Frequently Asked Questions

Want to know something crazy? In the United States, many baby formulas can be considered "organic baby formula" even if they contain highly processed sugars, corn syrup, and synthetic preservatives. Instead, a baby formula should be considered organic only when all component ingredients are fully organic and comply with a local organic foods governing authority. For comparison purposes, Europe's organic certification is far more difficult to obtain than equivalently labeled organic certifications in the US. Organic formulas don't contain any artificial or man made ingredients that would distort the smell, taste, flavor, or consistency of the formula.

Yes! Many European baby formulas contains omega-3 and omega-6. These ingredients are typically sourced from fish oils, however, they can also be replaced with omega-3 and omega-6 from seaweed. Our Holle Goat Stage 1 & Holle Goat Stage 2 are fully vegetarian and do not contain any ingredients that have been processed with animal enzymes.
Please note that because all of our formulas are based on either organic cows milk or organic goats milk, we do not carry any vegan baby formula.

The nutritional facts of each baby formula are in the respective languages of whichever type of formula you are buying. For example, HiPP Dutch would be in Dutch, HiPP German would be in German.
You can find the full nutritional information on our product pages, including the ingredients list.

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for brain development, eye development, and can help improve promote a healthy central nervous system. In fact - DHA is so important to early human development that European baby formula regulations require all baby formulas have DHA as an essential ingredient. In the United States there is no such regulation, and therefore the majority of US-based baby formulas do not contain any DHA.
DHA is commonly found in fish oils, but can be substituted with seaweed which contains similar levels of omega-3.

In the medical community, it is commonly accepted that DHA (also known as omega-3) helps promote the healthy growth of soft cell tissues. Specifically, in early childhood DHA helps with eye development, brain development, and central nervous system development. Many adults take omega-3 supplements which help with regeneration of this type of soft tissue. This same omega-3 is even more important for babies because they are developing their eyes, brain, and nervous system tissues for the first time.

Each formula that we sell has detailed preparation instructions listed on the product page, including the appropriate ratios of water to formula powder at different stages in a baby's development.

A baby's gut microbiome is much more sensitive than an adult's stomach. In order to kill any potential bacteria that could harm your baby, it is recommended to boil the water that you will use during formula preparation. Allow the water to cool to the recommended temperature before preparing the formula. Always read the preparation instructions relevant to your formula.

To ensure correct proportions, every one of our formulas comes with a manufacturer-provided scoop which comes directly in the box outside of the silver packaging (for boxed formulas) or is loose somewhere inside of the can (for canned formulas). If you can't find the scoop inside of your can, we recommend using a sanitized spoon to "dig through" the formula and find the included formula spoon.

Each of our products has a detailed feeding chart listed on the product page.

Every formula sold through our store is compatible with Baby Brezza machines. As long as it is publicly disclosed by Baby Brezza - where possible, we have found and added Baby Brezza settings on each product page. Some products do not have official Baby Brezza settings. If the formula that you are looking for is missing instructions, please reach out to Baby Brezza directly for detailed instructions on how to use our formulas with their machine, as we are unable to offer any additional guidance on its technical functionality. All Baby Brezza settings that have been provided are for informational purposes sourced from publicly available information, and should the official guidance change we are not able to take responsibility for ongoing maintenance of these settings (although we'll always do our best to update them when we know about new settings)!

Manufacturers periodically update their packaging designs. In order to ensure the longest expiration dates we always receive the newest inventory direct from manufacturers, and at times you may receive a more updated box design than what is currently photographed on site. We do our best to update photography as soon as new designs are released, but due to the quick turnaround of packages in and out of our warehouse we can't always guarantee the box design will exactly match the photography on our product page. We do not accept refund requests due to differences in packaging.

Every box or can of baby formula has a unique expiration date, specific to the batch that was produced. Please note that all expiration dates on European products use the European date format of DD/MM/YYYY, instead of the American style MM/DD/YYYY.

Each of us is unique, and our babies are even more unique than us! There is no "right" time to switch from breast milk to baby formula - but listen to your body and your baby. Some mothers never breast feed due to personal or medical reasons, whereas others continue breast feeding well into the latter months of toddlerhood.

Parents typically switch from Stage 1 to Stage 2 formulas at around six months of age. The general taste and texture of a Stage 2 formula is nearly identical to a Stage 1 formula, but the main difference is that Stage 2 formulas contain higher levels of nutrients that are needed for babies as they grow larger. For example, many Stage 2 formulas contain increased levels omega-3 and iron.
If you supplement your baby's diet with solid foods, it is generally OK to stay on a Stage 1 or a Stage PRE for longer. For advice unique to your baby, please talk to your pediatrician.

We are proud to have one of the fastest shipping times in this industry. Our formulas are shipped using express mail directly from the manufacturer in Europe, and typically arrive with our customers in 1-6 business days (5-8 business days for Canada). In rare circumstances there may be delays caused by customs that are out of our control, but if we foresee that there will be any delay we will proactively reach out to you.
Please note that by purchasing through our store you agree that any formula is strictly purchased for personal use only.

Yes! We are a global company and ship to several countries. All of our shipments originate in Europe and generally arrive in 1-6 business days. At times a shipping carrier may have their own delays which are out of our control, but we will always do our best to escalate a shipment to be processed as quickly as possible with our shipping carriers.
Please note that all purchases on our site are for personal use only. Listed prices are in USD, and some banks may charge additional currency conversion fees which we have no control over.

As long as you are purchasing for personal use, there are no limits on how much formula you can purchase from us.

US customers ordering formula valued at $1,000, or less, should not expect to pay any Customs fees. Customers in Canada should expect to pay an import tax that will be assessed directly by the Canadian border authorities.
Our orders are shipped directly from the European Union and may still be subject to local import taxes, duties, and import fees depending on the country you are importing into. Any import related fees are the responsibility of the customer directly, and Organic Life Start is not able to help with this.

In simple terms, formula is a hygienic & perishable food product that can not be returned. If we were to accept a return we would not be able to verify its authenticity, putting all other customers at risk. We recommend reading our shipping and returns section for more details. We guarantee that all of our baby formula is 100% authentic and genuine.
And yes, counterfeit baby formula is a real thing.

Delivery issues are literally the worst, this is why every one of our packages has a tracking number! If you can't locate your parcel even after your tracking number is stating that your delivery has been completed, we recommend that you check with other household members, your building management, and even your neighbors to see if potentially there was some type of misdelivery. If you still are unable to locate your parcel then please reach out to the courier listed on your tracking number.
Once a package leaves our warehouse it becomes the responsibility of the delivery courier, and it is the customers responsibility to stay up to date with the relevant delivery updates provided by your tracking number. Organic Life Start does is not responsible for any packages that were missing or stolen after the courier confirms that it has been delivered.

Because of our incredibly fast delivery times, we ship out packages around the clock - even when you're sleeping (or, hopefully, should be sleeping)! We are able to accept cancellations within 30 minutes of your purchase, or before midnight ET - whichever comes first. After this period of time your order is automatically processed and has already left our warehouse, at which point in time it isn't possible for us to cancel the shipment.

Even though we do our best to deliver within 1-6 business days (5-8 days for Canada), sometimes ship happens! Ultimately we are all at the mercy of global shipping carriers who can become overloaded at times, or who face some minor secondary reviews by US CBP when arriving in the country from Europe. Please be patient, and stay on top of your tracking number!

We do not require signature delivery, but please plan accordingly on how to receive your package by checking your tracking number. Organic Life Start is not responsible for any misdeliveries or packages "marked as delivered, but not received."

We are sorry to hear that your package is being held up at customs. Never fear! Reach out to our customer support team and we'll work with you to sort out a resolution.
care@organiclifestart.com

We know that global shipping can be rough (at the best of times), so we're sorry you are having issues with product damage. First, we want to assure you that all of our products depart our warehouse in perfect condition. To try and minimize damage, we use heavier packaging than our competitors - it's actually quite important and costs us money, but we know this is important to our customers.
If an item has been delivered with dents or superficial creases on the box packaging, we consider this product perfectly useable. However, in extremely rare circumstances the inside silver packaging may have been punctured, or the can may have been punctured - we consider this as unacceptable damage and will work with you to remedy the situation. Please reach out to us if your item has been delivered in unusable condition.
In even rarer situations, our warehouse may have made a human error and sent out the wrong item to you. We're sorry! Please reach out to our customer support team and we promise that we'll make you happy once again.
care@organiclifestart.com

At this time our carriers do not support shipping to these locations, but we are working on it. Please subscribe to our email list and we will send our list members a notification when we launch shipments to locations outside of the continental 48 states.

At times there may be inclement weather along the shipping journey that can impact the speed at which carriers are able to process your delivery. While these delays are completely out of our control, we apologize on the shippers behalf if your parcels are impacted from a weather related event. Rest assured that shipments move as quickly as possible and all of our parcels are processed using the fastest available shipping method. We are not able to accommodate requests for refunds as a result of delays from weather related carrier issues.

In some rare cases, external factors beyond our control can impact the speed at which deliveries occur. We consider a package extremely delayed if it has not been delivered after the 12th business day. While rare, extreme delays can happen. Inclement weather, labor issues at carriers (i.e. striking workers), courier IT problems, public holidays, and customs clearance are the most common reason for extreme delays.
Although we have no control over weather, carrier-specific labor issues, and public holidays - we will always do our best to help manage expectations on the status of your delivery. If you have any concerns about the status of a delayed delivery, please reach out to our customer support team and we will provide you with the most up to date tracking information on your package. In the event that an extreme delay occurs, there is no reason to think that your delivery will not occur - it is simply delayed beyond our control. For the purpose of clarity, we do not have any policy of reshipping as the result of extreme delays.
Thank you for your patience while the carriers work in the background on delivering your package.

Short answer - you never know (it's out of our control, but we want to help manage expectations).
Long answer - our warehouse never sleeps, so we process orders even on holidays. During the busy holiday seasons, some carriers will refuse to pick up parcels if they are already at a maximum shipment capacity. In these cases you may experience some slight delay that is out of our control. As soon as our warehouse process an order you will receive a tracking number, even if the carrier experiences a delay in picking up the item from our warehouse facility.
Did we mention that our warehouse staff is one of the kindest in the industry? They're seriously awesome and work hard to deliver your formula as quickly as possible.

Orders over $100 ship for free. Orders under $100 have a flat rate $10 shipping fee. All shipments use the same super speedy express international 1-6 business day shipping service (up to 8 days for Canada).

On average, one of our parcels is handled by 23 people during the shipping process. It's reasonable to understand that minor creases and some denting may occur throughout this, although we also try to use thicker packaging materials to minimize the impact of "rough processing".
In rare cases, cans may become punctured, or the internal silver bag inside of paper boxes may become ripped. If this happens please reach out to us and we will work with you to make you whole again.

As long as the packaging that touches the formula remains in tact and is not punctured in any way, the formula is absolutely food-worthy and safe for consumption.
Please note that we do not accept any refund claims due to dented cans or creased boxes (we're all adults here, let's be kind and reasonable 😊).

To make a long story short, many employees at shipping companies are not as kind to our packages as we would like them to be. Still, we do our best to fool-proof our packaging by using significantly thicker boxes than all of our competitors. Boxes may not be all that glamorous of a topic, but it's what's inside these boxes that really matters!

All vouchers or coupons are single use per customer. Unless stated otherwise, vouchers can only be applied to multipacks and do not apply to single unit purchases. We do not work with any voucher code sites, and any coupons that you find there can be assumed as unreliable. A list of available coupon codes can be found here.

Our category pages list the lowest available price for a particular formula, including any cumulative discounts from vouchers, multipack upsells, or subscription add-ons.
Product pages list prices based on the type of multipack (or single pack) that is selected. The least expensive price can always be found by choosing the largest size multipack. An additional discount is applied to any subscription orders. Please note that all prices are in USD.

Yes! By signing up for a subscription you automatically get 5% off of any formula, on an ongoing basis! You can edit or cancel your subscription by using the link provided in your order confirmation email, or by reaching out to our customer service team.

Let's try to oversimplify this!

- Get a baby formula that is age appropriate. You can see the manufacturer's suggested age ranges within each products "Buyers Guide" section.
- There are 3 main categories of formula you should consider:

1. Cow milk based formulas: these are the most common, and very nutritionally complete.
2. Goat milk based formulas: these are still very common, but tend to be a bit more gentle on the stomach due to lower quantities of lactose.
3. Specialty formulas: for certain conditions such as reflux or allergies, many manufacturers make special formulas that may help with a specific condition.

We always recommend that you ask your pediatrician for recommendations on the most appropriate formulas that will suit your baby.

We understand that it is important to find the perfect formula match for your baby. If you and your baby are just starting with formula, we recommend that you begin with a smaller order for a single item, or try a couple of different products in order to match well with your baby.
We are unable to offer any refunds due to babies not liking the selected formula, including if your baby has a medical reason for not being able to use the formula. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.
To ensure that a formula will be compatible with your baby, we recommend that you undertake thorough research before making any baby formula purchase.

Many mothers will supplement their breast milk with baby formula. Whether this is because of lifestyle decisions or for medical reasons, the reasons are personal and they are none of our business - but please rest assured that it is very common for mothers to supplement their baby's diet with formula.

Interesting fact: the "European Baby Formula For Export" industry seems to have gravitated towards long expiration dates of a minimum six months. All of our products have this type of long expiration date, most often much longer than six months. Our warehouses are replenished daily and ship on a "first in, first out" basis - meaning your baby formula is delivered almost in real time from manufacturers who have just produced the formula.

Honestly, you should be suspicious. We don't know of any European manufacturers who would recommend giving toddler formula to an infant. This is because as a baby matures, they require different doses of nutrients, and a toddler formula is a much more potent mixture of nutrients in comparison to a Stage 1 or Stage PRE formula, for example.
We always recommend buying genuine baby formula products, none of which would recommend giving toddler formula to younger babies.

We certainly do! If you are looking for something special, please reach out to our team and we will see how we can help out. We add formulas to our inventory collection based on demand volume.

Baby formula should be stored in a cool, dark place that is away from sources of moisture and any potential contaminants. If your formula is in a can, always be sure to close the can lid properly. If your formula is boxed, be sure to tightly wrap the silver bag and secure it shut (for example with a rubber band).
All of our formula is shipped from a cool climate warehouse and delivered via express air mail.

Organic Life Start is genuinely passionate about finding the cleanest formulas available anywhere in the world. On average, European baby formulas are held to a much stricter level of quality than US based competitors. European formulas do not have any GMO's, don't use any soy, sugar, corn syrup, or any artificial flavors and no synthetic preservatives. We want all parents to be able to share these types of formulas with their babies.