Shipping & Returns

SHIPPING

What are the Shipping Costs?
All shipping is included at no extra charge within South Africa. Our core focus is to make your skincare regimen easier, we also want to make your shopping experience easier, which is why we keep our shipping as simple as possible.
Have a questions about your delivery? Please contact us on hello@root4.skin
 
Where do you ship?
We are able to ship both within South Africa and Internationally. For international orders, all shipping expenses, duties and VAT will be for the buyers account. For any international orders please send your details to sales@root4.skin and we will fulfil your order specifically for you.
 
How will my order be delivered?
Orders will be sent via FastWay; direct to your address, and will take approximately 3-5 working days. We do not utilize the Post Office for any of our shipping.
 
When will I get my order?
We estimate it will take approximately 3-5 working days depending on your location (major centers will be quicker than outlying areas). After order confirmation you will also receive a tracking number; please contact us on hello@root4.skin if you havenโ€™t received your tracking number within 2 business days of your order being placed.
 
What is the minimum spend to qualify for free shipping?
We offer free shipping on all deliveries within South Africa
 
What if a product is out of stock?
Should items ordered be out of stock, we will fulfill the available products to you, and contact you about whether you would prefer to await restocking of the back-ordered item or if you would prefer us to process a refund.
 
Can I make changes to my order or add an item to my order once it has been submitted?
We work hard to help you get your orders as quickly as possible. As soon as the payment is accepted and the order is confirmed, it is immediately in process to be shipped. Regret but we cannot amend orders once placed.
 
What if a product is missing from my order?
Orders are subject to stock availability. We try to maintain accurate stock counts on our website but from time-to-time there may be a stock discrepancy and we will not be able to fulfill all your items at time of purchase. In this instance, we will fulfill the available products to you, and contact you about whether you
would prefer to await restocking of the backordered item or if you would prefer for us to process a refund.
 
What if my product was damaged in transit?
If you find a parcel is damaged in-transit, please get in touch with us on hello@root4.skin to review the options for replacement.
 
 

RETURNS

What is your return policy?
We want you to be completely satisfied with your order. However, due to the nature of our products and concern of products being left exposed to direct sunlight, we cannot accept returns or exchanges unless the product has arrived damaged or defective. If you have any questions or concerns about your order please contact us at a hello@root4.skin
 
 

EXCHANGES

Any faulty or defective products are replaced free of charge.
Please send all returns to:
root4 (Pty) Ltd
2nd floor Piazza da Luz
94 Regent Road
Sea Point
Cape Town
8005
 
Please allow 10-14 days for the processing of your return or exchange.
 
I have an issue with my order, who can I contact?
We pride ourselves in the care given to our products and customer service. If you have any questions or concerns about your order please email us at hello@root4.skin or alternatively call us on 021434 8503.
 
 

FAQs

What method of payment do you accept?
We accept all major Payment methods (Visa, Mastercard, Ozow and Snapscan) with PayStack, our payment partner, providing safety and peace of mind.
 
Do you have a physical store where I can experience the products?
Set in the heart of Dr Vanessa Lapinerโ€™s own TASH360 practice in Sea Point, Cape Town, our experienced skincare specialists would love to spend the time discussing your skincare concerns and offering advice on the most optimal skincare regimen for you. The lab is open from 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday on the 2nd Floor Piazza Da Luz, 94 Regent Rd, Sea Point, Cape Town.
 
Are Gift Cards available?
We have beautiful physical gift cards which can be purchased at our compounding pharmacy in Sea Point, Cape Town.
 

In what order do I apply my products?

As a general guideline, we recommend applying products in the following order from the most water-based product to the oiliest one:
1. Cleanser or MultiMasker
2. Mask (remove then continue with the following)
3. Complete Serum or PRP Plus Serum
4. Eye Crรจme Solution (at night)
5. Face Crรจme Originale
6. Integrative Serum
7. NovA or SupernovA serum (at night)
8. 3D Defense SPF50 (in the morning)
 
How do you obtain your essential oils?
Our essential oils are distilled through clean processes such as careful steam distillation, resin tapping and cold-pressing. We never use extreme heat or chemical solvent extractions like as hexane in order to preserve the ingredient integrity and to avoid contact with known skin irritants. Inexpensive essential oils are often synthetic, adulterated, or unethically sourced but only the purest essential oils are used in our root4 products.
 
Where do I find the expiry date on your products?
We advise our customers to use their products within 6 months of opening for highest quality. You can find our period after opening (PAO) symbol on the back of our bottles. This symbol looks like a can with an open lid and a 6M (6 months) time period indicated. This specifies the length of time during which it is best to use the product after opening.
 
What preservative system is used in the root4 products?
We use four special preservatives all derived from nature-identical ingredients such as corn sugar and flowers. We advise our customers to use their products within 6 months of opening for highest quality. Unopened products, that are not exposed to heat and high temperatures have a shelf life of approximately 2 years (although we have some batch samples that are still fresh and viable long past the 2 year mark.) We recommend storing our products in a cool, dry setting under 75 degrees F/ 24 degrees C to preserve their quality. 
 
How should I care for my products?
Keep your products out of direct sunlight. Store in a cool, dark, dry place under 75 degrees F/ 24 degrees C to preserve their quality.
 
There is colour variation each time I purchase a product. Is this normal?
The colour of our products may vary in their shades of green owing to natural compounds used. This variation/change does not indicate that the product has lost its efficacy. We could use chemicals such as CL 19140 to colour our products, but we have made a commitment to use only the safest ingredients in our products. The beautiful green colours of our products comes from unique combinations of chlorophyll, malachite, curcumin and spirulina. Since nature is not always consistent in colour, our products will not be either.
 
There is some texture and scent variation each time I purchase a product. Is this normal?
The texture and scent of our products may vary owing to natural ingredients used.
Traditional cosmetic and skincare companies use potentially harmful chemical stabilisers and emulsifiers to ensure the consistency of their products. root4 is committed to producing extraordinarily effective products but without these questionable ingredients. This does translate into texture and scent variation from product to product. We are changing the dialogue from variance being frowned upon and consistency being king to revering variance as a sign of what it is: sustainably sourced safe skincare.
 
Are all your products safe in pregnancy?
While every ingredient we use is carefully selected to meet safety and efficacy standards, it is recommended that consumers who are pregnant or nursing consult with their physician for any contraindications. Our Eye Crรจme Solution, NovA and SupernovA serums do contain granactive retinoids which are a form of Vitamin A. These should be omitted during pregnancy. Our Integrative Serum is our Essential Oil serum. As with any medical condition, we strongly recommended that prior to using essential oils, you seek the advice and recommendation of a competent, trained health care advisor who is experienced in essential oil usage. Our Integrative Serum does NOT contain Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea), Sage (Salvia officinalis), Idaho Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), Fennel
(Foeniculum vulgare), and Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) which are the essential oils advisable to avoid during pregnancy.
 
Are your products vegan?
Vegan products include the Complete Serum, Integrative Serum, NovA Oil, SupernovA Oil and Eye Crรจme Solution.
 
Are all your products cruelty-free?
We are committed to producing products which are sustainably sourced and cruelty-free. No root4 products have been tested on animals.
 
Are root4 products sustainable?
You can trust that with root4 there has been zero compromise. We are not a big corporation mass producing cost-optimised products to boost our bottom line. As a non-negotiable, we carefully select ingredients that are sustainable, cruelty-free and clean. Our highly concentrated formulas do not contain any fillers and are free from petrochemicals, PEGs, mineral oils, liquid paraffin, GMOs, silicones, oxybenzone, microplastics, artificial dyes and artificial fragrances. Our commitment to sustainability extends to our packaging, suppliers and practices. Read more here (to sustainability page).
 
Are your products suitable for sensitive skin?
Yes, our products do not contain any harsh soaps, synthetic fragrances or parabens and are packed full of soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients. If you have sensitive skin, we recommend starting with our NovA Oil and using it only twice weekly to start.  Slowly increase use by an extra night a week. Once you can comfortably use the NovA Oil nightly, you can step up to applying the SuperNovA Oil, starting with twice weekly use as before.
Stop use five days prior to any in-house peels or laser therapies and resume use five days thereafter.
 
Are your products suitable for oily, acne-prone skin?
Yes all our products are not only noncomedogenic but they specifically target acne through utilizing the power of ingredients such as granactive retinoid, bakuchiol, niacinamide, clay extracts and prebiotics. The anti-inflammatory nature of root4โ€™s products make them the perfect product to prevent and treat breakouts. Often products targeted at oily skin contain soaps and alcohols that strip the skin of its natural oils. This causes an overproduction of oil and more sebum build-up.  Our face oils contain rosehip, jojoba, almond and pomegranate seed oil which help to balance oily skin and contain no harsh barrier-disrupting ingredients.
During breakouts our Mask Antidote with its clay extracts can be used daily to help manage the problems areas and our NovA and SupernovA Oils will normalize skin cell migration through the hair follicles preventing blackheads ( the starting point of acne). Our skin-identical ingredients such as ceramides, squalene and free fatty acids found in our soothing Face Creme Originale help to combat the dryness triggered by prescription anti-acne topicals as well as isotretinoin.
 
Are your products suitable for patients with eczema or dermatitis?
Yes, being dermatologist-developed, root4 products do not contain any harsh soaps, synthetic fragrances or parabens and are packed full of soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients such as prebiotics, niacinamide, aloe vera and chamomile. Our Face Crรจme Originale contains skin-identical ceramides as well as squalene and d-panthenol along with a troop of other skin barrier loving oils to support the compromised skin barrier of dermatitis patients.
 
My skin is so sensitive. How can I test that it is unlikely that I will have a reaction to one of your products?
Carry out an open patch test to products on a 5cm by 5cm patch of skin on the inner bend of your elbow flexure. Apply leave-on products to the same patch of skin twice a day for a week. If the product is a cleanser, mask or rinse-off product then wash it off after a minute or two. If the product is a retinoid oil then only apply every third day for four applications. If the treated skin continues to look and feel normal by the end of the week of testing, then you are unlikely to have a significant allergy to the product. If you develop a patch of red, dry skin, itching or frank eczema at the site of application, it is likely that there is an allergy to one of the productโ€™s ingredients. A positive reaction to an open patch test may indicate that formal patch tests should be undertaken to identify a specific contact allergen.
Immediate signs of skin irritation are usually due to an irritant contact dermatitis rather than an allergic contact dermatitis. In contrast, an allergic reaction is often only evident several days after applying a product.
 
Are there any special instructions when using root4 products with in-house treatments such as peels or laser?
We advise that customers stop using the NovA and SupernovA Oil and MultiMasker five days prior to any in-house peels or laser therapies and resume use five days thereafter.

I donโ€™t see my question here…
Have a different question? Please contact us at hello@root4.skin where we are happy to assist you!