What does "proprietary blend" mean on a supplement?

A proprietary blend lists several ingredients under one combined weight, such as 'Sleep Blend 1,200mg', without disclosing how much of each. This lets a brand include a tiny sub-clinical amount of the expensive hero ingredient and pad the rest with cheap filler, while the label still names the good stuff.

Are proprietary blends legal?

Yes. Labelling rules in India and most markets allow brands to declare a blend's total weight and its ingredient list without breaking out each individual dose, often justified as protecting a trade secret. It is legal, which is why it is so common, but it hides whether each ingredient is at an effective dose.

How can I tell if a supplement is under-dosed?

The main tell is no milligram figure next to each individual ingredient. Also check the ingredient order, since blends list by weight so a hero ingredient near the end is barely present, look for 'elemental' on minerals, and ask for a batch lab report (COA). If you cannot see per-ingredient doses, assume it is under-dosed.

What is fairy dusting in supplements?

Fairy dusting is adding a token, sub-clinical amount of a marketed ingredient so it can be named on the label, while the effective dose is far below what research uses. Proprietary blends make fairy dusting easy to hide because per-ingredient amounts are not disclosed.

Why do brands use proprietary blends?

Three reasons: it is cheaper because they can skimp on expensive actives, it hides under-dosing from comparison, and 'proprietary' sounds premium. A genuinely well-dosed formula has nothing to hide, so full per-ingredient disclosure is the sign of a trustworthy product.

Read the label

What "proprietary blend" is really hiding.

Supplement with disclosed doses, no proprietary blend

It's the most common two words on Indian supplement labels — and the biggest reason not to trust most of them. Here's the trick, and how to see through it.

Short answer: A "proprietary blend" lists several ingredients under one combined weight without disclosing how much of each. It's legal, but it lets a brand put a token "fairy dusting" of the marketed hero ingredient and pad the rest with cheap filler — while the label still names the good stuff. The tell: no milligram figure next to each individual ingredient. If you can't see per-ingredient doses, assume it's under-dosed.

What "proprietary blend" actually means

Flip most Indian supplement packs and you'll find something like "Sleep Blend — 1,200mg", followed by a list of ingredients but no dose next to any of them. That single combined number is the whole trick. The brand is legally naming what's inside without telling you the one thing that decides whether it works: how much of each.

Is it even legal?

Yes — that's what makes it so common. Labelling rules (in India and most markets) let brands declare a blend's total weight and its ingredient list without breaking out each dose, often justified as protecting a "trade secret." So it's not fraud. It's just a legal way to look impressive while under-delivering — and it's on you to see through it.

Why it should worry you: the "fairy dusting" trick

Ingredients only work at specific, studied doses — magnesium ~250mg elemental, KSM-66 ashwagandha 300–600mg, glycine 3g. A blend lets a brand include a tiny, sub-clinical sprinkle of the expensive hero ingredient and fill the rest of that "1,200mg" with something cheap. Here's how a sleep blend can be technically honest and functionally useless:

"Sleep Blend 1,200mg" — what's on the label	What might actually be inside
Glycine, Ashwagandha, L-Theanine, Chamomile	1,100mg glycine + 40mg ashwagandha + 30mg theanine + 30mg chamomile

The label proudly lists ashwagandha. You're getting a fraction of the studied dose. The blend made it impossible to tell.

How to read a label that hides the numbers

No mg next to each ingredient? That's the tell — full stop. A brand confident in its doses prints them.
Watch the ingredient order. Blends are listed by weight, high to low, so a marquee ingredient sitting near the end of the list is barely present.
"Elemental" matters for minerals. Even a stated magnesium number can overstate the usable dose. Why elemental matters →
Ask for the COA. A trustworthy brand can show a batch lab report (ideally NABL-accredited) with actual quantities.
If you can't verify it, don't trust it. "Trust us" is not a dose.

Why brands keep using it

Three reasons, none in your favour: it's cheaper (skimp on the expensive actives), it hides under-dosing from comparison, and "proprietary" sounds premium. The irony is that a genuinely good formula has nothing to hide — full disclosure is only scary if the numbers are embarrassing.

The SILT standard

Every SILT ingredient appears at its clinically-studied dose, printed individually on the pack — no blends, no hiding. Every batch has an NABL-accredited lab report. We're confident enough to print an open challenge: paste our label into ChatGPT and ask whether the doses match the research. Try that with a proprietary blend — you can't, because the numbers aren't there. See the full formula →

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