Proprietary Blends 101: What The Label Does And Doesn’t Say
A proprietary blend lists ingredients together under one total weight. That can be legal and still leave you guessing about dose.
What the rules require
Ingredients inside a proprietary blend are listed in descending order by weight, and the blend shows a total weight. Individual amounts do not have to be shown.
Why it matters
If a blend weighs 500 mg and holds ten ingredients, the average is 50 mg each, but one ingredient could make up most of the weight. You cannot tell which.
Not always a red flag
Many reputable products use blends. The problem is when a blend is the only information you have, or when no panel is shown at all.
What to ask
Ask the seller for per-ingredient amounts, compare against the doses used in research, and check whether a third party tests the product.
Apply it to a gummy
A gummy serving of around one gram has limited room for actives alongside the gummy base. See how to read a gummy label and our ingredients page.
