Care/of vs. Ritual: Which Personalized Vitamin Brand Is Best?

Care/of and Ritual are popular subscription-based supplement companies that offer a variety of vitamins and powdered supplements, such as collagen and other drink mixes. Here is a brief overview of each company.

Care/of

Care/of provides personalized recommendations to customers based on the results of an online questionnaire.

While it’s not a substitute for a medical exam, the questionnaire is designed to help you find products that best fit your nutritional needs, wellness concerns, and personal preferences.

Once you complete the questionnaire, Care/of provides 3–4 supplement recommendations that you can select or swap out for different products.

It’s important to note that while the specific product recommendations are personalized, the dosages for each supplement are not.

Care/of products contain a 30-day supply and are automatically shipped to your home each month.

Subscription plans run on a monthly basis, and you can easily adjust the frequency or pause or cancel your subscription at any time.

Finally, according to the company’s website, Care/of products are tested multiple times throughout manufacturing, with final products being third-party tested to confirm purity and potency.

Ritual

Ritual is a subscription-based supplement company that offers multivitamins, protein powders, and a synbiotic.

Unlike Care/of, which customizes supplement recommendations based on an online assessment, Ritual formulates its products based on gender and stage of life.

The company also offers a synbiotic supplement that can be purchased on its own or added to any order.

While Ritual’s multivitamins require a subscription, its protein powders are available either as a one-time purchase or as part of a subscription.

Ritual supplements contain a 30-day supply and are automatically shipped to your home each month.

Ritual prides itself on transparency and includes ingredient sourcing information on its website. Products are also third-party tested to ensure that they contain what they claim to on the label.

Care/of offers a variety of vitamins, minerals, and powders formulated for adults.

Here’s a brief overview of the types of products available:

• letter vitamins
• multivitamins
• minerals
• herbs
• probiotics
• fish oil and omega-3 supplements
• collagen powders
• whey and plant-based protein powders

The company also offers powdered “boosts” that contain a mix of nutritional compounds such as electrolytes, antioxidant extracts, chia seeds, and creatine.

To help you understand the research behind each product, Care/of provides a grading scale ranging from “traditionally used” and “limited research” to “strong research” and “very strong research.”

Below is a closer look at a few of the products available from Care/of.

The Women’sEssential Pack

• Price: $54
• Type: tablets, capsules, and softgels
• Dose: 6 tablets daily

Designed for adult women, The Women’s Essential Pack claims to help support immune, digestive, muscle, heart, and eye health.

The pack comes with four supplements: astaxanthin, a probiotic blend, fish oil, and an iron-containing multivitamin.

Astaxanthin is known for its powerful antioxidant properties, which may be beneficial for brain, eye, heart, and skin health (1, 2).

Taking a fish oil supplement may help reduce inflammation and the risk of certain chronic diseases, including heart disease (3).

The probiotic blend may be beneficial for managing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, research on the effectiveness of probiotic supplements in adults without IBS is limited, and they may actually do more harm than good (4).

Overall, it’s important to talk with a healthcare professional before taking any of the supplements included in The Women’s Essential Pack.

Healthline editorial review

Care/of sent us The Foundation — the multivitamin that’s included in The Women’s Essential Pack. We found the capsules easy to swallow and appreciated that they didn’t leave a bad aftertaste.

While a box of individually packaged daily vitamin packs takes up a tad more space than a traditional bottle of vitamins, we found the vitamin packs convenient for traveling.

Prenatal

• Price: $18.99
• Type: tablet
• Dose: 3 tablets daily

Care/of Prenatal provides 22 essential nutrients to support a healthy pregnancy, including choline, iron, and magnesium.

The Prenatal includes 25 mcg (1,000 IU) of vitamin D, a nutrient that research has shown is important in supporting maternal and fetal health during pregnancy (5, 6).

It also provides 100% of recommended folate needs in the form of methylfolate, which is more readily absorbed than other types of folate (7).

Folate is particularly important during the early stages of pregnancy, as it plays a key role in the development of the neural tube, brain, and spinal cord (8).

While this product is a comprehensive prenatal, it doesn’t contain omega-3s — essential fatty acids that are important for maternal health and fetal development (9).

As a result, it’s a good idea to pair the Care/of Prenatal with an omega-3 supplement.

Plant Protein

• Price: $28
• Type: powder
• Dose: 2 scoops (37 grams)

Care/of Plant Protein is a vegan-friendly protein powder that’s made up of a blend of pea, pumpkin seed, and hemp seed protein.

A blend of plant-based proteins is ideal, as research suggests that it allows for the content of leucine — an important muscle-building amino acid — to be greater than in single plant-based protein sources (10, 11).

This protein powder also includes digestive enzymes, which may be beneficial for some people with certain health conditions, such as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, lactose intolerance, or cystic fibrosis.

However, it’s unclear whether they offer the same effect in adults without these conditions (12).

Lastly, this product contains medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. When used as a supplement, MCT oil may help promote weight loss and blood sugar regulation, though more research is needed (13).

Care/of Plant Protein comes in two flavors: Vanilla, which is flavored with organic vanilla extract, and Chocolate, which contains organic cocoa powder.

Both flavors are lightly sweetened with organic coconut sugar and monk fruit extract.

Here’s the nutritional information for a 2-scoop (37-gram) serving of the vanilla flavor (14):

• Calories: 140
• Fat: 3 grams
• Carbs: 14 grams
• Sugar: 4 grams
• Added sugar: 3 grams
• Protein: 18 grams

The powder also provides small amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium.

Healthline editorial review

Care/of sent us the vanilla plant-based protein powder to try. To keep the test simple, we mixed the powder with water in a shaker bottle.

Unlike many other protein powders we’ve tried, Care/of Plant Protein had a pleasant vanilla-coconut flavor and didn’t leave an artificial aftertaste. It was also easy to shake and had a smooth consistency.

Best known for its multivitamins, Ritual offers Essential Multivitamins for men, women, teens, and children. It also offers specialty formulations for adults over 50 and people who are pregnant or nursing.

In addition to multivitamins, Ritual’s product line includes protein powders and a synbiotic — a supplement designed to support gut health by providing pre-, pro-, and postbiotics.

Products are available individually or as a part of discounted bundles.

The supplement capsules are formulated with Ritual’s signature delayed-release beadlet-in-oil technology, which the company claims boosts absorption.

Ritual’s multivitamins are designed to help fill nutrient gaps and are intentionally not as comprehensive as products offered by other supplement companies.

Therefore, it’s a good idea to talk with a healthcare professional before purchasing a Ritual product to make sure you’re selecting a product that best fits your nutritional needs.

Below is a closer look at a few of the products available through Ritual.

Essential for Women Multivitamin 18+

• Price: $33
• Type: capsule
• Dose: 2 capsules daily

The Essential for Women Multivitamin 18+ is formulated for women ages 18–49 and is meant to fill nutrient gaps in the common diet.

It provides 9 essential nutrients that women under 50 may not get enough of from diet alone, including iron, vitamin D, folate, and omega-3 DHA (15, 16, 17, 18).

It’s also vegan-friendly and free of gluten, major allergens, and artificial colors. The capsule features a mint flavor, which may be a pro or a con depending on your preferences.

As mentioned earlier, Ritual’s products are not designed to be as comprehensive as other multivitamins on the market.

As a result, this product may not be ideal for everyone.

For example, research shows that people following a vegan diet are more likely to be deficient in potassium, selenium, calcium, and several B vitamins — all of which (except for vitamin B12) are missing from this multivitamin (19, 20).

Healthline editorial review

Ritual sent us a bottle of the Multivitamin 18+ to try, and we were impressed overall.

We loved that you can take the multivitamin on an empty stomach and found the minty flavor to be refreshing, though it’s probably not the best to pair with a morning cup of coffee or orange juice.

Additionally, although the capsules contain omega-3s sourced from ocean algae, we found that they did not cause fishy burps.

Use code “HEALTHLINE” for 25% off your first month with Ritual

Essential for Women Prenatal Multivitamin

• Price: $39
• Type: capsule
• Dose: 2 capsules daily

If you’re pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, taking a prenatal supplement is recommended to support your health and the health of your baby (21).

Ritual Essential for Women Prenatal Multivitamin contains 12 essential nutrients, including folate and omega-3 DHA, both of which are important for your baby’s neurologic development (22, 23).

Another important nutrient during pregnancy is choline, which helps support healthy brain development (24).

While Ritual’s prenatal does contain choline, it provides only 10% of the Daily Value. Therefore, it’s important to consume food sources of choline, such as eggs, regularly throughout your pregnancy (24).

It’s also worth noting that this prenatal supplement lacks several nutrients that are important during pregnancy and nursing, including vitamin A, zinc, calcium, and vitamin B6. Therefore, this product isn’t a good option for people who have difficulty maintaining a balanced diet.

A unique feature of Ritual’s prenatal vitamin is that it has a subtle lemon flavor, which may make swallowing the capsules more tolerable.

Use code “HEALTHLINE” for 25% off your first month with Ritual

Daily Shake 18+

• Price: $40 with a subscription, $44 for a one-time purchase
• Type: powder
• Dose: 1 scoop (30 grams)

The Daily Shake is a plant-based protein powder made from organic pea protein and sweetened with monk fruit extract. It’s also flavored with vanilla beans sourced from Madagascar.

According to the company’s website, the protein powder is designed to help boost fullness and support lean body mass when paired with an ongoing resistance training regimen.

Pea protein has been shown to help increase feelings of fullness, and high protein intake in general may help reduce age-related changes in body composition, such as muscle loss (25, 26, 27).

However, some research suggests that pea protein on its own may not provide sufficient amounts of leucine, an important amino acid for muscle building (10, 11).

In addition to protein, the Daily Shake 18+ contains calcium, which supports bone health, and choline, which may be beneficial for brain health (28, 29).

Like most other Ritual products, the Daily Shake 18+ is third-party tested. It’s also Informed Sport Certified, which ensures that the powder is free of substances banned in competitive sports.

Here’s the nutritional information for a 1-scoop (30-gram) serving of the Daily Shake 18+ (30):

• Calories: 115
• Fat: 2 grams
• Carbs: 3 grams
• Sugar: 0 grams
• Protein: 20 grams

Healthline editorial review

For a fair comparison to Care/of’s protein powder, we combined a scoop of Ritual’s Daily Shake with water in a shaker bottle.

While there weren’t any clumps, we noticed that after we had vigorously shaken the protein powder, the overall texture was thicker and grittier than that of the Care/of product. The vanilla flavor also tasted a bit artificial, though it didn’t leave a bad aftertaste.

Overall, while it’s not our favorite protein powder as far as taste goes, many of this powder’s drawbacks might be easily remedied by using a high powered blender and combining the powder with other ingredients, such as oat milk and frozen fruit.

Use code “HEALTHLINE” for 25% off your first month with Ritual

Both Care/of and Ritual vary in price depending on the products you select.

Ritual’s supplements cost $30–$40 for a 30-day supply. Shipping is always free. Healthline readers can also get 25% off their first month when they use code “HEALTHLINE” at checkout.

Care/of offers products costing $5–$32 for a 30-day supply. Shipping is free for orders of $30 or more.

While both are subscription services, the sign-up processes for Care/of and Ritual have some key differences.

Care/of sign-up process

To get started with Care/of, it’s recommended that you complete the online quiz. However, if you already know which product you want to buy, you can go directly to the company’s shop page.

If you opt for the quiz, you’ll be asked a series of questions about your health, lifestyle habits, and preferences around taking supplements.

Care/of will then provide a customized list of recommended supplements, which you can add to your cart or swap out with other products.

Once you’ve made your selections, you’ll be prompted to create an account and check out. Your supplements will then automatically ship to you every 30 days.

If you decide you’d like to cancel your subscription or change the products, you can do so by logging in to your account on the Care/of website.

Ritual sign-up process

Unlike Care/of, Ritual doesn’t have an online assessment to fill out.

Instead, the website makes it easy to find products that best fit your needs based on your gender and stage of life. Once you’ve selected your supplements, you’ll be asked to create an account during checkout.

Unless you’ve selected a one-time-purchase item, your products will be automatically sent to you each month.

You can cancel your subscription or change the products included at any time.

Care/of

Care/of scored well during Healthline’s vetting process, and overall customer reviews of Care/of are positive.

Many positive reviews comment on the quality of the customer service and the effectiveness of the vitamins.

However, some customers feel that the supplements are too expensive and are no more effective than lower cost alternatives. Other unsatisfied reviewers complain that the vitamin packs contain too many pills.

Ritual

Ritual has mostly positive reviews as well. Happy customers particularly appreciate Ritual’s transparency about ingredient sourcing and testing.

However, some reviewers wish the products contained more nutrients, and some dislike the aftertaste of the mint-flavored capsules.

Ritual scored well during Healthline’s vetting process and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

As with any supplement, there are potential downsides and safety concerns to consider with both Ritual and Care/of products.

Care/of

Care/of products are third-party tested to confirm that products contain what is listed on the labels.

The main consideration when it comes to Care/of is the number of supplements you may be recommended to take.

Consuming multiple supplements may not be necessary and, in some cases, could cause you to overconsume certain nutrients. This could have serious consequences.

On a similar note, the questionnaire should not replace guidance from a healthcare professional.

Additionally, some supplements may interact with certain medications, and individuals who are pregnant or nursing may need to avoid certain supplements.

It’s best to run any new supplements by a healthcare professional before taking them.

Ritual

Ritual’s products are third-party tested, and some are certified by Informed Choice or USP. This ensures that the supplements are safe and contain the ingredients listed on the label.

Because some Ritual supplements contain low doses or are missing certain nutrients, they may not be appropriate for some people.

If you have a diagnosed nutrient deficiency, it’s important to talk with a healthcare professional to ensure that you’re choosing a product that’s formulated to meet your nutritional needs.

Similarly, because Ritual’s prenatal supplement isn’t as comprehensive as others on the market, people who are pregnant or may become pregnant should make sure that they’re consuming an overall balanced diet before choosing this supplement.

There are several subscription-based supplement companies on the market, many of which also offer a personalized approach to vitamins and minerals.

Here’s a quick look at how Care/of and Ritual compare to four of their main competitors: Rootine, HUM Nutrition, Persona, and Vitl:

As there are pros and cons to both services, which company to choose ultimately comes down to the types of products you wish to buy.

While both companies third-party test their products, some of Ritual’s supplements go a step beyond third-party testing and are certified by USP or Informed Sport.

For example, Ritual’s Essential Protein lineup is Informed Sport Certified, making it a better option for competitive athletes.

In contrast, Care/of Plant Protein isn’t certified safe for sport. However, Healthline found Care/of’s protein powder to taste better than Ritual’s during testing.

Because Ritual’s product line is significantly more limited than Care/of’s, Care/of is a better option if you’re looking for a specialty or single-nutrient supplement.

Additionally, Care/of’s multivitamins and prenatal vitamins are more comprehensive than Ritual’s and may be more appropriate for people who have trouble maintaining a balanced diet.

Still, keep in mind that while you can choose to purchase only one product, Care/of’s personalized supplement recommendations may cause people to think that they need to be taking more supplements than are necessary or appropriate.

Overall, while both companies offer a personalized subscription-based service, there are clear differences between them.

It’s best to talk with a healthcare professional to determine which service and product is right for you.

Is Ritual or Care/of FDA-approved?

The FDA does not regulate supplements to the same extent that it regulates food and medications.

However, both Ritual and Care/of products are produced in accordance with the current good manufacturing practices, a set of guidelines the FDA has established to help ensure safe manufacturing processes.

Does Ritual have probiotics?

Ritual recently released its Synbiotic+ product, a blend of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics that’s designed help support a balanced gut.

While some research does support the use of probiotics, particularly in individuals with IBS, research on their use in people without IBS is mixed (4).

A test-tube study supporting the use of Synbiotic+ is linked on Ritual’s website, but more research, especially in humans, is needed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of the product (31).

Also keep in mind that there is a risk of bias because Ritual conducted the study.

What is the proper dosing of Ritual and Care/of products?

Ritual and Care/of products include dosing instructions on their labels. As with any supplement, it’s important to follow the recommended dose on the supplement label, unless directed otherwise by a trusted healthcare professional.

How legit is Care/of?

Care/of provides personalized recommendations and a wide variety of products, many of which contain ingredients that are strongly supported by research. Its products are also third-party tested to ensure purity and potency.

However, the supplement dosages are not personalized and the recommendation to consume multiple supplements daily may not be necessary or appropriate for everyone.

How legit is Ritual?

Ritual offers multivitamins and protein powders that are formulated based on gender and stage of life. Ritual’s products are third-party tested, and some carry the USP or Informed Sport seal.

One study found that Ritual’s Essential for Women supplement significantly improved vitamin D and omega-3 DHA levels in healthy premenopausal women after 12 weeks of daily use (32).

However, it’s important to note that the study has potential for bias because Ritual funded the study and multiple study authors were Ritual employees.

Additionally, because Ritual’s multivitamins are designed to help bridge nutrient gaps in an otherwise healthy diet, the supplements may not be suitable for individuals who need a more comprehensive multivitamin.

Care/of and Ritual are subscription-based supplement companies that offer a variety of products, including vitamins and protein powders.

Care/of provides personalized product recommendations based on your answers to a questionnaire. It also offers a larger variety of products to choose from, all of which are third-party tested.

Ritual’s products are also third-party tested, with some even carrying the USP or Informed Sport Seal. However, the product line is much more limited than Care/of’s. Additionally, Ritual’s products are designed to help bridge nutrient gaps and may not be appropriate for people who need a comprehensive multivitamin.

Regardless of which company you choose, make sure to talk with a healthcare professional before adding any new supplements to your wellness routine.