If you've ever squinted at a supplement label and seen something like "Proprietary Blend: 2,500mg" followed by a list of ingredients with no individual doses listed, you've been kept in the dark.
And that's exactly the point.
Proprietary blends are one of the supplement industry's dirtiest tricks—a legal loophole that allows manufacturers to hide behind vague labeling while you're left guessing what you're actually putting in your body.
Let's pull back the curtain.
What Is a “Proprietary Blend?”
A proprietary blend is a combination of ingredients listed together under one total weight—without disclosing the individual amount of each ingredient.
Here's what it looks like:
Proprietary Energy Matrix: 3,000mg
- Caffeine
- Green Tea Extract
- Yohimbine
- Bitter Orange Extract
- Synephrine
Looks impressive, right? Five ingredients totaling 3,000mg.
But here's the problem…
You have no idea how much of each ingredient you're actually getting.
That blend could contain:
- 2,900mg of the cheapest filler (like green tea extract)
- 100mg split among the other four ingredients
- Barely enough of the "hero" ingredients to matter
You're flying blind.
Why Do Companies Use Proprietary Blends?
Let's be blunt: it's about profit, not performance.
1. Cost Cutting (AKA "Pixie Dusting")
Effective doses of premium ingredients are expensive.
If a label says "Contains Rhodiola Rosea," most people assume there's enough to actually work. But with a proprietary blend, a company can include 5mg of Rhodiola (far below the effective dose of 200-600mg) and still legally list it.
This is called **pixie dusting**—sprinkling in trace amounts of trendy ingredients just to put them on the label.
2. Protecting "Secret Formulas
Some companies claim proprietary blends protect their "unique formulation" from competitors.
Reality check: If your formula is truly superior, the dosages are what make it work—not some magical ratio. And any decent lab can reverse-engineer your blend anyway.
This excuse is smoke and mirrors.
3. Hiding Weak or Dangerous Dosages
Proprietary blends can mask two problems:
- Underdosing effective ingredients (you're not getting enough to see results)
- Overdosing stimulants or risky compounds (you're getting too much, which can be dangerous)
Without transparency, you can't make an informed decision about safety or efficacy.
The Real-World Consequences:
You Can't Assess Efficacy
Research shows that **Beta-Alanine** works at 3-6 grams per day. If your pre-workout lists it in a 5,000mg proprietary blend with eight other ingredients, you might be getting 200mg—nowhere near effective.
You're paying for results you'll never see.
You Can't Avoid Allergens or Intolerances
If you're sensitive to high doses of caffeine or certain herbs, proprietary blends make it impossible to know if a product is safe for you.
You Can't Compare Products
How do you choose between two pre-workouts when neither tells you the actual doses? You can't. You're left guessing—or worse, choosing based on marketing hype instead of science.
What Transparency Actually Looks Like
At Rock Solid Nutrition, we don't hide behind proprietary blends. Every ingredient is listed with its exact dose—so you know exactly what you're getting and why it's there.
Example: HIGH METABOLISM FAT BURNER
Here's what full transparency looks like on our popular fat loss enhancer:
Garcinia Cambogia: 500mg (appetite control and fat metabolism support)
Lion's Mane Mushroom: 375mg (cognitive focus and mental clarity during calorie deficit)
Caffeine Anhydrous: 200mg (clean energy and metabolic boost)
Beta-Phenylethylamine HCL: 150mg (mood enhancement and focus)
Synephrine: 25mg (thermogenic support for increased calorie burn)
Cayenne Pepper Extract: 20mg (thermogenic effect to boost metabolism)
Rauwolfia Vomitoria Extract: 2mg (supports fat mobilization and energy)
No guessing. No pixie dusting. No BS.
You can look up every ingredient, verify the dose against research, and make an informed decision.
How to Spot a Proprietary Blend (And What to Do)
Red Flags on the Label:
✅ Look for phrases like "Proprietary Blend," "Exclusive Matrix," or "Specialized Complex"
✅ Check if individual ingredient amounts are missing
✅ Be skeptical of long ingredient lists with tiny total weights
What to Do Instead:
✅ Choose brands that fully disclose all ingredient amounts
✅ Research effective dosages for key ingredients (examine.com is a great resource)
✅ Ask questions—if a company won't tell you what's in their product, walk away
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The Bottom Line
Proprietary blends exist to protect profit margins—not your results.
When a company hides ingredient doses, they're betting you won't notice. They're counting on flashy marketing, bold claims, and your trust.
You deserve better.
Transparency isn't just a nice-to-have—it's a baseline standard. You should know exactly what you're putting in your body, how much, and why.
At Rock Solid Nutrition, we believe in full disclosure, research-backed dosages, and zero proprietary blends. Every ingredient is there for a reason, and we're not afraid to show you the numbers.
Because when you know what's in your supplements, you can make informed decisions. And informed decisions lead to real results.
Ready to Experience Transparent Supplementation?
Explore our full line of clean, fully-dosed, science-backed supplements at rocksolidnutrition.com
No proprietary blends. No pixie dusting. No BS.
Just results you can trust.
