Formulate Hair Care Review

Written By Sophie Diego on January 29, 2022

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Table of Contents

About Formulate Hair Care

Finding the right hair care product is like taking a 5-option multiple-choice quiz. The catch is, you didn’t study for the test at all. For those behind on their shampoo and conditioner terminology, Formulate can be the sneaky cheat code you need.

This cosmetic company offers solutions that are completely customizable, as customers can build their own formulas suited for their needs and concerns.

With an idea this innovative, it should come as no surprise that Formulate is a favorite among several haircare enthusiasts. On Instagram, they boast a following of over 15.2k. In addition, they’ve also been reviewed by a few popular blogs such as Pretty In Baby Food and What Taylor Likes.

For those tired of ineffective hair care products, perhaps it’s time to opt for the ‘DIY’ method. Keep reading as this Formulate hair care review takes an in-depth look at the brand, its services, customer ratings, promotions, and more to help you decide if they’re worth checking out.

Overview of Formulate

I’m not sure what company needs to hear this, but hair care isn’t meant for one person. From curly waves to dry scalps, types and concerns come by the dozens.

I’m sure most of us have done the ‘aisle 4’ shuffle at our local cosmetic store, and it usually entails lots of squinting, head-scratching, and overall bad posture. Today’s formulas are out-of-touch with what we need, which is probably the reason why most of us leave the shop empty-handed.

Fortunately, there are brands out there that understand our frustrations. Formulate, a company founded by Chris Schmich, Osmaan Shah, and Tammy Lsi, wants to form a rediscussion of how haircare truly works.

Established in 2019 in San Francisco, California, this cosmetic service offers full customization for its clientele. As a result, customers are treated to a personalized formula suited for their hair type and concern.

In an inspiring quote left by the brand, Formulate promises to listen, educate, and wow its customers. “Every new formula designed by your personal chemist helps to train the world’s most advanced individualized formulation platform ever created. Help yourself and everyone around you by joining our self-care movement to solve cosmetic chemistry for everyone.”

Before we get into this Formulate review, let’s go over some initial highlights:

Highlights

Customers can personalize their own shampoos and conditioners by using Formulate’s program
Wide range of products suited for any concern or hair type
Caters to both men and women
All products are packaged using recyclable plastic
Formulate shampoos and conditioners are cruelty-free

Offered as a chemist-to-consumer service, Formulate wants to make the hair care shopping process as easy as possible. That’s right, this means no more trips to your local cosmetic aisle. Instead, customers can create their own shampoos and conditioners all from the comfort of their own homes. All it takes is a simple online quiz.

Don’t worry; you don’t need to be well-versed in common hair care ingredients and formulations. The questions are pretty straightforward, as the brand will ask you about your hair type, degree of scalp sensitivity, and how oily your strands get.

If you have multiple concerns, there’s no need to sweat. This Formulate review found out that prices are determined by weight and not by product intensity.

If you want a heads up on what to expect, we suggest that you stay tuned for this Formulate review. We’ll provide an in-depth commentary on their services and available options.

Formulate Shampoo Review

Do you prefer apples or oranges? I know, it’s a long, heated debate that’s been argued over centuries—but it usually boils down to preference, taste, and concern. Cosmetic shopping is one and the same, as we’re generally treated to hundreds of options.

But, it’s not a simple matter of tomato, tomahto. Instead, it’s a mess of dozens of decisions. Should you choose a silicone-based formula for shine? Or an all-natural remedy to help boost volume? For most, these are difficult decisions to make.

But what if you didn’t have to choose? I mean, some formulas come with added benefits that aren’t necessarily needed. While you’re welcome to scour through your local beauty store, we suggest that you opt for the stress-free version with Formulate.

To start the process, users must fill out an online quiz. The first few questions will deal with personal information, that being your name and age. Afterwards, it’ll ask you more in-depth queries about hair type. This will include inputting the color, length, pattern, and thickness of your hair.

Now it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty, that is—when it comes to your washing and styling routine. The quiz will ask you questions such as:

How many days do you shampoo and condition your hair?
Have you ever colored your hair? This includes perming, temporary color, bleach, and balayage
What styling tools and substances do you use?
Have you used any intense hair care treatments such as keratin and relaxers?
What kind of add-ons do you use? This may include waves, clip-ins, glue-ins, and beaded hair extensions

After answering all of these questions, it’s time to give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve filled out the necessary bulk of the quiz. The important step is adding in your hair goals.

This is ultimately where you ‘personalize’ your formulas, as customers can choose up to 5 hair concerns. This will include options like deep conditioning, thermal protection, strengthening, oil control, split end prevention, and more.

Formulate will also ask you about any scent or ingredients preferences. Customers can pick from various fragrances, such as peach mango, coconut, and green tea with honey. For further personalization, users can also choose the intensity of their perfume—which is super helpful for those especially sensitive to certain smells.

As a finishing touch, customers can add in any restrictions or special ingredients such as debrassing dyes within their formulas. Once that step is complete, hurrah! You’re finally finished. The company will offer you three options of its provided formulas, which differ in quantity:

The 4 oz Shampoo & Conditioner: $20
The 8 oz Shampoo & Conditioner: $39
The 14 oz Shampoo & Conditioner: $49

The brand will also recommend some additional tools, such as the $19 Microfiber Hair Turban and the $13 Scalp Rejuvenating Massager. But, if you’d rather stick with shampoos and conditioners, that’s okay too.

Who Is Formulate For?

If you’re struggling to get your hair back to normal, Formulate can act as a direct solution to help you get back on track.

Instead of wasting minutes at the local beauty supply store, this ‘do it yourself’ company can concoct your own personalized hair care recipe based on your needs and concerns. Trust me, it’s more efficient than reading ingredient label after ingredient label when choosing shampoos and conditioners.

In addition, Formulate can serve as a great alternative to those sensitive to certain additives, such as fragrances, dyes, and silicones. You can also personalize your own recipe based on any dietary restrictions, including vegan, cruelty-free, nut-free, or even gluten-free.

How Does Formulate Work?

Once you’ve settled on a shampoo and conditioner set, it’s time to set up your delivery schedule. This will range from immediately to as long as 8 weeks.

What’s especially neat about this shipping calendar is that you can actually view the dates on which they’re scheduled to be made. Afterwards, the last step entails checkout information, which includes your credit card info and mailing address.

Now it’s time to test out your shampoos and conditioners! For those who think that their formulas need a bit of tweaking, they can talk with their assigned chemist via the Formulate app. Your professional will reach out within 1 to 3 weeks after you receive your order.

It’s worth noting that this is a subscription-based service, meaning that it’ll continue to push out refills based on your given schedule. But don’t worry, customers can cancel their memberships as long as it’s before the order is freshly made.

Formulate Reviews: What Do Customers Think?

Formulate’s chemist-to-consumer approach is definitely innovative, but what do actual customers have to say about this company?

Of course, it’s always best to do some background research before committing to any brand, especially if it’s a subscription program. So far, the only reviews we encountered were through the company’s website and on a few independent blogs online.

Let’s start with Formulate.co first. According to hundreds of testimonials, it seems that their personalized hair care recipes proved effective for rejuvenation. Customers are noting a drastic improvement, as they found their strands silkier, smoother, more voluminous, and healthier when using Formulate’s shampoos and conditioners.

According to one happy user, Formulate shampoos worked wonders in revitalizing their dull hair. “With @formulate.co’s custom-formulated shampoo and conditioner, my fine, color-treated hair has seen such a drastic improvement since use – it’s no longer limp and lifeless, and at the same time, it’s hydrated and healthy!”

“This set has been great for my hair,” one reviewer wrote on their website. “It has a lot more texture than usual and doesn’t lie flat! YAY! I’ve also seen my hair start to thicken more which is a HUGE bonus.”

The positivity for this company doesn’t stop there, as this Formulate shampoo review found dozens of 5-star testimonials on independent blogs. In summary, most writers agreed that the service was ultimately worth it, as it offered users a direct solution to help them reach their hair care goals.

On the blogs we found, each author offered their own in-depth opinion of what they thought made Formulate so great.The blogger for Writing Between Pauses noted the worth of the brand’s services.

“They work with you really closely in the first few weeks to help ensure that the shampoo and conditioner you use is perfect for you. The more you pay for a shampoo, the better your results often are…Formulate really makes your money go far though.”

In a post made by Life With Caitlyn, the writer seemed impressed with the amount of detail attributed to Formulate’s services and products.

“Any brand looking to make my life easier, and with such great customer service has me backing them. Especially if they care about natural lifestyles as much as I do. Plus, they even labeled the bottles in braille! How freaking cool is that for people who need that?”

Finally, in a review posted by Yours Truly, Katrina, the writer commended the brand’s sleek and functional packaging.

“Once I received my package in the mail, I was in absolute awe of the packaging. It is clean, sleek, and minimalistic – all things I love and appreciate but definitely am not, haha! I love the pump feature instead of a squeezy tube, too. It makes it so much easier to use, and ensures that I get every last drop out of the bottles.”

When it comes to negative feedback, this Formulate conditioner review didn’t uncover much online. If anything, some customers found their hair care recipes ineffective in reaching certain goals, such as achieving volume or controlling excess oil.

But, they did mention that they offered feedback to their professional chemist, who concocted a different formula which satisfied their needs.

So, what’s the general consensus? Is it worth signing up for a regular supply of shampoos and conditioners? From what this Formulate review has learned so far, it’s definitely worth the hype.

Is Formulate Worth It?

I’m sure that most people just shrug, cross their fingers, and hope for the best as they pick out their next shampoo for the month ahead. It’s an endless loop of frustration and boredom—something that I thought would never change.

Formulate, on the other hand, wants to switch things up a little. Its chemist-to-consumer approach keeps you on track of your hair care goals, which is easily achieved through its mobile app and online quiz.

There’s something assuring about Formulate.co, and it originates from its hair care quiz. The questions are in-depth, which acts as a sort of subtle promise that it’ll all be worth it in the end. We also need to talk about its convenience and efficiency. If you commit to the brand’s subscription program, it cuts out the need for any in-person shopping in the future.

As a final note, we have to commend Formulate’s high level of customer service. I didn’t sign up for their membership program just yet—but I did leave my email during the quiz. The next day, a brand representative reached out and offered me advice on hair care products I should be using. I was very pleasantly surprised.

For a brand that sticks true to its company to customer approach, this Formulate review highly recommends that you check them out.

Formulate Promotions & Discounts

As of lately, this Formulate review hasn’t found any promotions, discounts, or sales offered on the brand’s website. We suggest keeping tabs on the company’s social media for any future updates.

Where to Buy Formulate

Looking to personalize your shower routine? Customers can head over to Formulate.co to get started. Due to the nature of its service, the brand’s products aren’t sold through any partnered retailers.

FAQ

Who owns Formulate?

This Formulate review found out that the brand is owned by Chris Schmich, Osmaan Shah, and Tammy Lsi.

Are Formulate products all-natural?

According to the brand’s FAQ page, they do use synthetic ingredients within their haircare recipes. Formulate states that they’ll “never compromise on efficacy or sensory experience.”

Luckily, some formulas are paraben free, sulfate free, and cruelty free, which is great for those who have sensitive scalps or colored hair. In any case, this Formulate review recommends doing a patch test before committing to regular use.

I’m not confident my formulas are the tight fit. What can I do?

If you feel like your shampoos and conditioners require a bit of tweaking, you can contact your assigned chemist through Formulate’s mobile app. Based on the feedback provided, the professional will concoct a different recipe to send over.

What is Formulate’s Shipping Policy?

This Formulate review is happy to report that they offer free shipping on all of their orders. Unfortunately, the brand does not provide international delivery at this time.

In terms of wait times, it usually takes 7 business days for orders to be shipped out. But don’t worry, there’s no need to camp out at your post box. The company will issue a tracking number via a confirmation email for customers to use.

What is Formulate’s Return Policy?

Formulate offers a 30-day window for customers to request a refund or reformulation. It’s worth noting that users who choose to remake their products cannot ask for their money back from the original purchase.

You should also know that you can’t cancel your order once the formula is already dispensed. For any other concerns, we suggest contacting Formulate directly.