frequently asked questions

you've got questions. we've got answers.

your top questions - answered.

How does it work?

Function of Beauty is the world’s first fully customizable hair care brand that allows you to create shampoos, conditioners, and styling products based on your individual hair type, hair goals, and aesthetic preferences (including color + fragrance). Founded by a dream team of world-class MIT engineers, cosmetic scientists, and developers, each product is individually formulated using the latest science and technology to help ensure that your formula is every bit as unique as you. We cater to all textures of hair, from straight to wavy, curly to coily, and formulate without sulfates and parabens to ensure that customers of all ethnicities and hair types can create a formula that fits their unique hair needs!

Find your perfect formula by taking the hair quiz here!

How do I complete the hair quiz?

How do I select my hair type?

    We define the different categories of hair type as:

  • Straight: Hair strands tend to not have a bend or a curl. Hair Type 1.
  • Wavy: Hair has a slight bend or wave pattern; somewhere between straight and curly. Hair Type 2.
  • Curly: Hair has a definite curl, S-shaped, or loopy pattern. Can be prone to dryness and frizz. Hair Type 3.
  • Coily: Hair has a tight curl, spiral, or zig-zag pattern; tighter curls than curly hair. Sometimes known as "kinky" or "textured" hair. Hair Type 4.

How do I select my hair structure?

    Hair structure doesn’t refer to the number of hair strands you have, but rather the thickness of each individual strand.

  • Fine: A single strand is thinner than a sewing thread. If you take a strand of hair between your fingers you don't feel anything.
  • Medium: A single strand is about the thickness of a sewing thread. If you take a strand of hair between your fingers you can feel the hair.
  • Coarse: A single strand is thicker than a sewing thread. If you take a strand of hair between your fingers you can feel a strong, thick strand.

How do I select my scalp moisture?

    This is the level of moisture/oil on your scalp:

  • Dry: Your scalp might be dry or flaky. You typically wash every 3-4+ days.
  • Normal: Your scalp is about the same a day after you wash it.
  • Oily: You feel the need to wash your hair daily.

What are the fragrances like?

    Fragrances can definitely be subjective, but we like to think we have something for everyone.

    Signature fragrances:

  • nude (p)each: Top Notes: Peach nectar, mandarin, lemon zest, jasmine.
    Reminds us of: Cutting up fresh, juicy peaches on a hot summer day.
  • (pear)fection: Top Notes: Pear, apple, sweet musk, subtle florals.
    Reminds us of: Biting into a juicy pear on a crisp fall day.
  • strike a (r)ose: Top Notes: Rose, black currant, sandalwood, orange blossom.
    Reminds us of: A cool, modern rose fragrance with a bit of edge.
  • all (you)calyptus: Top Notes: Eucalyptus, mint, lavender, rosemary.
    Reminds us of: An exhilarating hike through the misty mountain tops.
  • fragrance free: A great option for those with sensitivities.

    • Limited edition fragrances (but always available to our subscribers!):

  • true l(o)vender: Top notes: Lavender, Eucalyptus, Bergamot.
    Reminds us of: Relaxing in your clean sheets after a hot shower.
  • milk(shea)ke: Top Notes: Shea butter, vanilla.
    Reminds us of: Indulging in a rich, creamy dessert.
  • naughty or (sp)ice: Top Notes: Cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla bean, cinnamon.
    Reminds us of: Biting into a freshly baked holiday cookie.
  • cherry bl(awesome): Top Notes: Cherry blossoms, jasmine, amber, lilies.
    Reminds us of: A romantic springtime stroll at peak bloom.

How do I choose my hair goals?

You can give your hair care formula an extra boost by choosing up to five of our 18 hair goals:
  • Strengthen: Increase your hair's natural resilience and elasticity, stimulate healthy hair, and help protect your hair from future breakage.
  • Anti-Frizz: Nourish and soften the hair texture for a smoother appearance, while also protecting strands from added frizz, static, and breakage.
  • Color Protection: Protect your hair from damaging UV rays, prevent dulling and fading, and enhance your strands' color retention to promote long-lasting, vibrant color.
  • Curl Definition: Enhance and define your natural curls to achieve a smoother texture and improve their overall health and manageability.
  • Deep Condition: Moisturize and deeply condition your hair from the inside out to help repair damage caused by heat and chemical processing. (*Best for those with wavy/curly, coarse, dry, or damaged hair.)
  • Fix Split-Ends: Smooth, coat, and seal your split ends to create a sleek finish while also helping to prevent new split ends from forming.
  • Hydrate: Restore your hair's natural moisture balance, prevent future moisture loss, and help treat damage with an added dose of long-lasting hydration that won't weigh your hair down.
  • Replenish Hair: Replenish nutrient-depleted strands, reverse damage, and help protect your hair from environmental stressors with a unique blend of high-quality hair ingredients.
  • Shine: Enhance your hair's natural shine and luster, while also improving your overall hair health.
  • Straighten: Relax and tame unruly hair with a biolipid complex that coats each strand in a sheathing film to help naturally discipline hair even in humid conditions.
  • Thermal Protection: Moisturize and condition heat damaged hair while also protecting strands from future damage caused by thermal styling.
  • Volumize: Rejuvenate limp, lifeless strands and remove excess buildup to help inject your hair with added body and lift.
  • Lengthen: A blend of high-quality ingredients, including pea sprout extract and blue-green algae, helps promote scalp circulation and follicle stimulation for stronger, healthier-looking hair.Oil Control: Stimulate and revitalize your scalp to help prevent excessive oil production for healthier-looking hair.
  • Oil Control: and revitalize your scalp to help prevent excessive oil production for healthier-looking hair.
  • Soothe Scalp: Moisturize and energize your scalp to help relieve discomfort, reduce buildup, and prevent dry, itchy flakes.
  • Nourish Roots: Stimulate your hair roots and facilitate the transport of key nutrients to the hair shaft to promote healthier-looking hair.
  • Anti-aging: Revitalize and strengthen your hair to help prevent premature aging caused by environmental stressors, heat and chemical styling, and nutrient loss.
  • Reduce Brassiness: Deep purple pigments neutralize brassy (yellow/orange) tones to help promote brighter, more vibrant looking blonde hair, while also extending the life of your color. (*Note: This is a purple-colored shampoo, which is designed primarily for those with natural blonde, color-treated, bleached, highlighted, or gray hair.)

What products do you offer?

We currently offer shampoo and conditioner, leave-in treatment, hair mask, hair serum, and a purple toning shampoo, all of which are fully customizable according to your hair type, hair goals, and aesthetic preferences. For more information on the individual products, please see below.

shampoo + conditioner

leave-in treatment

hair mask

hair serum

purple shampoo

Our products are always...

Cruelty Free badge
100% Vegan badge
Paraben and Sulfate Free badge
Sustainability focused badge
Made in the USA badge

ingredients + sustainability

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What does "clean ingredients" really mean?

3 guiding principles keep us honest:
  1. We have a really long checklist.
    2. All of our formulations follow the European Union regulations on safe cosmetics, (which bans nearly 1400 ingredients, vs only 11 by the FDA). We’re constantly checking up to ensure our ingredients are in full compliance with the strictest standards.

    On top of that, we thoroughly check every new ingredient against 26 checklist items by 3 different departments. This screens for specific environmental and health hazards. The ingredients that make the cut are then reviewed in formulation with one another to make sure they’re safe when combined, and to safeguard the long-term health of our team in the factory.
  2. We’re picky about our ingredients.
    3. We're passionate about only using ingredients that actually help you achieve your hair goals and deliver performance without compromising safety. That’s why we use a combination of both natural and lab-made ingredients in our formulations – we know what’s natural is not always the safest or the best-performing, and what’s lab-made is not always bad or toxic.

    No matter how you customize, it's all clean:
    • Colors: all of our colors are both FDA and EU-approved for cosmetics. Plus, you can go dye-free
    • Fragrances: our expertly-blended fragrances evoke sensorial experiences while sticking to our strict ingredient list. We also offer 100% natural fragrances blended from essential oils, and fragrance-free options
    • Silicones: silicones are conditioning workhorses and have a long track record of safety, but we do offer silicone-free options for those who prefer it
  3. We don’t compromise on our values.
    4. Our ingredients are always vegan and cruelty-free. We strive to be responsibly sourced in as many of our ingredients as possible, and are always raising the bar in this area.

Do you test on animals? Do the products contain parabens or sulfates? Are your products gluten-free?

No, no and yes!

As a company, we are committed to creating products that use only safe, natural ingredients, wherever possible, and are continuously seeking new and environmentally-friendly ingredients. All of our products are free of sulfates, parabens, mineral oils, phthalates, and gluten, among many other ingredients. Our products are also 100% vegan and cruelty-free!

Do your products contain silicones?

Yes, our products do contain silicones—the majority of which are predominantly water-soluble to help prevent the likelihood of product build-up and loss of hair volume. We do, however, also give you the option to make your shampoo and conditioner formula silicone-free, as we realize that silicones may not be right for everyone.

What are the boxes made out of?

Our kraft boxes are 100% recyclable, and made with at least 30% post-consumer recycled materials. The materials are also sourced from environmentally responsible paper suppliers and are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

Do all orders come with pumps?

All orders come with pumps! They arrive loose and disassembled in the box. You can also decline to receive a new set of pumps on your order confirmation page. Feel free to use the pumps you have for as long as you’d like (Mother Nature will thank you.)

What are your bottles and caps made of?

Our 16oz Shampoo and Conditioner bottles are made out of Premium PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) material, which helps us (and you) cut down on virgin plastic consumption. You may notice a slight grey tint, or very small black dots on the bottles – these are very normal with PCR and do not affect your formula. Each bottle is unique and special :)

Our 8oz Shampoo, 8oz Conditioner, Leave-In Treatment, Mask and Serum bottles are all made of 100% recyclable PETE-grade plastic. The 8oz Shampoo, 8oz Conditioner, and Leave-In Treatment bottles will be transitioned to PCR by the end of 2020!

Read more on our transition to PCR here.

Our caps are all made from 100% aluminum, which means, like our bottles, they’re 100% recyclable.

What if I’m allergic to a specific ingredient?

If there are certain ingredients that you are allergic to or wary of, you can feel free to reach out to us here for more information. We also always recommend consulting your physician first if you have any concerns.

What is your stance on controversial ingredients?

Your safety and well-being are always our top priority. Our formulations avoid potentially harmful or toxic ingredients such as sulfates (including SLS & SLES), parabens, phthalates, triclosan, mineral oils, formaldehyde, among many others (please see below for a more detailed list). We do not formulate with ingredients banned in the EU.

Are your products safe to use during pregnancy?

First off, congratulations! And yes, our products are all safe to use during pregnancy. If you have any specific concerns though, we always recommend checking with your physician first.

Are your products safe to use on children?

All of our products are formulated to be safe; however, children may have unknown allergies and may be more sensitive to specific ingredients than adults, which is why we always recommend consulting a physician first if you have any concerns.
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your account

What can I find in my account?

If you head over to your account page, you can update your account info, shipping address, payment info, and see your order history. From there you can reorder your formula or make adjustments to a past order. You can also manage your subscription and find your referral link (with an easy to fill out form to send to your friends so they’ll receive a discount on their first purchase. You'll also receive the same amount in credit if they place an order using your link!)

How does the subscription plan work?

As a Function Plus member, you can get ongoing deliveries of your favorite personalized formulas on the delivery schedule of your choice (every month, 2, 3 or 6 months). It’s easy to make changes to your formula’s hair goals, colors, or fragrances within your account. You also get exclusive perks (think free shipping, access to exclusive and past limited-edition colors + fragrances, invitations to help test-drive new products, and more!).

A few days before your subscription order is set to be filled, you will receive an email reminder to adjust your formula, change your delivery date, update your account details (like your address or billing info), and make any other edits to your subscription. You will be charged for your subscription when we start working on your new order.

Please note that since all formulas are fully customized, we cannot accept returns or apply refunds after your order has been processed. Any adjustments or cancellations made to your subscription after a payment has been made will not change your current subscription order and will instead be applied to the following subscription order.

How do I modify my subscription plan?

You can modify your subscription plan from your account page. Under "Your Subscriptions", select "Manage" on the subscription you’d like to modify, and you’ll find the option to edit your formulation, edit the sizes of your bottles and frequency of shipments, adjust your billing information and shipping address, add or remove pumps, and choose fun add-ons like our customized leave-in treatment!

There’s also an option to "Cancel Subscription." Please note that since all formulas are fully customized, we cannot accept cancellations, returns, or apply refunds after your order has been billed and processed. All cancellations will apply to the following scheduled delivery.

Once you have successfully canceled your subscription, you will receive an email from us confirming that your subscription has been canceled. If you do not receive this email after 24-hours, please reach out to us here so that we can help!

Can I purchase multiple sets at a time?

At this time, we’re unable to create and package multiple sets for the same order. After placing an order though, it should be simple enough to go through and place another one, as we securely save your details in your account.
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shipping

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Do you ship worldwide?

Function of Beauty currently ships to the following:

  • United States (including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands)
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • European Union (including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden)
  • Great Britain
  • Hong Kong
  • Iceland
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • Mexico
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Singapore
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan

When can I expect my order?

Here’s how it works: you order, we formulate, and then we ship! This process typically takes 7-9 business days from the time the order is placed. We’ll make sure to send you a shipping notification with a tracking number via email as soon as your package ships.

International orders take a bit longer due to customs and local carrier delivery processing. Average delivery estimates from the time of purchase are:

*Note: Due to COVID-19, please expect delivery times to be delayed.
  • US: 11-14 days
  • Australia: 39-45 days
  • Canada: 31-39 days
  • Chile: 15-22 days
  • European Union: 32-36 days
  • Great Britain: 31-33 days
  • Hong Kong: 32-40 days
  • Iceland: 39-47 days
  • Israel: 34-35 days
  • Japan: 36-38 days
  • Mexico: 32-40 days
  • New Zealand: 31-37 days
  • Singapore: 9-12 days
  • Switzerland: 34-40 days
  • Taiwan: 30-32 days

Your order confirmation will include our best estimate of your package's arrival date. Once your order has been filled and shipped, you will receive a notification with a unique tracking link.

Will I have to pay taxes and duties?

For Australia, Canada, EU, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand, and Great Britain: Your package will arrive at your door with no additional duties or taxes, aside from any taxes you incur at checkout.

For Iceland, Israel, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and United Arab Emirates: Your package may incur additional duties and taxes upon delivery. Duties and taxes depend on your country's customs laws.

Please also note that Function of Beauty does not have any control over these charges. Customs policies vary widely, so please contact your local customs office if you would like any further information.

I’m having problems tracking my order.

Sorry about that! In a few cases, the carrier takes 1-2 business days to register your shipment status. If your tracking number isn’t updating or working at all, please reach out to us as soon as possible here. We can give you the inside info!

What if I’m not happy with my customized set? What is your return policy?

It rarely happens (less than 1% of all orders), but if you are not completely satisfied, our happy hair specialists are on standby!
  • For new orders: Simply reach out to us here with the details of your concern within 30 days of receipt of your first order and we'll do our best to address your needs! If for some reason we feel we're unable to address your concerns with a free, one-time reformulation, we can process a full refund within 30 days of delivery of your first order. Please note, by choosing the one-time free reformulation, we will be unable to refund the original purchase order.
  • For subscription refills: You may edit or cancel your subscription plan any time before your set is billed. Please note that since all formulas are fully customized, we cannot accept cancellations, returns, or apply refunds after your order has been billed. All cancellations apply to your next scheduled delivery. If you are concerned about making sure your formula is just right, don't hesitate to contact us.

How long do refunds take to process?

Refunds can take 7-10 days to reflect on your original form of payment.

What should I do if I received the wrong order?

If you received a product different from the one you ordered, we’re sorry about that! Please contact us here and we’ll be sure to get you the customized formula you wanted!
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