Frequently Asked Questions

Organic Excellence ( FAQs)

The products manufactured by Organic Excellence that contain USP Bio-Identical progesterone are: Feminine Balance Therapy and Balance Plus Therapy (with phytoestrogens).

TEST KITS

You collect your samples at home, either from saliva, a blood spot (finger prick), or dried urine. No need for a blood draw at the lab or carrying an embarrassing urine jug to work. You’ll find detailed directions for sample collection inside your kit. Please follow them!

Saliva is the best way to measure free and active hormone levels. It’s a great way to test hormones like estrogen and testosterone or to monitor hormone therapy. In these situations, saliva is more useful than blood because as much as 99% of these hormones in the blood can be bound to proteins and inactive.

 

All you need to do to collect a dried urine sample is to saturate a filter card. Once it dries, it’s ready to send. Urine is the best way to measure adrenal hormones (like DHEA), hormone metabolism, heavy metals, and neurotransmitters.

 

Collecting a blood spot is simple. You prick your finger with a lancet and squeeze a drop of blood onto a filter card. Once it dries, it’s ready to send. A blood spot is ideal for measuring hormones, insulin, blood lipids, vitamin D, and thyroid levels. It’s also the most reliable way to monitor topical or vaginal hormone supplementation.

Some naturopathic or functional medicine practitioners offer advanced hormone testing profiles that are similar to our at-home test kits. However, most standard doctors test serum levels of hormones (a blood test). There are distinct advantages to testing some hormones in dried urine, blood spot, and saliva—which is why we’ve partnered with a lab that offers these unique tests.

If you are using a hormone cream, we recommend you monitor your levels with blood spot or salivary testing. We do not recommend monitoring with serum (blood draw) because the results could be misleading. When hormones are applied topically to the skin, they show up in the capillary blood (measure in a blood spot) and in the saliva—but not in the serum. That means you could be using a hormone cream, have your hormones tested with a blood test, and your doctor will think your hormone levels are still low. That’s dangerous because they may recommend that you use more. The reality is that the hormones are getting into the body, and we can see that with a bloodspot or salivary test.

No. Unlike when you get tested by other labs, you do not need to stop taking hormones for your results to be accurate from our lab. That’s because our partner lab has reference ranges that are adjusted for age, menstrual status, and different types of hormone supplementation.

 

If you would like information about healthcare professionals who are trained to interpret and give advice related to our test kits, please call our customer service line.

HORMONE CREAMS

Our progesterone cream products are USP regulated and bioidentical. Many progesterone creams on the market include harsh chemicals, many of which disrupt the endocrine system. Our progesterone cream products are plant-based, toxin-free, gluten-free, and non-GMO. They are made frequently in small batches to assure optimum results.

 
 

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USP stands for United States Pharmacopia. This is a quality assurance regulatory commission that oversees strict standards of quality control. Always look for USP on progesterone cream labels to be assured of the highest quality product available.  

  

 

USP progesterone is derived from diosgenin, which is a naturally occurring compound in wild yam and soy. Some manufacturers try to promote wild yam creams as a source of ‘natural progesterone,’ but the body cannot convert diosgenin into active progesterone. Our products provide progesterone in a form that is recognized by your body as if it were your own.

 

Many people choose to try natural progesterone cream based on the signs and symptoms they are experiencing. Another option is to test your hormone levels before using the cream as a baseline and then on a regular basis to monitor your response. We offer at-home hormone test kits here.

Progesterone cream should not be used in children. The safety of progesterone has not been established in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. However, if you are using progesterone at the time you become pregnant, please do not stop until your own body is producing enough progesterone to maintain pregnancy. Always talk with your doctor about any safety concerns you have.

 

Men need progesterone to produce testosterone. When men have low progesterone, they also have low testosterone. This could lead to depression, weight gain, enlarged breasts, erectile dysfunction, muscle loss, or fatigue.

PROP 65

This section is to inform and educate California consumers only.


History

The State of California requires specific warnings to consumers about products that contain chemicals on the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) list of substances that are labeled by OEHHA as carcinogens (substances that can cause cancer) or are called reproductive toxicants (substances believed to cause reproductive harm).

In 1986 the voters of the State of California adopted the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Hazard Enforcement Act (so-called “Prop (or Proposition) 65”). Prop 65 authorized the establishment of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, whose mission it is to identify and list substances it believes are hazards to the health of California residents.

The official web site of OEHHA can be reached through the following link: California Prop 65 Web Site (http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65.html)

Types of Substances Listed

Substances can either be added to the list or removed from the list based upon scientific testing or a declaration by some authoritative body or group. Currently there are in excess of 770 substances listed by OEHHA.These substances range from naturally occurring substances such as vitamins, minerals, natural human hormones, and more to synthetically produced substances such as many chemicals used in food colorings, hair dyes, cosmetics, automotive fuels, synthetic hormones for human use, and more.

Natural progesterone is listed as progesterone. While it is identical to human progesterone, it is nonetheless on the Prop 65 List as a substance “known to the State of California to cause cancer.”

Prop 65 Requirement:

California’s Prop 65 requires consumer warnings in a variety of acceptable formats; however, there are some specific exemptions to this requirement [which really make no sense, but it’s the law].

While Organic Excellence is EXEMPT from warning requirements, some of our resellers may, in fact, not be. To this end, we provide special warning labels to these retailers. “Stand-alone” warning labels require the following statement: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer. Where the reseller provides a “master warning message,” the language on the label can vary as long as the information is available to the consumer. The purpose of this page is to provide that information to California residents.

Organic Excellence Products

The products manufactured by Organic Excellence that contain USP Bio-Identical progesterone are: Feminine Balance Therapy and Balance Plus Therapy (with phytoestrogens).

If you have any questions about using any of these products, we encourage you to seek the advice of your Medical Health Professional or read and study any of the authoritative books covering bio-identical progesterone and its use, including, but not limited to:

  • What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause, John R. Lee, MD, Grand Central Life & Style, Hachette Book Group
  • What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause, John R. Lee, MD, Wellness Central, Hachette Book Group
  • What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer, John R. Lee, MD, Grand Central Life & Style, Hachette Book Group
  • Hormone Balance Made Simple, John R. Lee, MD and Virginia Hopkins, Grand Central Life & Style, Hachette Book Group
  • The Estrogen Alternative: Natural Hormone Therapy with Botanical
  • Progesterone, Raquel Martin and Judi Gerstung, DC, Healing Arts Press, Inner Traditions International
  • Natural Woman Natural Menopause, Marcus Laux, ND, Christine Conrad,
  • Harper Collins Natural Hormone Therapy, Uzzi Reiss, MD, Pocket Books
  • Hormone Heresy, Sherrill Sellman, GetWell International, Inc.

Our Statement

This law requires a warning. We strongly encourage you to use your good sense and make an informed decision. If you still have any doubts about using our products containing bio-identical progesterone, we strongly encourage you to seek other alternatives.

Final Note: Neither Organic Excellence nor any of its representatives, agents, or resellers are authorized to make or imply any drug claim with respect to any of Organic Excellence’s products. Any claim or statement to the contrary is strictly prohibited.

You can find answers to all of your questions concerning these products from the resources listed above as well as your own Medical Professional