In this article
Estrogen cream for the face sounds like a logical idea. Estrogen falls at menopause, and skin gets thinner and drier. So why not put a little estrogen right where you want it? Estriol cream is one version of that idea. This guide explains what the research actually found, how much of it there is, what we know about estrogen reaching the rest of your body, and who should be cautious.
What estriol is
Estriol is one of the estrogens the body makes. It is generally described as weaker than estradiol, the main estrogen your ovaries made before menopause. The Menopause Society lists estradiol, estrone, and micronized progesterone as the bioidentical hormones that are FDA-approved in the US, and lists estriol among the hormones that compounding pharmacies combine in compounded preparations [7].
Skin has estrogen receptors, and estrogen acts on the cells that make collagen. That is the reason researchers have tried estrogen on the skin. For the broader picture of how skin changes at menopause, see our guide to menopause skin changes.
The studies of estrogen cream on facial skin
The research on estrogen applied to the face is small. Here is what the main studies tested and found.
| Study | Who and what | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| Schmidt 1994 [1] | 18 perimenopausal women; 0.3% estriol (8) or 0.01% estradiol (10) cream on the face for 6 months | Both groups improved on skin-aging measures; no hormonal side effects noted |
| Schmidt 1996 [2] | 59 women around menopause; 0.3% estriol vs 0.01% estradiol cream for 6 months | Better firmness and moisture, less wrinkle depth in both groups; compared the two creams with each other |
| Patriarca 2007 [4] | 15 postmenopausal women already on oral hormone therapy; 0.01% estradiol on the face for 16 weeks | Thicker skin layers and more collagen in biopsies; no significant rise in blood estradiol |
| Fuchs 2003 [11] | 65 postmenopausal women; 0.01% estradiol on one side of the face, plain cream on the other, for 6 months | Epidermis 23% thicker on the estradiol side in biopsies |
| Yoon 2014 [6] | 80 postmenopausal women; 1% estrone or plain cream on the face for 24 weeks | No improvement in wrinkles or elasticity; a collagen-breaking enzyme rose |
The two Schmidt studies are the ones most often quoted for estriol. In the 1994 pilot, 18 women used either 0.3% estriol or 0.01% estradiol on their face for six months, and both groups showed improvement in skin-aging signs, with the estriol group slightly ahead [1]. In the 1996 study of 59 women, both creams were followed by firmer, more elastic, better-hydrated skin and shallower wrinkles, and biopsies in 10 women showed more type III collagen [2].
Those results are encouraging, but they have real limits. The groups were small. The 1996 study compared two estrogen creams against each other, and its abstract describes no plain-cream comparison group [2], so some of the improvement could come from simply moisturizing every day.
The better-controlled studies point in different directions. A split-face trial of 0.01% estradiol found a thicker outer skin layer on the treated side [11]. But a 24-week, placebo-controlled trial in 80 postmenopausal women found that a 1% estrone cream did not improve facial wrinkles or elasticity and did not increase collagen, while an enzyme that breaks down collagen rose sharply [6]. That trial used estrone, not estriol, so it does not settle the estriol question, but it is a reason for caution.
Sun damage may blunt the effect
A study from the University of Michigan helps explain the mixed picture. Two weeks of estradiol on the skin raised collagen production in sun-protected hip skin of postmenopausal women, but not in sun-damaged forearm or face skin [5]. The face is the most sun-exposed skin you have, so it may respond less than other areas.
Does estrogen cream on the face reach the bloodstream?
This is a fair question, because estrogen is a hormone with effects far beyond the skin. The small studies looked for it. In the 1994 pilot, monthly blood tests of estradiol, FSH, and prolactin, plus breast and gynecological exams, showed no hormonal side effects [1]. A 1993 study of 17 women using 1 gram of 0.01% estradiol or 0.3% estriol ointment on the face daily for three months found no significant change in blood hormone levels or in vaginal cell smears [3]. In the 1996 study, prolactin rose significantly, though no systemic hormonal side effects were noted [2].
So, at these doses and on the face alone, the small studies did not detect much systemic effect. But a few dozen women followed for months cannot rule out effects over years. The 1994 authors themselves advised limiting the concentration and the area of skin treated to keep the risk of systemic side effects low [1].
Who should avoid estrogen cream
The Menopause Society lists these as contraindications to oral and transdermal hormone therapy [7]:
- Unexplained vaginal bleeding
- Liver disease
- A past estrogen-sensitive cancer, including breast cancer
- Past coronary heart disease, stroke, heart attack, or blood clot (VTE)
- A personal history or inherited high risk of blood clots
Those rules were written for systemic hormone therapy. The facial-cream studies were not designed to show whether they apply to a small amount of cream on the face. That uncertainty is the reason a clinician should review your history before you use any estrogen cream.
The uterus matters too. Estrogen that is not balanced by a progestogen raises the risk of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer [7]. That risk is established for systemic estrogen. Whether a facial cream absorbs enough to matter has not been studied at scale, which is why our product information asks you to tell your clinician if you have a uterus. Report any vaginal bleeding after menopause right away. For more, see is HRT safe?
Estriol cream vs hormone therapy for skin
Some women wonder whether hormone therapy would do the same job for their skin. The Menopause Society says estrogen therapy appears to have beneficial effects on skin thickness, elasticity, and collagen when given at menopause [7]. But in the four-year KEEPS trial, women randomly assigned to oral estrogen or a transdermal estradiol patch had no better facial wrinkle or rigidity scores than women on placebo [8]. Hormone therapy is prescribed for menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, not as a skin treatment.
Estriol creams through WarriorBabe Health
WarriorBabe Health offers two prescription creams that contain 0.3% estriol, the same strength used in the Schmidt studies [1, 2]. The estriol + tretinoin cream pairs estriol with tretinoin, a vitamin A derivative. The estriol + niacinamide + GHK-Cu + hyaluronic acid cream adds niacinamide, a copper peptide, and hyaluronic acid. The studies above tested estrogen creams alone, not these combinations.
Both are compounded by a licensed pharmacy and are not FDA-approved. The FDA does not verify the safety, effectiveness, or quality of compounded drugs before they are marketed [9]. The Menopause Society notes that compounded hormones carry concerns such as minimal regulation, possible overdosing or underdosing, and no label outlining risks [7].
If you consider the tretinoin version, know that tretinoin has its own cautions. The FDA label for an approved tretinoin cream says not to use it if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, and warns that it makes skin more prone to sunburn [10]. Read more in our guide to tretinoin for aging skin, or compare options on our skin treatments page.
To see whether a prescription skin cream might suit you, take the 2-minute quiz. A licensed clinician reviews your answers and health history, including your hormone and cancer history, before anything is prescribed.
Frequently asked questions
Does estriol cream work on facial wrinkles?
Small studies from the 1990s reported less wrinkle depth and better moisture after six months of 0.3% estriol cream on the face [1, 2]. But they were small, and the larger one compared estriol with another estrogen rather than a plain cream [2]. A placebo-controlled trial of a different estrogen, estrone, found no wrinkle improvement [6].
Is estriol face cream absorbed into the body?
In small studies, estrogen creams on the face did not change blood estradiol or vaginal cell smears over three to six months [1, 3]. One study saw prolactin rise without hormonal side effects [2]. These studies were too small to rule out effects, so the researchers advised limiting the strength and area treated [1].
Can I use estriol cream if I had breast cancer?
A past estrogen-sensitive cancer, including breast cancer, is a contraindication to oral and transdermal hormone therapy [7]. Facial estrogen creams have not been studied enough to know whether they are safe for you. Talk with your oncologist and clinician before using any estrogen product.
Is estriol cream FDA-approved?
The Menopause Society lists estradiol, estrone, and micronized progesterone as the FDA-approved bioidentical hormones, and lists estriol among hormones used in compounded preparations [7]. Estriol face creams are compounded, and the FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed [9].
Is estriol cream better than HRT for skin?
They have not been compared head to head. Estrogen therapy appears to benefit skin thickness and collagen [7], but in the four-year KEEPS trial, oral and patch hormone therapy did not improve facial wrinkles compared with placebo [8]. Facial estriol cream has only small studies behind it [1, 2].
References
- Schmidt JB, Binder M, Macheiner W, et al. Treatment of skin ageing symptoms in perimenopausal females with estrogen compounds. A pilot study. Maturitas. 1994;20(1):25-30. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7877517/
- Schmidt JB, Binder M, Demschik G, Bieglmayer C, Reiner A. Treatment of skin aging with topical estrogens. Int J Dermatol. 1996;35(9):669-674. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8876303/
- Kainz C, Gitsch G, Stani J, et al. When applied to facial skin, does estrogen ointment have systemic effects? Arch Gynecol Obstet. 1993;253(2):71-74. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8215610/
- 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. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16797821/
- Rittié L, Kang S, Voorhees JJ, Fisher GJ. Induction of collagen by estradiol: difference between sun-protected and photodamaged human skin in vivo. Arch Dermatol. 2008;144(9):1129-1140. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18794456/
- Yoon HS, Lee SR, Chung JH. Long-term topical oestrogen treatment of sun-exposed facial skin in post-menopausal women does not improve facial wrinkles or skin elasticity, but induces matrix metalloproteinase-1 expression. Acta Derm Venereol. 2014;94(1):4-8. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23722352/
- The 2022 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2022;29(7):767-794. menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/professional/nams-2022-hormone-therapy-position-statement.pdf
- Owen CM, Pal L, Mumford SL, et al. Effects of hormones on skin wrinkles and rigidity vary by race/ethnicity: four-year follow-up from the ancillary skin study of the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study. Fertil Steril. 2016;106(5):1170-1175. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27393520/
- US Food and Drug Administration. Understanding the risks of compounded drugs. www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/understanding-risks-compounded-drugs
- Bausch Health US. Renova (tretinoin cream) 0.02% prescribing information. DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine. Revised 11/2025. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=9f0a0e8d-1051-48a4-80c5-1bd260dd9c36
- 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. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12839261/
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice and does not replace a visit with a licensed clinician who knows your history. Do not start, stop or change a medication without talking to your clinician. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
