other haircare brands made with natural ingredients that didn’t deliver and left my hair looking dull. Prose has revived my belief in sustainable, natural ingredients by infusing my curls with shine and a scent you simply can’t turn down.
Try it for yourself here – and save 15% when you subscribe.
