The Hormone Cream Revolutionizing Women's Health: Exploring the Science and Story of Oestra

For most women, hormone therapy has long been a messy patchwork: an estrogen patch on the hip, a progesterone pill at night, a separate cream for dryness and—if libido crashes—a testosterone prescription added somewhere along the way.

It’s a familiar scene: stacks of prescriptions, inconsistent absorption, side effects from oral dosing, mood crashes during fluctuations and women trying desperately to stitch together a plan that “kind of works,” but never fully delivers.

But what if a vaginally applied cream, used in small amounts, could support systemic hormone delivery in a way that aligns more closely with female physiology?

This is exactly the promise of Oestra, Inner Balance’s flagship product and an emerging approach within women’s hormone care.

And according to new data from the company’s internal observational study, early findings have drawn interest for their potential clinical relevance. They’re transformative.

Oestra is not just a hormone cream. It’s a scientific correction to a decades-long misunderstanding: that vaginal hormone therapies are “local only.”

“That idea comes from microdose products designed specifically not to be systemic,” says Dr. Sarah Daccarett, CEO and founder of Inner Balance. “It was never a limitation of the route—it was a limitation of the dose.”

When hormones are intentionally formulated for systemic use, the vaginal route becomes a delivery route that researchers have explored for its direct absorption characteristics.

Oestra harnesses this underused pathway—using vaginal delivery not for dryness alone, but for steady, systemic hormone delivery.

“It’s smoother and more consistent,” Dr. Daccarett explains. “And women feel the difference.”

After several months of treatment, Inner Balance reports that patients using Oestra self-reported changes across multiple symptom areas, based on the company’s internal outcome tracking. According to these internal findings, patients most frequently noted improvements related to:

These observations suggest effects that may extend beyond localized symptom management.

Why vaginal delivery works so well comes down to foundational physiology:

Some studies suggest that vaginal absorption may result in more consistent circulating hormone levels compared to certain oral routes, though individual responses vary.

Research into the so-called ‘first uterine pass effect’ indicates that vaginal progesterone delivery may play a role in endometrial response, while still contributing to systemic hormone availability.

Some comparative studies have found variations in how estradiol is metabolized depending on the route of administration, with vaginal delivery showing a higher proportion of unconjugated hormone in certain settings.

Millions of women have used vaginal rings that prevent ovulation—something only possible through systemic hormone levels.

“Vaginal delivery is systemic,” Dr. Daccarett says. “It always has been. Medicine simply didn’t use it that way—until now.”

Oestra contains bioidentical estradiol and progesterone, carefully calibrated to mimic the body’s natural ratios.

There is no DHEA and no testosterone—yet testosterone levels still rise.

When progesterone levels are optimized under medical supervision, some women report changes in areas such as energy, mood or sexual well-being, though experiences vary.

Where traditional HRT often forces women to juggle multiple prescriptions, their approach is designed to consolidate hormone delivery into a single daily application, potentially leading to improvements in:

“All from a single cream,” Dr. Daccarett says. “Women needed simplicity. Oestra finally gives it to them.”

If this approach continues to demonstrate safety and efficacy in ongoing research, it may contribute to broader conversations around how hormone therapy is delivered in the U.S.:

“Women deserve a therapy that is safe, systemic and sane,” Dr. Daccarett says. “We’re not reinventing hormones. We’re exploring alternative delivery methods.” For millions of women who’ve felt unheard or misunderstood, Oestra could be the solution they’ve been waiting for.