Melatonin, Multivitamins, and Marketing: By Jonathan Szkotak - A Closer Look at Ritual’s Wellness Claims

Polished Packaging, Modest Results? A Scientific Review of Ritual’s Health Claims

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Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational and commentary purposes only. It reflects the author's personal analysis and opinions based on publicly available information, product claims, and independent scientific literature. It does not constitute legal, medical, or financial advice. The views expressed here are solely those of the author and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Ritual or any of its partners. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your supplement or health regimen.

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By Jonathan Szkotak

Ritual’s website proudly claims: “We’re not about pseudoscience and half-truths.”

But to me, it might seem to be one of those "every accusation is a confession" type of situation with them.

The first time I saw Ritual supplements, I’ll admit I was intrigued. The branding was slick. The capsules looked like something out of a futuristic skincare ad—tiny golden beads suspended in clear vegan shells. The box whispered minimalism and purity. The website promised transparency, traceability, and a stance against pseudoscience and “half-truths.”

But let’s be honest.

Ritual’s entire brand just might be a half-truth with a scientific veneer, neatly packaged in a peppermint-scented capsule.

This seems to me like a company built on optics—not innovation. Their branding is pristine, their capsules are Instagram-worthy, and their copywriting is polished to a glossy sheen. The website is neat, with caplets swirling about. But dig just an inch below the surface and you’ll find that Ritual seems to be little more than science-washed marketing for people with too much money and not enough curiosity.

They look super cool, I'll give them that. But $44-60 for vitamins/supplements? And $33 for melatonin? Insane. By Jonathan Szkotak

A close up of Ritual melatonin by Jonathan Szkotak

Let’s start with their Sleep BioSeries™ Melatonin, because here, the disconnect between their claims and the scientific consensus is especially stark.

Let’s Talk About Their Science

Ritual proudly proclaims its multivitamins and sleep aids are “clinically studied.” And sure, they are—just not in a way that should inspire confidence.

Take their Sleep BioSeries™ Melatonin. On the box, you’ll find this impressive-sounding blurb:

“5mg of melatonin releases in phases to support falling asleep and staying asleep to wake up rested.”

Let’s break that down.

First off, melatonin is not Ambien. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews—including Cochrane reviews—have shown melatonin offers modest benefits for sleep onset latency and total sleep time, especially in people with circadian rhythm disorders or jet lag. For primary insomnia, the effect size is small, adding 7–12 minutes in time to total sleep time compared to placebo (Brzezinski et al., 2005; Ferracioli-Oda et al., 2013; Auld et al., 2017). How much are you willing to pay for an extra 12 minutes?

Yet Ritual claims their product does improve sleep and help you wake feeling refreshed. Their evidence? A 12-person crossover study with healthy adults aged 18–31 who self-reported sleep difficulty. That’s not a typo. Twelve participants, all young people. You could run that study with your friends and two pizza coupons. I tried but I couldn't find their studies published anywhere. If anyone (or Ritual) can provide them for me I'd be happy to update my review.

Their bold claims of superior “phased release” results aren’t just unsupported by broader literature—they seem anomalous even for melatonin. More troubling is the fact that their pharmacokinetic and clinical results aren’t published in any indexed journals. If it’s real, why not publish it?

Compare that to the actual medical consensus on melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in response to darkness. Its function is circadian, not sedative. Endogenous melatonin peaks once nightly, then tapers... there is no physiological basis for a “multi-phase” release. If anything, extending melatonin exposure beyond this natural peak can blunt the normal hormonal rhythm (Zisapel, 2018).

More importantly, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and American College of Physicians (ACP) explicitly do not recommend melatonin for chronic sleep onset or maintenance insomnia due to insufficient benefit (and/or insufficient evidence).

And what benefit does melatonin provide?

As previously stated, meta-analyses and systematic reviews—including Cochrane reviews—have shown melatonin offers modest benefits for sleep onset latency and total sleep time, especially in people with circadian rhythm disorders or jet lag. For primary insomnia, the effect size is small, adding 7–12 minutes in time to total sleep time compared to placebo (Brzezinski et al., 2005; Ferracioli-Oda et al., 2013; Auld et al., 2017).

That is statistically significant, sure. But it is not clinically significant—meaning that while the data may show a real difference from placebo, the actual impact on your experience is negligible. You wouldn't notice a 10-minute difference without a stopwatch.

Now let’s talk cost. Ritual charges $33.50 for 20 capsules of 5 mg melatonin—that’s $0.30 per mg (thats the price I saw at the store, I'm sure you can find slightly cheaper online). High-quality, USP-verified brands like Natrol or Nature Made sell melatonin for $0.02 to $0.04 per mg. That’s a 10- to 15-fold markup for a product that’s neither more effective nor more justified.

So what exactly are you paying for?

The capsule has little beads inside. That’s... it.

The Multivitamin That Reinvents the Wheel

Ritual’s Essential for Women multivitamin is another case study in pretending the basics are breakthroughs. Their key clinical claim?

“Essential for Women was shown to increase vitamin D levels by 43%, and DHA by 41%, significantly greater than placebo.”

In other words, taking a vitamin D and DHA supplement increased vitamin D and DHA levels.

This is not surprising. It’s not even informative. It’s the bare minimum expected pharmacologic response. Imagine running a study to see if drinking water hydrates you, then building a marketing campaign around that revelation.

The study they cite (Jensen et al., Frontiers in Nutrition, 2020) was company-funded and only evaluated serum nutrient levels, not health outcomes. There was no demonstration of improved bone health, immune function, cognitive status, or cardiovascular outcomes. Just higher levels in the blood.

That’s it.

They didn’t invent better absorption. They didn’t beat the competition. They just demonstrated that nutrients... show up.

What Are You Really Buying?

Let’s be honest: Ritual is selling a luxury supplement aesthetic, not superior science.

These are supplements for people who buy PATH Water at $25 a bottle or Bling H2O for $60—not because it hydrates better, but because it looks nice on a countertop.

Ritual’s entire business model seems to rely on wrapping standard formulations in boutique packaging and slapping on the word “clinical.” It’s performative science. It’s style over substance.

There’s no added value here—no compelling innovation, no meaningful improvement in outcomes, no cost efficiency.

This is a status symbol supplement, and that’s fine—if you know that going in.

Conclusion: Wellness as a Luxury Experience

In my view, Ritual’s products are targeted to a particular consumer—someone who values presentation, messaging, and lifestyle branding as much as, if not more than, evidence-based utility. And that’s okay—as long as consumers are aware of what they’re actually buying.

From a strictly scientific and clinical standpoint, the products appear to offer minimal advantages over existing, well-established, lower-cost alternatives. Their studies, while professionally framed, are too small to carry meaningful weight. The markup is substantial. And the innovation is largely in packaging and positioning—not in formulation or outcome.

That said, Ritual is far from the only company operating this way. The supplement industry is full of brands making similar claims based on limited or non-clinical data. Ritual simply packages it better.

I’ll admit—I saw the product and thought, “That looks cool.” But when I saw the price, I couldn’t help but think, “Surely we can do better than this.” Ok I really thought "I would NEVER let my friends or family pay this much for such a product".

If style over substance is your thing, go for it. If not, save your money—and just buy a bottle of melatonin for five bucks and call it a night. Actually, I would argue don't even bother with the melatonin. It probably won't hurt you, but it probably won't help you either, regardless of the brand.

References:

• Brzezinski A, Vangel MG, Wurtman RJ, et al. Effects of exogenous melatonin on sleep: a meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2005;9(1):41-50.

• Ferracioli-Oda E, Qawasmi A, Bloch MH. Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders. PLoS One. 2013;8(5):e63773.

• Zisapel N. New perspectives on the role of melatonin in human sleep, circadian rhythms and their regulation. Br J Pharmacol. 2018;175(16):3190–3199.

• Jensen CD, Oda K, et al. A randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a daily multivitamin supplement on omega-3 and vitamin D levels. Front Nutr. 2020;7:582137.

• Sateia MJ, Buysse DJ, Krystal AD, et al. Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017;13(2):307–349.

• Qaseem A, Kansagara D, Forciea MA, et al. Management of Chronic Insomnia Disorder in Adults: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165(2):125-133.

  
  

Jonathan Szkotak, PharmD is a healthcare leader, analyst, and medical writer with extensive experience evaluating pharmaceuticals and supplements for formulary inclusion through his work on Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) committees. He has authored clinical reviews, treatment guidelines, and evidence-based coverage assessments, with a focus on separating marketing from meaningful outcomes. His writing bridges clinical data and consumer clarity with a critical, accessible voice.