The wellness industry is no stranger to bold promises, from peptide regimens to seed cycling and “moon milk.” Collagen-infused beverages with questionable flavor profiles have also made the rounds. Still, a hormone cream claiming to boost libido, improve energy, and support testosterone levels — without containing testosterone — raises eyebrows even in a crowded market.
Testosterone therapy for women has long been a complicated space. Pellet treatments are often associated with mood changes, while topical creams can trigger skin issues such as breakouts. Adding to the challenge, there is currently no FDA-approved testosterone product designed specifically for women.
Against that backdrop, a cream positioned as a workaround to these common drawbacks may sound implausible.
The product, Oestra, comes from women’s health company Inner Balance, founded by hormone specialist Dr. Sarah Daccarett. Its central claim is straightforward: help restore testosterone levels without directly administering the hormone.
Surprisingly, the concept is rooted in a biological mechanism that has gained increasing attention — the relationship between progesterone and testosterone.
The Science Behind the Claim
Rather than adding testosterone, the approach focuses on progesterone, a hormone that serves as a precursor in the body’s production of testosterone. When progesterone levels drop, testosterone can decline as well. Restoring progesterone may therefore support the body’s natural hormone synthesis.
Image Credit: Sarah Daccarett
Oestra is designed to address this pathway, effectively supporting what some experts describe as the body’s internal hormonal “highway” so it can produce needed hormones more efficiently.
According to an internal company study, reported outcomes included:
- 75.3% of participants reported improved libido
- Testosterone levels increased naturally
- No significant reports of breakouts
- No hair loss
- No notable mood spikes
If validated by broader independent research, such findings could signal a shift in how hormone support for women is approached — particularly for those seeking alternatives to direct testosterone therapy.
A Different Direction for Hormone Therapy?
For decades, critics have argued that women’s hormonal health has been under-researched and frequently misunderstood. Treatments have often been adapted from models originally designed for men or constrained by limited clinical options.
Inner Balance appears to be positioning itself as part of a newer wave of companies attempting to rethink hormone therapy with women’s physiology in mind. The emphasis is on minimizing side effects, avoiding dramatic hormonal fluctuations, and grounding treatment strategies in established biological pathways.
Image Credit: Sarah Daccarett
Whether products like Oestra represent a meaningful advancement remains to be seen. Larger peer-reviewed studies will ultimately determine their clinical impact.
Still, the idea of improving libido and energy by supporting the body’s natural hormone production — rather than replacing hormones outright — points toward a potentially important evolution in women’s health.
If future research supports these early claims, innovations of this kind could help reshape expectations for hormone care and expand the range of options available to women seeking balance without the tradeoffs historically associated with testosterone therapy.