M4 Estriol Cream.

"Their safety study just had two data points. Estrogen levels before and 12 weeks after using the cream. So, this doesn't actually tell us what happened in the middle. It could be really, really high. This is nowhere near enough to say this is safe. Normally, you need a ton more data. And a lot of people have said they've had side effects from Alloy's products. This shows it probably does absorb. Their cream is also compounded, which means estriol is mixed into each batch by a pharmacist. It's kind of like a controversial regulatory loophole in the US. Compounding is a lot less controlled than medications that you buy off the shelf. There's a lot more human error involved. So, there can be massive variations in how strong creams are. Mixing won't always be the same, and there's different base creams used. It's not really tested, so you don't really know how stable it is and how well it absorbs. Compounding is full of issues when it comes to hormones that they're quite difficult to compound. So, how much actually is active in the compounded product and how much is absorbed is really unknown. Even the order in which you add the ingredients can affect the final outcome for a compounded product. The problem is because we don't have any data, it's not any safer if you're getting it as a prescription or buying it without a prescription or using a product meant for one body part on another body part. We just don't have any good data to tell people how much is absorbed. Is this any kind of concern? We just don't know. It's really buyer beware."

"Estriol cream is typically compounded whether by a local pharmacy or by an online pharmacy like Alloy and it comes in 3%. This is considered a weaker, more selective form of estrogen because estriol primarily binds to the beta receptors. So if we find something that binds to just the beta receptors, we might have hit the jackpot. Estriol is the estrogen type of topical cream that more selectively binds to the beta receptors compared to the alpha. It's shown in several studies that estriol has shown minimal to no systemic absorption, making it a much safer option for topical facial use even for patients with history of cancers. Even though it's weaker, estriol is still going to promote collagen production and hydration in a little bit slower way."

"If you are in perimenopause and suddenly feel like your skincare routine stopped working or your skin is drier or less resilient than it used to be, that can be a sign of estrogen loss showing up in your skin. And this is where prescription topical estrogen can be incredibly helpful. One option I really like is Alloy's M4 line. It contains estriol, which is a low potency estrogen meant to work locally in the skin to help with hydration and elasticity and barrier function without going systemic. And from just a formulation standpoint, it is so cosmetically elegant, which matters because you actually want to put it on your skin and that's going to make you be way more consistent."

"This is when I apply the Alloy M4 Estriol Cream. I really have been enjoying this. I've been using it for over a month. You only need about two pumps. What I like about it is that it's a really nice moisturizer. I had ordered estriol cream from another service and that one came so chalky and thick and I was like I'm not going to use this. I like this one because it feels like I'm topping it off like my skincare routine with a really nice moisturizer. It's not too heavy. It's not too thick and it just feels really good. It's called estriol cream, so it contains estrogen in it and what it's supposed to do is help with collagen production elasticity. So it helps with your fine lines and your wrinkles. I just think because it's a nice formula it also helps to plump everything out as well. And it has a good texture, which is important to me because not all prescription skincare products come with beautiful textures. My biggest complaint when it comes to prescription skincare is sometimes these products can just feel so unusable. Like, who wants to use something that's chalky and hard to rub onto your skin? I want to use something that looks elegant and feels good on my skin. So this one I've been really enjoying it."