Traceability is core to who we are as a company. It’s pretty simple, actually: We think our customers deserve to know things like where our ingredients come from, why they’re there, and how our packaging is made.

There are so many details, after all, that go into your daily Ritual. We always aim to make those decisions with you and the planet in mind, and lift the curtain along the way. That starts with our traceable supply chain and the suppliers we partner with across the globe, and ends with the packaging that ends up on your doorstep every month. And we don’t want you to just take our word for it either—we’re committed to showing you the receipts, by way of independent verification, external partners, and more.

It’s being able to see, for example, that the omega-3 DHA used in our multivitamins hails from Saskatoon, Canada, or that your capsule is made from tree bark harvested on sustainable plots, and assembled in the United States. You should know the exact percentage of recycled materials your multivitamin packaging is made from (nearly 100%, as of April 2021). It’s seeing the impact, for example, of Essential for Women 18+ quantified in a clinical study conducted by Auburn University, that our products are USP-Verified, or knowing that the eco footprint of your delivery is virtually erased by our carbon offsetting program.

These are specifics that matter, and there’s always progress to be made. But let’s get the full breakdown of the journey your order takes from our suppliers to your doorstep:

1. Our ingredients. We aim to use nutrients in ideal forms—even if it means crossing the globe to do so. But those sky-high standards also apply to how those ingredients are sourced and cultivated.

Let’s talk about our omega-3 DHA as an example. We could have gone the popular route by using fish oil, but we decided to do vegans and the planet a solid by sourcing ours from fermented microalgae. As a result, we’re not just helping save fish—we’re also doing our part to ensure that we’re not disrupting the delicate ecosystem of our oceans. Another wrinkle to consider is that fish oil production typically requires the removal of environmental contaminants—which is not necessarily great for the planet, since those contaminants then need to be discarded again. But the microalgae we use isn’t exposed to that kind of contamination, which means extracting our oil is a much gentler process.

Our omega-3 DHA algal oil is a great example of sourcing an ingredient found in nature in a sustainable way, but that’s also not always an option. While many of us might assume that “natural sourcing is always better,” that’s not always true when we’re talking about our planet’s precious resources. That’s why some of our nutrients are synthesized in a lab, when it makes more sense for the environment and for you in some cases (among other factors).

2. Our Verification Methods. As much as we love lifting the veil to our decision-making process, we also appreciate a healthy dose of skepticism—in other words, you shouldn’t just have to take our word for it. That’s why we invested in a university-led clinical trial to quantify the impact of Essential for Women—and the results spoke for themselves. Beyond that, Essential for Women 18+ is also USP Verified (one of the highest bars for product transparency) and Non-GMO Project Verified. (Essential for Women 50+ and Essential Prenatal are also Non-GMO Project Verified).

To be clear, this isn’t the industry standard—it’s above and beyond. None of the five bestselling women’s multivitamins are USP Verified, Non-GMO Project Verified, and disclose their clinical study information on their site.† But it’s yet another way we aim to give you complete confidence in the Ritual you take every day.

†Based on the top 5 US women’s multivitamin brands by 2019 & trailing 12 month retail sales (through April '20)

3. Our Packaging. We’ve been on a mission to transition our entire mailing experience to 100% recycled materials—and we're almost there. That includes our bottles and bottle caps, which are made with 100% post-consumer resin, and our cushion mailers, which are made with plant fibers and recycled newsprint. (Seriously—try tearing your mailer open when your next order arrives.)

††Based on our 6x9” padded mailers. Environmental savings calculated by comparing ecoenclose products to a virgin product of equivalent size and makeup

4. Our Carbon Offsetting Program. Every month, your Ritual order travels from our fulfillment center to your doorstep—and we wanted to work to erase the carbon footprint of that journey. That’s why we’re proud to announce our new Carbon Offsetting Program: As a Carbonfree® Shipping Partner with Carbonfund.org, we’re able to offset the environmental cost of shipping with donations towards sustainability initiatives like renewable energy, reforestation, and more. We’ve already offset all order deliveries for 2020, and we tackle newer orders on an ongoing, quarterly basis.

Together, let’s take steps towards a more transparent, sustainable future.