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.

I was intrigued by her method, but honestly a little intimidated by the number of steps. I ended up rewatching her videos, taking notes, and trying out some of her recommended products and techniques myself.

Please note these are all MY notes on Abbey's method and are not endorsed by Abbey at all.

Who is Abbey Yung

Abbey Yung is a beauty influencer and a certified trichologist, which means she has professional training in scalp health. Her own hair is famously shiny and long, even though she colors and heat styles it, which are two things that usually cause a lot of damage. She’s even talked about how she transitioned to a darker blonde in the past couple of years because the lighter shade was just too damaging. Here’s the TikTok where she explains it.

Another thing to know: her hair is really long. The longer hair gets, the more “weathering” it goes through, which basically means the ends become higher porosity from sun, wind, washing, and just existing. Combine that with chemical coloring, and it’s safe to say Abbey’s hair falls into the high porosity category with the highest porosity at the ends where she's still growing out the damage from being lighter blonde. I call this "mixed" porosity.

That detail matters, because a lot of her product choices and techniques are designed with high porosity hair in mind.

What is the Abbey Yung Method

Abbey Yung says she created her method to keep both the scalp and hair looking and feeling as healthy as possible. It’s especially helpful for people with stressed or damaged hair (aka high porosity hair).

The core principles are pretty simple:

• Wash your hair as often as you actually need to.
• Use bond repair products about twice a week if you have damaged hair.
• Always use a heat protectant or leave-in to shield your hair from damage.

In other words, it’s about giving your hair consistent care and protection instead of restricting washes or avoiding certain ingredients just because the internet says so.

How to do the Abbey Yung Method

Here’s where it gets a little complicated: the method has 11 steps, and some of them are optional. Don’t worry though, I’ll break it down into the core steps most people do, and then the optional ones you can add depending on your hair needs.

Abbey Yung Method Core Steps

There are only 3 required steps in the Abbey Yung method

Clarifying / deep cleaning shampoo (at least once a week) #3

This keeps your scalp and hair free of buildup, which is especially important if you use a lot of products.

Products: Look for non-conditioning shampoos labeled “clarifying” or “purifying.” If you have hard water, go for one formulated specifically for that.

Example Product

K18 Detox Shampoo

A shampoo formulated for gently clarifying damaged hair

Buy at k18Buy on Amazon

Rinse-out conditioner #6

Abbey suggests tailoring this to your hair’s needs: use a gloss if you want something light, a mask if you need something heavy, and regular conditioner if you need something in between.

Products:

• For damaged/dry hair: conditioners labeled “repair,” “hydration,” or “color care.”
• For glosses: look for “laminating masks” or “lamellar rinses” (these are usually liquid formulas).
• For masks: choose ones with cationic conditioners (not just heavy oils and butters).

Example products:

Amika The Kure Strength Repair Conditioner

A conditioner formulated for adding strength to damaged hair

Buy at AmikaBuy on Amazon

Amika Flash Instant Shine Mask

A gloss that provides a lighter alternative to conditioner

Buy at AmikaBuy on Amazon

Amika The Kure Intense Strength Repair Mask

A mask that provides a richer, heavier alternative to conditioner

Buy at AmikaBuy on Amazon

Leave-in conditioner + heat protection #8

The key here is sectioning your hair so every strand gets covered.

Products: Leave-ins that specifically include heat protection. She has different recommendations for light, medium, and heavy products.

Example:

Recommended Products

Bumble and bumble. Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer

A heat protectant leave-in conditioner that Abbey has as one of her heavy options

Buy at Bumble and bumbleAmazon

Redken One United All-In-One Leave In Conditioner

A multi-purpose heat protectant leave-in conditioner that Abbey has as one of her medium options

Buy at RedkenAmazon

Pantene Miracle Rescue 10 in 1 Multitasking Leave in Conditioner Spray

A multi-purpose heat protectant leave-in conditioner that Abbey has as one of her light options. I personally use this one on my fine, wavy hair.

Amazon

Optional Steps

These are extras you can add depending on how damaged your hair is. Steps 9–11 are more about styling and between-wash care.

Pre-wash bond repair treatment (2x a week) #1

Great for brittle, damaged hair—especially if you don’t want to stand around doing step 5 in the shower.

Products: Easy—Abbey only recommends one here: Eprès Bond Repair Treatment.

Eprès Bond Repair Treatment

The bond repair treatment Abbey recommends for pre-wash bond repair

Buy at EprèsBuy on Amazon

Pre-shampoo oil treatment #2

Apply about 20 minutes before washing if your hair tangles easily or feels rough.

Products: Oils like OGX Coconut Oil line are the only ones I've seen her recommend.

Examples:

• OGX Extra Strength Damage Remedy + Coconut Miracle Oil (Heavy)
• OGX Nourishing + Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum (Medium)
• OGX Nourishing + Coconut Oil Weightless Hydrating Oil Mist (Light)

⚠️ Note: The OGX "oils" are mixes of oils and other ingredients like silicones, not straight-up kitchen oils. They’re way easier to use and more effective then like the olive oil in your kitchen.

Gentle cleansing shampoo #4

For people who wash more than once a week but need something gentler than the step 3 clarifying shampoo. Abbey also says to swap this with a dandruff shampoo if you need it.

Products: Shampoos for damaged/dry hair (“color care,” “hydration,” etc.) and/or medicated dandruff shampoos (look for active ingredients on the label).

Example:

Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo

A shampoo formulated for damaged or color-treated hair

Buy on Amazon

Post-shampoo bond repair treatment (2x a week) #5

For damaged hair. This is where Abbey usually recommends K18, but she also presents a couple of cheaper drugstore alternatives.

Products: K18 or similar bond treatments. Pro tip: use them at this step instead of pre-shampoo (even if the product label says otherwise).

Example:

K18 Molecular Repair Hair Mask

A bond repair hair mask formulated for repairing damaged hair

Buy at K18Buy on Amazon

Post-wash bond repair #7

For very damaged hair you can apply this treatment to towel-dried hair and let it sit for 10 minutes before layering in other leave-ins.

Products: Another single-product category: Living Proof Triple Bond Complex.

Living Proof Triple Bond Complex

A bond repair treatment formulated for repairing damaged hair

Buy at Living ProofBuy on Amazon

Styling products #9

For volume, curl definition, texture, or hold. Choose what works best for your style.

Products: Mousses, hairsprays, balms, or texture sprays.

Example:

K18 AstroLift™ Reparative Volume Spray

A volumizing hair spray formulated for damaged hair

Buy at K18Buy on Amazon

Style sealers #10

Add softness, shine, or smoothness after styling.

Products: Lotions, creams, and oil serums. She has different recommendations for light, medium, and heavy products.

Examples:

Recommended Products

Living Proof No Frizz Vanishing Oil

A frizz-fighting oil that Abbey has as one of her light options

Buy at Living ProofBuy on Amazon

Bumble and bumble. Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Long Last Styling Cream

A styling cream that Abbey has as one of her medium and heavyoptions

Buy at Bumble and bumbleBuy on Amazon

Between-wash care #11

Root refreshers, light styling, or heat touch-ups. Just remember: these don’t replace wash day.

Products: Masks, mist serums, spray leave-ins, oil serums, heat protectants, or dry shampoo.

Examples: Amika Midnight Mender hair feeling dry between wash IGK GOOD BEHAVIOR Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray: heat protection dry shampoo: Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry shampoo

Amika Midnight Mender

An overnight strength repair treatment

Buy at AmikaBuy on Amazon

IGK GOOD BEHAVIOR Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray

A heat protectant spray Abbey recommends for if you do any heat styling between washes

Buy at IGKBuy on Amazon

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo

A dry shampoo Abbey recommends for if you need to refresh your hair between washes

Buy at Living ProofBuy on Amazon

How often to wash

Abbey’s rule is simple: wash as often as you need. Some people’s hair and scalp can go longer, some can’t. And that’s totally fine. She’s firmly against the idea of forcing yourself to stretch wash days when your hair feels greasy or uncomfortable.

Routine Variations

Abbey has said she doesn’t always do the exact same routine every wash day. Instead, she switches it up depending on how her hair feels. Some examples:

• Pre-wash bond repair + pre-wash oil (her go-to combo 2x a week, only with Epres)
• Pre-wash bond repair only
• Pre-wash oil treatment only
• No pre-wash treatment at all

Light vs. Heavy Products

Both Abbey and I use this terminology. In general, “light” products have fewer conditioning ingredients, while “heavy” products are more packed with them.

Abbey’s take: light products are better for fine hair, and heavy products for coarse hair.

My take: curl pattern also matters.

• Loose curl patterns (including waves) stretch out easily, so heavy products can weigh them down.
• Tight curl patterns shrink up more (your hair looks longer wet than dry). These usually benefit from heavier products.

If you're looking for light products I wrote a guide on how to find them that's free!

Routine Examples

For a full list of products, check out the spreadsheet linked at the end of this post. These routines are my interpretations of Abbey’s recommendations, not official routines from her.

Drugstore Routine for Damaged Hair

For hair that does well with heavier products, such as coarse hair.

1. Pre-wash oil treatment: OGX Extra Strength Damage Remedy + Coconut Miracle Oil
2. Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Purifying Shampoo (at least 3x a week) + Garnier Strength Repair Shampoo on other days
3. L'Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Pre-Shampoo Treatment (used post-shampoo as Abbey recommends)
4. Dove Hair Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum Mask for Damaged Hair
5. EverPure L'Oréal Paris Sulfate Free Moisture 21-in-1 Leave-In Conditioner
6. TRESemmé Plumping Mousse Amplified Volume
7. Between washes: Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo (if needed) + OGX Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco Extra Penetrating Oil (if hair feels dry)

K18 Salon Routine for Damaged Hair

For damaged hair that does better with medium-weight products and hard water.

1. K18 Detox Shampoo (3x a week) + Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo for other washes
2. K18 Molecular Repair Hair Mask
3. Pureology Strength Cure Conditioner
4. Pureology Color Fanatic Multi-Tasking Leave-In Spray (21 Benefits)
5. K18 AstroLift™ Reparative Volume Spray
6. Amika Superfruit Star(for dryness between washes)

Minimalist Routine for Long but Otherwise Healthy Hair

What I call “mixed porosity” hair. These picks line up with Abbey’s light/oily scalp recommendations. This is the routine I would pick for myself (fine, wavy hair) if I used her exact product recommendations.

1. Ouai Detox Shampoo (3x a week) + Amika The Kure Shampoo on other days
2. Amika The Kure Strength Repair Conditioner
3. Pureology Color Fanatic Multi-Tasking Leave-In Spray (21 Benefits)

If I added in bonding here I'd do it only at the ends.

Cheatsheet

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

Pros and Cons of the Abbey Yung Method

Pros

• Lots of affordable, easy-to-find product recommendations that actually use effective, science-backed ingredients.
• Encourages people to wash as often as they need, instead of suffering through stretched-out wash days.
• Doesn’t scaremonger about “toxic” products.
• Avoids pushing ineffective “natural” remedies just because they sound trendy.

Cons

• Some people complain about buildup, but often that’s because they aren’t choosing between the heavy vs. light product options. (Totally understandable, her recommendations can get complicated. If buildup worries you, stick with the light recs.)
• It’s easy to assume your hair will end up looking exactly like hers, but genetics, styling skill, and even lighting play a huge role.
• I think clarifying once a week might be a bit much, especially for fragile hair. I think if you're doing the minimalist routine and you aren't using a massive amount of products between washes, you could probably get away with clarifying much less.
• Honestly, I’m not sure anyone needs that many bonding products. There’s no science reason here, it just feels like a lot to me personally? I think most people who do bonding can just stick with one product.
• Bonding shampoos and conditioners are another gray area. They usually contain very little of the active bonding ingredient, so in my opinion they’re not worth paying extra for versus just a conventional shampoos/conditioners formulated for damaged hair.
• The sheer number of products, steps, and choices can feel overwhelming. (Hopefully this post helps simplify things!)

Is the Abbey Yung Method Appropriate for Curly/Wavy Hair

First, let’s get this out of the way: very few of Abbey’s recommendations are labeled specifically for curly or wavy hair. But honestly you don’t need special curly/wavy products. In fact, if your hair is fine, loosely curled, or wavy, you might actually do better without them.

That said, Abbey’s method isn’t designed for curls. If you want to style your hair the way most of the curly community does (high-hold products, scrunching out the crunch, etc.), you’ll need to adapt. Abbey doesn’t really recommend any strong-hold stylers, which doesn't mean she's against them, they just probably aren't on her radar given she wears her hair pretty straight.

A few other curly-specific notes:

• Silicones: They won’t suffocate your hair (they are more permeable than oils!!!!), but they can interact strangely with hard-hold gels. Personally, I’ve struggled to get a good cast when mixing silicones and gels. Some people also find silicones loosen their curl pattern.
• “Oils”: When Abbey says oils, she means more like serums, lightweight formulas with oils plus other ingredients. Curly-branded “oils” are often just pure oils, which are heavier and harder to work with.
• Masks: Many curly-brand masks are packed with butters and oils. Despite the hype, these aren’t that effective for damaged hair compared to cationic conditioners, which are the focus of the masks Abbey recommends.
• Curl-focused bond repair: There are some products specifically designed for curl-focused bond repair, like Curlsmith Bond Rehab Serum, I'd be curious to know if these are better for curly/wavy hair, but I personally don't know.

As a rule of thumb:

• If you have wavy hair, lean toward her lighter product options.
• The curlier your hair, the heavier you might want to go, unless your hair is fine, in which case lighter may still be better.

Barbie Delle, who has curly hair, has also shared some thoughts on Abbey Yung's routine that you may find interesting.

Which Porosity Is the Abbey Yung Method For?

This method is mainly for high or mixed porosity hair. High porosity basically means damaged hair, most often from coloring or bleaching. Since Abbey colors her hair (even if she does it gently), she has high porosity hair. On top of that, her hair is long, and the ends of long hair are never fully low porosity. As hair ages, the ends naturally become more porous.

Abbey’s method is not for low porosity hair. And that’s not because of the usual myths like “protein is bad for low porosity” (it isn’t and I debunk it here). It’s simply because most of her product picks are formulated for damaged, high porosity hair.

Will they hurt low porosity hair? Probably not. But they’re likely to feel too heavy, and honestly, they’ll just be a waste of money.

Can the Abbey Yung Method Cause Damage?

From a science-based perspective, all of Abbey’s recommended products are standard, well-tested, and safe. There’s no real reason they would cause damage.

That said, some people report issues—and I think it usually comes down to:

• Using heavy products when they should be using light ones (or vice versa).
• Applying products meant for damaged hair onto healthy, undamaged hair, which can cause buildup. Some buildup makes hair feel stiff or brittle, which I explain in my post on so-called "protein overload"

Here’s a good rule: if your hair feels stiff or brittle, don’t keep pushing 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.

As for other complaints, one person said their hair literally changed color (from blonde to brown) after following the method. Scientifically, that’s not possible. Cases of hair darkening in the medical literature are linked to medications or health issues, not everyday hair products. I've written about this on the hair science subreddit.

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, low-porosity. I don’t dye, bleach, or heat style. The only thing is that when my hair was over 20 inches long, the ends were higher porosity (I call this mixed porosity), so I did experiment with some bond repair on just the ends. I don't miss how annoying my long hair was to care for, but I do miss testing high porosity products on the ends.

Here’s what I noticed:

• Glosses: I tried her gloss recommendations instead of regular conditioner. They didn’t give me enough slip or conditioning, but others (like Curls by the Coast) love them. I suspect I need more moisture now that I’m older: aging hair tends to get more porous.
• Spray leave-ins: This was the biggest game changer for me. I’d avoided leave-ins for years because curly ones always weighed me down. But I noticed sun/UV weathering with longer hair, so I tried her lightweight pick: Pantene 10-in-1. I love it. It cuts down on frizz, adds shine, and makes my hair feel smooth. It does make it harder to get a gel cast, but I never liked that crunchy-cast feeling anyway. I prefer soft, shiny waves, so it’s perfect.
• Bonding products: I tested the Curlsmith Bond Rehab Serum product on my ends post-shampoo (like she recommends) instead of pre-shampoo (like the label says). It worked way better. My ends were bouncier and healthier-looking.

If I take more inspiration from her method, I think the next step for me would be trying out some of the stylers she likes especially since I wear my hair in loose waves more and more these days.

Conclusion

What I love most about Abbey Yung is that she pushes back against the fear-mongering that’s everywhere in the haircare world. She encourages people to use affordable, accessible products without guilt, and she’s refreshingly pro-science about ingredients.

That said, her routine is complicated, and it’s really meant for damaged (high porosity) hair. If that’s you, her method could be a game-changer. If it’s not, you might not need all the extra steps or all the bonding products.

Either way, she’s given the haircare space something valuable: permission to care for your hair without fear.

List of all the Abbey Yung recommended products that I've seen in her content

About the Author

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