Shea Butter will still be good quality and very usable even after five years of stored in reasonable conditions (cool, dark, etc.). But we set shorter times for Best Before.To be on the safe side, we set a shelf life of two years from when the women make it.  The shelf life when you receive it will be at least 12 months.We did once have a customer contact us five years after they purchased shea butter to tell us that they thought it had gone rancid. They had stored it in a damp place all that time.We replaced it, including shipping, because we stand behind Baraka Shea Butter 100%.