Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is progesterone?

A: Progesterone is one of the most important hormones in the human body.  Considered the Master or Mother Hormone in women, progesterone is made by the endocrine system (primarily by the ovaries during ovulation), and plays an integral role for every system in your body functioning at an optimal level.  Progesterone is not only a precursor to many other important hormones in both genders (like estrogens and testosterone), but it is the single most important hormone for conception and full term pregnancy. Without progesterone humans would cease to exist.

Q: Why does the formula for progesterone supplementation matter?

A plant based, petro-chemcical free, ALL USA made progesterone formula will safely & effectively optimize progesterone levels beyond any other progesterone formula! Only if a progesterone cream free of Chinese progesterone, (often stated as “wild yam” or “yam extract” in product ingredients), which has had contamination and quality issues for decades, should be used by any women. American made progesterone has the optimal particle size to maximize absorption and according to studies, it is the purest progesterone found anywhere in the world. USA made bioidentical progesterone, is 500% more expensive than the Chinese progesterone used all the other formulas.

In addition to the highest quality progesterone, any plant based formula must also contain:

• All Non-GMO ingredients, most of which are Organic or EcoCert approved
• Advanced Delivery System, delivering 98-100% progesterone
• Formulated with ingredients that are highly beneficial to your skin, e.g., Hyaluronic acid & organic aloe
• A Highly Proprietary process: no gums that inhibit absorption and typically are a byproduct of GMO corn
• The Safest, most effective preservative: EcoCert approved
• Artisan, hand-crafted in small batches not by warehouse machines

Make sure when it comes to your hormone health and your body’s well-being, you only use the absolute best you can find on the market!

Q: Who needs progesterone cream supplementation?

A:  The short answer is everyone.  Both genders, once past puberty, benefit from progesterone. Most significantly, however, progesterone plays an integral role in the monthly hormonal balance and women’s health, both pre and post menopause.

Q: Is progesterone beneficial during menopause?

A: Bioidentical progesterone is a beneficial hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women for many reasons.  During menopause, estrogen levels drop 40-60%,which is just enough to stop the menstrual cycle. Progesterone levels, on the other hand, may drop to nearly zero in many women.

One of the most important roles of progesterone is to balance or counter the effects of too much estrogen, which if left unchecked, has many documented long term negative consequences in both men and women.

For example, US made bioidentical progesterone in the proper plant-based formula, supports the entire skeletal system, including osteoblast cells (these are the carpenters that build new bone tissue). A decrease in progesterone at menopause, is a primary reason why many women have a significant decrease in bone density.

Q: Do I need progesterone cream if I haven’t gone through menopause?

A: Even though the ovaries, during ovulation, are the primary source of progesterone, there are hundreds of thousands of man-made petroleum derived chemicals (also known as endocrine/hormone disruptors) in our environment, food chain and personal care products. Many women, from puberty onward, have a significant decrease in progesterone production from these endocrine/hormone disruptors.

In some women, this deficiency is so extreme that their ovaries fail to ovulate. Research shows, that these environmental disruptors, discourage progesterone production while mimicking estrogens inside the body. This is a primary cause of estrogen dominance in women who are pre menopause.

Optimizing progesterone levels with US made bioidentical progesterone during the correct phases in a woman’s menstrual cycle, can support the endocrine system balancing the symptoms of PMS and PMDD, and support natural fertility cycles. See “When Do I Use progesterone?” below for more info.

PMS can also occur despite normal progesterone levels, however, when stress is present. Stress increases cortisol production, and overproduction of cortisol creates blockades (or competes for) on progesterone receptors. While stress management is also very important, additional bioidentical progesterone in a plant-based cream will support the body in overcoming this blockade.

Q: What is estrogen dominance?

A: Estrogen dominance is a term that has been coined to describe the hundreds of different symptoms that are the result of too much estrogen and insufficient progesterone. This imbalance can occur in women in Menopause and women who still have a monthly cycle.

Q: Why is plant-based, bioidentical progesterone cream important?

Progesterone supports the function of every organ and gland, and is the precursor to many other beneficial hormones, including testosterone. Therefore, the supplementation of bioidentical progesterone can greatly enhance overall hormone balance.

Q: What are the common signs of estrogen dominance?

A: Below are just some of the more common and often overlapping symptoms in women, both pre and post menopausal, that may have estrogen dominance:

weight gain, water retention, mood swings, night sweats, hot flashes, low libido, irritability, tender breasts, cramps, food cravings, infertility, irregular periods, headaches/migraines, fatigue, hypoglycemia, uterine fibroids, recurring vaginal bacterial infections, and many more.

Q: What is USA made bioidentical progesterone made from?

A: USA produced, USP progesterone comes from a plant substance called diosgenin. In the laboratory, diosgenin is safely converted into bioidentical human progesterone. This final molecule is free from anything artificial and is not synthetic. It is biologically identical to the progesterone your body makes. There are ZERO remnants of diosgenin or any other molecules in the final progesterone molecule.

Q: Where should I put bioidentical progesterone cream?

A: For years, progesterone was thought to be most effectively absorbed through fatty tissues under the skin. This is because progesterone is very fat-soluble. While it is still best practice to apply progesterone to the skin, the latest research shows that non-fatty, thin skinned areas are the safest and most effective places to apply plant-based bioidentical progesterone cream. Applied transdermally (through the skin), progesterone is easily absorbed into capillaries and the bloodstream, where it is then taken to hormone receptor sites. Once there, it will plug into these receptor sites, much like a key into a lock, and be used by body for a plethora of beneficial functions. The best areas to apply are: face, neck, palms of the hands, feet or inner vaginal area

Q: When do I use progesterone?

A: If you are still menstruating (puberty to ~ age 50):

• The day your period begins is day 1 of your cycle.
• Use progesterone cream day 14-28, (ovulation to menstruation)
• 15 mg of progesterone every 8-12 hours (depending on your symptoms)
• Stop on day 28, the day before your period starts again.

This pattern of use parallels the body’s natural progesterone rhythm and the amount of progesterone your body naturally makes when it’s not out of balance.  Imbalances occur from endocrine disruptors and stress factors.

For women past menopause (ages 51-52+)

• ~15 mg of progesterone every 8-12 hours for 25-26 days of the calendar month.
• Make sure you rest for the remaining 5-6 consecutive days to give the receptor sites a timeout to optimize the positive effects of progesterone.

Q: Is progesterone cream safe?

A: Bioidentical, USA made, progesterone, in an all plant-based cream, has a history of safety and effectiveness. There are almost 50 years backing the safe usage of bioidentical progesterone in a plant-based cream, when using the suggested dosage and staying in harmony with the body’s natural rhythms. (see “When do I Use Progesterone?” for more info)

However, it is recommended that women avoid using higher than the recommended dosage to avoid long term hormone imbalances. More is not better when it comes to balancing your hormones. The dosages and timing of when we recommend usage, parallel the body’s natural rhythms and support hormone balance.

Supplementation using a bioidentical progesterone cream, for a small percentage of women, can have a few short term side effects as hormone receptor sites are being woken up after a deficiency. Even though this is rare, it’s still good news, as your body is giving you feedback that the progesterone is working! Just remember that bioidentical progesterone isn’t adding anything synthetic or artificial to your body, it’s restoring what should be there naturally.

Q: What if my symptoms intensify after I start using a progesterone cream?

A: When a woman suffering from estrogen dominance begins to use a plant-based bioidentical progesterone Cream, she can expect to feel improvement in many areas of her health. If you happen to be part of the small percent of women whose symptoms feel amplified in the first 1-3 weeks, you can cut the dosage in half until symptoms decrease. Once you feel your body improving, you can then resume normal dosages as suggested in the ‘When do I Use Progesterone” section. Remember any feedback your body is giving you is confirmation that the plant-based bioidentical cream is working.

Q: Wouldn’t it be easier to just take a progesterone pill?

A: We recommend a plant-based bioidentical transdermal progesterone cream rather than oral progesterone, because 80% to 90% of the oral dose is lost through the liver. Thus, at least 200 mg daily is needed orally to achieve a physiologic dose of 20 mg daily. Such high doses may create undesirable metabolites and may unnecessarily overload the liver.

Additionally, following are the published cautions, warnings & side-effects that come with the use of oral progesterone:

Common side-effects of Prometrium include, but not limited to: