Function of Beauty AI Visibility Score: 64/100
AI Visibility Score
Function of Beauty has an AI visibility score of 64/100, rated as good. This score reflects how often and how prominently the brand appears in responses from AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews.
About Function of Beauty
Function of Beauty is a pioneer in the customized beauty space, offering hair, skin, and body care products tailored to individual needs through a data-driven quiz. They specialize in personalized formulations that allow users to choose their hair goals, scents, and colors, distributed via a direct-to-consumer model and retail partnerships with Target.
A proprietary algorithm that creates over 54 trillion possible formulations, allowing users to hyper-target specific hair goals like volume, shine, or bond repair in a single bottle.
Target audience: Beauty-conscious consumers, primarily women aged 18-40, who are frustrated with 'one-size-fits-all' drugstore products. This includes individuals with specific hair needs like curly, coily, or color-treated hair who value personalization, aesthetic branding, and clean ingredient profiles.
AI Perception Summary
AI agents see Function of Beauty as the definitive leader in the customized haircare category. They describe the brand as a tech-forward beauty company that uses a hair quiz to formulate bespoke products. AI agents lean on extensive editorial coverage from Allure and Byrdie, as well as high visibility from its retail presence in Target.
Function of Beauty holds a dominant position in the specific 'custom shampoo' niche, but visibility drops significantly in broader benefit-driven categories like bond repair or curl definition. While AI assistants recognize your tech-first approach, they are increasingly recommending established specialists like Olaplex for functional needs.
Observations
- Function of Beauty has high visibility for 'custom shampoo' but faces intense competition for 'bond repair' from Olaplex.
- The Target retail collection is a major trust signal that AI assistants use to validate the brand for shoppers who are wary of DTC-only subscriptions.
- Gemini and AI Overviews heavily surface your YouTube creator reviews, which currently skew highly positive.
- There is a visibility gap in 'coily hair' queries where competitor Pattern Beauty is often named first despite your dedicated product line.
Recommendations to Improve AI Visibility
- Publish a deep-dive series on 'The Science of Coily Hair Personalization'. — You are under-indexed in coily hair AI recommendations compared to Pattern Beauty; specific technical content will help AI agents map your Coily Hair Conditioner to those queries.
- Create a 'Target Essentials vs. Custom DTC' comparison guide. — AI agents often struggle to explain the difference between your retail and online lines; clear content on this helps Gemini and ChatGPT guide shoppers correctly.
- Develop a 'Bond Repair Ingredient Breakdown' for the SOS Custom Repair line. — Competitors like Olaplex dominate 'bond repair' prompts. Technical content regarding your Pro Bond Repair will help AI agents cite you as a viable alternative.
Notable Facts AI Surfaces
- AI agents frequently cite the 54-trillion-formula algorithm as a key technological differentiator.
- AI agents recognize the 2020 partnership with Target as a massive expansion of the brand's accessibility and trust signal.
- AI agents often repeat the 'clean beauty' and vegan/cruelty-free status as primary consumer selling points.
- AI agents pick up on the brand's 'quiz-first' customer journey as the industry standard for personalization.
Competitors in AI Recommendations
- Prose
- Olaplex
- Function of Beauty — AI visibility score: 64/100 (this report)
- Ouai
- Living Proof
- Briogeo
- Pattern Beauty
- Strands
- The Ordinary
- Monday Haircare
Who's Asking About Function of Beauty
Eco-Conscious Curly Girl — Social Media Coordinator
Needs a silicone-free, personalized routine to manage frizz without harsh chemicals.
Primary goal: Find a clean, custom curl cream that actually works for type 3C curls.
Primary pain point: Standard drugstore products are too heavy or full of drying alcohols.
Budget-Minded Target Shopper — Graduate Student
Browses Target aisles and asks AI if the affordable custom bottles are actually good.
Primary goal: Determine if the Target version of custom hair care is worth $15.
Primary pain point: Wants professional results without the $50 salon price tag.
Bleached Hair Minimalist — Tech Recruiter
Has extreme heat and chemical damage and wants one simple repair routine.
Primary goal: Repair split ends and dryness using a scientifically-backed bond builder.
Primary pain point: Overwhelmed by complex 10-step repair routines from luxury brands.
Gifts for Gen Z Insider — Marketing Manager
Wants to buy an 'aesthetic' but useful gift for a younger sibling.
Primary goal: Find a personalized beauty gift that looks great on a vanity and is high quality.
Primary pain point: Generic gift sets feel impersonal and are often wasted.
Sample AI Prompts
- best custom shampoo and conditioner for 2026 — ChatGPT: 85, Claude: 75, Gemini: 90, AI Overviews: 95
- what is the best curl cream for 3c coily hair that won't make it crunchy — ChatGPT: 40, Claude: 30, Gemini: 55, AI Overviews: 45
- is function of beauty from target worth it for oily hair — ChatGPT: 70, Claude: 60, Gemini: 85, AI Overviews: 90
- is custom hair care worth it vs drugstore — ChatGPT: 65, Claude: 50, Gemini: 70, AI Overviews: 60
- best alternatives to olaplex for bleached hair repair — ChatGPT: 35, Claude: 25, Gemini: 45, AI Overviews: 30
- best hair serum for damaged ends — ChatGPT: 30, Claude: 20, Gemini: 50, AI Overviews: 40
- what are some good personalized beauty gift ideas for a 20 year old — ChatGPT: 75, Claude: 65, Gemini: 80, AI Overviews: 85
- what are the best eco friendly custom shampoo brands — ChatGPT: 60, Claude: 55, Gemini: 70, AI Overviews: 65
- how to fix heat damaged wavy hair without a 10 step routine — ChatGPT: 45, Claude: 40, Gemini: 50, AI Overviews: 35
- better alternatives to prose hair care — ChatGPT: 90, Claude: 85, Gemini: 95, AI Overviews: 95
Suggested Content Ideas
- How to Pick the Best Curl Cream for 3C Hair Types — The 3C Curl Solution: Why your curl cream needs to be formulated for your specific porosity.
- Is Function of Beauty at Target the Same as the Online Quiz? — Function of Beauty at Target: Everything you need to know before you buy.
- Simplifying Bond Repair: How the SOS Custom Line Works — The Science of SOS: How to rebuild hair bonds without a 10-step routine.
- 5 Reasons Custom Hair Care is the Ultimate Aesthetic Gift — Personalized Beauty Gifts: Why custom hair care is the best gift for Gen Z this year.
- Decoding Clean Hair Care: What's Actually in Your Custom Bottle? — Silicone-free vs. Sulfate-free: What your custom formula actually excludes and why it matters.
- Customizing for the Season: Why Your Hair Goals Change in Summer — How to mix and match hair goals for the perfect summer hair routine.
- How to Use Custom Hair Serum to Replace Your Styling Cabinet — The Minimalist's Guide to Hair Serums: One product for heat protection and shine.
- How Customization Reduces Beauty Waste in Your Shower — Why personalization is the future of sustainable beauty packaging.
- Should You Switch to Co-Wash? A Guide for Wavy Hair — Custom co-wash vs. traditional shampoo: Finding the right balance for waves.
- Does Custom Hair Care Actually Work? My 30-Day Results — The truth about custom hair care: Real results from a 30-day trial.
Industry: Beauty and Personal Care → Customized Hair Care.
Geographic focus: Global.
Full brand profile: See how Function of Beauty performs in deeper AI visibility scans on Pendium.
Browse more reports: AI Visibility Reports.