FAQ

Got a question about our mushroom powders, extracts, capsules, or your order? Have a look below — and if you can't find what you're after, get in touch, we're always happy to help.

Products & Ingredients

What's the difference between your powders, capsules, and liquid extracts (tinctures)?

Our powders are wholefood supplements — the mushroom in its original form, steam-treated and micronised (finely ground) to make the tough chitin cell walls easy to digest, then activated and certified organic at source. Nothing is extracted or removed, so you get the full spectrum of the mushroom, including the beneficial polysaccharides. Capsules contain that same activated powder combined with 10% dual-extract powder for a 10x boost in potency, in an easy-to-use format.

Our liquid extracts (tinctures) are made using advanced Ultrasound frequencies. We pull the beneficial compounds out of the mushroom cells using two food-grade solvents — spring water and organic carbon-filtered ethanol. This captures both the water-soluble and ethanol-soluble compounds for a full-spectrum, highly bioavailable and superiorly potent elixir.

Neither is strictly "better" — it comes down to convenience, whether you want to avoid ethanol, and whether you prefer a wholefood or an extract. Many of our customers use both. Read our full breakdown in this blog post.

Do your tinctures contain alcohol?

Yes, in small amounts. We use high-quality organic carbon-filtered ethanol as one of our extraction solvents, and each 1ml serving (about 6 drops) contains roughly 20% ethanol by volume. This is roughly the same amount of bioethanol that is present in a large ripe banana or mango, or a glass of freshly pressed orange juice. If you still need to avoid ethanol entirely — for sensitivity, religious, or personal reasons — our powders and capsules are 100% ethanol-free.

Do your extracts use the mushroom, the mycelium, or both?

For Lion's Mane our liquid extract include additional mycelium extracted alongside the fruiting body, because research shows higher levels of certain beneficial compounds (like erinacines in Lion's Mane) in the mycelium. These are also the species we're able to cultivate ourselves. Our powders do not currently contain mycelium.

Are your products organic and independently tested?

Yes. Our powders are certified organic at source, and our full range is engineered using ultrasonic extraction technology and independently, third-party tested to be free from pesticides, microbial and heavy metal contaminants.

How do I take my mushroom powders or extracts?

Powders work well stirred into smoothies, juices, coffee, tea, soups, stews and broths — they do need a carrier. Liquid extracts are fast-absorbing and can be taken directly, under the tongue, or added to coffee, tea, cacao or kombucha, which makes them a good option if you're on the move. Each product page has specific dosage guidance, and our all-in-one formulas are blended for a simple daily stack.

Are these products a substitute for medical treatment?

No. Our products are dietary and wholefood supplements intended to support general health and wellbeing — they are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, on chronic medication, or have a medical condition, please check with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement.

Orders & Shipping

Where do you ship to?

We ship nationwide within South Africa and internationally to almost every country. If you are in a country we have not shipped to, we will happily attempt with a promise of a full refund should your product be confiscated or returned. South African orders go out with BobGo; international orders ship via FedEx or DHL, with shipping rates (including customs duties) calculated at checkout.

How long will my order take to arrive?

Orders are generally dispatched within 2 working days of payment confirmation (EFT/bank deposit orders dispatch within 48 hours of the payment clearing). Within South Africa, main city centres take 2–5 business days and remote areas can take up to 7 days. International orders typically take 7–14 business days, though customs processing in some countries can extend this to around 3 weeks. Courier deliveries run Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm — no weekend or public holiday deliveries.

How much does shipping cost?

Shipping is free on South African orders over R1000. Orders under R1000 have a shipping fee calculated at checkout. International shipping fees are calculated at checkout via FedEx.

How do I track my order?

Once your parcel is collected by the courier, you'll receive tracking details by email. If you're having trouble tracking your order, contact us and we'll help you find it.

Will I be charged customs or import duties?

International shipping rates already include customs duties, and we take steps to ensure smooth customs clearance. That said, all parcels remain subject to local customs regulations and may occasionally be withheld or inspected. We reserve the right to cancel an order before shipping if we believe it's likely to be detained or destroyed by customs — in that case, you'll receive a full refund.

Returns & Refunds

What's your return policy?

You have 30 days from your purchase to return an item. To qualify, it must be unused, unopened, and in its original packaging. After 30 days, we're unable to offer a refund, though an exchange may be arranged at our discretion.

Who pays for return shipping?

Return shipping costs are the customer's responsibility.

How long does a refund take?

Once we receive and inspect your return, we'll email you to confirm we've got it, and let you know whether the refund has been approved. Approved refunds are processed back to your original payment method within 3–5 working days.

About Harmonic Mycology

Who is Harmonic Mycology?

We're a Cape Town-based mycological collective, founded by Peter Herrmann in 2015, working to make top-quality medicinal mushroom products, teach mushroom cultivation, and grow the relationship between people and fungi. Everything is manufactured locally, and we've cultivated and isolated nearly 20 indigenous South African mushroom strains — including co-discovering South Africa's own native Lion's Mane species. Read our full story.

Where can I buy your products in person?

Alongside our online store, we work with a network of stockists and wellness partners around South Africa. Find a stockist near you.

Do you offer contract manufacturing or white-label products?

Yes. If you're launching a new range or expanding an existing brand, our team can help with cultivation, extraction, formulation and white-label production. Get in touch to discuss your project.

Extracts vs. Activated Wholefood Powders: A Deeper Dive

The FAQs above cover the short version. If you'd like to properly understand what you're buying and why the format matters, here's the fuller picture — the science behind wholefood powders, liquid extracts, and extract powders, and how to think about choosing between them.

What is an activated wholefood powder?

An activated wholefood powder is the mushroom itself, dried and finely ground — nothing added, nothing taken away. "Activation" refers to a steam-treatment step we apply before drying, which softens chitin, the tough polysaccharide that makes up mushroom cell walls (the same substance found in insect exoskeletons). Raw mushroom material is notoriously hard for the human gut to break down; activation cracks the cell walls open so your body can actually access what's inside, rather than the material passing through largely undigested.

Because nothing is extracted or removed, a wholefood powder contains the full, naturally-occurring complement of compounds found in the mushroom — beta-glucans, alpha-glucans, ergosterols, dietary fibre, amino acids, minerals and more, all in the same ratios nature made them. This is also generally the more affordable and accessible format, since it skips the time- and resource-intensive extraction process entirely.

What is an extract, and why do liquid and powder extracts differ?

Extraction is a different process altogether: instead of using the whole mushroom, you're pulling specific beneficial compounds out of the fibrous mushroom material and into a solvent, then concentrating them. The two solvents that matter most are hot water (which draws out water-soluble compounds like beta-glucan polysaccharides) and alcohol (which draws out alcohol-soluble compounds like triterpenes and sterols). A single-solvent extract only ever captures half the picture — which is why a proper dual or triple extraction, using both water and alcohol in separate phases, is considered the gold standard for capturing a fuller spectrum of actives.

What you do with that extracted liquid determines whether you end up with a liquid extract or an extract powder:

Liquid extracts (tinctures) are the extracted compounds suspended directly in their solvent — in our case, spring water and carbon-filtered ethanol. You're drinking the actives together with the liquid that carried them out of the mushroom, which is part of why tinctures absorb quickly and work well taken directly or under the tongue.
Extract powders are made by taking that same extracted liquid and removing the solvent — typically by spray-drying or freeze-drying — leaving behind just the concentrated compounds in dry, powdered form. Because the water and alcohol have been driven off, extract powder is significantly more concentrated by weight than the liquid it came from. This is why we blend a small amount of dual-extract powder into our capsules alongside our activated wholefood powder — it boosts the potency of each capsule without you needing to swallow a much larger dose of wholefood powder to get there.

Fruiting body vs. mycelium — what's actually being extracted matters

As covered above, we extract from the mushroom fruiting body, with additional mycelium extraction for species like Lion's Mane where research shows the mycelium carries meaningfully higher levels of specific beneficial compounds. This distinction matters when comparing products across brands: some mushroom "extracts" on the market are grown as mycelium on grain (rice or oats) and never separated from that grain substrate before processing. The starch from the grain itself can register as "polysaccharides" or inflate beta-glucan readings on a lab report, without the product containing much actual mushroom at all. When comparing products, it's worth checking whether a brand specifies fruiting body vs. mycelium, and whether their mycelium (if used) is grain-free.

Making sense of extraction ratios and potency claims

You'll often see extracts marketed with a ratio, such as "10:1" — meaning ten units of raw mushroom material were used to produce one unit of finished extract. On its own, this number tells you very little: it says nothing about which compounds were extracted, how concentrated they ended up, or how the raw material was grown. A lab-verified beta-glucan or active-compound percentage, ideally from independent third-party testing, is a far more meaningful way to compare potency than an extraction ratio alone.

So which format should you choose?

There's no single right answer — it depends on what you're optimising for:

Activated wholefood powders give you the full, unaltered spectrum of the mushroom plus dietary fibre, at the most accessible price point. Great for smoothies, coffee, cooking, and anyone wanting to avoid alcohol entirely.
Liquid extracts (tinctures) are fast-absorbing, potent per drop, and convenient to carry with you or add to a drink on the go.
Capsules with blended extract powder combine the everyday convenience of a capsule with an added potency boost from concentrated extract, without needing to take a large dose of powder or liquid.

Many of our customers mix and match depending on their goals, lifestyle, and whether they're avoiding ethanol. As always, if you're unsure what's right for you, our products are not a substitute for professional medical advice — please check with your healthcare provider, especially if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or on chronic medication.