USP’s evaluation criteria includes the following four factors:
Identity
Essential for Women 18+ passed rigorous testing and auditing criteria to ensure consumers that the product they’re buying is exactly what it says it is.*
Potency
USP verified that the ingredients we include in Essential for Women 18+ are at the daily values we say they are.*
Purity
Essential for Women 18+ does not contain harmful levels of unwanted impurities (e.g. heavy metals and microbes).*
Performance
If supplements don’t dissolve properly, they could pass through the system without any impact. USP verified that our nutrients are available in their absorbable forms to be broken down and released in the body as intended.*
Aren’t Other Multivitamins On the Market USP-Verified?
Earning USP Verification isn’t easy, and it’s certainly not industry standard—none of the top three bestselling women’s multivitamins are USP Verified, which is why it’s a big deal that Essential for Women 18+ has made the mark.† In fact, in an interview with The Skinny Confidential, Ritual’s Founder and CEO, Katerina Schneider explains that “...less than 1% of supplement companies have USP Verification. So we got that for our [Essential for Women 18+] multivitamin. Those things are really good validators - [we’re] not just saying that it's third-party tested but there’s another company that's validating those third-party results.”
†Based on the top 3 US women’s multivitamin brands by 2019 & trailing 12 month retail sales (through April '20).
We think the rigorous process it took to earn USP verification is more than worth it, since it can help our customers feel all the more confident about what goes into their daily Ritual…and not just take our word for it. That’s part of our Made Traceable® promise, after all—not just telling you what goes into our products, but backing it up, too.
What Other Third-Party Certifications Does Essential for Women 18+ Have?
Essential for Women 18+ is also Non-GMO Project-Verified, which means that we don’t include any ingredients from genetically modified organisms. That’s not even to mention our university-led Clinical Study, where Essential for Women 18+ was shown to increase Vitamin D3 by 43% and Omega-3 DHA levels by 41% significantly greater than placebo, in just 12 weeks.* Having this trifecta of independent testing was important to us, and it sets us apart: None of the five best-selling women’s multivitamins are USP Verified, Non-GMO Project Verified, and disclose their clinical study information on their site.†
†Based on the top 5 US women’s multivitamin brands by 2019 & trailing 12 month retail sales (through April '20).
Beyond that, Essential for Women 18+ is also Clean Label Project Certified. Fun fact: Only less than 2% of supplement companies have one or more products Clean Label Certified so we’re pretty proud of this. The Clean Label Project is a third-party certification that awards brands with products that focus on purity and surpass the minimum regulation requirements required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Each batch of our multivitamins is tested for identity, purity, and composition, so we can be sure that what’s on the label is what’s in the capsules. We also complete third-party testing to help ensure our products are compliant with regulations and guidelines for heavy metals, microbes and major allergens and to help assure the quality and safety of our products.*
Are Other Ritual Supplements USP-Verified?
Not at the moment, but we would love for each and every one of Ritual’s products to be USP Verified. Stay tuned!
USP has tested and verified ingredients, potency, and manufacturing process. USP sets official standards for dietary supplements. See www.usp.org.
