Ways to Help Absorb Natural Progesterone Cream

Progesterone cream is a sterol that is derived from plants, and a product that women can use during menopause as a hormone replacement. The cream is sometimes preferred over oral progesterone capsules, because it can be applied to the skin, absorbed and quickly processed by the liver. The sheer act of using progesterone cream ensures that the female will get a larger dosage of the sterol, since consuming the hormone replacement orally reduces the sterol's properties via digestive fluids.

Progesterone Cream Uses

The progesterone in the cream is utilized as a hormone replacement by menopausal women suffering with the symptoms of menopause in an effort to reduce the symptoms experienced. Some women also use the cream in order to help in regulating the menstrual cycle, and the cream is sometimes recommended for women that are premenopausal, as well. The cream has been cited as being an effective treatment for hot flashes, fatigue, irritability and dryness of the vaginal area.

Dosage

How much progesterone cream to apply and how often is something that a women needs to carefully discuss with a doctor. Not applying enough cream will prove ineffective in helping to alleviate menopausal conditions, and applying too much of the cream is associated with the development of hormonal imbalances. It is recommended that a quality cream should contain no more than 450 to 500 milligrams for every ounce of the cream product, or 1.6 percent progesterone by weight, or 3 percent based on product volume. With the latter ingredients, a teaspoon of the cream used every day will expose the woman to 20 milligrams of progesterone each day.

Absorption

The transdermal application of progesterone cream is one measure that women use to ensure a better absorption of the cream, so that more progesterone can get into the body. However, applying the product transdermally has limitations: there is a specific way that the progesterone cream should be applied for better absorption.

To increase absorption, the woman will want to take a hot shower or bath just before applying the cream to ensure that the skin area is clean and that the pores of the skin are opened. Next, the progesterone cream will need to be massaged into different skin areas where it can be easily absorbed. It is recommended that the cream be massaged into regions of the skin that are thinner like the neck, the wrists, the lower abdominal area, the breasts and chest region and the inner arms and thighs. Any area on the body where blood vessels are extremely close to the surface of the skin is a great place for applying progesterone cream for increased absorption. Further, it is recommended that the cream be applied to large areas of skin to intensify absorption of the product.

It is not, at any time, recommended that a woman apply progesterone cream to areas of the body where tissues are fatty: this includes the hips, the outer parts of the thighs and the buttocks, because the cream will wind up accumulating in the fatty tissues. This will prevent the progesterone from entering the body as it should, so that it can be rapidly processed by the liver.