Proprietary blends are marketed as protecting trade secrets. In reality, they’re a legal loophole that lets companies hide how much of each ingredient you are getting.

How Proprietary Blends Work

A proprietary blend lists total weight and ingredient names, but not individual amounts. A 5g blend could be 4.9g of one ingredient and 50mg of the rest.

Why Companies Use Them

The real reason: cost optimization. Active ingredients are expensive. Fillers are cheap. Blends let companies prioritize profit over efficacy.

The Clinical Problem

Effective doses are evidence-based. If a proprietary blend totals 4g but lists 8 ingredients, it’s mathematically impossible to hit clinical doses.

Legislative Status

The FDA requires ingredients in descending order by weight. No minimum active doses. The industry fought to keep it this way.