If you're here, you've probably heard of the Abbey Yung method. If not, it's a haircare routine created by beauty influencer Abbey Yung. It’s gained popularity partly because her hair looks amazing, and partly because she goes against a lot of the trends people are tired of. She recommends affordable drugstore products, pushes back against “chemophobia” (the fear of ingredients like sulfates and silicones), and says to wash your hair as often as you actually need. In a world where influencers warn that your hair will fall out if you wash more than once a week or touch a drugstore product, her approach feels refreshing.

In many ways, her routine is the opposite of the Curly Girl Method. It might even be the perfect option for those of us who are “silicone curious” like myself.

This guide will help you understand why behind what Abbey recommends, which will help you whether or not you use her exact products. Especially if you have curly, coily, or wavy hair. It's also written to be useful if you don't want to watch all her videos (some people are still more into reading, like me).

If this is getting kind of complicated for you, you can just take the quiz that's built around the same logic or take the quiz to get an idea of what steps might be right for you.

Huge disclaimer, I am not Abbey Yung. I try to be as accurate as possible, but ultimately this is my interpretation and is colored by my opinions.

But if you're reading this Abbey and you want an official routine generator hit me up.

TLDR

If you want a routine based on this post, take the quiz below.

The Principles of Abbey Yung

Recently in a video Abbey outlined the core of her method

• Proper cleansing and conditioning
• Scalp health
• Damage protection
• Damage repair

A lot of influencers talk about these things but I think some additional reasons she stands out are

• Recommending both drugstore and salon products
• Being anti-chemophobia, not avoiding ingredients like sulfates and silicones
• Telling people it's OK and good to wash their hair, even daily if they really need it!

Who is the Abbey Yung Method for?

While anyone can do the Abbey Yung method, it's worth keeping in mind what she does that I notice:

• Heat styling (blow drying, hot tools)
• Chemical treatments like highlights

All things that can make your hair look really good but also can damage it. That's why her routine is so focused on damage protection and repair, especially protection from heat and repair of bonds inside the hair broken by chemical treatments or heat.

I've seen some people say Abbey's hair isn't damaged and that's false. She has highlights which always break bonds and she posted a microscopic analysis showing damage, especially at the ends. But she's a testament to how you can have damaged hair that doesn't look or feel damaged.

Some of her recommendations may need to be adjusted if:

• You prioritize volume and texture over smoothness
• You air dry
• You have low porosity (in the sense of being undamaged) hair
• You don't use any chemical treatments

You'll also need to keep in mind that your hair will not magically turn into Abbey's hair. What your hair looks like isn't just about routine, it's a combo of genetics, her styling technique skill, the salon professionals she goes to, and really good lighting.

Customizing the Abbey Yung Method

If there is one thing you take away from this post I hope it's that really knowing your hair can help you choose the right products.

Abbey recommends multiple different options per step and tells you what kind of hair each is for.

I identified several characteristics that Abbey uses when recommending different products. Knowing these will help you choose the right ones regardless of whether you follow her exact recommendations.

• Scalp type
• Cleansing needs
• Product weight
• Hard water
• Your hair's condition
• Damage type
• Your hair's manageability
• Your goals/preferences
• Between wash needs

I'll explain each in the sections they affect. Some of these are easier to know than others. If you're not sure, try out the quiz. If you want detailed, accurate results consider an analysis by Strandprint using code CBOT10 for 10% off.

The importance of product weight

Product weight refers to how heavy or light a product is in terms of conditioning. It's not a strict definition but typically:

Heavy products are:

• High conditioning (softening, smoothing, adding elasticity)
• Often thick and creamy with high slip (but not always)

Light products are:

• Lower conditioning, providing less weight and softness to hair
• Often more liquid in texture (but not always)

You may need light products if your hair is:

• Fine
• Easily weighed down or over-elongated (most wavy hair/loose curls falls here, find if your hair is one of these types with my quiz)
• Already soft and doesn't need extra conditioning
• Prone to looking greasy or dirty

I have a free guide on guide to light products that goes into more detail.

You may need heavy products if your hair is:

• Coarse
• Dense (a lot of coily hair falls here because of shrinkage)
• Feels rough or dry
• Brittle or prone to breakage

If you're not sure where your hair falls, the weight recommendations are built into the quiz.

Steps In the Abbey Yung Method

I've divided the steps up between those steps she recommends everyone do which I call core and those steps that are optional depending on your needs I call boosts. This is my own terminology.

Core Steps

These are the steps Abbey recommends for every routine. The terminology of core is my own way I think of them, not Abbey's.

Clarifying Shampoo

Abbey says everyone needs a clarifying shampoo at least once a week for scalp health and to deal with buildup from products, scalp sebum, or the environment.

She recommends choosing based on:

• Scalp type: gentler options for dry scalps, stronger for oily
• Cleansing needs: how much cleansing your hair prefers depends on factors like hair fineness, scalp oils, and personal habits like how often you wash
• Hard water: if you wash in hard water (see our guide on how to know if you have hard water), she recommends a shampoo that can remove these pesky mineral deposits that can weigh hair down
• Weight: some shampoos leave cationic ingredients on the hair, she calls these strengthening shampoos. Useful if your hair is hard to manage, but if your hair is easily weighed down opt for her residue-free options instead
• Hair condition: for damaged or easily tangled hair, she has recommendations for shampoos high in slippery ingredients that protect the hair during washing

How often you need to clarify depends on your hair. Some people with fine hair or oily scalps can use a clarifying shampoo every wash. Others only need it once a week and will want a gentler everyday shampoo for other washes, more on that in the strengthening shampoo section.

SortFeaturedProduct nameDrugstore first8 products

Product	Details	Cleaning Power	Scalp Type
K18 Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo Buy on AmazonBuy at k18Buy at Sephora	Hard water deposit removal Best for: Normal, dry, or oily scalps Non-drugstorehard-water-deposit-removalclarifying-shampoodaily-shampoo	strong	normal, dry, oily
Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy Clarify Buy on Amazon	Residue free Best for: Normal, dry, or oily scalps Drugstoreresidue-freeclarifying-shampoodaily-shampoo	moderate, strong	normal, dry, oily
Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Purifying Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Residue free Best for: Normal, dry, or oily scalps Drugstoreresidue-freeclarifying-shampoodaily-shampoo	moderate	normal, dry, oily
L'Oreal EverPure Clarifying Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Hard water deposit removal, residue free Best for: Normal, dry, or oily scalps Drugstorehard-water-deposit-removalclarifying-shampoodaily-shampooresidue-free	moderate	normal, dry, oily
Pantene Sheer Volume Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Residue-free Best for: Oily and extra oily scalps Drugstoreresidue-freeclarifying-shampoodaily-shampoo	strong	oily, extra oily
L'Oréal Professionnel Paris Metal Detox Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Hard water deposit removal, conditioning Best for: Normal to dry scalps, damaged hair in need of more conditioning Non-drugstoreconditioning-shampoohard-water-deposit-removalclarifying-shampoofragile	light	normal, dry
Living Proof Clarifying Detox Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Hard water deposit removal, conditioning Best for: Normal to dry scalps, damaged hair in need of more conditioning Non-drugstoreconditioning-shampoohard-water-deposit-removalclarifying-shampoofragile	light, moderate	normal, dry, oily
Ouai Detox Buy on Amazon	Hard water deposit removal, residue free, heavy duty clean Best for: Oily and extra oily scalps Non-drugstorehard-water-deposit-removalresidue-freeclarifying-shampoo	strong	oily, extra oily

Can't find these products? Look for any clarifying shampoo. If you have hard water, get one formulated to remove mineral deposits. If your hair is damaged or tangles easily, look for one that says "for damaged hair" or similar on the label as these tend to have more conditioning ingredients. If your hair is easily weighed down, look for shampoos that are labeled "clarifying" or similar words like "purifying" -- my Guide to Light Products has more info on finding these.

Conditioner

Abbey's conditioner step isn't limited to products labeled "conditioner": depending on your hair, a mask or a gloss might actually be a better fit. All are technically conditioners, just at different weights: glosses tend to be lighter, masks tend to be heavier.

Which to pick:

• Gloss: your hair is weighed down too much by even a light conditioner
• Mask: your hair is extra hard to detangle, doesn't feel adequately conditioned by regular conditioners, or you just like the creamy rich texture (perfectly valid)
• Conditioner: everyone else

Within each category she has recommendations ranging from light to heavy.

SortFeaturedProduct nameDrugstore first18 products

Product	Details	Weight
Amika flash instant shine mask Buy on AmazonBuy at AmikaBuy at Sephora	Gloss Non-drugstoregloss	light
Amika the kure intense strength repair mask Buy on AmazonBuy at AmikaBuy at Sephora	Mask for hair that benefits from heavy conditioning Best for: Coarse/thick hair that is NOT easily weighed down Non-drugstoremask	heavy
amika the kure strength repair conditioner Buy on AmazonBuy at AmikaBuy at Sephora	Conditioner for softness without intense smoothing Best for: Coarse/thick hair that is NOT easily weighed down Non-drugstoreconditioner	medium, heavy
Dove Bond Strength Conditioner Buy on Amazon	Conditioner for intense smoothing Best for: Coarse/thick hair that is super tangly and difficult to manage Drugstoreconditioner	medium, heavy
Dove Conditioner Intensive Repair for Damaged Hair Buy on Amazon	Conditioner, softening and smoothing without heaviness Best for: Most hair types Drugstoreconditioner	light
Dove Hair Bond Strength 10in1 Serum Mask Buy on Amazon	Mask for soft, sleek, silky results Best for: Coarse/thick hair that is difficult to manage, hair that is NOT easily weighed down Drugstoremask	medium, heavy
Dove Hair Intensive Repair 10in1 Serum Mask for Damaged Hair Buy on Amazon	Mask, silky soft less sleek results and better repair than dove bond strength Best for: Most hair types Drugstoremask	medium
L'Oreal Paris Elvive Hyaluron Plump Flash Hydration Wonder Water Hair Rinse Buy on Amazon	Gloss Drugstoregloss	light
L'Oreal Paris Glossing Lamination Hair Mask with Glycolic Acid Buy on Amazon	Gloss Drugstoregloss	light
Loreal Bond Repair Conditioner Buy on Amazon	Conditioner for softness without intense smoothing Best for: Coarse/thick hair that NOT easily weighed down Drugstoreconditioner	heavy
Loreal Elvive Glycolic Gloss Conditioner Buy on Amazon	Conditioner, good for hair that needs volume, shine and smoothing Best for: Most hair types including fine/thin hair Drugstoreconditioner	light
Loreal Everpure Glossing Conditioner Buy on Amazon	Conditioner for silky sleek results without heaviness, smoother results than the Elvive conditioner Best for: Most hair types Drugstoreconditioner	medium
OGX Repair & Protect Bond Protein Repair 1-Minute Treatment Mask Buy on Amazon	Mask for soft, breathable results Best for: Normal to coarse/thick hair that need something a little lighter than the Dove masks Drugstoremask	medium
Pantene Miracle Rescue Deep Conditioner with Melting Pro-V Pearls Buy on Amazon	Mask for soft, voluminous results Best for: Fine/thin hair Drugstoremask	light
Pantene Miracle Rescue Mask Buy on Amazon	Mask, more conditioning than the other Pantene option Best for: Most hair types Drugstoremask	light
Elizavecca cer-100 collagen coating hair protein treatment Buy on Amazon	Soft, lightweight mask for damage repair Best for: Fine/thin hair Non-drugstoremask	very light
Pureology Strength Cure Conditioner Buy on Amazon	Conditioner, for softness without sacrificing volume Best for: Most hair types Non-drugstoreconditioner	medium
Redken Acidic Bonding Conditioner Buy on Amazon	Conditioner for those who want a thicker, creamier option Best for: Coarse/thick hair that is NOT easily weighed down Non-drugstoreconditioner	heavy

Can't find these products? Honestly almost any conditioner, gloss, or mask should work here. For damaged hair look for something labeled for damaged or color-treated hair as these tend to be higher in cationic conditioners, which are more effective on damaged hair than products that are just heavy in oils and butters. For light conditioners words like "volumizing" on the label can indicate it's light -- my Guide to Light Products has more info on finding light conditioners.

Leave-in

This is one step I'd argue is non-negotiable and I say that as someone who avoided leave-ins for years because every one I tried weighed my hair down. The right one makes a real difference. Without any leave-in, your hair is more susceptible to heat damage, UV damage, and friction, and more likely to tangle.

She classifies leave-ins by weight:

• Lighter leave-ins: a thin film that protects without weighing hair down which is good for fine or easily elongated hair
• Heavier leave-ins: a thicker film that provides more protection and softening which is better for coarse or high shrinkage hair

SortFeaturedProduct nameDrugstore first8 products

Product	Details	Weight
Pantene Miracle Rescue 10 in 1 Multitasking Leave in Conditioner Spray Buy on AmazonBuy at Sephora	Great for fine/thin hair Best for: Hair types that are easily weighed down but still need detangling and damage support Drugstore-	very light
Bumble and bumble. Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer Buy on AmazonBuy at Bumble and bumbleBuy at Sephora	Best for: Coarse/thick hair nedding heavy conditioning and smoothing than liquid sprays, that is NOT easily weighed down Non-drugstore-	heavy
Redken One United All-In-One Leave In Conditioner Buy on AmazonBuy at RedkenBuy at Ulta	Best for: Normal to thick/coarse hair OR any hair types that are dry/damaged/tangled and need more intensive conditioning than liquidy options Non-drugstore-	medium, heavy
EverPure L'Oreal Paris Sulfate Free Moisture 21-in-1 Leave-In Conditioner Buy on Amazon	The most conditioning drugstore option Best for: Coarse/thick hair that is NOT easily weighed down Drugstore-	heavy
OGX Repair & Protect Bond Protein Repair 450°F Heat Protect Spray, Buy on Amazon	Good in-between for more conditioning than Pantene and TRESemmé, but still lighter than creamier formulas Best for: Most hair types Drugstore-	medium
Tresemme Heat Tamer Buy on Amazon	Lightweight smoothing and frizz control Best for: Hair types that are easily weighed down but not prone to heavy tangling Drugstore-	very light
TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Blowout Buy on Amazon	Lightweight smoothing and frizz control, a bit more conditioning and smoothing than Heat Tamer Best for: Fine/thin to normal hair Drugstore-	light
Pureology Color Fanatic Multi-Tasking Leave-In Spray, 21 Benefits for All Hair Types Buy on Amazon	Best for: Normal to thick/coarse hair that's not easily weighed down, great for VERY tangle-prone hair Non-drugstore-	heavy

Can't find these products? Look for a spray leave-in that includes heat protection.

Boosts: Optional Steps

These are steps you can add based on your specific needs. Think of them as targeted upgrades rather than requirements. "Boosts" is my terminology, not Abbey's.

Strengthening Shampoo

If you wash more than once a week, you probably need this. For most people clarifying shampoos are too stripping for daily or frequent use, so on non-clarifying wash days it's good to have a strengthening shampoo.

Strengthening shampoo is Abbey's term for a gentler everyday shampoo with beneficial actives. These do leave some cationic ingredients on the hair, which is useful for conditioning and manageability, but can weigh some hair down. If that's you, look for a clarifying option from that section that says in the "frequency" column that it's gentle enough for frequent use instead.

SortFeaturedProduct nameDrugstore first8 products

Product	Details	Cleaning Power
Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo - For Damaged or Color-Treated Hair Buy on AmazonBuy at Ulta	Conditioning, strengthens damaged hair Best for: Normal to dry scalps, coarse/thick hair that is NOT easily weighed down Non-drugstoreconditioning-shampoostrength-repair-shampoofragile	light, moderate
Dove Bond Strength Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Conditioning, heavier than intensive repair Best for: Coarse/thick hair that not easily weighed down, normal/dry scalps Drugstoreconditioning-shampoostrength-repair-shampoo	moderate
Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Conditioning Best for: Coarse/thick hair that not easily weighed down, normal/dry scalps Drugstoreconditioning-shampoostrength-repair-shampoo	moderate, strong
L'OREAL Elvive Glycolic Gloss Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Conditioning, soft lightweight results with boosted shine Best for: Most hair types, most scalp types Drugstoreconditioning-shampoostrength-repair-shampoo	moderate, strong
L'OREAL Everpure Glossing Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Conditioning, heavier than Elvive Glycolic Gloss Shampoo Best for: Most hair types, most scalp types Drugstoreconditioning-shampoostrength-repair-shampoo	moderate, strong
L'OREAL PARIS Bond Repair Sulfate Free Shampoo for Damaged Hair Buy on Amazon	Conditioning Best for: Most hair types, most scalp types Drugstoreconditioning-shampoostrength-repair-shampoo	moderate, strong
Amika The Kure Shampoo Buy on AmazonBuy at AmikaBuy at Sephora	Conditioning, milder cleanse while strengthening damaged hair Best for: Coarse/thick hair that is NOT easily weighed down Non-drugstoreconditioning-shampoostrength-repair-shampoofragile	light, moderate
Redken Acidic Bonding Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Conditioning, strengthens damaged hair Best for: Normal to dry scalps, coarse/thick hair that is NOT easily weighed down Non-drugstoreconditioning-shampoostrength-repair-shampoofragile	light, moderate

Can't find these products? Look for a non-clarifying shampoo with actives. What actives you want depends on your hair: for damaged hair look for something formulated for damaged or color-treated hair; for volume look for something labeled thickening or volumizing; for softness look for something labeled hydrating. My light products guide has more on this.

Bond Repair

Abbey recommends bond repair for anyone with any level of damage. She has two broad categories, which I'll call strong and weak bond builders. This is my terminology and you can read more about it in my bond repair guide

Strong bond builders target the strongest internal bonds in hair (like disulfide bonds), which are only broken by:

• Chemical treatments (coloring, bleaching, perming, relaxing, highlighting)
• Heat styling

Products in this category include Epres, K18, and Olaplex. In my opinion you only need these if you have those specific types of damage and they're a waste of money otherwise. I haven't seen Abbey address this distinction directly, but it's worth knowing.

If you do need strong bond repair, in my opinion the priority order is Epres first (read more in my bond repair guide), then K18, then Living Proof (and only use Living Proof's bond repair if you heat style, since it's heat activated).

Weaker bond builders target more temporary bonds. As of this writing all the cheaper drugstore options fall into this category. These are fine for other types of damage. For example when I had a hair analysis, I had some significant mechanical damage on my ends.

As for how many bond repair products you need, when my hair was long with mildly mechanically damaged ends, one product was plenty (the Garnier Hair Filler product she used to recommend, now discontinued). My general rule is to scale up based on your level of damage, not to stack products by default.

Abbey classifies bond repair products by weight, with lighter options providing less conditioning and heavier ones providing more.

Bond repair options

SortFeaturedProduct nameDrugstore first7 products

Product	Details	Weight
Eprès Bond Repair Treatment Buy on AmazonBuy at Eprès	Best for: Most hair types, even those that are weighed down easily Non-drugstorestrong-bond-repair	very light
K18 Molecular Repair Hair Mask Buy on AmazonBuy at K18Buy at Sephora	Reconnects keratin chains and disulfide bonds Best for: Most hair types Non-drugstorestrong-bond-repair	light, medium
Living Proof Triple Bond Complex Buy on AmazonBuy at Living ProofBuy at Sephora	Create new hydrogen, ionic and covalent bonds Best for: Most hair types but may weigh some hair down, heat is needed to active this product so best for those who heat style Non-drugstorestrong-bond-repair	light, medium
L'Oreal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Pre Shampoo Treatment Buy on Amazon	Rebuilds weak ionic bonds to reinforce hair structure, can be used as a pre-shampoo treatment or post-shampoo treatment Best for: Most hair types but most likely to cause weigh down Drugstoreweak-bond-repair	medium, heavy
OGX Repair & Protect Bond Protein Repair Pre-Shampoo Treatment Buy on Amazon	Abbey recommends using this after the shampoo instead of before for boosted effectiveness. Creates new hydrogen & ionic bonds to support internal keratin structure Best for: Most hair types but may cause weigh down Drugstoreweak-bond-repair	medium
Pantene Pro-Vitamin Essence Buy on Amazon	Increases hair tensile strength Best for: Most hair types, even those that are weighed down easily Drugstoreweak-bond-repair	very light
Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Treatment For Damaged Hair Repair Buy on Amazon	Captures metal ions, reinforces weakened bonds Best for: Most hair types but most likely to cause weigh down Non-drugstoreweak-bond-repair	medium, heavy

Can't find these products? There aren't good substitutes for Epres, K18, or Living Proof specifically. For the others, look for products labeled bond repair, but it's worth reading my bond repair guide first to understand what different bond repair actives actually do.

Pre-Shampoo Oil Treatment

This is an optional step and Abbey recommends it mainly for people whose hair gets rough or tangly during shampooing. It's also one of the steps people most often misuse, so it's worth understanding before you try it.

If you do it when you don't need it, use the wrong weight, or use too much, it can weigh your hair down significantly. Her videos on these products are worth watching to get a sense of how much to use.

She offers three options, all from OGX, one for each weight:

• Heavy: for hair that benefits from a lot of product and isn't easily weighed down
• Medium: for hair in between
• Light: for hair that's easily weighed down

In my opinion these are most useful on the ends of longer hair, especially if you have an oily scalp and drier ends, since it lets you use a stronger shampoo without over-stripping the ends.

Do they wash out? Somewhat, but that's not really the point. Think of them as spot treatment for areas you want protected during washing, not as a conditioning treatment.

Can't find these products? You're not looking for a regular kitchen oil here. You want a mixture of oils and silicones or silicone substitutes which provide extra lubrication. The OGX products are a good reference point for what that looks like.

Style Sealers

These are oily/creamy products that add smoothness and shine after styling. She has recommendations listed by weight which is worth paying attention to here since these are particularly prone to weighing hair down. If your hair turns greasy or is easily weighed down, you might wanna skip this step.

SortFeaturedProduct nameDrugstore first12 products

Product	Details	Weight
Bumble and bumble. Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Long Last Styling Cream Buy on AmazonBuy at Bumble and bumbleBuy at Sephora	Non-drugstorestyle-smoothing	medium
Living Proof No Frizz Vanishing Oil Buy on AmazonBuy at Living ProofBuy at Sephora	Non-drugstorestyle-heatstyle-smoothing	light
Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair 10 in 1 Serum Buy on Amazon	Hair feeling dry between wash Drugstorebetween-wash-dryness-relief	medium
Dove Serum Bond Strength for Chemically Damaged Hair with Bio-Protein Care Technology and Peptide Complex Buy on Amazon	Drugstorestyle-smoothing	medium
L'Oreal Paris Blow Dry Primer for 48 HR Frizz Control Buy on Amazon	Drugstorestyle-heatstyle-smoothing	light, medium
OGX Renewing + Argan Oil of Morocco Extra Penetrating Oil Buy on Amazon	Hair feeling dry between wash Drugstorebetween-wash-dryness-relief	heavy
OGX Renewing + Argan Oil of Morocco Weightless Healing Dry Oil Spray Buy on Amazon	Drugstorestyle-heatstyle-smoothing	light
OGX Repair & Protect Bond Protein Repair 3-in-1 Oil Mist Buy on Amazon	Drugstorestyle-heatstyle-smoothing	light
Pantene Miracle Rescue 3 in 1 Leave In Conditioner Buy on Amazon	Drugstorestyle-smoothingstyle-softening	medium, heavy
Amika Superfruit Star Buy on Amazon	Hair feeling dry between wash Non-drugstorebetween-wash-dryness-relief	light
Bumble & Bumble Invisible Oil Styling Cream Buy on Amazon	Non-drugstorestyle-hold	medium, heavy
Redken Acidic Bonding Leave-In Buy on Amazon	Non-drugstorestyle-smoothingstyle-softening	light, medium

Can't find these products? Look for a mixture of oils and silicones or silicone substitutes, things labeled "finishing oil" or "anti-frizz serum" that instruct you to apply on dry or damp hair.

Styling Products

She has options for different goals, but keep in mind these are mostly geared toward those who style their hair mostly straight:

• Texture
• Volume
• Extra hold

If you're wearing your hair in a natural wavy, curly, or coily texture these may not translate well. Personally I've only found her texture recommendations useful on days when I'm not trying to enhance my waves and am going for a beachy undone look.

SortFeaturedProduct nameDrugstore first6 products

Product	Details
K18 AstroLift™ Reparative Volume Spray Buy on AmazonBuy at K18Buy at Sephora	Volume Non-drugstorestyle-volume
TRESemmé Dry Texture Finishing Mist Buy on Amazon	Texture Drugstorestyle-texture
TRESemmé Plumping Mousse Amplified Volume Buy on Amazon	Volume Drugstorestyle-volume
Living Proof Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray Buy on Amazon	Texture Non-drugstorestyle-texturestyle-volume
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray Buy on Amazon	Texture Non-drugstorestyle-texture
R+Co Intense Hold shaping balm Buy on Amazon	Hold Non-drugstorestyle-hold

Can't find these products? Look for texturizing sprays for texture, hairsprays for hold, and volumizing sprays or mousses for volume.

Between-Wash Care

These cover three between-wash needs:

1. Heat protection if you use heat styling between wash days
2. Hair that feels dry between washes
3. Hair that feels oily between washes

She classifies these by weight (see the product weight section if you skipped ahead).

SortFeaturedProduct nameDrugstore first14 products

Product	Details
Amika Midnight Mender Buy on AmazonBuy at AmikaBuy at Sephora	Hair feeling dry between wash Non-drugstorebetween-wash-dryness-relief
IGK GOOD BEHAVIOR Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray Buy on AmazonBuy at IGKBuy at Sephora	Heat protection Non-drugstorebetween-wash-heat-protection
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry shampoo Buy on AmazonBuy at Living ProofBuy at Sephora	Dry shampoo Non-drugstorebetween-wash-oil-control-relief
Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair 10 in 1 Serum Buy on Amazon	Hair feeling dry between wash Drugstorebetween-wash-dryness-relief
Dove Volume Advanced Dry Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Dry shampoo Drugstorebetween-wash-oil-control-relief
Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo Buy on Amazon	Dry shampoo Drugstorebetween-wash-oil-control-relief
OGX Nourishing + Coconut Oil Weightless Hydrating Oil Mist Buy on Amazon	Hair feeling dry between wash Drugstorebetween-wash-dryness-relief
OGX Renewing + Argan Oil of Morocco Extra Penetrating Oil Buy on Amazon	Hair feeling dry between wash Drugstorebetween-wash-dryness-relief
Amika Perk Up Plus Buy on Amazon	Dry shampoo Non-drugstorebetween-wash-oil-control-relief
Amika Superfruit Star Buy on Amazon	Hair feeling dry between wash Non-drugstorebetween-wash-dryness-relief
Bumble and bumble. Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Frizz-Reducing Hair Oil Buy on Amazon	Hair feeling dry between wash Non-drugstorebetween-wash-dryness-relief
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Heat Styling Spray Buy on Amazon	Heat protection Non-drugstorebetween-wash-heat-protection
Moroccanoil Perfect Defense Heat Protectant Buy on Amazon	Heat protection Non-drugstorebetween-wash-heat-protection
ORIBE Gold Lust Dry Heat Protection Spray Buy on Amazon	Heat protection Non-drugstorebetween-wash-heat-protection

Can't find these products?

1. A heat protectant formulated for use on dry hair
2. The same items as style sealers, or overnight masks meant to be applied to dry hair
3. Dry shampoo

Tweaking the Abbey Yung Method for Wavy/Curly/Coily Hair

Plenty of people with wavy, curly, and coily hair use her regular recommendations without modification. Regular products work fine on any hair type as long as they work for you. But there are a few things worth knowing before you dive in.

Abbey's method isn't designed for curl-focused styling. If you want to style your hair the way most of the curly community does (high-hold products, scrunching out the crunch, defined clumps) you'll need to adapt. She doesn't recommend strong-hold stylers, not because she's against them, but because she wears her hair mostly straight and they're probably not on her radar.

A few curly-specific things to watch out for:

• Silicones: A lot of people in the curl world are scared of these. They will not suffocate your hair (they're actually more permeable than oils), but can interact strangely with hard-hold gels and may loosen curl pattern for some people especially with wavy hair or loose curls. Something to experiment with carefully if you rely on gel for definition.
• "Oils": When Abbey says oils she means serums, lightweight mixtures of oils and other ingredients. Curly-branded oils are often straight oils, which are heavier and harder to work with.
• Masks: Many curly-brand masks are heavy in butters and oils and are not as suitable to be used as conditioner (they are more for occasional use). These also aren't as effective for damaged hair as masks high in cationic conditioners, which is what Abbey's mask recommendations tend to prioritize.
• Curl-focused bond repair: Products like Curlsmith Bond Rehab Serum exist specifically for curly hair. Whether they're meaningfully better than regular bond repair for curls I honestly don't know, and I haven't seen good science on it yet. There's also Dove's Amino Curl and Olaplex's Bond Shaper (salon only as of this writing).
• Clarifying: I had a couple of curly hair stylists tell me they thought once a week was too much clarifying. There is research showing that curly hair is more fragile so perhaps they are right. If your hair is feeling "dry" you might choose a more conditioning/gentle clarifying shampoo or consider clarifying less often.

As a general rule, lean lighter if you have wavy or fine hair, and heavier the more shrinkage your hair has, unless your hair is fine, in which case lighter usually wins regardless of curl pattern. The "What to substitute" notes in each step above can also help you find curly/wavy alternatives for specific products.

If you're not sure if your hair is wavy, loose curls, coils or something else, check out our hair type quiz.

Barbie Delle, who has curly hair, has also shared her thoughts on the routine if you want a curly-hair perspective beyond mine.

Cheatsheet

Here is a summary of all the steps, the product type, and whether optional or required:

Which Porosity Is the Abbey Yung Method For?

Porosity is used to mean two different things online: how damaged your hair is, or how your hair reacts to water and products. If you want the full breakdown, I cover it in my porosity guide. For the purposes of this method, the damage definition is the one that matters.

This method is mainly for high or mixed porosity hair: in other words, damaged hair. Abbey colors her hair, and her ends have accumulated years of weathering, so her routine is built around that reality.

If your hair is low porosity (undamaged), the method probably won't hurt you, but most of her product picks are formulated for damaged hair, they're likely to feel too heavy and frankly be a waste of money. That's not because of the usual myths like "protein is bad for low porosity hair" (it isn't), it's just a formulation mismatch.

If you're using the internet definition of porosity instead, the practical answer is simple: low porosity maps to lighter products, high porosity maps to heavier ones. But as I argue in the porosity guide, that framing is less useful than just knowing your hair's actual characteristics.

Troubleshooting/Can the Abbey Yung Method Cause Damage?

Abbey's recommended products are standard, well-tested, and safe. That said, some people do report issues and it usually comes down to conditioning level. Rather than getting caught up in protein vs. moisture debates, the more useful question is whether your hair is over or under-conditioned:

• Overconditioned: hair feels greasy, limp, or weighed down. Shift your products lighter and consider eliminating some of the optional steps.
• Underconditioned: hair feels brittle, dry, stiff, or like straw. Shift your products heavier, or try adding some of the optional conditioning steps like sealers or between-wash care.

These issues usually come down to:

• Using heavy products when you should be using light ones (or vice versa)
• Applying products meant for damaged hair onto healthy, undamaged hair, which can cause buildup

If your hair feels stiff or brittle, don't keep doing the same routine. Stiff, brittle hair is more vulnerable to actual damage. Clarify, switch up your products, and aim for results that leave your hair feeling smooth and flexible. I explain what's happening chemically in my post on so-called "protein overload".

My Personal Experience with the Abbey Yung Method

I'm honestly not the best candidate for this method. My hair is wavy, almost straight when long, and mostly undamaged and low porosity. I don't dye, bleach, or heat style (beyond like light diffusing). The only exception was when my hair was over 20 inches long because the ends were higher porosity by then, so I experimented with bond repair on just those. I don't miss how annoying my long hair was to care for, but I do miss having high porosity ends to test products on.

Here's what I noticed:

• Glosses: They didn't give me enough slip or conditioning, though others (like Curls by the Coast) love them. I suspect I need more conditioning now that I'm older, as I explain in my perimenopause guide aging hair tends to get more porous.
• Spray leave-ins: The biggest game changer. I'd avoided leave-ins for years because curly ones always weighed my hair down. Her lightweight pick, Pantene 10-in-1, cuts down on frizz, adds shine, and makes my hair feel smooth without killing my waves. It does make a gel cast harder to achieve, but I prefer soft shiny waves over crunchy ones anyway.
• Bond repair: I tested the Curlsmith Bond Rehab Serum as a post-shampoo (as Abbey recommends) instead of pre-shampoo (as the label says). It worked noticeably better and my ends were bouncier and healthier-looking.

About the Author

Melissa McEwen is the creator of CurlsBot. She is a software developer with training in science writing and a B.S. in Agricultural Science. Her writing has appeared in publications such as NPR and Quartz.