Quick answer: A proprietary blend is a group of ingredients listed on a supplement label under a single name with only the total combined weight disclosed — not the individual dose of each ingredient. You know what's in the product, but you have no idea how much of each ingredient you're actually getting. It's legal, it's widespread, and it's the single biggest obstacle to making an informed supplement purchase. Do Vitamins has never used a proprietary blend and never will — every ingredient and every dose in PurePump is fully disclosed on the label.
What Is a Proprietary Blend?
A proprietary blend — sometimes labeled as a "proprietary matrix," "performance complex," "energy blend," or any number of branded names — is a labeling practice where a supplement manufacturer groups multiple ingredients together and discloses only the total weight of the entire group, not the individual weight of each ingredient within it.
Here's what it looks like on a label:
Explosive Performance Matrix: 7,500mg L-Citrulline Malate, Beta-Alanine, Creatine Monohydrate, Taurine, L-Tyrosine, Caffeine Anhydrous, BioPerine
You see seven ingredients. You see that the total blend weighs 7,500mg. What you don't see is how much of each ingredient is in that 7,500mg. Is the citrulline 4,000mg or 400mg? Is the creatine 3,000mg or 300mg? Is the caffeine 200mg or 50mg? You literally cannot know.
The FDA requires supplement manufacturers to list each ingredient by name. It does not require them to disclose the individual dose of each ingredient within a proprietary blend. Only the total blend weight is mandatory. The individual ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight — so the first ingredient listed is present in the largest amount — but "largest amount" could mean 90% of the blend or 15%. That ordering is the only clue you get.
This isn't an obscure loophole. Proprietary blends are used by a huge portion of the supplement industry, including many of the best-selling pre-workouts, fat burners, testosterone boosters, and nootropic stacks on the market.
Why Do Brands Use Proprietary Blends?
There are several reasons supplement companies use proprietary blends. Some are stated publicly. Some are the actual reasons.
Reason 1: "To Protect Our Unique Formula"
This is the official explanation — and on its surface, it sounds reasonable. A brand has developed a specific ratio of ingredients that they believe produces superior results, and they don't want competitors to copy it.
The problem? This argument falls apart under basic scrutiny. Knowing the ingredient doses doesn't give a competitor a meaningful advantage. Anyone can see what ingredients are in a product. The real competitive moat is sourcing, manufacturing standards, and testing — not secrecy around milligram amounts. More on this later.
Reason 2: To Hide Underdosing
This is the big one. Proprietary blends allow brands to include clinically studied ingredients on the label at doses far below what the research supports — and you'll never know.
Here's the economics: if a brand is making a pre-workout with 8 ingredients in a 7,500mg blend, the average dose per ingredient would be about 940mg. But distribution doesn't have to be even. A brand can load up on cheap ingredients — maltodextrin at pennies per gram, taurine at a fraction of the cost of citrulline — and include expensive, research-backed ingredients at token doses. The label still reads "L-Citrulline, Beta-Alanine, Creatine Monohydrate," and the consumer assumes they're getting effective amounts.
They might be getting 150mg of creatine. That's less than what you'd get from eating a small piece of steak. But the label looks impressive.
Reason 3: Cost Savings and Batch Flexibility
A proprietary blend allows a manufacturer to change the internal ratios batch to batch without updating the label. As long as the ingredients are listed in the correct descending order and the total weight remains the same, the label is compliant.
Raw ingredient costs fluctuate. If the price of citrulline spikes this quarter, a company using a proprietary blend can quietly reduce the citrulline dose and increase the taurine dose. The label doesn't change. The consumer doesn't know. The profit margin is protected.
A brand using full disclosure labeling can't do this. If the label says 2,000mg of L-Citrulline, there needs to be 2,000mg of L-Citrulline — every batch, every time.
Reason 4: Marketing Psychology
"Proprietary" sounds exclusive and scientific. Names like "Anabolic Performance Matrix" or "NeuroStim Complex" sound more impressive than a straightforward list of ingredients with milligram amounts. They turn a commodity (a list of amino acids and vitamins) into something that feels formulated and premium. In reality, it's just a legal mechanism for grouping ingredients.
The Math Problem: A Worked Example
Let's walk through a hypothetical to make this concrete.
Performance Blend: 5,000mg L-Citrulline, Beta-Alanine, Creatine Monohydrate, L-Arginine, Caffeine Anhydrous
Five ingredients. Total weight: 5,000mg. Listed in descending order by weight. Here are two possible formulations that would produce the exact same label:
| Ingredient | Scenario A (Good Faith) | Scenario B (Profit Maximized) |
|---|---|---|
| L-Citrulline | 2,000mg | 1,600mg |
| Beta-Alanine | 1,500mg | 1,500mg |
| Creatine Monohydrate | 1,000mg | 200mg |
| L-Arginine | 350mg | 1,550mg |
| Caffeine Anhydrous | 150mg | 150mg |
| Total | 5,000mg | 5,000mg |
Both labels look identical. Both list ingredients in descending order. Both total 5,000mg. But Scenario A has meaningful doses of expensive ingredients. Scenario B has slashed the creatine to a token amount and padded with cheap L-Arginine.
As a consumer, you cannot distinguish between these two products without independent lab testing. The label is designed to make that impossible.
The "Pixie Dusting" Problem
"Pixie dusting" is the industry term for including a tiny, clinically irrelevant amount of a popular ingredient in a formula — just enough to put it on the label, nowhere near enough to produce any physiological effect.
Consumers read about a trending ingredient — ashwagandha, lion's mane, alpha-GPC — and start looking for it on labels. A brand using a proprietary blend can add 25mg of that ingredient to a 10,000mg blend and market the product as "with ashwagandha for stress support." Technically true. Functionally meaningless. The clinical dose for ashwagandha root extract is typically 300-600mg.
This is especially common in products that list 15, 20, or 25+ ingredients in a single proprietary blend. If a blend is 8,000mg with 20 ingredients, the average per ingredient is 400mg. Many of those ingredients have clinical doses of 1,000mg or more. The blend physically cannot contain effective doses of all listed ingredients. Some — possibly most — are pixie-dusted. The goal isn't efficacy. The goal is a longer ingredient list.
The FDA Rules: What's Required and What Isn't
Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994:
Required: - Each ingredient must be listed by name - The total weight of any proprietary blend must be disclosed - Ingredients within a blend must be listed in descending order by predominance (weight) - Certain nutrients with established Daily Values (vitamins, minerals) must show individual amounts even within a blend
Not Required: - Individual doses of each ingredient within a proprietary blend - Justification for why a blend is "proprietary" - Any proof that the formula is actually unique or trade-secret-worthy
This framework was designed for legitimate trade secret protection — the same principle that allows Coca-Cola to keep its formula confidential. The problem is that it's widely exploited. Most proprietary blends aren't protecting genuinely unique formulations. They're combining the same widely available ingredients that dozens of other brands use — not to protect innovation, but to avoid accountability.
How to Spot a Proprietary Blend on a Label
-
A named group of ingredients with only one total weight — instead of individual mg/mcg amounts next to each ingredient, you see a single weight for the entire group.
-
Buzzword blend names — "Proprietary Blend," "Matrix," "Complex," "Formula," "Stack," or branded names like "XtremeForce Matrix" followed by a single total weight.
-
Missing individual milligram amounts — if an ingredient doesn't have its own dosage listed, it's part of a blend.
-
Too many ingredients for the total weight — a "Cognitive Performance Blend: 2,000mg" with 10 ingredients means the average is 200mg each. Most cognitive ingredients need 300-1,000mg+ to be effective.
On a fully transparent label, every ingredient has its own line with its own dosage. No blends. No matrices. No total-weight-only disclosures. You can evaluate each ingredient against published research and decide whether the product is worth your money.
The Do Vitamins Approach: Full Disclosure, Every Ingredient, Every Dose
Do Vitamins has never used a proprietary blend. Here's the full PurePump label — all 15 active ingredients, all exact doses:
PurePump Pre-Workout | Serving Size: 2 Scoops (7.6g) | 30 Servings | $42.95 ($1.43/serving) | Calories: 25
| Ingredient | Branded Source | Per Serving (2 Scoops) |
|---|---|---|
| Beta-Alanine | CarnoSyn® | 2,000mg |
| L-Citrulline | Kyowa Hakko | 2,000mg |
| Creatine Monohydrate | CreaPure® | 1,000mg |
| L-Arginine | AjiPure® | 500mg |
| L-Carnitine L-Tartrate | Carnipure™ | 500mg |
| L-Leucine | AjiPure® | 500mg |
| L-Isoleucine | AjiPure® | 250mg |
| L-Valine | AjiPure® | 250mg |
| Caffeine (Green Tea) | Green Tea Leaf Extract | 200mg |
| Alpha Lipoic Acid | AliPure® | 100mg |
| Vitamin C | Quali-C® | 60mg |
| Niacin | — | 20mg |
| Vitamin B6 | Pyridoxine HCl | 10mg |
| Folate | Orgen-FA® | 400mcg DFE |
| Vitamin B12 | Methylcobalamin | 50mcg |
That's 15 active ingredients in a 7.6g serving. No filler. No flavoring. No sweeteners. No silicon dioxide. No magnesium stearate. No maltodextrin. No dyes. The entire 7.6g is active ingredient.
For context: most mainstream pre-workouts weigh 12-15g+ per serving, with a significant portion of that weight being flavoring, sweeteners, colors, and fillers. PurePump delivers 15 branded active ingredients in 7.6g because there's nothing else in the scoop. More performance per gram.
You can take every single ingredient and dose, compare it to published research, and evaluate the product on its merits. You can do your own math. That's the point.
"But What About Formula Theft?"
The most common defense of proprietary blends. Let's address it directly.
The argument: "If we disclose our exact formula, competitors will copy it."
The reality: This assumes the formula is the competitive advantage. It's not.
The ingredients aren't secret. Citrulline, beta-alanine, creatine, caffeine — everyone in the industry knows what goes into a pre-workout. The clinical research is publicly available.
Anyone can copy a label. Not everyone can execute. You could hand someone the exact PurePump formula today. To actually replicate the product, they'd need to source CarnoSyn® from Natural Alternatives International, Kyowa Hakko pharmaceutical-grade L-Citrulline, CreaPure® from AlzChem in Germany, AjiPure® amino acids from Ajinomoto, Carnipure™ from Lonza, AliPure® Alpha Lipoic Acid, Quali-C® from DSM, and Orgen-FA® organic folate — then manufacture in a GMP-certified facility, test every batch through BSCG for 500+ banned substances, and sell it unflavored with zero filler.
The competitive moat is quality, not secrecy. Do Vitamins competes on using branded, premium-sourced ingredients that are independently verified. That's a supply chain advantage, a quality commitment, and a testing infrastructure — none of which are threatened by disclosing dosages.
Secrecy benefits the brand. Transparency benefits the consumer. The consumer's right to know what they're putting in their body outweighs a brand's preference for opacity.
How Proprietary Blends Affect Competitive Athletes
For athletes subject to drug testing — whether NCAA, professional sports, or WADA-governed competition — proprietary blends create an additional layer of risk. If you can't verify the exact dose of each ingredient, you can't fully assess what you're consuming. Combined with the supplement contamination problem (studies show 14.8% of supplements may contain undeclared banned substances), a proprietary blend means you're operating with incomplete information about a product going into your body before competition.
Athletes in drug-tested sports need full disclosure labeling AND third-party testing. PurePump provides both: every ingredient and dose disclosed, plus BSCG Certified Drug Free testing on every batch — covering WADA, MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA, PGA, and LPGA prohibited substance lists.
Full transparency isn't just a consumer preference for athletes. It's a career protection measure.
Shop PurePump® — Full Disclosure, Every Ingredient, Every Dose →
FAQ
Are all proprietary blends bad?
Not necessarily. There are legitimate brands that use proprietary blends for genuine trade secret reasons and still include effective ingredient doses. The issue isn't that proprietary blends are inherently fraudulent — it's that they make it impossible for the consumer to verify whether doses are effective. A fully transparent label is always better for you, the buyer, because you can evaluate the product on its merits. With a proprietary blend, you're taking the brand's word for it.
Are proprietary blends legal?
Yes. The FDA allows proprietary blends as long as: (1) all ingredients are listed by name, (2) the total weight of the blend is disclosed, and (3) ingredients are listed in descending order by predominance. Individual ingredient doses within the blend are not required to be disclosed. This is part of the existing regulatory framework under DSHEA.
How can I tell if a product uses a proprietary blend?
Look at the Supplement Facts panel. If you see a group of ingredients listed under a single name (like "Performance Matrix" or "Energy Blend") with only one total weight for the group — rather than individual milligram amounts for each ingredient — that's a proprietary blend. Fully transparent labels list each ingredient on its own line with its own dose.
If ingredients are listed in descending order, can't I estimate the doses?
Only very roughly, and with so much uncertainty it's often useless. You know the first ingredient is the most abundant and the last is the least. But "most abundant" could be 60% of the blend or 20%. For a 5,000mg blend with 5 ingredients, the first ingredient could be anywhere from 1,001mg to 4,996mg and still be listed first. That range is too wide for meaningful dosing assessments.
Why don't more brands use full disclosure labeling?
Cost and accountability. Full disclosure means committing to specific doses of each ingredient in every batch. Branded, patented ingredients at clinically relevant doses are expensive. A proprietary blend lets a brand list impressive ingredients without committing to (or paying for) meaningful amounts. It also insulates the brand from dose-based criticism — no one can call out your underdosed creatine if they can't see the dose.
Does Do Vitamins use any proprietary blends?
No. PurePump's label discloses all 15 active ingredients with exact per-serving doses. There are no blends, no matrices, no complexes, and no grouped weights. The full serving size is 2 scoops (7.6g) — every gram accounted for, all active ingredient, zero filler. This is paired with branded ingredient sourcing (CarnoSyn, CreaPure, AjiPure, Kyowa Hakko, Carnipure, AliPure, Quali-C, Orgen-FA) and BSCG Certified Drug Free batch testing to provide complete transparency from source to shelf.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
