3X more moisture, rapid absorption
A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.
—
Stated by brand
Only the brand’s testing shows this.
SheaMoisture
Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Ultra Moisture & Nourish Oil
Finisher / Hair oil, glossing
- Finisher
- oil
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
- Not vegan · label states
- Cruelty-free · label states
Size3.3 fl oz
Price$11–13commonly seen · 3.3 oz
Price / oz$3.94/ozat 3.3 oz
Where to buy4 stores · $9.87–12.99
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
Reviewers describe it as honey.
Listing used for research: target.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.
- About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 23 factors we check.
- A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
Curly–Coily
Not in your profile
Moisture level
High
Not in your profile
Shine system
High
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Some
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Rich
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Prominent
Not in your profile
Protein
None
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
None
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Low
Not in your profile
Scent
Sweet & vanillaStrength not recorded
Not in your profile
Show all 23 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Not vegan · label statesCruelty-free · label states
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not vegan · label states
Not in your profile
Aerosol can
Pump or tube
Not in your profile
Needs heat to set
Not determined
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Not heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
15 ingredientsA short list
Not in your profile
Price tier
Masstige
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Grocery / massOne channel
Not in your profile
The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.
Your avoid-list
Priced with its peers
$3.94/oz at 3.3 oz, less than 68% of the 270 hair oils , which mostly run $3.15–14.77/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Stretching wash daysnothing here needs a detergent to remove
Dull-looking haira recognised shine system is present
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Maybe skip if
this product has a scent
Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
Frizz in humid airno film former or silicone to hold it back
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
Picking it up locallywe’ve only seen it sold in one channel
What the formula actually does
Read from the label, not the marketing
Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.
Shine system
Oil blend
A silicone or oil blend does the shine work here.
Weight on the hair
Rich
Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.
Oils and butters
Rich
Butters near the top: a heavy, softening formula.
Needs detergent to remove
No
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
Fast-drying alcohol
None
No fast-drying alcohol in the list.
Fragrance
Prominent
Fragrance is in the first eight ingredients, so it makes up a larger share of the formula.
from the formula
stated by the brand
reported by reviewers
Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
Ingredients that matter
The ingredients that change a decision
The workhorse ingredients, plus anything lower down that changes a decision. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil | oil | The shine and softening system | Shine |
| Isopropyl Palmitate | light ester | Light slip without much weight | Shine |
| Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil | oil | The shine and softening system | Shine |
| Octyldodecanol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) | Shine |
| Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil | oil | The shine and softening system | Shine |
| FragranceFragrance (Parfum) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Squalane | emollient | A softening touch, low in the list | Detangles |
| Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter | butter | A little richness, low in the list | Heavy |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance. Contains heavier butters.
Full ingredient list (15)
In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.
-
1
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
General function
A light, widely used oil that softens without much weight.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
International Journal of TrichologyMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May not suitFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
- oil
- emollient
-
2
Isopropyl Palmitate
General function
A light ester that spreads quickly and leaves a smooth, non-greasy feel.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairA light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairSpreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
- light ester
- emollient
-
3
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
General function
A thick, tacky oil used for sealing ends and for slick, held-down styles.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May not suitFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
- oil
- emollient
-
4
Octyldodecanol
General function
A liquid fatty alcohol that adds slip and helps oils spread.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
-
5
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
General function
A stable, light oil used for softness and shine.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May not suitFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
- oil
- emollient
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
6
Fragrance
· Fragrance (Parfum)
General function
An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
7
Squalane
General function
The fully hydrogenated form of squalene, now made from olive or sugarcane rather than shark liver. Hydrogenation is what makes it so slow to oxidise; it spreads very lightly and absorbs without a greasy film.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.
- emollient
- conditioning agent
-
8
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
General function
A rich, solid plant butter used for heavy conditioning on coarse or dry hair. High in the list it makes a product decidedly heavy.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoarse, porous hair loses water quickly and can carry the weight; a butter slows that loss more than a thin oil does.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA solid fat melts onto the strand at body temperature and stays there, which is the heaviest surface moisture-holding a formula can offer.
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
-
9
Honey
General function
A natural sugar-based humectant that holds water against the strand.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitFine or easily flattened hairHydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairAloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.
- humectant
- botanical extract
-
10
Trichilia Emetica (Mafura) Seed Butter
General function
The solid fat from Mafura (Trichilia Emetica)'s seed. Plant butters seal the surface and soften coarse or dry hair; high on a list they make a product decidedly rich.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoarse, porous hair loses water quickly and can carry the weight; a butter slows that loss more than a thin oil does.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA solid fat melts onto the strand at body temperature and stays there, which is the heaviest surface moisture-holding a formula can offer.
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
-
11
Plukenetia Volubilis (Sacha Inchi) Seed Oil
General function
A light seed oil rich in fatty acids, used for softness without much weight.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
-
12
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
General function
Tea seed oil - light, fast-absorbing, used for shine on fine hair.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
-
13
Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
General function
A light plant oil used to soften and carry other oil-based ingredients.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
-
14
Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
15
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
What the whole list adds up to
- 11 emollients
- 6 oils
- 2 butters
- 2 sealants
- 1 light ester
- 1 fatty alcohol
- 1 fragrance
- 1 declared fragrance
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 humectant
- 1 botanical extract
- 1 antioxidant
- 1 vitamin
- 1 solubilizer
Ingredient list captured 2026-09-13. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 3.3 oz
Commonly seen
$11–13
Good value under
$5
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $5 line; products that do this job typically go for about $12 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores
-
Walmart
$9.873.3 oz · $2.99/ozSep 14Lowest per ozSale · was $10.97
-
Ulta Beauty
$12.993.3 oz · $3.94/ozSep 14
-
Sally Beauty
$12.993.3 oz · $3.94/ozSep 14
Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.
How we work this out
- 3.3 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
- Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 3.3 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
- Good value under $5 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.44/oz; at 3.3 oz that is $5. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $12 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 3.3 oz.
Formula
7
Formula score
7 of 10
Both the formula and the price land mid-range: it covers the core of what a hair oil does and costs about what hair oils cost per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 3 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 68% of the 270 hair oils we’ve priced
- No weightless carrier in the formula
- Masstige tier, sold at Grocery / mass
- A shine systemThe silicone, oil, or ester that produces gloss.3 pts
- A weightless carrierDelivers the shine without leaving grease.2 pts
- Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
- An antioxidantKeeps the oils in the bottle from going off.1 pt
- No drying alcohol in the first threeFast drying without leading on alcohol.1 pt
- Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt
The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job, for less
Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.
African PrideClosest function
Hair & Scalp Sealing Oil
$1.50/oz $2.44/oz less
- Protein-free
- Rich
- Silicone-free
- Function
- Also
Eden BodyWorksClose function
Peppermint Tea Tree Hair Oil
$1.25/oz $2.69/oz less
- Protein-free
- Rich
- Silicone-free
- Function
- Also
Palmer'sLowest cost per oz
Tahitian Vanilla Hair & Scalp Oil
$1.20/oz $2.74/oz less
- Rich
- Shine
- Budget
- Function
- Also
See more alternatives in the product library
These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget
Final decision
Should you buy it?
A solid pick for the hair it suitsBest user
Hair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and a formula with real substance
Biggest tradeoff
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, oily scalps and fine hair, or frizz on humid days
Best alternative if not
African Pride Hair & Scalp Sealing Oil, for similar results at a lower price
We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.
Claims check
What the brand says, and what the formula shows
Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.
2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
4
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
72-Hour moisture retention
Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.
- Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
- Isopropyl Palmitate
- Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
Supported
Helps hair feel hydrated.
24-Hour Frizz and Humidity Control
Humidity resistance is measured in a lab, not read off a label; film formers can help.
—
Stated by brand
May help, but not measurable here.
Paraben-free
No parabens appear in the ingredient list.
—
Supported
Preserved without parabens.
No phthalates, mineral oil, or petrolatum
"Clean" and "free from" are marketing frames, not defined terms.
—
Stated by brand
A brand’s own definition.
Fair Trade Shea Butter enriched
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
—
Stated by brand
Can’t be confirmed from label.
How to read this
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
Reviewers
What people report
Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.
A few reviewers who found it too heavy for daily use on hair repurposed it as a pre-wash treatment or body oil instead.
Many reviewers loved the warm honey scent and said a small amount lasted them a very long time.
Several reviewers described the fragrance as unexpectedly strong or overpowering rather than subtle.
A strong recurring split by hair thickness: reviewers with fine or thin hair repeatedly said even one or two pumps left their hair looking greasy and weighed down, while thicker or coarser-haired reviewers found it effective for taming frizz.
More from SheaMoisture
How this page was made
- Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one product.
- The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
- Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
- The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
- 6 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 5 editorial), last checked 2026-09-18.
- Ingredient references are linked for 4 of 13 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
- We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
- Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-09-14.
