After writing an article where I compared my personal experience using Winona to Inner Balance (which I hadn’t used), I got a lot of feedback that you’d like to hear my thoughts on Oestra™ from Inner Balance…so I went ahead and ordered it! You asked, I’m delivering. 

I tried Oestra™ from Inner Balance for 30 days, and I’m excited to report my feedback with you as well as to the women in my Simply Strong App community. While my main “job” is to help women over 35 get stronger and healthier via strength training and a balanced diet, I would be amiss to not also help them with topics like HRT and weight loss medications, as these are treatments that thousands of women are turning to daily. 

I share my honest feedback and insights based on my firsthand experience with a product or service, or use my expertise to share some insights and opinions. I truly hope my experience with Oestra™ helps you if you are navigating the important decision of starting HRT.

Why I Tried HRT

Before I dive into the specifics of Inner Balance Oestra™, let’s back up for a second, and I’ll explain why I was seeking HRT in the first place. A couple of years back, right around when I turned 35, I started noticing worsening hormonal imbalances and symptoms. I had been diagnosed with PCOS nearly 10 years earlier, but things really started to hit me hard in my mid-thirties. 

I was gaining weight despite not changing my diet or exercise routine at all, my periods were irregular, my libido tanked, and my anxiety was reaching a new high. To be honest with you, the weight gain component was probably messing with my head the most as a personal trainer and nutrition coach. I felt like I was able to help other women, but couldn’t help myself. I knew something was off from a hormonal perspective and that something needed to change. 

To make a very long story short, I went to see a doctor who recommended that I give HRT (hormone replacement therapy) a try. I was obviously super hesitant, especially since I felt like I was a little young for such measures, but I was pretty desperate at that point and would have done pretty much anything. 

I ended up trying HRT from Winona. You can read more about my experience with Winona here. I had a good experience, but eventually stopped the treatment to see how my body would respond without it (I had also made some other changes to my diet/exercise/lifestyle), so I wanted to see how my body would respond. Things have been going pretty well since stopping HRT, but having PCOS, I know my body is still dealing with some hormonal fluctuations, and since I have been asked to share my thoughts on Inner Balance’s Oestra™ cream, I decided to give it another try.

Getting Started With Oestra™ From Inner Balance

Before starting Oestra™, I had done a bunch of research into it as I had previously compared Inner Balance with Winona, so I was already aware of what Inner Balance offered. Essentially, Inner Balance’s approach to HRT is via an all-in-one vaginal cream, which is pretty unique in the HRT space. Most HRT products come in pills, patches, or topical creams, but Oestra™ is a little different. According to Inner Balance, their vaginal cream is more effective because it bypasses liver metabolism, has higher absorption into the bloodstream, protects your uterus, and comes with minimal side effects. 

Inner Balance offers personalized Oestra™ cream customized for your body. It’s a combination of progesterone and estrogen that’s recommended for you based on your symptoms. Inner Balance, just like Winona, doesn’t require blood testing for your prescription. This can seem odd to some, but these providers explain their method as more effective because a hormone blood panel takes a snapshot of your hormone levels at a given point in time, but since your hormone levels are constantly changing, it’s not a reliable indicator of what your body actually needs. Instead, Inner Balance treats based on your self-reported symptoms. This bodes well for the women who are frustrated by the traditional healthcare system that notoriously dismisses women with hormone imbalances and the subsequent symptoms they experience.

I got started with Inner Balance by taking their quiz. You’ll notice a ton of buttons directing you to take the quiz on their website. The quiz is pretty straightforward and asks you a series of questions about your biology, what brings you to Inner Balance (endometriosis, postpartum, perimenopausal, PCOS, menopause, or just don’t feel well), what your symptoms have been in the last 30 days, whether you’ve ever taken a medication vaginally before, and then a couple of medical history questions. The quiz is nice and easy to take, and it’s pretty interactive, so you’ll see little stats and graphs pop up between questions to help you feel more informed and comfortable with your decision to give bioidentical HRT a try.

Once I got to the end of the quiz, I was brought to a checkout page where I needed to enter my credit card information so that my prescription could be changed and the process could move forward. I get the feeling that most women who fill out the quiz are approved; however, I am sure that there are certain circumstances that would disqualify someone from being eligible. In that case, I am sure Inner Balance would explain and refund the customer. In my case, I was approved, so I went ahead and paid (using my HSA, which I thought was nice that that was an option!).

Once I paid, I immediately received emails welcoming me to Inner Balance, showing me my receipt, and explaining the next steps. I was also asked to verify my ID for the prescription. It is honestly a really simple and straightforward process, but the absolute best part was that very shortly after I placed my order, I received an email letting me know that my prescription was approved, sent to the pharmacy, and set up for FedEx overnight shipping. I received an email with my tracking number, and the cream landed on my doorstep the very next day. I was blown away by how quick the turnaround was!

Using Oestra™

As soon as I got the package, I opened it up to see what the product looked like. The package arrived from Strive Pharmacy, a popular compounding pharmacy that has a great reputation (Join Josie uses them for GLP-1 medications). I was surprised to see that the package was branded for Inner Balance, which isn’t always the case when brands use compounding pharmacies. I thought this was really professional and was a great look for the brand.

Below is a video of me unboxing Oestra™ - check it out:

Instead, my package was my prescription medication along with the typical RX inserts that explain what the medication is, how to use it, etc. The Oestra™ cream comes in a container that has a pump on top. Honestly, based on the images on Inner Balance’s website and my previous experience with vaginal application, I expected the product to come with some kind of applicator, but that’s not the case. The cream has a pump on top where you simply pump it once to get a small amount of cream, take your finger to collect the cream, and then apply it directly using your finger. Obviously, you would want to wash your hands really well before and after using the cream. The cream is to be applied daily, which can feel like a lot, especially if you forget things easily.

According to Inner Balance, as soon as you apply the Oestra™ cream, it’s immediately absorbed into the bloodstream. Thanks to the optimal ratio of progesterone and estrogen, it helps bring your hormone levels back into balance, treating everything from low libido and ovarian health to improving your mood, sleep, and promoting healthy aging. I looked at my prescription, but didn’t see anywhere that described the exact formula or ratio of estrogen and progesterone that was in my cream. I assume they use a fairly standard formula based on the symptoms I indicated on my quiz and the fact that I indicated that I have PCOS.

I had a couple of concerns using a vaginal cream. For starters, I had used a vaginal progesterone when pregnant, and it produced a lot of uncomfortable leakage that I would rather not deal with. Also, I wasn’t sure what the protocol would be for sexual intimacy. Reading the label on my prescription, I saw that the recommendation was to avoid contact for 4 hours following application, as the medication can be transferred to others. 

Even with these concerns, I was excited to give this product a try. My first application was really easy and smooth, and I am happy to report that there was no odor or leakage at all from it. According to the website, most women begin to experience results within 2 weeks of consistent application. It’s been almost 30 days for me, and I am already beginning to experience some subtle changes. Of course, these could be real or perceived, but I feel as though my energy and alertness have been increased, and I am sleeping more soundly. I have also noticed a decrease in the breakouts I was getting around ovulation and during my period each month (which drove me insane!). I haven’t experienced any drastic “results,” but I also haven’t had any negative side effects either, so I’m excited to keep taking Oestra™ for at least another month or two. 

Overall Thoughts

I am super impressed with Inner Balance and their customer service. It was so simple and easy to get the medication prescribed, and I couldn’t believe how quickly they approved it and shipped it to me. I have tried and reviewed many telehealth brands, and Inner Balance by far blows them all out of the water with speediness. They are also great with customer service and communication. 

Once you are a member, you get access to a portal that allows you to directly access their care team with any questions or updates. I actually cancelled my subscription shortly after ordering, as I wasn’t sure if I would continue taking the medication and didn’t want to get billed, and the process was so simple. The team only asked if I would share my reason for cancelling, but otherwise, they didn’t give me a hard time at all about it, which was refreshing. I was also able to restart my prescription with no issues at all. 

As far as the product itself goes, it’s very easy to apply. I am glad that there are no applicators involved, as they just make the process that much more time-consuming and messy. It’s very simple to apply a pump of the cream every day (I do mine in the morning). I have been following Inner Balance and Dr. Sarah Daccarett on social media, and I really like the information they share. I feel as though they are truly trying to help women feel better. Women, especially those of us over 35, are a largely underserved group, so it’s amazing to see a brand like Inner Balance acknowledge our hormone issues and offer legitimate solutions.

My plan is to continue taking Oestra™ for at least 90 days and see how I feel. I honestly started this journey with the intention of just trying it out and sharing my thoughts with you, but I may end up sticking with it if I feel as though it’s helping enough to warrant it. At $199/month, it isn’t cheap, but it’s also not unreasonable at all, especially if it helps you feel more like yourself.

I hope this article has provided you with a little more insight into what to expect from Oestra™ and helps ease your mind a bit about trying HRT. I know how scary it can be, and while there are certainly many unknowns, it’s also proven safe, and you can always discontinue treatment if it’s not the right fit for you. Have any questions or want to share your experience? Feel free to drop them below in the comments!