Vitamin C & Rose Hips

Vitamin C and rose hips reference formula at example amounts of 500 mg and 50 mg per serving, developed as a tablet or capsule.

Vitamin C & Rose Hips is a reference formula for brands building a two-ingredient vitamin C product that adds rose hips as a botanical partner, around example amounts of 500 mg of vitamin C and 50 mg of rose hips per serving. The brand sets the final amounts for its market. Reference labels span vitamin C from 45 to 3,000 mg and rose hips from 1 to 400 mg, so the example is a starting point rather than a standard.

Tablet is the lead format because 550 mg of raw materials compresses into one coated tablet, and a capsule version carries the same blend in a standard fill. The development work centers on ascorbic acid at gram-fraction level, a rose hip powder that is bulky and colored, and the stability of vitamin C next to a plant powder with its own moisture.

Ingredient Composition

IngredientPer ServingRaw Material FormAlternative Form (same amount of active)
Vitamin C500 mg (example amount)L-ascorbic acid, specified on an ascorbic acid basis; 500 mg vitamin C per servingSodium ascorbate, or natural-source Acerola Cherry Extract 17–25% Natural Vitamin C or Camu Camu Extract 10–25% Natural Vitamin C, with the input set from the extract’s vitamin C content
Rose Hips50 mg (example amount)Rose hip (Rosa canina) fruit powder, dried and milled; 50 mg rose hip powder per servingA rose hip extract of known marker content, with the input recalculated so that the marker amount per serving is kept

Amounts are stated as mg of vitamin C on an ascorbic acid basis (C6H8O6, 176.12 g/mol; PubChem CID 54670067) and mg of rose hip raw material. Rose hips are a plant material, and their own vitamin C and other constituents are not counted in the vitamin C amount of this formula; the vitamin C figure comes from the ascorbic acid.

Intended Benefits & Formula Rationale

This formula is designed for products positioned around vitamin C and botanical antioxidant nutrition. Vitamin C and rose hips are included together so that one serving carries the vitamin and a traditional plant partner.

Intended Benefit DirectionKey IngredientsFormulation Rationale
Daily vitamin C intakeVitamin CIncluded as an essential micronutrient and electron donor that is a potent antioxidant and a cofactor for biosynthetic and gene regulatory enzymes, and that contributes to the cellular functions of the immune system [1]. Evidence: Referenced
Rose hip botanical nutritionRose HipsA systematic review reports that antioxidative and antiinflammatory effects were demonstrated for various rose hip preparations, that the German Commission E monographed rose hip negatively because of insufficient evidence, and that the sizes of clinical effects still need to be determined [2]. Evidence: Mixed

The amounts are examples. The review in [2] distinguishes rose hip from a proprietary rose hip and seed powder used in the clinical studies, so the raw material and the claim are decisions for the brand and its market review.

Available Formats

The vitamin C and rose hips reference formula is built for a tablet version and a capsule version; counts per serving are design choices that the brand can adjust.

FormatUnitPer ServingPack SizeOther Ingredients (typical)Suitability
Tablet1 tabletVitamin C 500 mg, rose hips 50 mg60 or 100 tabletsVegetable cellulose, vegetable magnesium silicate, vegetable stearic acid, vegetable magnesium stearate, silicaLead format; coated unit with a plant powder
Capsule2 capsulesVitamin C 500 mg, rose hips 50 mg120 capsules (60 servings)Cellulose, flow agent, vegetable capsule shellBlended fill without compression

Raw Material Input & Fill (Design Estimate)

Design estimates. The ascorbic acid input is taken at 100%, so 500 mg of vitamin C needs 500 mg of ascorbic acid, and the rose hip powder is taken at its declared weight, 50 mg. Together the two raw materials weigh 550 mg per serving.

FormatRaw Material Input per UnitDesign FillBalance for ExcipientsVerification Before Scale-Up
TabletAscorbic acid 500 mg, rose hip powder 50 mg700 mg tablet weight150 mgCompression behavior, hardness, disintegration, color, ascorbic acid assay
CapsulePer capsule: ascorbic acid 250 mg, rose hip powder 25 mg320 mg per capsule45 mgBlend uniformity, fill weight variation, ascorbic acid assay

Gummy, powder and liquid versions are separate projects, because vitamin C at this load and a plant powder need their own taste, moisture and stability work in those systems.

Formulation Considerations

Ascorbic acid load. At 500 mg, ascorbic acid is most of the tablet. Binder level, granulation and coating decide whether a single tablet of workable size is possible, and the capsule version splits the amount over two capsules.
Plant powder moisture and color. Rose hip powder is red-brown, bulky and carries moisture that ascorbic acid does not tolerate well. Powder moisture limits, blend humidity, a moisture-barrier coat and a desiccant are set early, and color change is part of the stability check.
Source of the vitamin C figure. The rose hip powder contains some vitamin C, but the label figure comes from the added ascorbic acid. The specification states that the amount is ascorbic acid and not total vitamin C from all sources.
Evidence and tier. The vitamin C review in [1] and the rose hip review in [2] address different questions, and the second describes the evidence as promising but unproven in size. The dose limit for each sales market and the claim wording are reviewed before a product is developed.

Customization Options

Brands adjust the amount of each ingredient, the vitamin C source, the format and the add-ons.

ParameterRangeNote
Vitamin C per serving500, 1000 or 1500 mgExamples for the brand; tablet weight rises with the amount
Rose hips per serving10, 50, 100 or 150 mgExamples for the brand; the plant powder adds color and moisture
Vitamin C sourceAscorbic acid, sodium ascorbate or natural extractInput recalculated to the ascorbic acid amount
FormatTablet or capsuleGummy, powder and liquid are separate projects
Add-onsZinc, bioflavonoids, vitamin DA third active moves the tablet weight and the stability plan

The pilot run confirms tablet hardness and color at the full ascorbic acid load, capsule fill weight, and the ascorbic acid assay of the first units against the labeled amount.

Technical Status & Data Sources

ItemStatusDetails
Reference formulaNIH DSLDThe ingredient and amount come from a labeled product in the NIH DSLD (vitamin C 500 mg and rose hips 50 mg on the label of CF028132; example DSLD labels 266261, 266262, 266263). The label names the two ingredients by name; L-ascorbic acid and rose hip powder are set as the forms.
SpecificationSet in formulationL-ascorbic acid and rose hip powder, per serving 500 mg vitamin C and 50 mg rose hips; assay, moisture, microbial and heavy-metal limits and method are fixed with the supplier. Unit size, fill weight and stability are set in formulation.
Data sourceNIH DSLDDSLD v9.4.0, downloaded 2026-01-10: 50,824 reference formulas merged from on-market labels with complete ingredient amounts. Counts show how labels are distributed.
Market reviewPer marketDose limits, labeling and claims are reviewed for each sales market before a finished product is developed.
ReferencesSources[1] Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211. DOI · PubMed<br>[2] Chrubasik C, Roufogalis BD, Müller-Ladner U, et al. A systematic review on the Rosa canina effect and efficacy profiles. Phytother Res. 2008;22(6):725-33. DOI · PubMed

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