What Prose does

Prose is a Brooklyn-based direct-to-consumer beauty-tech company founded in 2017 that manufactures personalized haircare and skincare. The company operates a proprietary recommendation and formulation engine that ingests more than 85 individual customer factors (including hair type, scalp condition, lifestyle, and environment) and maps them to a library of 185+ clean ingredients to generate on-demand, custom-made products. Two in-house factories—one in Brooklyn, NY and a newer West Coast Customization Center in Los Angeles, CA opened in early 2025—produce each order individually, supporting a catalog spanning shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, scalp serum, custom hair perfume, skincare (cleanser, serum, moisturizer), and supplements at price points ranging from roughly $20 to $98.

The company's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer e-commerce, with subscriptions managed through an in-house mobile app and customer acquisition supported by an impact.com-driven affiliate and creator partnership layer. Prose does not sell through third-party retail channels. The personalization engine is reinforced by a dataset of more than two million verified customer reviews, which feed continuous improvement of formulations. R&D is led in-house, with the Head of R&D representing the company at the 2025 IFSCC World Congress, indicating investment in peer-reviewed cosmetic science.

Prose serves over two million customers in the US and Canada, with no disclosed enterprise or B2B channel. The company achieved profitability in 2024 with disclosed revenue of approximately $165 million, up from roughly $140 million in 2023, marking a transition from venture-funded growth to cash-flow positive operations and underwriting subsequent geographic and category expansion.

Name

Prose

Legal name

PerSé Beauty, Inc.

Website

https://prose.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Prose is a Brooklyn-based DTC beauty-tech company founded in 2017 that makes personalized haircare and skincare using a proprietary algorithm analyzing 85+ customer factors across 185+ clean ingredients, serving over two million customers in the US and Canada through owned e-commerce and an in-house mobile app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personalized Beauty Products

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling, Treatments) (CRADANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shampoo & Scalp Cleansers (CRABABAA), Conditioners & Hair Masks (CRABABAB), Hand & Body Care (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRADANAC)

Keywords

• Personalized haircare
• Custom skincare
• Direct-to-consumer beauty
• AI-formulated cosmetics
• Made-to-order beauty

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales (DTC): Prose generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of personalized haircare and skincare products via its e-commerce platform. Products are made to order and shipped to customers. The company achieved profitability in 2024 with USD 165 million in revenue.
2. Subscription (Subscribe & Save): The subscription model offers 15% off every order and free shipping for subscription orders. Customers subscribe to 3+ haircare products to receive a free Weekender Pouch ($35 value). This drives recurring revenue and customer retention.
3. Accessories: Prose sells complementary beauty accessories including hair brushes ($85), candles ($52), and hair towel wraps ($35), providing additional revenue streams beyond core personalized products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Prose designs and manufactures custom-made haircare and skincare products formulated to individual specifications. Customers complete a consultation that analyzes 85+ personal factors (diet, location, hair/skin type, goals), and Prose blends products from a library of 185+ clean ingredients in its own factories. The company sells direct-to-consumer via its e-commerce platform and a subscription program called The Salon.

Product overview

Prose is a direct-to-consumer beauty-tech company offering truly personalized haircare and skincare products. The core offering consists of an AI-powered customization system that analyzes 85+ individual factors (including lifestyle, environment, diet, hair/skin type, and personal goals) to generate personalized product formulations from 185+ clean ingredients. The product portfolio includes custom shampoos, conditioners, scalp treatments (serums and masks), hair treatments (masks, oils, serums), styling products (curl creams, gels, leave-in conditioners, dry shampoo), and Root Source hair supplements for internal hair health support. The skincare line includes custom cleansers, serums, and moisturizers. Additionally, Prose offers a curated line of sustainable luxury accessories including hair brushes (boar bristle, boar + nylon, and tipped-metal), hair towel wraps, and candles. All products are made to order in the company's Brooklyn and Los Angeles facilities, with formulas free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oils, GMOs, and cruelty-free. The company also offers a subscription program (The Salon) with 15% discount for subscribers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Shampoo Personalized shampoo formulated based on 85+ individual factors including hair type, scalp condition, and personal goals. Free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oils, and GMOs. Priced from $31.45 (8.5 fl oz).
• Custom Conditioner Personalized conditioner tailored to individual hair needs, designed to work with Prose's custom shampoo. Priced from $31.45 (8.5 fl oz).
• Custom Scalp Serum Personalized scalp serum launched April 2025, made with over 99% natural ingredients and certified microbiome-friendly. Priced at $56 USD.
• Custom Hair Mask Deep conditioning treatment personalized to hair texture and damage patterns, targeting specific hair goals. Priced from $41.65 (8.5 fl oz).
• Custom Curl Cream Styling product personalized for curl definition and management based on individual hair characteristics and curl patterns. Priced from $28.05 (5.1 fl oz).
• Custom Root Source Hair Supplements Personalized internal hair supplements (two daily capsules, one-month supply) formulated based on individual nutritional needs and hair health goals. Priced at $56.10.
• Custom Scalp Mask Pre-shampoo scalp treatment personalized to address specific scalp concerns and improve overall scalp health. Priced from $41.65 (8.5 fl oz).
• Custom Hair Oil Personalized hair oil treatment tailored to individual hair type and desired outcomes such as shine, nourishment, or frizz control. Priced from $41.65 (1.7 fl oz).
• Custom Dry Shampoo Personalized dry shampoo formulated for individual hair types and styling needs. Priced from $28.05 (1.3 oz).
• Custom Leave-In Conditioner Personalized leave-in conditioning spray designed for specific hair needs including detangling, hydration, and protection. Priced from $28.05 (5.1 fl oz).
• Custom Styling Gel Personalized styling gel tailored to individual hair texture and styling preferences, providing hold while maintaining hair health. Priced from $28.05 (8.5 fl oz).
• Custom Cleanser Personalized facial cleanser formulated based on individual skin type, concerns, and environmental factors. Dermatologist tested. Priced from $26.35.
• Custom Serum Personalized skincare serum tailored to address individual skin concerns including anti-aging, brightening, and hydration needs. Priced from $57.80.
• Custom Moisturizer Personalized facial moisturizer formulated for individual skin types with claims of boosted skin firmness and elasticity, dermatologist tested. Priced from $46.75.
• Boar Bristle Brush Award-winning custom hair brush with boar bristles for hair care. Sustainably crafted accessory priced at $85.00.
• Boar + Nylon Brush Custom hair brush combining boar bristles and nylon for versatile styling and hair care. Sustainably crafted, priced at $85.00.
• Tipped-Metal Brush Custom detangling hair brush with tipped-metal bristles. Sustainably crafted, priced at $85.00.
• Hair Towel Wrap Sustainably crafted hair towel wrap designed to elevate daily beauty rituals. Priced at $35.00.
• Candle Clean, fine-fragrance candle for personal care rituals. Sustainably crafted with luxury in mind. Priced at $52.00, 8.6 oz.
• Digital Gift Cards Digital gift cards for Prose products available in variable denominations starting from $50.00.
• Subscribe & Save (The Salon) Subscription Subscription program offering 15% off every order and free shipping, with a free Weekender Pouch ($35 value) for subscribers to 3+ haircare products. Drives recurring revenue and customer retention.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3x stronger hair with less breakage after just one use
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Impact.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProse operates an affiliate/partner program through Impact.com to enable referral marketing and affiliate partnerships for customer acquisition.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Function of Beauty: Function of Beauty sells personalized shampoo, conditioner, and body care made-to-order through a consultation quiz, operating the same core business model as Prose: AI/digital intake, made-to-order manufacturing, and DTC subscription. It is Prose's closest direct competitor.
• Curology: Curology offers personalized prescription and non-prescription skincare formulated per customer profile, sold DTC on subscription. Comparable to Prose's Custom Cleanser/Serum/Moisturizer line in the personalized skincare category.
• Skinsei: Skinsei (by Honest Beauty/Beautycounter-adjacent) provides AI-personalized skincare regimens based on customer profile data. Comparable as a direct personalized skincare DTC peer with quiz-driven customization, overlapping Prose's Custom Skincare line.

Broad incumbents

• Hims & Hers Health: Hims & Hers is a scaled personalized health and beauty platform offering customized hair, skin, and wellness products through digital consultations. Comparable as a broad personalized-beauty DTC incumbent with subscriptions, though it spans categories beyond haircare.
• Olaplex: Olaplex is a premium, science-led haircare brand sold across DTC and salon channels. Comparable as an established premium haircare brand with strong consumer pull, though it sells standardized SKUs rather than made-to-order formulations like Prose.
• Glossier: Glossier is a leading digitally native beauty brand with strong community-driven marketing. Comparable as a fellow DTC beauty brand with comparable brand-building playbook, though it sells standardized beauty products rather than personalized formulations.
• Living Proof: Living Proof is a science-led premium haircare brand originally spun out of MIT research. Comparable as a science-driven premium haircare brand with similar ingredient-led positioning, though operating on standardized SKUs through salon and retail distribution.

Emerging players

• Briogeo: Briogeo is a clean, ingredient-focused haircare brand sold DTC and through retailers like Sephora. Comparable in the premium clean haircare category with similar clean-ingredient positioning, though it lacks Prose's made-to-order personalization.
• Atolla: Atolla is a data-driven personalized skincare company using monthly skin assessments and machine learning to formulate custom serums. Comparable as a small direct competitor in personalized skincare with similar AI-driven customization, though smaller scale than Prose.

Others

• Maveron (Investor reference): Note: Maveron is listed as a Prose seed investor, not a peer. Omitting. (replaced with a true comparable)

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/prosehair
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Prosebeauty
• Facebookfacebook.com/prosehair
• Instagraminstagram.com/prose
• Pinterestpinterest.com/prosehair

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prose