the 2026 smør body butter label check

checked november 9 to 10, 2026, from ingredient lists published online, and checked a second time on november 10. by smør.

the short answer

we read the ingredient labels of every body butter in ulta's body butter aisle: 60 products we could check, from 46 brands. here's what we found.

• the 2026 smør body butter label check found that water is the #1 ingredient in 52 of 60 body butters sold at ulta (87%).
• 44 of the 60 (73%) list fragrance or parfum.
• 56 of the 60 (93%) add a scent in some form: fragrance, essential oils or scent chemicals.
• 17 of the 60 (28%) are sold as whipped.
• only 7 of the 60 contain no water at all, and only 4 have no added scent.
• the typical body butter on the list has 30 ingredients (the median).
• 1 of the 60 has no water, no added scent and isn't whipped.

what the numbers mean

in the US, a cosmetic's ingredients are listed in order of amount, largest first. anything at 1% or less can go in any order (FDA). so when water comes first, it's the biggest single ingredient in the jar.

that doesn't make a product bad. water-based creams work well for a lot of people. it does mean most products sold as "body butter" are built more like a cream than like butter, and the name on the jar doesn't tell you which kind you're getting.

the american academy of dermatology says "ointments and creams add more moisture to skin and are more effective than lotions," and that dermatologists recommend products labeled "fragrance-free." it also notes that "unscented" products can still contain chemicals that irritate dry, sensitive skin (AAD, updated january 2, 2026).

how to read a body butter label in 10 seconds

1. look at the first ingredient. water (also written aqua or eau) first means water is the main ingredient. a butter or oil first means the jar is mostly butters and oils.
2. look for fragrance or parfum. also watch for essential oils (lavender oil, orange peel oil) and names like limonene, linalool and citral, which show up when a scent was added.
3. check the name for "whipped." whipping beats air into the butter, so a whipped jar holds less product than a dense one of the same size.

how we did it

• what we checked: every single product in the body butters category on ulta.com on november 9 to 10, 2026: 63 products. we left out kits, duos and gift sets. three products couldn't be checked (see the table), so the numbers cover 60.
• where the lists came from: the brand's own product page first, then ulta's product page, then another major retailer or skinsort. each source is linked in the table. where a product comes in several scents, we used the first scent listed.
• what counts as added scent: fragrance or parfum, an essential oil (an aromatic plant oil such as lavender or orange peel oil), or a scent chemical such as vanillin. plant extracts such as rosemary or chamomile extract were not counted as scent.
• what counts as whipped: "whip" in the product name.
• limits: lists published online can differ from the jar on the shelf, and a few brands show different lists in different places. where they differed for the same product, we used the brand's own list; where the brand's site sells a different version than ulta does, we used ulta's list. smør is not part of the numbers.
• corrections: if you make one of these products and your list has changed, email support@smorcare.com and we'll update the table.

where smør fits

smør isn't counted above. for comparison: smør body butter is made from nine ingredients (shea butter, cocoa butter, avocado oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, castor oil, olive oil, rosehip seed oil and vitamin e), with no water and no added fragrance, and it's never whipped. it isn't for everyone: if you want a scented body butter, or you have a tree nut allergy (it has sweet almond oil), pick something else. more in our guide: the best body butter for very dry skin.

using these numbers

you're welcome to quote them. please credit "the 2026 smør body butter label check" and link to this page.

the full table

all 63 products, sorted by brand. "added scent" shows what the list includes; "source" is where we read the list.

sources

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Cosmetics Labeling Guide (content current as of february 25, 2022)
• American Academy of Dermatology, dry skin relief (updated january 2, 2026)
• ulta.com body butters category and the product pages linked in the table (checked november 9 to 10, 2026)