Ritual Vitamins Review

While many in the supplement industry go the way of “more is better” with mounting doses and longer ingredient lists, Ritual takes a different approach. It believes in the central role of diet for the majority of nutritional intake, and it limits ingredients to those that reflect common dietary gaps, especially for vegans, vegetarians, and women who are pregnant. Ritual claims to have analyzed thousands of scientific studies to formulate multivitamins geared to age and sex without including excessive or counterproductive ingredients.

What’s unique about its formulas? Are they a good value compared to the competitors? Finally, are Ritual’s vitamins a good choice for everyone? We researched the ingredients and tested the company’s products and services for ourselves and are sharing our experience to help you decide if Ritual is right for you.

If you want a multivitamin to round out an already good diet and would like to know exactly where your supplement ingredients come from, Ritual may be the best option out there. It’s a solid choice for those interested in a supplement formulation guided by moderation and nutritional balance along with logical customization for different life stages. Ritual’s latest offerings provide additional support for skin, sleep, gut health, and protein intake with ingredient dosages supported by clinical research. The biggest downside we can see is the price tag; you can find less expensive supplement options out there, although they likely won’t provide the same level of transparency about ingredient sourcing or quality assurance.

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions about staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles. To provide you with an unbiased review of Ritual, we extensively researched and evaluated the company’s product lines by examining over 65 scientific studies focused on the current ingredients of its formulations. Our testers ordered and tried the product and spoke with other subscribers, scrutinizing the customer experience and comparing Ritual’s products to the competition to see how they stack up.

We evaluate the products and services we review based on current health standards and research, continually assessing our information to make sure it’s up-to-date. Additionally, this review, like all medical-related content on our website, is thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy.

When we set out to review a company and its available products, we first decide what criteria to use when assessing its offerings and their potential value to the average consumer. In this case, we decided that the following criteria took precedence in order of importance:

• Ingredients: How do Ritual’s ingredient choices, efficacy, and sourcing add up?
• Safety: What quality assurance practices does Ritual utilize? How does the company’s transparency compare?
• Cost: How do Ritual’s sticker price, bundling deals, and shipping fees compare to what you experience with comparable companies?
• Product Variety: What product lines does Ritual have to offer, and how do they stand out?
• Customer experience: Are the purchasing and customer support experiences positive? Is the company website easy to navigate?

Ingredients

Our assessment shows Ritual to be a well-designed supplement choice for most people. Its moderate doses of nutrients, whose potency is verified by outside labs, promise to fill in common nutritional gaps without the risks of toxicity that come from the extreme doses found in some multivitamins. However, the USDA reports that the U.S. population’s greatest deficiencies are found in calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamin D, and Ritual does not include all of these nutrients in its multivitamin formulas.1 The company does, however, do a good job of adapting the ingredients in each product to meet the consumers’ needs based on sex and life stage.

Ritual is intentional in its chosen nutrient forms (such as including methylated folate versus folic acid), as well as nutrients essential for supporting physiological processes in the body (such as vitamin K2 and boron for maintaining bone health).2 3 4 Notably, Ritual also funded a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial at Auburn University; study results support the efficacy of its Essential for Women Multi 18+, with substantially increased levels of vitamin D (43%) and omega-3 (41%) in subjects after 12 weeks of supplementation.5

Ritual is unique in that it shares the source of all of its ingredients through its Made Traceable standards program. This allows the customer to view exactly where each component of a formulation is coming from. Ritual’s certificates of traceability on its website give details on ingredients, sourcing, testing, and packaging for every product. This level of transparency is unusual (and appreciated) in the supplements world. Rituals multivitamins are also non-GMO Project Verified, vegan, and free of all major allergens.

Safety

Ritual’s products are manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), the quality regulations enforced by the FDA that ensure safe production and accurate labeling. In addition to testing for identity, purity, strength, and composition, Ritual also employs 3rd-party testing for heavy metals, allergens, and microbes.

The company’s Essential for Women 18+ has earned verification status from the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), a federally recognized standard within the pharmaceutical and supplement industry. It’s a coveted industry approval that verifies product claims, nutrient levels, and bioavailability as well as formula purity. Although the company has prioritized certification for its women’s vitamins first, it says that it intends to pursue the same for its other products.

Lastly, Ritual’s protein shake line is Informed-Sport certified. This means that Ritual screens for over 250 substances banned in sports. Essential Protein product lot numbers are then listed on the Informed-Sport website for consumers to verify. These steps that are taken to ensure safe products, along with Ritual’s transparency in its ingredient sourcing, set the company apart from the competition.

Cost

Ritual’s products are pleasing to the eye but not as kind to your bank account. The company’s multivitamin line will cost you anywhere from $33-39 a month. And while this boils down to just a little over a dollar a day, competitors that also offer thoughtfully selected, safe ingredients cost a lot less. For example, Smarty Pants (which no longer sells directly from its website) currently lists its Women’s Multi & Omegas for $18.74 in its Amazon store. The formulations aren’t identical, though, and Smarty Pants is a gummy, not an extended-release capsule. However, they are similar enough that we can’t help but think Ritual is overpriced. That being said, the company’s ingredient traceability and transparency are stellar, so if that is a big deal to you, the price tag may just be worth it.

Another issue we found with Ritual’s cost is the lack of savings with bundling products. The company pushes hard for you to find the right bundle for you, but from our calculations, doing this doesn’t actually discount any of the items in your shopping cart. The only perk we found was a $10 off deal for the first month of a subscription. This is not exactly a true subscribe and save scenario, although you can find subscription savings if you purchase individual Ritual products on Amazon. Ritual does, however, at least provide free shipping on all orders from its website.

Product variety

Ritual started its brand with the Essential for Women Multi 18+ and has expanded from there. We like the assortment of products Ritual has developed for each sex and life stage, with differing and thoughtful multivitamin formulations based on changing health needs. The recent additions of a probiotic, sleep product, skin product, and protein shake powders are nice add-ons to a multivitamin routine. Each of these products has a solid formulation on its own, and Ritual’s commitment to well-sourced ingredients extends to the new product lines.

However, Ritual isn’t the only company out there with a variety of unique formulas to choose from. In fact, competitor Smarty Pants has even more options for multivitamins, including fiber and immunity products. Care/of also offers a multitude of products, with the ability to add specific vitamins, minerals, and herbs to your daily routine, offering true customization. The company also has collagen and protein powder options as well.

Customer experience

We found that Ritual’s website is easy to navigate when placing an order and signing up for a subscription. Order shipping was also fast. Managing your subscription online is simple, with the ability to pause your orders, switch products, skip a delivery, remove an item, change your scent selection (Essential for Women 18+, Prenatal, or Postnatal only), or cancel altogether.

Ritual has information on just about everything you might want to know about its products on the company website, especially in its FAQ section. We appreciate the clarity and reasoning presented on ingredient choices, as well as testing information.

However, we had a mixed experience with customer service. The website offers options to email, chat, or DM on Facebook Messenger. When we tried to utilize the chat feature on a Friday (midday), we were first connected with a chatbot. When it couldn’t answer our question, we had the option to request to speak to a person. Unfortunately, we didn’t hear back from anyone until midday on Monday, although they were able to finally answer our question. We had a similar experience with reaching out via email, with a two-day delay in receiving a response.

Ritual is a vitamin brand with an aim to produce a multivitamin supplement that targets common nutritional gaps using high-quality ingredients in a formula optimally absorbed by the body. The CEO & founder, Katerina Schneider, was inspired to create Ritual when she found herself disillusioned by available prenatal vitamin options that had questionable ingredients.

Ritual started with its Essential for Women multivitamin and has expanded from there. The company has recently added products for skin, gut health, sleep, and protein to its lineup.

Ritual aims to stick close to the science of best nutrient forms (like folate versus folic acid) and essential nutritional interactions. It offers a transparent view into the formulas, which are customized for the unique needs of sex and life stage. The company’s dedication to transparency about its nutrient sourcing and formula design is thorough – and rare within the supplement industry. Its Made Traceable program offers insight into every ingredient used in Ritual’s formulations.

Landscape of customer reviews

Ritual is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and holds an A+ rating. However, the company has just 18 reviews on the BBB website, and they aren’t very favorable, giving an overall 1.5 out of 5-star rating. The negative reviews are almost exclusively related to subscription program issues.

Trustpilot looks similar; at the time of this review, there were just 32 reviews on the website, giving Ritual a 1.9 out of 5-star rating. Complaints are mostly centered on subscription service issues; seemingly, a lot of customers do not realize they are signing up for a recurring service instead of a one-time purchase. Other customers made note of unpleasant “fish burps” from the multivitamins. Positive reviews mention liking the simple formulation and flavor tabs.

The Ritual website has hundreds of reviews, with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars across the product lines. A common complaint was, once again, the fishy burps. However, positive reviews mention a lack of nausea when taking the multivitamins, thanks to lower doses, delayed-release capsules, and well-considered ingredients.

Product lines

Ritual currently offers several multivitamin options as well as new products geared toward gut health, skin, sleep, and protein intake.

• Essential for Women 18 Plus
• Essential for Women 50 Plus
• Prenatal
• Postnatal
• Essential for Men 18 Plus
• Essential for Men 50 Plus
• Essential for Teen Girls
• Essential for Teen Boys
• Synbiotic+ for Gut Health
• HyaCera for Skin
• Sleep BioSeries Melatonin
• Essential Protein Daily Shake 18 Plus
• Essential Protein Daily Shake 50 Plus
• Essential Protein Daily Shake for Pregnancy & Postpartum

Ritual multivitamin formulas may be an ideal choice for those who already have a reasonably well-rounded diet and who don’t have significant health issues. They offer safe doses of essential nutrients that could help most people in their pursuit of optimal health. While the subscription structure might seem inconvenient for some people, Ritual is correct in maintaining that consistency matters for effectiveness.

Ritual isn’t the best choice for people whose diet may be severely deficient in core nutrients or short in variety. It may also not be the best option for those whose nutrient needs are greater than average because of body type or size, activity levels, or medical conditions. Additionally, Ritual may not be great for those with higher nutrient needs or lower nutrient absorption due to particular medication regimens. Folks on a tight budget or those who need a more personalized multivitamin with specific ingredients may have better luck elsewhere.

Ritual’s multivitamins have some distinctive features that set them apart from other similar products. We’ve broken down some of the highlights for you below, along with a couple of notable ingredient inclusions.

Essential for Women 18 Plus – $33/month

Ritual's Essential for Women 18+ is formulated for women ages 18-49 and contains nine nutrients. Ritual directly addresses the omission of vitamin C and calcium in its formula, explaining that most people in the United States get enough of these nutrients from dietary sources. However, this information contradicts what the USDA reports in its Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which states that most people are, in fact, not consuming enough calcium.1 Instead, Ritual says it has included other vitamins and minerals needed to make the most of dietary calcium absorption for bone health. These are nutrients that women can be deficient in—boron, magnesium, vitamin D3, and vitamin K2.4 13

Ritual’s Essential for Women 18+ includes:

• Vitamin B12: 8mcg (333% DV)
• Folate: 1,000mcg (250% DV)
• Vitamin D3: 50mcg (250% DV)
• Vitamin E: 6.7mg (45% DV)
• Iron: 8mg (44% DV)
• Magnesium: 30mg (7% DV)
• Vitamin K2: 90mcg (DV not established)
• Omega-3 DHA: 330mg (DV not established)
• Boron: 0.7mg (DV not established)

The Essential for Women 18+ multivitamin has undergone the most study among the Ritual product lineup. In fact, the company funded a clinical trial conducted at Auburn University to study the impacts of Essential for Women over 12 weeks of supplementation. The results of the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial were published in Frontiers in Nutrition in 2021.5 The research study concluded that Essential for Women supplementation was effective at raising serum vitamin D, folate, and omega-3 fatty acid levels in healthy females.

Essential for Women 50 Plus – $39/month

Ritual’s Essential for Women 50+ is designed for the changing needs of older women and includes eight ingredients. For women 50 and over, Ritual doesn’t include iron since post-menopausal women need less, and excess iron can impose strain on organs and raise your risk for certain life-threatening conditions like cardiovascular issues and diabetes.14 15 Ritual also decreases folate since older women require less folate than women of child-bearing age.16 Essential for Women 50+ has more magnesium and vitamin K2 (to help with calcium absorption), B12 (supporting nervous system health and protein metabolism), and vitamin E (an antioxidant).13 17 18

Ritual’s Essential for Women 50+ includes:

• Vitamin B12: 16mcg (667% DV)
• Vitamin D3: 50mcg (250% DV)
• Vitamin E: 10mg (67% DV)
• Folate: 200mcg (50% DV)
• Magnesium: 60mg (14% DV)
• Vitamin K2: 100mcg (DV not established)
• Omega-3 DHA: 330mg (DV not established)
• Boron: 0.7mg (DV not established)

Essential Prenatal – $39/month

The Essential Prenatal is a popular product – so popular that it was out of stock for a time but is available again.

In contrast to the 18+ women’s multivitamin from Ritual, its prenatal formula notably contains more iron in addition to three unique ingredients – biotin (in large quantity), iodine, and choline. These adjustments are all based upon research studies regarding nutritional needs during pregnancy for both mother and developing child, although we would like to see a greater choline content in a prenatal vitamin.1 19 20 We noticed that competitor Care/of offers twice as much choline (and includes calcium) in its prenatal product.

Research suggests that iodine insufficiency in pregnant women is tied to cognitive and motor development issues in children.21 Biotin deficiency may be linked to fetal growth restriction, and studies indicate that choline plays an important role in fetal brain development.22 23 Ritual notes that insufficiencies among pregnant women are common for all three of these important nutrients, which is why it includes them. Other typical prenatal ingredients such as calcium, vitamin A, Vitamin C, and B6 are notably absent from Ritual’s prenatal product. But keeping true to its philosophy, the company claims these nutrients are more easily consumed and absorbed through a healthy diet. Competitors Smarty Pants and Care/of both have a longer list of ingredients that include most of these nutrients.

It’s also worth mentioning that Essential Prenatal comes in two flavor options: mint or citrus. The choice of flavors is nice for pregnant women who may be experiencing nausea and aversions to certain scents or tastes. Here’s how it measures in size, for those who have trouble swallowing pills:

Ritual’s Essential Prenatal includes:

• Biotin: 150mcg (429% DV)
• Vitamin D3: 50mcg (333% DV)
• Vitamin B12: 8mcg (286% DV)
• Folate: 1,000mcg (167% DV)
• Iron: 18mg (67% DV)
• Iodine: 150mcg (52% DV)
• Vitamin E: 7mg (37% DV)
• Choline: 55mg (10% DV)
• Magnesium: 32mg (8% DV)
• Vitamin K2: 90mcg (DV not established)
• Omega-3 DHA: 350mg (DV not established)
• Boron: 0.7mg (DV not established)

Essential Postnatal – $39/month

As its name suggests, Essential Postnatal is the postnatal counterpart to Ritual’s prenatal vitamin. Essential Postnatal is intended to help women for the six months following birth and while they are lactating. Unlike the prenatal vitamin, this supplement is formulated with zinc and vitamins A and C. These nutrients are included to support immune health during the demanding time after giving birth since research shows they can be under-consumed by lactating mothers.1 It also contains less iron, in keeping with dietary recommendations during lactation.14

This postnatal vitamin aims to fortify the health of both the postpartum mother and the nursing infant. For instance, the amount of omega-3 fatty acids included in Essential Postnatal promotes healthy fatty acid content in the breast milk that feeds a newborn. Similarly, Ritual provides iodine, biotin, and choline to compensate for the higher nutritional demands while a woman is breastfeeding.24 Smarty Pants offers a comparable product for half the price (depending on the retailer) but does not include omega-3s in its formulation.

Ritual’s Essential Postnatal includes:

• Biotin: 150mcg (429% DV)
• Vitamin B12: 10mcg (357% DV)
• Vitamin D3: 50mcg (333% DV)
• Folate: 1,000mcg (167% DV)
• Iodine: 200mcg (69% DV)
• Vitamin E: 10mg (53% DV)
• Vitamin A as beta-carotene: 500mcg (38% DV)
• Iron: 8mg (30% DV)
• Zinc: 3mg (23% DV)
• Vitamin C: 12mg (10% DV)
• Choline: 55mg (10% DV)
• Magnesium: 32mg (8% DV)
• Vitamin K2: 90mcg (DV not established)
• Omega-3 DHA: 350mg (DV not established)
• Boron: 0.7mg (DV not established)

Essential for Men 18 Plus – $33/month

The Essentials for Men 18+ formula differs from its equivalent for women in a few key ways. Men have higher recommended daily intakes of zinc and vitamin A than women, yet American men tend to get insufficient quantities of them from dietary sources, so they are included in this product formula.25

Additionally, since men have a lower recommended daily intake of iron than women (8mg versus 18g, respectively), the men’s multivitamin does not contain iron.14 Essential for Men 18+ notably contains less folate than its Women 18+ counterpart. We aren’t sure why this formulation change was made, considering Recommended Dietary Allowances are the same for males and females.16

Ritual’s Essential for Men 18+ includes:

• Vitamin B12: 8mcg (333% DV)
• Vitamin D3: 50mcg (250% DV)
• Folate: 200mcg (50% DV)
• Vitamin E: 6.7mg (45% DV)
• Zinc: 2.4mg (22% DV)
• Vitamin A as retinyl palmitate: 180mcg (20% DV)
• Magnesium: 30mg (7% DV)
• Vitamin K2: 90mcg (DV not established)
• Omega-3 DHA: 330mg (DV not established)
• Boron: 0.7mg (DV not established)

In terms of size, this pill isn’t very large (smaller than the prenatal multi, for instance).

Essential for Men 50 Plus – $39/month

While this vitamin has the same ingredients as the Essential for Men 18+, the doses of five nutrients differ in this formula designed for men ages 50 and over. The Essential for Men 50+ contains more magnesium and vitamins E, K2, and B12. These additions support muscle function, bone health, and metabolism and help address the most likely dietary gaps experienced by men over 50.1

Health conditions and medications affecting older people can also cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies that Ritual aims to address.26

Ritual’s Essential for Men 50+ includes:

• Vitamin B12: 16mcg (667% DV)
• Vitamin D3: 50mcg (250% DV)
• Vitamin E: 10mg (67% DV)
• Folate: 200mcg (50% DV)
• Zinc: 2.4mg (22% DV)
• Vitamin A as retinyl palmitate: 180mcg (20% DV)
• Magnesium: 60mg (14% DV)
• Vitamin K2: 100mcg (DV not established)
• Omega-3 DHA: 330mg (DV not established)
• Boron: 0.7mg (DV not established)

Ritual has begun offering high-quality supplements formulated for children as well. Currently, there are two products available for teenage kids. There had been three products, but the company's gummy multivitamin for kids ages 4+ is no longer available. (We had considered that a notable product due to its good flavor, lack of sugar, and the presence of omega-3s.)

Essential for Teens (Hers) – $33/month

At the time of this review, Essential for Teens was sold out, but you can join a waitlist to be notified when it’s back in stock.

Formulated specifically to meet the dietary needs of girls ages 13-17, the Essential for Teens (Hers) comes in Ritual’s standard delayed-release capsule and features a subtle mint essence. It contains chelated iron to promote a healthy red blood cell count.27 Teen girls, in particular, are susceptible to iron deficiency and anemia, especially if they experience heavy periods. Bone, brain, and immune health are also emphasized in the formula, with omega-3 fatty acids and other important nutrients for teen girls.

Ritual’s Essential for Teens (Hers) includes:

• Vitamin B12: 10mcg (417% DV)
• Vitamin D3: 50mcg (250% DV)
• Folate: 400mcg (100% DV)
• Vitamin E: 7.5mg (50% DV)
• Iron: 8mg (44% DV)
• Zinc: 3mg (27% DV)
• Vitamin A as retinyl palmitate: 90mcg (10% DV)
• Magnesium: 30mg (7% DV)
• Vitamin K2: 90mcg (DV not established)
• Omega-3 DHA: 330mg (DV not established)

Essential for Teens (His) – $33/month

For teenage boys ages 13-17, Ritual has a formula—Essential for Teens (His), which contains many of the same vital nutrients as the multivitamin for teen girls. The only difference between the two formulas is the omission of iron and a lower dosage of folate (400mcg for girls versus 100mcg for boys). We aren’t sure why Ritual decided on this disparity, considering the Recommended Dietary Allowances for folate are the same for teens (400mcg for 14 to 18-year-olds), regardless of sex.16

Ritual’s Essential for Teens (His) includes:

• Vitamin B12: 10mcg (417% DV)
• Vitamin D3: 50mcg (250% DV)
• Vitamin E: 7.5mg (50% DV)
• Folate: 100mcg (25% DV)
• Zinc: 3mg (27% DV)
• Vitamin A as retinyl palmitate: 90mcg (10% DV)
• Magnesium: 30mg (7% DV)
• Vitamin K2: 90mcg (DV not established)
• Omega-3 DHA: 330mg (DV not established)

Ritual has added a probiotic to its product line to benefit gut, digestive, and immune health. Synbiotic+ contains the following three elements:

• Prebiotic (PreforPro)
• Probiotic blend (Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12)
• Postbiotic (CoreBiome)

To study its efficacy, Ritual partnered with ProDigest to conduct in vitro simulations of the gastrointestinal tract and determine the impacts of Synbiotic+. According to Ritual’s website, they found that this product’s probiotics were able to survive the journey to the colon, which is important — you want the beneficial organisms to make it to their target destination without being destroyed by stomach acid before they get there. Synbiotic+ also increased microbial diversity, the growth of beneficial bacteria, and the production of butyrate (a postbiotic, which we touch on below).

Synbiotic+ capsules are vegan-friendly, have a mint essence tab, and do not need to be refrigerated. The capsules are also designed for a delayed release. Synbiotic+ is a non-GMO product and is tested for identity, purity, strength, and composition in addition to 3rd-party testing for heavy metals, microbes, and major allergens. We particularly like the one-capsule daily serving size. We’ve taken a closer look at each of the ingredients below.

Ritual has also expanded its offerings to include a product for skin hydration. HyaCera contains just two ingredients: wheat oil extract (Ceratiq) and sodium hyaluronate (Hyabest). The one-a-day, vanilla-essenced vegan capsule is made of non-GMO materials but does contain wheat. However, the company states that the wheat included has been processed to meet FDA requirements for gluten-free foods. HyaCera also undergoes 3rd-party testing for heavy metals and microbes.

Ritual claims that HyaCera will help reduce wrinkles and fine lines and promote hydration from the inside out. Let’s take a look at the ingredients below to see how these promises check out.

The latest addition to Ritual’s lineup is a melatonin supplement geared towards getting a good night’s sleep. Melatonin is a hormone naturally occurring in our bodies that works with our body’s circadian rhythm. And while melatonin supplementation has long been recognized for its potential to support sleep, Ritual’s product is unique in its inclusion of the BioSeries technology.40 This three-in-one tablet (within a capsule) allows melatonin to have both an immediate and an extended-release. This ensures you are receiving a steady flow of melatonin over the course of about six hours. Ritual claims this new technology helps to support a natural sleep-wake cycle.

Sleep BioSeries is a vegan, non-GMO product, free of gluten and major allergens, and is 3rd-party tested for heavy metals and microbes. This supplement also has a mild vanilla essence. While there is no official recommendation for melatonin dosing, Ritual includes this ingredient at 5mg, which is commonly used and considered safe with no serious adverse effects.41 For best results, Ritual suggests you take one Sleep BioSeries capsule about an hour before bedtime. As with all supplements, it’s best to consult with your doctor before starting a new product in case of any potential interactions with other medications.

Ritual’s protein shake products offer a plant-based (organic pea protein), non-GMO option for those looking to supplement their diet. The company offers a product for those who are 18+, 50+, and pregnant or postpartum. Each of the three Essential Protein varieties provides 20g of protein and a complete amino acid profile in one serving, with 8g essential amino acids (EAA), 4g of which are branched-chain amino acids (BCAA; leucine, isoleucine, and valine).

Amino acids are referred to as the building blocks of protein. In addition to building muscles, amino acids are important for digestion, repairing body tissues, providing energy, and boosting our immune systems, among other processes.42 The inclusion of a complete EAA profile in Ritual’s shakes is ideal; this gives your body everything it needs for protein synthesis. Ritual states that its protein supplements can help to form lean muscle, support muscle recovery, and help build strength, and its formulation supports these claims.43 For example, the BCAAs included in the Essential Proteins have been shown in clinical research to aid in muscle soreness.44

The essential amino acid profile is the same for each of the three varieties.

• Leucine: 1,785mg
• Isoleucine: 1,063mg
• Valine: 1,124mg
• L-Methionine: 493mg
• Histidine: 522mg
• Lysine: 1,604mg
• Phenylalanine: 1,013mg
• Threonine: 801mg
• Tryptophan: 207mg

Each lot of Essential Protein is tested for heavy metals and microbes, and these shakes also have the distinction of being Informed-Sport certified. This means that Ritual screens for over 250 substances banned in sports, a meaningful benefit, especially for elite athletes. Essential Protein product lot numbers are listed on the Informed-Sport website for consumers to verify.

To take any of Ritual’s protein shakes, mix one serving with 8-12oz of cold liquid and shake. A shaker bottle or blender is best. Essential Protein has a vanilla flavor, fermented sugarcane, and monk fruit to improve the taste without adding artificial flavors or stevia.

The three varieties of Essential Protein contain the same ingredients (with one difference in the 50+ version, the inclusion of calcium). However, there are variations in the amounts included in each component depending on the life stage, which impacts the %Daily Value met. We’ve broken down the details below.

Ritual’s Essential Protein shakes all retail for $40 but only contain 15 servings per container, leaving you with a $2.67 per serving price tag. This is on the more expensive end of the pea protein powder competitive landscape. However, the products include all nine essential amino acids and also undergo rigorous testing protocols (boasting Informed-Sport status), which ensures you are consuming a safe and pure product. If you are looking to compare Essential Protein with other pea protein powders, you can check out our Best Pea Protein Powder guide.

Essential Protein Daily Shake 18+ – $40

The ingredients in the Daily Shake 18+ are the same as the other two varieties:

• Organic pea protein
• Natural flavor
• Organic coconut medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil
• Xanthan gum
• Salt
• Sunflower lecithin
• Reb-M (from fermented sugarcane)
• Mixed tocopherols
• Organic monk fruit extract

The % daily value of important nutrients for people 18-49 is broken down below.

• Protein: 20g (33% DV)
• Choline: 150mg (27% DV)
• Calcium: 120mg (9% DV)
• Iron: 3mg (19% DV)
• Sodium: 290mg (13% DV)

Essential Protein Daily Shake 50+ – $40

The Daily Shake for those ages 50 and up has some small but key differences. This product has a reduction in sodium content, as well as increases in choline and calcium. The inclusion of higher doses of these ingredients is a thoughtful choice. Choline supplementation in this dose range has been found in clinical trials to help maintain cognitive function in the elderly.45 In addition, we naturally lose bone mass as we age, and our Recommended Daily Allowance of calcium increases. Calcium supplementation can assist in maintaining bone health if you don’t already get enough in your diet. However, Vitamin D is often included in supplements to assist with calcium absorption but is lacking in Ritual’s protein shakes.46

The % daily value of important nutrients for people age 50 and up is broken down below.

• Protein: 20g (33% DV)
• Choline: 200mg (36% DV)
• Calcium: 370mg (28% DV)
• Iron: 3mg (15% DV)
• Sodium: 220mg (9% DV)

Essential Protein Daily Shake Pregnancy & Postpartum – $40

Ritual’s protein shake for pregnant or postpartum women also has some formulation differences from the 18+ and 50+ products. This Essential Protein has reduced sodium but an increased choline content. Choline plays an important role in fetal brain development.47 We ingest choline in our everyday diet through foods like chicken, beef, milk, and eggs, but surprisingly, a lot of prenatal products do not contain choline.19 It’s recommended to ingest 450mg of choline a day while pregnant, and Essential Protein provides a good portion of that to supplement your diet.

The % daily value of important nutrients for pregnant or postpartum women is broken down below.

• Protein: 20g (23% DV)
• Choline: 250mg (45% DV)
• Calcium: 120mg (9% DV)
• Iron: 3mg (10% DV)
• Sodium: 220mg (9% DV)

Ritual can be purchased on the company website or at other retailers such as Amazon, Target, and Whole Foods. Buying Ritual’s products from its website requires a subscription. While annoying to some, that also ensures you have access to all of the company’s different product lines as well as its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Ritual encourages bundling of its products. You can choose between a suggested bundle or build your own. There doesn’t appear to be a financial benefit to bundling beyond a $10 discount on the first month; buying more products does not provide a price reduction. If you would like to bundle products but aren’t sure what items would be the best for your life stage and health goals, you can take a quiz (“Find Your Bundle”) to help you narrow down your options.

The questionnaire will ask a variety of questions, including your age and assigned sex at birth. The quiz offers non-binary as an option with a resource page for trans and non-binary customers that explains the differences in the sex-specific formulas and suggests customers consult their physicians when choosing the right formula.

We found that ordering Ritual products on the company website was easy and straightforward. Setting up the subscription was simple, and you can manage your account in a number of different ways. You can pause your orders, switch products, skip a delivery, remove an item, change out your scent tab (Essential for Women 18+, Prenatal, or Postnatal only), or cancel altogether from your account portal.

Our order shipped the day after purchase and was delivered four days later. Ritual’s packaging is branded, so it could be a temptation for theft by anyone familiar with the brand.

When we had questions about a product, we reached out to the customer service chat on Ritual’s website. A chatbot first processed our question and then instructed us that a representative would be on the line shortly. This was midday on a Friday, and we didn’t hear back until Monday when a customer service representative apologized for the delay and answered our question. Similarly, when we tried to contact Ritual about a product question via email, it took two days before we received a response.

Ritual accepts all major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. The company also offers free shipping for all orders within the United States, Canada, and the U.K.

Ritual has a 30-day money-back guarantee return policy. This applies to new customers as well as existing customers who are trying out a new product for the first time. The company states that if more than 30 days have passed, it will offer a refund in certain circumstances; customers are asked to reach out to customer service via email in this situation.

Ritual is just one player in the explosion of alternative supplement offerings over the last few years. Although Ritual’s marketing narrative around simplicity and traceability has been successful, these vitamins aren’t the only game in town. A few other companies, including Care/of, Smarty Pants, and GEM have comparable missions and messages. How does Ritual stack up against these competitors? Let’s break it down.

Care/of

Care/of is a supplement company that sells a large line of nutritional products through subscriptions online as well as limited lines through Target and Sam’s Club stores. In addition to multivitamins, it sells individual vitamin or mineral supplements, collagen powder, protein powder, probiotic formulas, and herbal/adaptogen supplements.

Like Ritual, Care/of offers better forms of nutrients and more sourcing information for its multivitamin products than most supplement companies. Its multivitamin is also considerably cheaper than Ritual’s, coming in at $15 instead of $33 for a monthly subscription. Care/of offers a general multivitamin, a general multi with iron, and a prenatal multi, which means more tailoring for individual needs than GEM but less formulas designed for sex and life stage than Ritual. It offers a few more nutrients in its multivitamin formulas than Ritual but doesn’t include omega-3 as Ritual does. Of course, with an extensive line of individual nutrient supplements, you can easily add to the base daily formula to target specific needs, but you’ll quickly close the cost gap with these add-ons.

Finally, Care/of has updated its website to reflect its safety practices. All products undergo testing throughout the manufacturing process for identity, purity, strength, contaminants, and composition, with 3rd-party testing completed on all finished products. Like Ritual, all of Care/of’s products are non-GMO.

Smarty Pants

Smarty Pants is a supplement company that sells its products online and in stores. It offers a full array of multivitamins in gummy form for adults and kids along with special formulas for immunity and sleep. You can no longer order products from the company’s website; you will be redirected to Amazon when you click on a product link.

Both Smarty Pants and Ritual offer comparable sex- and age-based formulas. Smarty Pants has a wider range of nutrients in its supplements and includes omega-3, but only about half the dose of Ritual’s formula, and it is not from a vegan source. Most of Smarty Pants’ supplements also contain sugar, which some may find undesirable.

When it comes to your monthly investment, Smarty Pants costs a lot less than Ritual. A 30-day supply is currently $18.74 for the women’s formula gummies on Amazon. The subscribe and save option brings that down to $17.80.

Although Smarty Pants doesn’t have USP certification for any of its products currently, it utilizes 3rd-party quality testing and ships every batch of its finished product to a cGMP-compliant laboratory to analyze purity and potency. Smarty Pants offers sourcing information on its nutrients but doesn’t achieve Ritual’s level of detail with traceability.

We consider Smarty Pants a good option for consumers who prefer a gummy vitamin or a formulation that includes probiotics.

GEM

GEM is a novel supplement company that gives new meaning to “food first” by offering a daily “bite” made of real food rather than a pill. GEM’s Daily Essentials “bites” are small cubes made up of dates, an algae-base supernutrient complex, fiber, sprouts, herbs, oats, and a long list of other superfoods and nutrients. GEM’s product line includes a daily vitamin and mineral bite as well as specialized formula bites for sleep and calm. Its Daily Essential formula looks to have changed since our last review; it contains 15 noted vitamins and minerals on the label, as well as other acting ingredients like probiotic Bacillus coagulans, turmeric, and black pepper extract.

Like Ritual, GEM has a scientific advisory board made up of nutritionists and other scientists who weigh in on formulations. It also appears that GEM no longer offers a one-time order option, so like Ritual, you can only purchase GEM with a subscription.

While the idea of a flavored food bite is probably more appealing than a capsule to many people, GEM doesn’t tailor its formulas to life stage or sex-based needs. GEM also doesn’t contain omega-3s as Ritual does, although they do offer a probiotic component. However, GEM doesn’t offer nearly the same level of transparency regarding ingredients as Ritual. In terms of your cost per month, Ritual is cheaper at $33 for the general women’s or men’s formulas as opposed to $55 for GEM.