Abbey’s Routine
Stage One: Pre-Shower prepares and protects your hair with bond repair treatments and oils.
Stage Two: In-Shower focuses on cleansing, repairing, conditioning, adding gloss, and deep masking.
Stage Three: Post-Shower strengthens, protects from heat, and adds moisture, shine, and hold.
Stage Four: Between Washes refreshes hair with light conditioning, heat protection, and dry shampoo.
Pre-Shower
Before you get in the shower you have two optional steps. Bond repair treatments treat the hair from the inside out and oil treatments are good for those with damaged hair that gets super tangled or really dry after washing.
We Recommend Epres Bond Repair
It’s expensive but worth the investment. Abbey says to use at least 10min before washing and that’s your pre-shower bond repair sorted!
PRE-SHOWER OIL TREATMENTS
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OGX Anti-Breakage Serum
A great choice for finer hair.
OGX Coconut Miracle Oil
Better for thicker, very dry, coarse or frizz-prone hair.
In-Shower
In the shower you need to shampoo, use a bond repair treatment and condition.
For Shampoo: Abbey recommends alternating between clarifying, non-clarifying and if necessary, medicated shampoo. Clarifying shampoo should be used once a week minimum (they deeply clean your hair and scalp). Non-clarifying shampoo is for regular maintenance.
Then comes a post shampoo bond repair treatment.
For Conditioning: Abbey recommends using at least one conditioning product (gloss, conditioning conditioner or mask) every time you wash your hair. If needed, you can use a combination with each wash i.e. gloss & mask, conditioner & mask etc.
CLARIFYING SHAMPOOS
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Dove Scalp+ Strengthening
Affordable, effective. Does have a strong scent.
L’Oreal Ever Pure Clarifying
Tackles oily roots and dry ends at the same time.
L’Oreal Professional Metal DX
Colour-treated hair’s secret weapon against dullness and damage.
Garnier Pure Clean
Hydrates as it cleans.
Pantene Volume & Body
Big clean, big volume. Great for fine hair.
K18 Detox Peptide Prep
If you can afford it, do it. K18 is solid.
Living Proof Clarifying Detox
Removes everything – buildup, pollution, hard water. A full reset.
Ouai Detox
All the deep clean, none of the colour fade. Colour girls, this is yours.
NON-CLARIFYING
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Dove Bond Strength
A trusty go-to for day to day with no major haircare concerns.
Dove Intensive Repair
For when your hair needs more than TLC – it needs a full rebuild.
Garnier Strength Repair
Redken-level repair without the Redken price tag.
L’Oreal Ever Pure
Bond Repair
One of our favourites – cleans without drying out.
Pureology Strengthen Cure
Colour-treated hair’s dream – repairs, strengthens, never strips.
amika Bond Repair
Clinically proven to undo what heat and chemicals have done.
All hail K18
The go-to post-shampoo leave-in bond repair treatment. Suitable for all hair types. Worth the money. No notes.
OTHER BOND TREATMENTS
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OGX Bond Repair
Rebuilds bleach and heat damage at the source. Impressive for the price.
Garnier Fructis
Hair Filler + Bonding
Dives deep into the cortex to repair what you can’t see. Game changer.
L’Oreal Ever Pure Bond
Strengthening Concentrate
A shield against future damage. Your bleached hair will thank you.
CONDITIONING GLOSS
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L’Oreal 8 Wonder Water
Eight seconds is all it takes for your shiniest hair ever. We back the claims.
L’Oreal Ever Pure Glossing 5-Min Lamination Mask
Smooth, glossy results that last five days. Great for dull hair.
amika Instant
Shine Mask
Sixty seconds to sealed, softened, seriously shiny hair.
CONDITIONING CONDITIONER
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Redken Acidic
Bonding Concentrate
Our absolute favourite – smells good, doesn’t strip out hair like others do, leaves your hair feeling really strong, shiny and soft.
Garnier Strength Repair
Resets, smooths and shines. The reliable one you’ll always come back to.
Dove Bond Strength
Deep targeted repair for hair that’s been through the chemical wringer.
Dove Intensive Repair
For extremely damaged hair — rebuilds what’s been lost, strand by strand.
L’Oreal Ever Pure
Bond Repair
Repairs, hydrates, detangles.
Pureology Strength Cure
Best for colour-treated hair that needs real repair.
amika Strength Repair
Expensive but very effective at reducing split ends and repairing damage.
CONDITIONING MASKS
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Cer-100 Collagen
Ceramide Protein
K-beauty cult favourite. Detangles, strengthens and the packaging is adorable.
Pantene Miracle Rescue
Abbey’s gold label pick. Soft, frizz-free, shiny every single time.
Pantene Miracle
Bond Repair
Turn it up a notch. For hair that needs the intensive version.
OGX Bond Protein
Bond Repair
One use and you’ll feel the difference. Great for thick, long and curly hair.
Dove Bond Strength
Your daily heat styling habit finally meets its match.
Dove Intensive Repair
Beyond bond repair – this one rebuilds amino acids from scratch.
amika Intense Repair
If your hair is super damaged, this is the conditioning mask for you.
Post-Shower
Once you’ve finished your shower you’ve got the option of another bond repair treatment (not necessary if you’ve done a pre-shower bond-repair treatment) followed by leave-in conditioner and heat protectant, styling treatments and three types of style sealers (serums, lotions/creams and oils). Most of this stuff is optional so if you’re one to get overwhelmed by choice, start with just the mandatory steps in the shower.
Post-Shower Bond Repair
Once a week is all it takes. Stronger, shinier, smoother after one use.
LEAVE IN CONDITIONER AND HEAT PROTECTION
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Bumble and Bumble Invisible
Oil Heat Protective Primer
86% more hydration, 50% less frizz, heat protection to 450°. The overachiever.
Pantene Miracle
Rescue Spray
Lots of benefits and really affordable.
TreSemme Protecting
Heat Styling Spray
Lightweight, effective at protecting hair from heat damage.
TreSemme Keratin
Smooth Blowout
Heat Protection Spray
Keratin-infused protection that smooths and strengthens as it shields.
OGX Bond
Repair Spray
Weightless heat protection with a bond repair bonus.
L’Oreal Moisture
Leave-In Conditioner Spray
Smells incredible, works even better. Colour-treated hair’s everyday essential.
Redken One United Multi
Benefit Treatment Spray
Twenty-five benefits in one bottle.
Pureology Multi-Tasking
Leave-In Spray
Highly recommended for good reason.
STYLING
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Oribe Dry
Texturising Spray
The holy grail of texture sprays. If budget isn’t the issue, this is the answer.
TreSemme Dry
Texture Finishing Spray
Incredible texture, amazing scent, brilliant price.
Living Proof Dry Volume
and Texture Spray
One of our go-to dry shampoos. Doesn’t leave a white residue.
K18 Astrolift
Volume Spray
Worth every penny. Long-lasting volume that defies humidity.
TreSemme
Amplified Volume
Affordable, loved by many, delivers serious lift.
SERUM STYLE SEALERS
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Redken Acidic
Bonding Serum
Professional-grade treatment for damaged hair.
Garnier
Vitamin C Serum
Redken results, drugstore price. Soft, strong and frizz-free from first use.
Pureology Strength Cure
Dream Healer Serum
A standout for coloured hair with split ends.
CREAM STYLE SEALERS
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Pantene Miracle Rescue
Leave-In Conditioner
Intense hydration and frizz control.
Redken Acidic Bonding
Concentrate Leave-In Treatment
Strengthens, smooths and protects.
Bumble and Bumble
Long Last Styling Cream
A little goes a very long way. Lightweight hold with serious anti-frizz power.
OIL STYLE SEALERS
Feel free to use any of the OGX oil treatments recommended at the pre-wash stage above, you don’t need to buy any extras for this stage.
Between-Washes
Abbey talks through conditioning treatments, oil, heat protection, and dry shampoo. In our guide, we’ve stuck to reviewing and sharing dry shampoos.
If your hair is feeling dry and tangled between washes, you can apply any overnight treatment or oils already recommended to re-condition, smooth and shine. And if you’re using hot styling tools like straighteners or curling irons between washes, apply your preferred heat protection product.
DRY SHAMPOO
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Living Proof Perfect Hair Day
Engineered to actually clean hair. Not just disguise it. Highly reccomend.
Not Your Mothers Clean Freak
Small business, big results. Grease gone in 30 seconds, no chalky residue.
amika Perk Up Plus
Does exactly what it says. Oil gone, no white residue.
Dove Volume and Fullness
Absorbs oil and adds volume.
Affordable, gets the job done but has a strong scent.
