Topical Estrogen: Why Use Cream?

There are a few different types of topical estrogen on the market, but currently, Alloy is only offering cream. Why? All topical estrogens work whether they are administered as a cream, a vaginal pill, a suppository, or a ring. We chose to initially offer the cream for several reasons: Cost to patients, dosing flexibility, and the ability to use it both internally and externally.

Let’s discuss each of these reasons individually because it’s important for you to understand our reasoning. First, cost. Most tablets, the ring, and suppositories are branded and expensive. We chose to offer a generic cream, in part, because of cost. If all forms of topical estrogen are effective, why should you pay more? The second reason we chose to offer cream is flexibility of dosing. When starting treatment, you may need a little more estrogen for the first few weeks than you do once you’ve been using it a while. Some people are able to use it only twice weekly once their symptoms are gone. With tablets, rings, and suppositories, there are no options. Either it’s the right amount to treat your symptoms or it’s not.

We also like the ability to use the cream wherever you need it. Just dab it internally or externally wherever you’re feeling irritation, and the cream will target that specific area.

Finally, the cream is the easiest of all of the topical estrogens to use, and creates the least amount of waste. The tablets are individually wrapped and preloaded in plastic applicators, which, to be totally honest, you don’t need. The vagina is not sterile, and you don’t need a sterile applicator. The ring might be great for convenience, but it’s very expensive, and can be difficult to insert and remove. Suppositories don’t have the waste issue, but are also very expensive.

So, that’s it in a nutshell. Might we have other options in the future? Indeed we might. But for now, we want you to know the rationale behind the options that we offer. At Alloy, we do our best to not make cost a limiting factor, but we also promise to not sacrifice quality or effectiveness solely based on price either. The bottom line is all estrogens work. There is no right answer. Just the answer that works for you