Estrogen is known to play a crucial role in maintaining skin health, influencing collagen synthesis, skin thickness, hydration, and elasticity. As women age and estrogen levels decline – particularly after menopause – these skin functions can deteriorate, leading to thinning, dryness, and increased wrinkling. Topical estrogen therapy seeks to reverse some of these changes by delivering estrogen directly to the skin.
Estrogen face cream, also known as estradiol face cream, have attracted attention in clinical studies due to their potential therapeutic benefits for skin aging, postmenopausal skin changes, and conditions like atrophic vaginitis and hypoestrogenism-related skin conditions. These topical treatments aim to deliver estrogen directly to the skin, addressing the hormone deficiency that contributes to dryness and thinning of the skin. They may also enhance skin elasticity and hydration, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Studies That Have Investigated Facial Estradiol
A small pilot study applied estradiol facial cream 0.01% for six months to 10 post-menopausal female patients. No hormonal side effects were noted, either clinically or by hormone monitoring, showing that topical estrogen can potentially treat skin aging in perimenopausal females. However, to minimize the risk of systemic hormonal side effects the concentrations should be limited.1 In a randomized, double-blind study, the authors showed treatment with 0.01% estradiol cream resulted in a 23 percent increase in epidermal thickness and a 38 percent increase when combined with 15% glycolic acid cream.2
In 15 postmenopausal women treated with 0.01% estrogen treatment, their epithelial and dermal thickness as well as the amount of collagen increased after 16 weeks of treatment.3 In another study of 40 post-menopausal women, 15 were administered 0.01% 17β-estradiol gel to their face. The results showed that after 24 weeks of treatment, the hyaluronic acid concentration in periauricular skin biopsies was higher.4
Collagen Production During Menopause
One of the most frequently explored outcomes in clinical trials involving estrogen facial creams is the effect on collagen production. Collagen is a major structural protein in the skin that gives it both strength and resilience. Studies have shown that estrogen has a direct impact on collagen production, and its decline due to menopause leads to a reduction in skin thickness and elasticity. The daily application of estrogen on the skin of postmenopausal women significantly increases collagen content and improves skin elasticity compared to a placebo. Furthermore, the estrogen treatment enhances skin hydration, providing additional benefits for maintaining skin moisture in postmenopausal women, who often experience increased skin dryness.
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Another key concern addressed in clinical studies is the reduction in skin elasticity and the formation of wrinkles due to estrogen deficiency. One study concluded that topical estrogen significantly improves skin elasticity and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over a period of several months. Better yet, participants using the estrogen cream showed enhanced skin firmness and tone compared to those using a placebo.
Treatment of Specific Skin Conditions
In addition to anti-aging effects, estrogen creams have been investigated for their use in treating specific skin conditions related to estrogen deficiency. For example, postmenopausal women often experience atrophic vaginitis, which can also affect the skin of the vulva and perineum, causing dryness and irritation. Topical estrogen cream has shown efficacy in improving these symptoms as well as increasing skin hydration and elasticity.
Systemic Effects of Estrogen Facial Cream
Safety is an important concern in clinical investigations involving hormone therapy, even when applied topically. Some studies have raised questions about the potential systemic absorption of estrogen through the skin, which could lead to unintended side effects such as an increased risk of breast cancer or blood clotting. However, research has generally indicated that topical estrogen, especially when used in small doses and applied to localized areas like the face, results in minimal systemic absorption.
A small study showed that, after applying one gram of 0.01% estradiol ointment to the faces of women aged 46 to 66 years, there were no significant changes in serum hormone levels or vaginal smears during the estradiol treatment.5 Additionally, in 15 postmenopausal women treated with 0.01% estrogen treatment, their estrogen levels did not significantly increase after the topical therapy.3
Why Choose VLS Pharmacy and New Drug Loft?
Women no longer need to silently suffer as they go through menopause and the unwelcome side effects that come with it. VLS Pharmacy and New Drug Loft are here to make sure that you can meet each of your female patient’s needs at every stage of her life.
Our pharmacists and technicians tailor each formulation to meet a patient’s specific needs, including the dose and administration route. As a 503A pharmacy specializing in sterile and non-sterile compounding, we will support you and your patients by creating individualized pharmaceutical therapies. All formulations are compounded with high-quality pharmaceutical-grade APIs sourced directly from PCCA, the leader of superior-quality APIs.
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Reach out to our team to learn about best practices and to partner with our experts on custom compounded medications for your patients. All medications from VLS Pharmacy and New Drug Loft are prepared in a lab that follows safety and quality standards per our status as a 503A pharmacy.
References
- Schmidt JB, Binder M, Macheiner W, Kainz C, Gitsch G, Bieglmayer C. Treatment of skin ageing symptoms in perimenopausal females with estrogen compounds. A pilot study. Maturitas. 1994;20(1):25-30. doi:10.1016/0378-5122(94)90097-3
- Fuchs KO, Solis O, Tapawan R, Paranjpe J. The effects of an estrogen and glycolic acid cream on the facial skin of postmenopausal women: a randomized histologic study. Cutis. 2003;71(6):481-488.
- Patriarca MT, Goldman KZ, Dos Santos JM, et al. Effects of topical estradiol on the facial skin collagen of postmenopausal women under oral hormone therapy: a pilot study. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2007;130(2):202-205. doi:10.1016 j.ejogrb.2006.05.024
- Patriarca MT, Barbosa de Moraes AR, Nader HB, et al. Hyaluronic acid concentration in postmenopausal facial skin after topical estradiol and genistein treatment: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial of efficacy. Menopause. 2013;20(3):336. doi:10.1097/gme.0b013e318269898c
- Kainz C, Gitsch G, Stani J, Breitenecker G, Binder M, Schmidt JB. When applied to facial skin, does estrogen ointment have systemic effects? Arch Gynecol Obstet. 1993;253(2):71-74. doi:10.1007/BF02768732
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