Third-Party Tested Vitamin C Supplements
Buy Nature Made Vitamin C 500 mg: it is on USP’s Verified list (500 mg tablet, listed by name) and costs $0.08 a day. Only 3 of the 14 vitamin C products we checked are on a testing list.
By Erin Rose Updated November 3, 2026 How we score
Our recommendation
Buy Nature Made Vitamin C 500 mg
USP lists this exact tablet. One tablet gives 500 mg and costs $0.08 a day, less than the other two products on a list.
Buy on Amazon · $7.49- Want 1,000 mg in one tablet? Nature Made Vitamin C 1000 mg is on the same USP list, at $0.16 a day.
- Want a liposomal capsule? Codeage Liposomal Vitamin C+ is on NSF/ANSI 173, at $0.67 a day.
Which vitamin C supplements are third-party tested? (3)
An outside program checked each of these and lists it by name. Tap a badge to see the program.
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Our pick
Nature Made Vitamin C 500 mg
500 mg of vitamin C in 1 tablet. USP lists the 500 mg tablet by name.
$0.08
Buy on Amazon · $7.49
list price a day -
Nature Made Vitamin C 1000 mg
1,000 mg of vitamin C in 1 tablet. USP lists the 1,000 mg tablet by name.
$0.16
Buy on Amazon · $8.53
list price a day -
Liposomal form
Codeage Liposomal Vitamin C+
1,500 mg of vitamin C in 3 capsules. Comes with elderberry and quercetin. NSF lists Liposomal Vitamin C+. A 2-pack of 180-capsule bottles.
$0.67
Buy on Amazon · $63.99
list price a day
Cost a day = each brand’s list price divided by the servings in the pack, one serving a day, checked October 19, 2026. The Amazon price on the button can differ. We count a listing only when it names the same product.
Also on a testing list
These vitamin C products are on a list too. USP read from its September 22, 2026 snapshot; NSF/ANSI 173 from its August 25, 2026 snapshot.
- USP Verified: Nature Made Vitamin C 500 mg with Rose Hips Caplets
- USP Verified: Nature Made Chewable Vitamin C 500 Mg Tablets
- USP Verified: Nature Made Vitamin C 500 Mg Softgels
- USP Verified: Nature Made Vitamin C Extra Strength 500 Mg Gummies
- USP Verified: Kirkland Signature Vitamin C 1000 mg with Rose Hips and Citrus Bioflavonoid Complex Tablets (sold at Costco)
- NSF/ANSI 173: Thorne® Vitamin C 1,000 mg
- NSF/ANSI 173: Thorne® Vitamin C 500mg
- NSF/ANSI 173: Thorne® High Potency Vitamin C
- NSF/ANSI 173: Vitamin C (500mg) (Core Med Science)
- NSF/ANSI 173: up&up™ Vitamin C 1,000 mg With Rose Hips (Target Corporation)
- NSF/ANSI 173: Amazon Elements Vitamin C Gummies (Amazon.com Services)
- NSF/ANSI 173: BUBS Boost Vitamin C with Citrus Bioflavonoids (Bubs Naturals)
Cost a day of tested vitamin C
Nature Made Vitamin C 500 mg costs $0.08 a day. That is the lowest cost a day of the 14 products we compared.
If you want 1,000 mg at once, Nature Made Vitamin C 1000 mg costs $0.16 a day, the same per 1,000 mg as two 500 mg tablets ($0.16). The body absorbs less as the dose goes up. A 200 mg dose was fully absorbed in an NIH study of 7 healthy men, and less of 500 mg and above (Levine 1996), so a smaller tablet is enough for most adults.
Not on a testing list (11)
We also checked these 11. We did not find them on a USP or NSF list.
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Nature’s Bounty Vitamin C 1000 mg
Not on a testing list
1,000 mg of vitamin C in 1 caplet.
$0.12
Buy on Amazon · $6.97
list price a day -
NOW C-1000 with Bioflavonoids
Not on a testing list
1,000 mg of vitamin C in 1 capsule. Comes with citrus bioflavonoids.
$0.13
Buy on Amazon · $18.50
list price a day -
NOW C-1000 Buffered
Not on a testing list
1,000 mg of vitamin C in 1 tablet. Buffered tablet.
$0.20
Buy on Amazon · $19.84
list price a day -
Solgar Vitamin C 1000 mg
Not on a testing list
1,000 mg of vitamin C in 1 tablet.
$0.12
Buy on Amazon · $10.42
list price a day -
Thorne Vitamin C with Flavonoids
Not on a testing list
500 mg of vitamin C in 1 capsule. NSF lists other Thorne vitamin C products, not this one.
$0.26
Buy on Amazon · $23.00
list price a day -
Doctor’s Best Vitamin C 1000 mg
Not on a testing list
1,000 mg of vitamin C in 1 veggie capsule. Q-C form.
$0.17
Buy on Amazon · $18.99
list price a day -
Bluebonnet Vitamin C 1000 mg
Not on a testing list
1,000 mg of vitamin C in 1 vegetable capsule.
$0.22
Buy on Amazon · $29.56
list price a day -
Pure Encapsulations Ascorbic Acid
Not on a testing list
1,000 mg of vitamin C in 1 capsule. Hypoallergenic capsule.
$0.25
Buy on Amazon · $22.50
list price a day -
American Health Ester-C 1000 mg
Not on a testing list
1,000 mg of vitamin C in 1 capsule. Ester-C form, with citrus bioflavonoids.
$0.23
Buy on Amazon · $17.00
list price a day -
Core Med Science Liposomal Vitamin C
Not on a testing list
1,000 mg of vitamin C in 3 softgels. NSF lists Core Med’s plain 500 mg capsule, not this liposomal softgel.
$0.83
Buy on Amazon · $24.99
list price a day -
LivOn Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C
Not on a testing list
1,000 mg of vitamin C in 1 packet. Liposomal packet.
$1.43
Buy on Amazon · $43.95
list price a day
What does each program check?
| Program | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| NSF/ANSI 173 | Checks that what the label says is in the bottle, and that lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium stay under set limits. It does not screen for banned substances. |
| USP Verified | Checks that the tablet holds the vitamin C on the label in the stated amount, that it breaks down so the body can use it, and that contaminants such as lead stay under set limits. |
How to check your own bottle
- Look for the USP Verified mark or the NSF mark on the bottle.
- Search USP’s list or NSF’s list for the exact product name and strength. A brand’s 500 mg tablet can be listed while its 1,000 mg gummy is not.
- Read the Supplement Facts for vitamin C in mg per serving. For liposomal products, check how many capsules make a serving.
- Pick a dose that fits what you need, and stay under the 2,000 mg upper limit. See the dosage guide.
Comparing on more than testing? See the best vitamin C supplement, or how the forms compare.
Questions
Which vitamin C supplements are third-party tested?
Nature Made Vitamin C 500 mg and Nature Made Vitamin C 1000 mg are on USP’s Verified list. Codeage Liposomal Vitamin C+ is on NSF/ANSI 173. The other 11 we checked are on no public list. Other products are also listed, such as Thorne Vitamin C 1,000 mg capsules (NSF/ANSI 173) and Kirkland Signature Vitamin C 1000 mg tablets (USP).
Is Nature Made vitamin C USP Verified?
Several Nature Made vitamin C products are, and USP lists each by name: the 500 mg and 1000 mg tablets, a 500 mg with rose hips caplet, 500 mg softgels, chewables and gummies. Check that your bottle is one of those, since a brand can have products that are not listed.
Is Thorne vitamin C third-party tested?
Some of it is. NSF/ANSI 173 lists Thorne Vitamin C 1,000 mg and 500 mg capsules and Thorne High Potency Vitamin C powder. The Thorne product we compare, Vitamin C with Flavonoids, is not on that list, so we count it as not listed.
What is the difference between third-party tested and certified?
A brand can pay a lab to test its own batches and then say “third-party tested.” A program such as USP or NSF lists the exact product after its own review and audits. Search the program’s list for the product name; that is the check that counts.
Is Codeage Liposomal Vitamin C+ worth the price?
Only if you want a liposomal capsule. It costs $0.67 a day for 1,500 mg, about 8 times a Nature Made Vitamin C 500 mg tablet, and NSF lists it by name. Plain ascorbic acid in a tablet is fully absorbed at 200 mg (Levine 1996, 7 men); see the forms compared.
How much vitamin C do I need?
Adults need 75 mg (women) to 90 mg (men) a day, and the adult upper limit is 2,000 mg (NIH). A 500 mg tablet already covers that. If you have had kidney stones, ask your doctor before taking large doses. See the dosage guide.
Sources
- USP Verified Dietary Supplements and NSF/ANSI 173: each program’s own list, searched by product name. USP as of its September 22, 2026 snapshot, NSF/ANSI 173 as of its August 25, 2026 snapshot.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals (updated July 31, 2025).
- Levine M, et al. “Vitamin C pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers: evidence for a recommended dietary allowance.” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1996. PubMed 8623000














