Where to Buy Bioidentical Hormone Creams
At the end of last month’s blog post, I mentioned that I have recently started using bioidentical hormone creams. I thought this month I would tell you where I get them from, in case you want to try them!
Before beginning any kind of hormone cream or hormone replacement therapy, I highly recommend that you get your hormone levels measured using one or more of the methods discussed in my previous post, How to Get Your Hormones Checked: Four Different Ways! This will help you to determine which, if any, hormones need to be supplemented. It will also give you baseline readings from which you can monitor your progress if you retest in the future. I also recommend that, where possible, you work with a qualified healthcare practitioner to find the regime that is best for you and your circumstances.
Traditional hormone replacement therapy, commonly known as HRT, is what you would normally be prescribed by a doctor. It can take the form of oral tablets, patches, creams, or implants and it is not something that you can obtain without a prescription. The only hormone replacement of this nature that I have personally used is a vaginal oestrogen cream, which I was prescribed over a decade ago subsequent to a Rhythm Plus salivary hormone test. I used it for a couple of years in the hope that it would help with symptoms of persistent genital arousal disorder. I can’t definitively say whether it helped or not, but when I got my symptoms under control I eventually stopped using the cream. I have no particular opinion about traditional HRT one way or the other. Some people love it, some people hate it, and I think it is up to each individual to weigh the advantages and disadvantages against their own circumstances.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) might be prescribed by a doctor or might be obtained over the counter. Over the counter preparations normally take the form of creams or gels. They are usually derived from plants, but have chemical structures that are identical to the hormones produced naturally in the body. Proponents of BHRT claim that this makes them easier for the body to use, with fewer side effects than traditional HRT.
I am not qualified to pass any opinion on the relative merits of traditional HRT compared to bioidentical HRT. I am also not knowledgeable on the precise differences between bioidentical HRT and body-identical HRT, which is apparently slightly different. In many ways, therefore, this will not be a terribly informative blog post! All I really want to do is share with you where I get my own hormone creams from.
I get them from Wellsprings, whose website you can reach by clicking this link. I am not entirely sure how I first heard about Wellsprings, but I think it is likely to have been in the book ‘Your Thyroid’ by the late Dr Durrant-Peatfield. He has a section where he discusses bioidentical progesterone cream; and in an appendix at the back of the book, he cites Wellsprings as a supplier of the same. There is also a testimonial from him on the company’s website. Bioidentical hormones are mentioned in other books that I have access to though, so I can’t be sure when I first became aware of them!
Wellsprings was established in 1997 and it produces a range of natural, bioidentical hormone creams, as well as some nutritional supplements created with menopause symptoms in mind. Its original flagship product, Serenity, is a natural progesterone cream, as it is most common for people to be oestrogen-dominant with low progesterone. The cream is predominantly targeted at women experiencing symptoms of menopause; however, it could be used by anyone with low progesterone. There is also a Serenity Plus cream that contains 20 parts natural progesterone to 1 part natural oestrogen, for those who require additional oestrogen as well. More recently, a natural oestrogen-only product has been added to the range for those whose are more severely oestrogen-deficient. Another recent addition is a bioidentical face serum, which contains weaker doses of natural hormones and can be used as a daily treatment to target signs of aging. There is a special cream for women who have fully passed through the menopause and might require lower doses of progesterone and oestrogen than before.
All of the creams are free from common allergens, are cruelty free, and are vegetarian. They’re relatively clean, with no parabens or artificial fragrances; however, the more puritanical consumer might wish to scrutinise the ingredients lists, as essential oils and PEGs do feature in some products.
There is advice about which product to choose and how to use it on the Wellsprings website, but you can also email for more detailed advice. I emailed the relevant readings from my last DUTCH test and received a very helpful reply which directed me to the best products for me, along with a suggested usage protocol. Should you be interested, I use the Serenity Plus 20:1 cream twice daily for the latter half of my menstrual cycle; I use the oestrogen cream two or three times a week throughout my menstrual cycle; and I use the face serum as and when I feel like it. As my oestrogen levels return to normal, I may be able to reduce the frequency with which I apply the oestrogen-only cream.
The hormone creams are to be applied to different areas of the body each day in rotation. For the Serenity Plus 20:1 cream, which is to be applied twice daily for the second half of my cycle, I usually begin with my left forearm on the first day, then move to my left upper arm on the second day. I then switch to my right forearm, then my right upper arm. After that I might go to my inner thighs and abdomen, before beginning again with my left forearm. Once my period starts, I cease using the Serenity Plus cream until ovulation, which I am roughly able to pinpoint based on my own body and mood changes.
If vaginal dryness is an issue, the oestrogen cream can be applied vaginally. I personally find that it burns to begin with; however, with regular application this happens less. I was once told that vaginal oestrogen can burn as it is absorbed if you are very deficient, but that as your levels improve it becomes less of an issue. I don’t know how true this is, but, if you have ever used vaginal oestrogen creams before and have experienced burning, it is something to consider. I never noticed it with prescribed vaginal cream, although I was warned about it. I have noticed it with Wellsprings – perhaps because I am now rather closer to menopause than I was when I was prescribed Gynest and Ovestin! If you have genitourinary conditions that make your vagina very sensitive, or you have reacted badly to vaginal oestrogens in the past, I would probably stick to using the cream on other areas of the body to be on the safe side.
I have been using the Wellsprings creams for a while now. Although I am uploading this as an April 2024 blog, I have actually been running behind schedule with my uploads recently, so I am writing it some months later and will backdate it when I upload! This means that I have already had several menstrual cycles since beginning the creams.
The biggest change that I have noticed so far is the lengthening of my cycle. For many years, I had tended to average a cycle length of 25 or 26 days. However, over the year or so prior to taking the DUTCH test, my cycle had been shortening, with some cycles only lasting 16 days. Since using the Serenity Plus 20:1 cream, my cycle has lengthened and although it is still a little irregular, I have had several cycles longer than 23 days. I am pleased about this, because during the shorter cycles I seemed to spend much of the menstrual month feeling sad or anxious and not sleeping well. I also missed out on the motivated, productive days that I get towards the end of longer cycles. The creams have not been quite the elixir for my moods and sleep that I had hoped, but I am getting to enjoy more productive days again and benefit from an occasional good night’s sleep. I have also seen an increase in cervical secretions around ovulation some months, which I am pleased about. I had started to notice a significant decline in these.
Regarding my moods, I would say that they are a little better throughout the month generally; however, I do seem to get one particularly bad, tearful day each month now. At the time it always seems justified by some event or other; however, after the fact, the pattern is clear to see. Provided that I know to expect it and can warn people that it is coming, I am willing to experience this if it means I can get my productive end-of-cycle days in exchange!
It is worth noting that I have had an extremely stressful 18 months, with two family bereavements, two major work crises and two minor oral surgeries (hence the belated blog posts!). Stress is very damaging to hormone balance, so it is a big ask to expect my Wellsprings Serenity cream to live up to its name just yet! Overall, I am pleased with the progress that I have noticed and I plan to continue to use the creams for the foreseeable future.
Wellsprings does ship worldwide, but if you are outside the UK there may be other brands of bioidentical hormone creams that you can use too. I have chosen to write about Wellsprings simply because it is the only brand with which I have personal experience. Over the years, I have also had consultations with doctors who have used Wellsprings products in their practice. It was therefore the obvious choice for me when I discovered that I had low sex hormones.
I hope that wherever you are based, you will have found this blog helpful!
Wishing you Serenity!
Tiny x
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