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Can Topical Estrogen Reverse Skin Aging? What Science Says About Estriol & Estradiol

Dr. Aleksandra Brown DO, FAAD

94,549 views

As estrogen levels drop during perimenopause and menopause, your skin can lose firmness, hydration, and glow. Many women are turning to topical estrogen creams — but how do they really work, and are they safe?

In this video, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Aleksandra Brown breaks down the difference between estriol 0.3% and estradiol 0.01%, explains the latest research on hormonal aging, and shares her own testing experience with both creams. #menopauseskincare

Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
00:26 – What Happens to Skin During Menopause
04:02 – What Happens to Skin When Estrogen Drops
06:00 – How Topical Estrogen Creams Work
07:25 – Estradiol 0.01% vs Estriol
10:00 – Estradiol
14:00 – Can Estrogen Creams Trigger Melasma?
19:00 – Final Thoughts

References (PMIDs):
• PMID: 18044179
• PMID: 8876303
• PMID: 30997378
• PMID: 31794498
• PMID: 8215610
• PMID: 15024720
• PMID: 11511861
• PMID: 21714580

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DISCLAIMER: The content in this video is not meant to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your physician for medical concerns. Some links in the description may be affiliate links, which support my YouTube channel and help me produce more educational content. Thank you for watching!

20 Comments

@LisaBafundo 10 months ago

I'll be 61 next month and have been using prescription Estradiol cream mixed with Tretinion on my face for about a year now. The difference in my skin is almost miraculous. My skin looks better now than when I was just using Tretinion through my 50's .

@moniquemichelle7295 4 months ago

It’s 0.01%. Using estradiol everyday for a year is equivalent in amount to ONE birth control pill. Several dermatologists have approved estradiol for use on face, sans melasma.

@dcnj4894 11 months ago

I wish someone told me in my 40s to use vag estrogen cream. Prevention is so much better than correction!

@MsChumelito 9 months ago

Difference at 9:41

@Sunnyday-2025 10 months ago

Before taking HRT, my skin was so dried and patchy. After a few weeks of HRT, my facial skin improved instantly, my body skin deal with winter better.

@Beehive_2026 3 months ago (edited)

I'm 53... I've been using the Estradiol cream on my face for over a year. It IS thick, so blend it together with CeraVe moisturizer in my hands and apply it to my face, neck, chest and backs of hands. I only do this twice a week on night I'm not using other actives. I also use the estrogen gel for my HRT. I also use tretinoin for the last 4 years. The change really came after I switched from estrogen patches to the gel... and I'm also on testosterone. I'm seeing plumper skin again where it was thinning very fast when I was on the patch. I don't think I was absorbing while using the estrogen patch!

@alixptn 7 months ago

I use Good Rx to cut the price 50%

@Biologist557 11 months ago

I ordered some from all day chemist. One tube was $11.

@Dcat797 7 months ago

I’m 58 and stopped menstruating at 53/54. It stopped suddenly for a year. Came back for 3-4 months, then stopped again. I was probably pre - menstrual for 10 years, but my period was normal. My doctor never talked to me about this. I finally got on vaginal estrogen because infrequent sex started to hurt, frequent urination and increased UTI’s. Been on the estrodil for 3 weeks.
No more waking up 3-4 times a night to urinate. Have not had sex yet, but I feel fuller in my vaginal area. Happy so far:)

@KamalaBrough 10 months ago

Best video I’ve seen on the topic!

@OMNSNE 1 month ago

Well Dr Brown when u are ready for the downtown estrogen, you’ll be shocked at how rapid it restores things to normalcy.

@lisamarie8907 7 months ago

I am 64 I just started using this cream. I go to the gym & I look 30 yrs old.

@llks2599 1 day ago (edited)

I've been using Casror oil with a few drops of Bakuchiol and Sea Buckthron oil at night. Wow, amazing!

@AnotherBadyoga 7 months ago

why am i just now finding this? i love it, so informative!

@keinohrtini 5 months ago

finally someone, who explains it in layman's terms, straight to the point and gives practical tips for the usage of both. I appreciate your explanation about the 2 different receptors, where they are and what they do and the difference receptor-wise btw estriol and estradiol. Thank you for a very comprehensive video!

@louise9422 6 months ago

Thanks for including Estriol – in Europe Estradiol cream is very rare, estriol is the gold standard.

@CTheFriulianiS 10 months ago

This is how my doctor described the differences in how they work. Thanks.

@colleengeorge8643 11 months ago

I have Estradiol Vaginal Cream and love it! I mix it with a little moisturizer and use it every other night opposite my tretinoin.

@tarteauxframboises 7 months ago

Excellent lecture

@HNCTegan 3 days ago

💚Systemic absorption💚 is the process by which a substance moves from the site where it enters the body into the bloodstream, allowing it to circulate and affect the entire body...
Anyone who was wondering