Frequently Asked Questions
Why Shop with Neogenesis Health?
- We only sell authentically natural & organic products. We check the ingredient lists of all products sold and disclose full ingredient lists of every product so that you can shop in peace, knowing that you are buying genuinely safe products.
- Most of our prices are below the recommended retail price so you get great savings.
- We dispatch all orders within 12-24 hours, we dare you to try and find an online shop with a quicker turn around time.
- Our delivery costs are very reasonable.
- We use recyclable packaging and boxes at every opportunity.
- We give free advice and recommendation by phone and email.
- You can pay by various means – credit card; EFT; bank deposit and PayFast
- We deliver orders to every single address in South Africa.
What is Your Ingredient Policy?
We have chosen to source organic and natural products for you that we believe are earth; animal & people friendly. What this means is that we personally check the ingredient lists of every product sold to ensure that there are no harmful synthetic ingredients in them. We believe organic and natural should be good for you and we take this principle very seriously. We also list full ingredient lists for each and every single product sold on our website so that you to can be sure of what you are buying.
Although the list of harmful ingredients that we do not support is ever changing and very long, you can be sure that none of our product contain the following contentious ingredients:
- SLS – sodium laurel/laureth sulphate
- Parabens
- Minerals oils like propolyne glycol or petrolatum
- Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA), Monoethanolamine (MEA)
- Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea
- Talc
- Synthetic colours & Fragrances
- Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea
- Lead
Is everything you sell certified organic?
Although we abide by a strict ingredient policy we sell natural products and organic products that have not been certified. This is because, some wonderful ranges are still in the process of being certified and also because different certification bodies have different standards. We believe that the best yardstick of a products’ pureness is its ingredient list.
Certified Organic: These products have been certified organic by a third party. This means that although the organic products many contain some synthetic ingredients, the certification body has concluded that the products is safe to use, and that the ingredients have been sourced from manufacturers that practice pesticide-free and sustainable farming. For more information on all the organic certification bodies used, go to Organic Certification
Non-certified Organic: This means that the supplier has an organic product that has not yet been certified organic. These suppliers are using some organically sourced ingredients and if you look at the ingredient lists of the products, you will be able to tell which are organic by an asterix next to the product.
Certified Ingredients: These products have some certified organic ingredients but the products are not yet certified.
All Natural Ingredients: These products use only natural ingredients. Please note that we have included soaps in this category even though all soaps contain sodium hydroxide (lye.) The reason is that there is no sodium hydroxide left in the final product and it is also not possible to make soap without sodium hydroxide.
Part Natural: These products are predominantly natural but have some safe synthetic ingredients.
Are your products locally made?
Most of our products are locally made and we always support local where we can. In most instances of imported products, you will find that local alternatives are not yet available. Under each product you will see that we note whether it is proudly South African or not.
Are your products cruelty free?
We ask all our cosmetic suppliers to verify in writing that they do not test their products or the ingredients in their products on animals. Some of our suppliers however have also got formal accreditation to back up their policy on sourcing and producing cruelty free products.
Are your products vegan?
We are always careful to specify which of our products are vegetarian and which are vegan-friendly (you can see which it is when you view a product on our website). If the product is vegetarian, that means it contains an animal by-product, like for example beeswax, propolis, dairy, eggs. Some of our make-up contains carmine which is a natural red dye from the shell of the carmine beetle.
Can you guarantee that all the products are GMO free?
Because there is currently only one GMO certification body in the world (The Non-GMO project in the USA) we can unfortunately not guarantee that our products are absolutely GMO free because very few of them are certified GMO free – very few in the world are. (This is why it is so important to sign petitions and do what you can to put pressure on the Government for better GMO labelling on all products).
However, you can expect the following from all products sold on NeoGenesis Health:
We do not sell any products that we suspect or are aware contain GMO ingredients and if information ever comes to light that the product may be compromised in this way – we will remove the product immediately. We do not support the use of GMO’s and will always strive to be at the forefront of how to best manage the infiltration of GMO’s into our products.
PLEASE NOTE: Any product labelled as Non-GMO indicates that its manufacturing process is designed to avoid GMOs, but consumers should be aware that GM contamination is possible due to natural pollen movement, weather events, seed contamination, or human error. Hence there is no guarantee such products are 100% free of GMOs.
We can also share the following guidelines with you on avoiding potentially GMO contaminated products:
- If a product is certified organic by any EU or US body you can be sure of there being less than 0.9% GMO in the product. (The 0.9% exists because trace elements of GMO can be found everywhere due to natural causes like the wind and rain contamination.) This is for instance how all the Good Life Organic products claim to be GMO free – because they are certified by EU standards.
- Certified organic products are not allowed to contain any GMOs. Therefore, when you purchase products labelled “100% organic,” “organic,” or “made with organic ingredients,” all ingredients in these products are not allowed to be produced from GMOs. For example, products labelled as “made with organic ingredients” only require 70% of the ingredients to be organic, but 100% must be non-GMO.
- Companies may voluntarily label products as “non-GMO.” Some labels state “non-GMO” while others spell out “Made Without Genetically Modified Ingredients.” Some products limit their claim to only one particular “At-Risk” ingredient such as soy lecithin, listing it as “non-GMO.” For instance, Health Connection has begun labelling their products that contain GMO’s and we will ensure that we do not sell these.
- Most GM ingredients are in products made from the “Big Four:” corn, soybeans, canola, and cottonseed. Here is a list of high risk GMO ingredients to avoid – some of these are found in our products, and you can see which products contain them by typing the ingredient into the search bar:
- Corn – also labelled as: Corn flour, meal, oil, starch, gluten, and syrup. Can also be found in sweeteners such as fructose, dextrose, and glucose, and in modified food starch. NOTE: The corn-based product most difficult to avoid is high fructose corn syrup. It is included in a large percentage of processed foods and baked goods, not to mention soda. Any food label with “corn” anything on it should be avoided unless it states it is 100% organic. Popcorn is an exception, as there is currently no genetically engineered popcorn on the market. Do avoid the kind with artificial “butter flavor” however, as the flavoring is likely to have genetically modified food in it. If you like, melt a little real butter to sprinkle on your plain popcorn.
- Soy – as labelled as: Soy flour, lecithin, protein, isolate, and isoflavone. Some of these soy based ingredients can be found in products of ours that are NOT 100% certified organic, and whilst we don’t believe that they contain any GMO product, as then we would not sell them – we cannot guarantee it, so avoid these products if you would prefer by keeping an eye out for the ingredients on our ingredient list or typing the ingredients into our search bar. Also ensure that soy based products such as tofu, soy milk, edamame and the like carry a food label stating it is organic to be sure it doesn’t include GM foods.
- Canola – as labelled as: Canola oil (also called rapeseed oil). Canola oil, made from the rapeseed plant, comes almost certainly from genetically engineered crops, unless the item comes from the EU, where no genetically modified crops of rapeseed exist. It is used extensively as cooking oil and in margarine, though is not a healthy oil to use due to its high levels of omega-6 fatty acids and because, like other polyunsaturated fats, goes rancid easily when heated.
- Cotton – as labelled as: Cottonseed oil. Cottonseed oil is a primary ingredient in shortening, vegetable oil and margarine, none of which are healthy fats. It is also used extensively in processed foods such as potato chips and other fried snack foods.
- Dairy – To boost milk production, some farmers inject cows with the genetically engineered hormone rBGH or rBST. They also may be fed genetically modified food in the form of feed and hay unless the product specifically states that it is organic. Look for products that advertise themselves as rBGH- or rBST-free.
- Sugar beets – There is no way of knowing if a product labelled as containing “sugar” comes from only sugar cane or if it also includes sugar derived from beets, as labelling is not required. To avoid beet sugar look for products labelled as being made with evaporated cane sugar, 100% cane sugar; organic sugar; agave or coconut blossom sugar. Additionally, GM sugar beet sugar recently entered the food supply. Look for organic and non-GMO sweeteners, candy and chocolate products made with 100% cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, agave, or organic sugar, to avoid GM beet sugar.
- Avoid sweeteners that use aspartame. Aspartame is derived from genetically modified microorganisms and is the sweetener used in products such as NutraSweet® and Equal®. Artificial sweeteners in general are worse for your health than sugar and should be avoided whenever possible.
- Buy fruit juices that are 100% juice. Most fruit juices apart from papaya are not from GM foods, but the sweetener used in many fruit juices (and sodas as well) is high fructose corn syrup, which is almost certainly from genetically modified corn.
- Animal based products. We would suggest you keep your intake of these to a minimum and only support local organic farms that you yourself can verify and at best confirm by a visit, that the animals are not fed any nasties.
You may find the following information useful:
- We are in constant communication with our food suppliers around the use of GMO in their products and all of them maintain adamantly to not support this use of GMO’s – as you would expect.
- Orgran have a process whereby they manage that all ingredients used are GMO free.
- Health Connection has begun labelling their products that contain GMO’s and we will ensure that we do not sell these.
- The New Chapter Vitamins are certified GMO free by the Non-GMO certification project.
How Does Your Stock System Work?
For most items our website allows you to order as many units as you like. This is for your convenience so that you can get your order in without any delay or stock restrictions, we then make it happen. If there is a product in your order that we cannot ship immediately we will contact you within one working day of you placing your order to notify you and to give you options e.g. swop for another similar product etc. Rest assured that we carry a large stock holding in our warehouse which we are constantly replenishing and that we will always do our best to get the products you desire to you as soon as possible. You will also always be kept in the loop with your order’s progress. If you need a product urgently e.g. if you are leaving on holiday and need sunscreen, please contact us to double check that we have stock of the product. We will get back to you very quickly so it should not delay you placing your order.
How do I place an order through the website?
- Find the products that you would like to order by browsing the categories or brands using the navigation menu on the left hand side. You can also search for products or products containing certain ingredients by using the ‘Search’ box on the top right hand side.
- When you find a product that you like, add it to your shopping bag by clicking its ‘Add to Cart’ button. Note that some products come in different sizes, colours or flavours. If this is indicated for a product, click on its View button. You will then be able to select which size etc you prefer.
- When you have chosen all the products that you would like to buy, click the Place Order button in the Shopping Cart on the top right hand side.
- You will be asked to register or you can proceed to check out as a guest because we need your delivery and contact details to get your order to you . We do recommend that you register though because, that way we can keep your contact information on our system and you will not have to enter it again – but more importantly because this automatically signs you up to our loyalty system where you earn points you can redeem with every purchase.
- You will then be asked to choose your delivery method. Your order can either be delivered by via a door to door courier service, Pargo, or you can come and collect the order from our premises. It will take 1 to 4 working days by courier service or 2 to 5 working days through Pargo.
- You will then be asked to choose your payment method – you can pay by credit card, EFT or by a bank deposit. If you are collecting yourself, you can select bank transfer and pay us with your card at our premises. If you pay via EFT or bank deposit, your order will be dispatched within 24 hours of your payment clearing. If you are paying by credit card you may be requested to enter a one time password (OTP) which is a password using 3D secure payment security technology. This is sent to your phone in order to increase online payment protection and avoid fraud.
What are my payment options?
You will be prompted to make payment by the following methods:
- Credit Card – payments are securely processed.
- Bank Transfer – you will receive an invoice by email with our bank details and we will dispatch your order within 24hours of your payment clearing
- Cash Deposit – please note there is a 3% surcharge for this payment method
- NeoGenesis Health Points – you can pay with points earned from previous purchases and referring friends
- Gift Certificate – you can pay with a NeoGenesis Health gift certificate
What are my delivery options?
Orders can be couriered to the vast majority of South African addresses, or you can collect your order from our business premises free of charge.
Unfortunately we cannot offer courier delivery to remote areas e.g. remote farms or mines (although there may be a possibility for these areas). Delivery via courier has two advantages:
- It is faster
- Your order is delivered straight to your door.
When you place an order our system will offer you a choice of delivery options based on your delivery address.
How long does delivery take?
We dispatch all orders, unless otherwise stated within one working day of receiving payment confirmation. If you pay via credit card we receive payment confirmation automatically as soon as you’ve paid. If you pay via EFT or bank deposit, your order will only be dispatched within 24 hours of your payment clearing
Courier delivery takes 2 to 5 working days depending on the order’s destination.
Courier deliveries are made Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. There are no deliveries on weekends or public holidays. If you live in a main city center, your order will take between 2-5 days. If you live in a remote area it could take up to 7 days. Please do not hesitate to contact our customer services team if you wish to get a more exact estimate.
Delivery takes 2 to 7 working days and is held for up to 7 days.
Orders to Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland take 7-15 working days.
Late Deliveries
Unforeseen circumstances e.g. adverse weather, closed roads, strikes etc. could prolong the delivery time. This is rare but it does happen, so ‘late’ delivery is not a ground for refund or cancellation of the order. However if your delivery has not been delivered after the estimated times shown above, please contact us with your order number so that we can follow up on the matter.
What is the cost of delivery?
If your shopping bag’s total is R400 or more we are happy to offer you free delivery in South Africa. If delivery is to a main center the free delivery option will be available only via courier service. If delivery is outside of main centers the free delivery option will only be available on special request.
Courier Service
The delivery charge for courier delivery varies depending on where the order is going:
| Destination | Delivery Charge |
|---|---|
| Cape Town and surrounding areas (Bloubergstrand, Melkbos, Simonstown, Hermanus, Worcester, Paarl, Stellenbosch, Franschoek etc.) | R40 any size order |
| Main Centres e.g. Gauteng, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Pietermaritzburg, KZN coast (from Richardsbay to Durban to Port Edward) | R60 any size order |
| Regional Areas e.g. Kenton-on-Sea | R150 any size order |
| Remote Areas e.g. remote farms, mines | Not Offered |
Our system will offer you the appropriate charge based on your delivery address during the checkout process. If the courier service option is not displayed it means that you want your order delivered to a remote area where we can unfortunately not offer delivery via courier service. If delivery is to a main center and you are not offered the courier delivery option please contact us, so that we can double check if the service is available for your post code and we can update our system.
International Orders
We deliver to Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland via courier services.
| Courier Destination | Delivery Charge |
|---|---|
| Namibia Botswana Swaziland | R200 flat fee plus R10 per kg thereafter |
Please note that you may have to pay customs duties when your order arrives in your country. This is out of our hands and we cannot be held responsible if you need to pay customs duties to receive your parcel.
We are still developing our systems to take SA VAT off your purchases but can issue international clients with a coupon to compensate for this until then – please contact our customer services support team for more information.
What happens if an item I ordered is out of stock?
We carry a large stock holding in our warehouse which we are constantly restocking. However it is possible that you will order a product that we are out of stock of. If this happens we will contact you within one working day to notify you and to give you options e.g. swop for another similar product etc. Rest assured that we will always do our best to get the products you desire to you as soon as possible and that you will always be in the loop with how your order is progressing.
Where does we deliver to?
South Africa
We deliver to any address in South Africa.
International Orders
We deliver to Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland via couriers.
What happens if there is no one home when a courier delivery is attempted?
Courier deliveries are made Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, so you should always provide a delivery address where there will be an appropriate person to sign for the delivery during these times. If there is no one around to accept the delivery, the courier company will contact the recipient via telephone so that a new delivery day can be arranged.
Do I have to receive a courier delivery personally?
Anyone at the delivery address can accept the delivery. In order for us to prove that delivery of an order has been completed, we do not have to prove that you personally received the goods, but rather that any person at the delivery address signed for the delivery.
Can I track my order?
We will email you your parcel’s tracking information the first working day after we send it e.g. if the parcel’s leaves our premises on Tuesday you will receive your tracking information via email on Wednesday morning. You can then track your parcel on the couriers website.
Do you deliver overseas?
We do not currently offer overseas delivery in our checkout process, however you are welcome to select the delivery method Collect Yourself and then get your own courier to collect your order for international delivery. Please contact us if you are unsure of how to go about this.
Can I place an order for delivery in South Africa if I am not in South Africa?
You can place an order for delivery in South Africa no matter where you are in the world. Our website is handy if you live abroad and want to send a luxurious gift to relatives or friends who live in South Africa. Just ensure that the billing address you list is a South African one, even if paying with an international card.
Can we come and buy products from your warehouse?
Unfortunately not – you need to please place your order online first.
Our opening hours are Monday to Friday 08h00 to 16h30
What do I do if I receive goods damaged or broken in transit?
If you do not receive your order in mint condition or if anything is broken or damaged please let us know immediately so that we can ensure the situation is rectified. Whilst we have not lost any parcels in the post to date, goods are occasionally damaged in transit, and there is no question that these will be replaced. If you can, please do take a photo of the damaged item as this helps our packing team improve the way products are sent.
What do I do if I wish to return something I purchased?
You are welcome to return any good purchased within 7 days of receiving the item. Unfortunately we can only accept goods for return that are still in their original unopened packaging. You will have to pay to have the item couriered or posted back to us, but as soon as we receive it, we will issue you a credit note. Our policy is to deduct a 10% handling fee from the original price, but unless a lot of administration has been necessary to get the item back, we usually turn a blind eye to it.
Refunds are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and are generally processed within 3 working days.
PLEASE NOTE: We will not accept returns of any feminine hygiene, menstrual or intimate products such as reusable pads, menstrual cups and sponges, yoni eggs or underwear.
