Customizable hair care line Prose is taking on a new category — supplements.
Launching April 6, Prose’s newest product, Root Source, treats environmental causes of hair loss. It consists of two pills, one universal softgel, and one customized capsule. The system is priced at $44 for subscribers. Industry sources estimate the regimen to reach $20 million in retail sales for its first year on the market.
Much like the rest of Prose’s offerings, customers fill out an online quiz, and the brand’s algorithm formulates each product to those concerns. “Our approach to hair loss combines clinically proven, plant-based ingredients designed for individuals,” said Marie Mignon, scientist and director of research and development at Prose. “The ingredients are chosen to target each person’s cause of hair loss or lack of hair health, such as stress, diet and vitamin imbalances.”
The baseline supplement relies on millet, a gluten-free grain high in antioxidants and omegas that is clinically proven to stimulate hair follicles and collagen production around the follicle bulb for increased hair growth, according to Mignon.
Finding a natural ingredient up to the brand’s clean standards was no small feat, Mignon said. “It was one of the biggest challenges, to source drug-free ingredients. To be vegan, filler-free and non-GMO, and still clinically researched and backed by science, the ingredient sourcing was the most challenging part. The other part was identifying the root causes of hair shedding, which is what we’re trying to capture with our consultation.”
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The launch comes out of information gleaned from the online quiz Prose customers take to personalize their products. According to Paul Michaux, Prose’s cofounder and vice president of product, 27 percent of the brand’s shoppers report high levels of hair loss, and 85 percent see significant levels of hair loss.
“The premium hair care market is also really booming, and people are switching from styling to having healthy care and sophisticating his routines,” Michaux said. “One of the questions on our questionnaire is are you’re experiencing hair loss, and we saw the trend increasing with the coronavirus.”
Michaux added that per the clinical trials, 93 percent of users saw improved hair growth after taking the supplement for 90 days. Still, marketing will not be focused solely on medical data.
“We want to move away from science, even though we’re doing the clinicals. It’s science-backed, but the way we’re going to launch this is more positive, and not playing on fear marketing or trauma around hair loss. We wanted to have a lively approach to the topic, which is why we think of it as being more in the wellness space,” said Arnaud Plas, cofounder and chief executive officer of Prose. “It also targets shine and softness, and more fullness on the hair. It’s truly personalized, so it really resonates with Prose’s positioning.”
Industry sources expect the brand to pass the $100 million mark in retail sales for 2021.
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