The jar says Shea Butter on the front. On the back, shea is the twenty-second ingredient, under petroleum and filler. Here is how to read any jar in ten seconds and never get fooled again.

This is a buying guide, not a lecture, and not a lab. Ingredients are printed in order of how much is in the jar, so the label itself tells you how little shea you actually bought. I read the back of five popular shea butter products, name exactly where the shea lands, and show you the jars that are honest about it.

WHERE THE SHEA ACTUALLY LANDS (on each product’s own label):
• African Pride Shea Butter Miracle Leave-In: shea butter is the 22nd ingredient, behind the mango butter, the argan oil, even the fragrance.
• Blue Magic Shea Butter Conditioner: the first ingredient is petroleum jelly. Shea is second.
• Wonder Gro Bergamot with Shea Butter: petroleum first, a preservative second, then a little shea.
• St. Ives Oatmeal and Shea Butter lotion: shea sits near the very bottom, around nineteenth.
• Suave Almond and Shea Butter lotion: the almond and the shea, both on the front, are the last two ingredients on the back.