ADVERTISEMENT INFO: SOME PRODUCTS MENTIONED IN THIS POST ARE PR (GIFTED) AND LINKS USED ARE AFFILIATE LINKS. I RECEIVED NO MONEY TO WRITE THE BLOGPOST. PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER

 

You’ve probably heard the rumors: people using their prescribed vaginal estrogen cream… on their face. As strange as it sounds, this trend is all over social media, blogs, and Reddit — promising anti-aging benefits without the need for a separate prescription.

 

 

But is it really a good idea? Let’s break it down.

 

 

Why Would Anyone Use Vaginal Estrogen on Their Face?

Now maybe you clicked onto thispost simply because you couldn’t believe that vaginal estrogen face application is really a thing. If that is the case, you are very good at not being sucked into social media, because if you are a woman of a certain age and spend time online, you have probably been fed posts about the decline in estrogen you will soon experience and the havoc said decline will wreak on your skin. At the same time you might have seen countless posts about topical estrogen creams reversing said changes and savvy people saving money and a dedicated prescription by simply using the product they were prescribed to treat vaginal dryness and applying it on their face. Blog posts, reddit, Instagram – you search for it, you will find it.

That isn’t entirely new, hormone creams have been around since the 60s and their effect was the topic of studies as early as the 90s.

 

 

How Does Estrogen Affect the Skin?

Just as a short recap: Estrogen affects different layers of the skin (More info: Skin changes in menopause explained). In the epidermis it influences proper cell proliferation, desquamation and the stability of the skin barrier. In the dermis, it influences the production of collagen and elastin as well as the production of natural moisturising factors.

Put together, that means a decline in estrogen makes the skin dry, more fragile, prone to sagging and prone to wrinkles.

But how does that work? Through receptors. Estrogen is a group of hormones, produced far away from the skin, that exert their effects by binding to specific proteins on cells called estrogen receptors. These receptors act like locks that estrogen ‚keys‘ fit into, triggering different biological processes in the tissues where they are located. and their main function isn’t really to influence the skin and our appearance.

 

 

What’s in Vaginal Estrogen Creams?

Outside fertility and the menstrual cycle estrogens influence the brain, the heart or bone density for example. When estrogen is present systemically, meaning it goes through the blood stream, it can reach all areas that have the corresponding receptors, while topical application should have its effect mainly there where you applied it.

That is the main difference between HRT, where systemic absorption is wanted, and topical estrogen products like vaginal gels, where absorption ideally is limited and the main effect at the area of application.

Vaginal Estrogen products usually contain either Estradiol, the more potent form of Estrogen, or Estriol, a weaker form.

Equally as important as what is in the vaginal gels is how it is tested and formulated. The skin in your vagina is mucosal skin, which has a different function and different properties than the skin on your face. Vaginal gels are made in a way that they, when applied to the vaginal mucosa, have a good topical effect, meaning they stimulate the estrogen receptors in the vaginal tissues with minimal systemic absorption. The effect you want from your product is to increase moisture in the vagina so you don’t experience dryness, irritation and pain with sexual intercourse. You do not use it to treat other symptoms like hot flushes, mood swings, brain fog or address your bone density – it is supposed to work locally only. To get that effect the dose is much lower than it is in a estrogen gel applied to other body parts as part of HRT – here it is supposed to be absorbed systemically to increase blood levels.

Obviously there is not only gel and creams, but also pessaries and tablets to treat vaginal dryness, but as you are very unlikely to consider using them on your face, I am not going to touch on them any further.

The main point here is that with vaginal estrogen gel or cream, systemic absorption should be negligible, which is made sure in rigorous testing.

 

 

Is your Vaginal Estrogen Product Safe to Use on the Face?

Now is it safe to take your vaginal hormone product and apply it to your skin, hoping it will increase collagen production and slow down the visible signs of aging?

There is absolutely no way to tell.

To evaluate if a product is safe for one particular method of application, it must undergo thorough safety testing tailored to that specific formula and usage scenario. This includes evaluating the area of application, the amount used, and the frequency — without this data, safety cannot be assumed.

Your vaginal gel might be safe when applied inside the vagina in a defined amount twice a week, but you can’t just assume that this means it is also safe applied to the face daily for several months. We simply don’t know how systemic absorption will change when you change area of application, amount applied and frequency of application.

And we are not talking a basic moisturizer here. We are talking about hormones that might, if you are a person with an uterus and if absorbed systemically in a relevant quantity, give you cancer in hormone-sensitive tissue like breasts and uterus. There is a reason why with HRT, your estrogen is paired with progesteron to protect your uterus. There is a reason why these hormones are prescription and why your doctor should take your personal and family history into account when it comes to the decision if HRT is right for you.

Using a medication in a manner that differs from how it was originally intended — including applying it to a different area of the body — is considered off-label use. That is something you sometimes need to do, because a medication isn’t studied for certain populations or age groups or because there is no alternative. But it is something that should be done under a doctors guidance and after discussing the potential risks coming with it, certainly not something you should do on your own because Karen on Facebook said its fine.

If you plan on using a prescribed medication in any other way than it is intended to use, at least make sure to consult with your prescribing doctor to see if they think it is a good idea.

But even assuming there is no relevant systemic absorption, there are skin issues associated with aging that might get worse through topical estrogen influence: Hyperpigmentation and melasma. Both are hormone-triggered, as anyone that suddenly got all patchy during pregnancy will be painfully aware of. So if you struggle with any of those – and chances are that if you are at the age where perimenopause is a concern, you do – applying topical estrogen will make things worse instead of better. (More info: The different forms of hyperpigmentation explained)

 

 

Is there scientific evidence that topical Estrogen works for anti-aging?

Now there are zero studies about using vaginal estrogen on your face, so let’s take a step back and look at estrogen creams designed to be used on the face. Is there any evidence that they will improve your looks?

We do have a few studies that suggested potential benefits from the 90s, but with a small number of participants and the lack of placebo control they don’t really tell us much – even the authors call their findings preliminary data that needs further research. More recent reviews do again confirm that the theory makes sense and that there are pointers that some of the markers we look at improve, but still conclude that the studies we have are limited and too small to say for sure.

Furthermore in some of the studies tenderness of the breasts or spotting were reported as side effects, pointing towards a systemic absorption in a relevant concentration.

To summarize, not only do we not have good data showing topical estrogen will improve the appearance of the skin, we don’t even have good data that it is safe to be used for that purpose. Especially not if you take a medication designed for one purpose and use it for a different purpose on a different part of the body.

 

 

How high is the risk of using vaginal estrogen products on the face then?

Now what are the risks that your vaginal gel will be harmful when applied to the face? I can’t say, but probably not very high if you limit the area of application and it is the only place you apply it at.

But the thing is: We don’t know how high that risk is. And that is enough for me to say: I wouldn’t.

I am not talking about using vaginal estrogen gel to treat vaginal dryness or even estrogen creams as part of your HRT regimen. I am solely talking about experimenting with medication at an unknown risk and outside its intended use without your doctors guidance.

 

 

Are there good alternatives to using vaginal estrogen products for anti-aging?

What can you do to address the signs of aging then—especially if you’re looking for safe alternatives to estrogen creams for anti-aging benefits? I probably sound like a broken record, but the answer lies in the tried and tested we already have good data on:

Sunprotection, regular moisturising, Retinoids and Vitamin C.

Maybe peptides or even Growth Factors if you want to venture in the territory where data is sparse. (More info: The benefits of Growth Factors in skincare explained)

Because for all of these we know that they are safe to use on the face and don’t have to take the risk of self dosing with hormones for the vague promise of a slightly improved outcome.

 

TL;DR

Is it a good idea to use your vaginal estrogen gel on your face to target signs of aging? It sounds promising, after all the decline in estrogen triggers changes in the skin. Skin gets drier, more fragile, shows sagging and wrinkles – great if all that can be targeted by topical application. But while it sounds good, I wouldn’t recommend. First of all, there is little to no quality evidence that topical estrogen will actually do anything to change your skins appearance. And second: Using your vaginal gel on your face means using a medication in other ways than intended – and in this case without any information about the safety of applying it that way. Yes, the products are safe for vaginal application when following the application protocol, but that doesn’t mean they are also safe to use on the face. You basically trade an unknown risk for an uncertain improvement – by self-dosing with hormones that have the potential to seriously mess with your health.

0/10, would not recommend.

 

 

Don’t forget to check out the Discount Code Page on top if you want to save some money on your next skincare purchase, or click here to let me build a personalized skincare routine for you.
If you want to get more involved and pick my next topics or see exclusive behind the scenes content, don’t forget you can head over here and become a YouTube Channel Member!