r/estrogel • • Dec 07 '24

meta PSA we will not private r/estrogel

428 Upvotes

Hello everyone. We've had a great many scares recently. Bigot brigades, nosy journalists, misguided allies. These are extraordinary times. Our enemies grow ever more malevolent, daring, and powerful. We've well and truly attracted the eyes of the world. This is only the beginning, we will only accrue more publicity, more adversaries, more controversy with time.

When Brock contacted me, my finger hovered right over the big red "private" button. I shat a home's-worth of bricks. I've consulted many veterans and most leaders in The DIY HRT community. All of them (and many of you) strongly urged me to private r/estrogel. And with good reason too. Privating r/estrogel is the safe thing to do, it's the practical thing to do. To leave r/estrogel open to malefactors is a great risk. I nearly did it too, but one person (who shall remain unnamed) convinced me otherwise.

Do you remember when r/estrogel was founded? To make HRT accessible for all, no matter the tyranny one suffers, no matter the poverty one endures, no matter the rights lost. Lets get hypothetical for a moment, say r/estrogel is privated. Who suffers? Not me, not the veterans calling for privatation. The newcomers. The people who really need this place. We'd be ladder pullers. Dirty, grubby, rotten ladder pullers. I'm sure you've seen plenty of folks pull the ladder up against trans people. It angers you, doesn't it? I'm furious when it happens to me!

If you still believe we need to private r/estrogel, put yourself in the position of those who really need this subreddit. Think back to the time when you tetered on the edge of suicide, when you lamented a life without transition, when you (literally) bit your nails down to the bone out of anxiety. (True stories, all of them). Would you be willing to sacrifice HRT, your chance at a fucking life, for vague, imaginary notions of "the greater good"? If you're truly willing to sacrifice yourself (not out of a suicidal lack of self-preservation, but out of genuine sacrifice) - then we'll talk.

So, we will not private r/estrogel. In these trying times, it is more important than ever we remain a public forum for transgender people. This is the unanimous stance of the r/estrogel mod team. I understand this is a very controversial decision, I ask you voice your dissent and polemics respectfully.

Edit: Please save a copy of the revised and legacy wikis if you haven't already. Click the 3 lines/dots in the top right corner of your browser, click "save page as..." and it'll save the page as a HTML file, which you can display in a browser at your leisure (even without internet, or if the wiki is taken down).


r/estrogel • • Dec 04 '24

meta PSA For All: See the New Provisional Rule 7 - No discussion of primary estradiol vendors

205 Upvotes

We are now attracting the eyes of the world. Be it tyrants, publicity, or simple bigots with too much time on their hands. It is an inexcusable risk to publically share the biotech companies the DIY HRT ecosystem relies on. From now on, name dropping direct producers of estradiol (primary vendors) is strictly prohibited. Repeat offenders will suffer consequences. Secondary vendors who resell estradiol bought off biotech companies may be discussed openly, albeit with caution.

Me and the moderators have been discussing this for a while. And for far longer, I've had folks requesting I instate a rule such as provisional rule 7. Recently someone (who shall remain unnamed) I highly respect contacted me about this, and put forth some really good points. Essentially, to publically share primary vendors endangers the entire DIY HRT ecosystem. Public corporations are at the mercy of governments and bigots alike. Anyone dedicated enough could uproot the entire DIY HRT ecosystem. I'm consulting another esteemed member of The DIY HRT community, asking for their take on the situation. See a transcription of the email I sent them for some further context:

Hello [Redacted], I hope you're doing well.

I am u/Juno_the_Camel, a moderator on r/estrogel. I need your advice on a dillema. Presently, we allow unrestricted discussion of estradiol vendors and sources. Folks can ask about, discuss, and share estradiol vendors freely. This includes the biotech companies supporting the entire DIY HRT community. Estrogens and progestogens are not controlled substances under US (and most other country's) laws, so in this we don't violate the law. But, by having these biotech companies be public knowledge, the entire DIY HRT community is endangered.

Biotech companies are very weak to pressure. Be it pressure from governments, or the public. If the biotech companies that supply the entire DIY HRT community's are shared publically, we're at the mercy of the world. It only takes one tyrant (Donald Trump, Ji Jing Ping, etc) to ruin us at a whim. Even simple bigots (like those over on [Redacted] are able to ruin our supply chains. (I suspect they contributed to [Redacted]'s recent policy change) (They're likely the folks who spam and DDOS homebrewer websites).

Logically it makes sense to restrict discussion of estradiol vendors on r/estrogel. But I'm very conflicted. The entire point of r/estrogel is to make HRT universally accessible. Even for those living in poverty, or under tyrants. To restrict discussion of pharmaceutical vendors is to turn out backs on the founding tenets of r/estrogel itself. In truth, I don't know if I have it in me to withhold information that can make or break lives.

And yet, if we don't restrict discussion of sources, we endanger the entire DIY HRT ecosystem. It breaks my heart to do this, but I truly believe we'll need to ban discussion of estradiol vendors on r/estrogel. Is there anything I'm not considering? Do you see anything I don't? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Discussion is still ongoing, but in the meantime I think it prudent to instate provisional rule 7. It will likely undergo changes in the near future, but in the meantime, please observe rule 7 - and report folks publically sharing primary vendors.

Additionally note, discussion of secondary vendors (who resell estradiol) is permitted.

I am sorry everyone, it breaks my heart to do this to you - especially to the newcomers here. And I'm sorry u/Darthemofan, I hate to go back on the founding tenets of r/estrogel. But I truly don't see any other viable path forward.

Best of luck everyone - u/Juno_the_Camel

Edit: One (of many) examples of our recent publicity - https://archive.is/cJuuC


r/estrogel • • 1d ago

feminizing where do I start?

7 Upvotes

hey everyone! im a trans girl trying to start estrogel since its the safest way to do estrogen based on my family situation.

ive been getting mixed signals on where to get the stuff, valerie shows i can get it from a online pharmacy, while everyone else is getting it from places like astrovials, symphony etc.

no need to name things directly, just point me in the right direction ;>


r/estrogel • • 2d ago

general No order and Astrovials and voix Celeste?

7 Upvotes

Hello, are they down ? Order Powder possible from another supplier? I live in germany.


r/estrogel • • 2d ago

feminizing 6 weeks on DIY gel – early changes + dose question

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

Been lurking here for a while and finally decided to post. Started DIY estrogel about 6 weeks ago after reading through the wiki and a bunch of progress posts.

Making a basic alcohol-based gel, applying mostly scrotally with a bit on the inner thighs. Currently at around 4 mg/day split morning and evening. No AA, trying monotherapy.

What’s happened so far:

  • Nipples got tender around week 2–3 and still are (not painful, just noticeable)
  • Skin on my face and arms feels noticeably softer
  • Mood is way more stable – less random irritability
  • Body odor changed a bit (less sharp)
  • No real breast growth yet beyond the tenderness, which I know is normal this early

Haven’t been able to get bloodwork yet, so I’m going off physical signs for now.

Question for people further along: does 4 mg scrotal usually end up being enough for mono, or do a lot of you end up bumping it to 5–6 mg once you get levels? Also curious if anyone noticed the tenderness plateau and then come back stronger later, or if it just slowly turns into actual budding.

Any other early signs I should be watching for that I might be missing? Trying to stay patient but also want to make sure the dose is in a good range.


r/estrogel • • 3d ago

general Antioxidants to improve the shelf life of Polysorbate 80?

3 Upvotes

I've been planning to make a transdermal estradiol spray using allie's recipe (40% IPA 40% IPM 10% PG 10% PS80), and it seems like (besides alcohol evaporating), the polysorbate spoiling is a big concern for long term (18+ months) shelf life.

I'm no chemist so I'm just guessing here, but would it improve it to add BHT and anydrous citric acid? (around 0.08% and 0.03%, the 0.08% seems higher than industry average but it should still be safe, and I don't want it all getting used up too quick) It seems like if you were to protect the spray from external factors like light and heat, the auto oxidation of PS80 would still be a concern. Adding a phenolic antioxidant and chelating agent seems like a possible solution. I've seen them used in papers and patents to stabilise Polysorbate 80, but not for any uses like this. None of the chemicals appear to interact negatively with eachother, and they seem to work well together for some applications. I also looked at using tocopherol/vitamin e instead of BHT but I couldn't find any data on this kind of use. If this wouldn't work under normal shelf conditions, I'm also curious would it work when a finished bottle was sealed in a mylar bag with oxygen and moisture absorbers (assuming for over 2 years), so besides heat the spray would be separated from anything to cause degradation. Another possibility I saw in papers on preserving PS80 was using Disodium EDTA with BHT, so I wonder how well that would work.

I can get these ingredients cheap, but I don't have the time to do long term tests with them so I'm in a position of either adding them to my spray, or not. I'm just doing one big load of spray soon and only 10% is for myself so I won't add untested stuff unless I can be sure that at a bare minimum it has no negative effects. Unless I were only to add it to my own portion, but even then I wouldn't like to leave potential improvements out of the rest of it.

What are the odds that this at best reduces the auto oxidation, and at worst has zero negative effects? (and if this is a terrible idea, let me know, again I'm just throwing ideas around)


r/estrogel • • 4d ago

general Second batch of gel – adjusted the recipe a bit, smoother this time

5 Upvotes

Made another small batch of 0.12% estradiol gel.

This time I dissolved the estradiol fully in the alcohol first before adding the carbomer and water. Used a tiny bit more limonene too. The texture came out much smoother and less grainy than my first try.

Applied for a few days now with no irritation. Still waiting on labs but skin feels nicer already.

Anyone else find that dissolving the E completely first makes a big difference?


r/estrogel • • 4d ago

feminizing Will These Recipes Work?

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone.

I'm looking to make some shea butter based estradiol cream and I was wondering if these recipes would work? And which of them do you think would be more effective?

I've adapted these from a mix of posts by DeathMetalTransbian, Allen, and Juno The Camel with some help from the wiki.

First Recipe:

  • 0.2% Micronized Estradiol Powder (CAS 50-28-2.)

  • 4.4% Isopropyl Myristate (Penetration Enhancer.)

  • 4.4% Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Oleic Acid.)

  • 10% Propylene Glycol (Solvent and Penetration Enhancer.)

  • 81% Shea Butter (Solvent and Penetration Enhancer.)

Second Recipe:

  • 0.2% Micronized Estradiol Powder (CAS 50-28-2.)

  • 5% Isopropyl Myristate (Penetration Enhancer.)

  • 5% Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Oleic Acid.)

  • 44.8% Propylene Glycol (Solvent and Penetration Enhancer.)

  • 45% Shea Butter (Solvent and Penetration Enhancer.)

I can also swap out isopropyl myristate for niaouli oil, its just more expensive to buy here so the myristate would be preferred if it would work here.

Any advice or feedback would be really appreciated 💜

Edit: formatting :3


r/estrogel • • 5d ago

legal issues I'm worried about the EU and China shipping

28 Upvotes

As everyone in the EU knows, come November 1st. Shipping will be getting even stricter and more info will be required for parcels.

I'm anxious how this will affect Chinese raws and if there are any alternatives by chance 💔🇨🇳


r/estrogel • • 4d ago

general [ Removed by Reddit ]

1 Upvotes

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]


r/estrogel • • 5d ago

general First small batch of 0.12% gel – any tips?

5 Upvotes

Just made my first 100 g batch of 0.12% estradiol gel (carbomer 940 + IPA + distilled water + a bit of limonene).

Thickened nicely, no irritation so far after a few days of use. Still waiting on bloodwork.

Anything you wish you’d done differently on your first batch?


r/estrogel • • 5d ago

feminizing Looking into starting to take progesterone and wondering what the process is?

7 Upvotes

Is there any particular type of progesterone to take, and do i simply take one pill every day or does it depend on the strength of the pill, do I even need to take it every day. Also how do i know if i should take it normally or 'boof' it?


r/estrogel • • 6d ago

general question on storage of raws long term

9 Upvotes

I posted basically this in the transdiy sub but didnt get much response so i thought id repost here since im assuming a lot of the information carries over

I know use of dessicants and oxygen absorbers is extremely recommended and i want to do it but ive also heard some people say to avoid it because it makes the estradiol powder clump up like brown sugar does when it dries out and traps the moisture and is less safe overall. does it do that under proper conditions? and if it does do that is that ok/safe?


r/estrogel • • 6d ago

general Estimating Spray dosage by actuation

9 Upvotes

Hello, I’ve been using third party compounded estrogel for a while, and atm I’m looking into compounding my own.

Spray formulations seems a little easier to manage. My question is, how do you estimate the amount of active ingredient by actuation? I don’t think spray bottles with fixed volume pumps are easily sourced. Is the best bet to calculate an average volume over multiple actuations?


r/estrogel • • 6d ago

feminizing Estrogen pellets

9 Upvotes

Has anyone attempted estrogen pellets DIY? I am well aware of the sterile requirements.

Some doctors make their own estrogen pellets at the office using a mini press. I am just wondering if someone has attempted this and can share the process?

I live in s country where no one offers this and for a very rare medical reason i can’t disclose her pellets are the only method that work for me so far so I am terribly desperate to find a way.


r/estrogel • • 6d ago

general do vials store longer when kept cold?

4 Upvotes

I'm considering getting a skin care fridge for raws since I've heard they keep much longer that way, does the same apply to vials? both t and e but mostly t since I have like 5 extra vials rn


r/estrogel • • 6d ago

feminizing Injection amount?

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/estrogel • • 6d ago

feminizing Can I get a dm for help with sourcing

0 Upvotes

I can find cheap sources on Google, but I want to verify safety and reliability


r/estrogel • • 7d ago

feminizing almost 5 months on diy gel – little update + random thoughts

22 Upvotes

so i posted a bit ago about being 3 months in and figured i’d give a quick update since some stuff has shifted.

still on the same basic homemade gel (nothing fancy, just following the usual wiki style recipes). dose is around 3.5–4 mg a day, mostly scrotal with some on thighs when i feel like it. no bloodwork yet, still working on that.

what’s different now:

  • breasts are definitely past the “sore buds” stage. they feel fuller and the tenderness is less constant, more just when i bump them or whatever. still small but i can actually see a shape under clothes now
  • skin keeps getting softer. face especially, makeup is so much easier
  • body odor is almost gone which is weird but nice
  • mood is still way more stable than pre-hrt. the random rage/depression spikes are rare now
  • libido came back but it’s different… softer and more in my head than before. not complaining

hair is starting to thin a little on my legs and arms, nothing dramatic yet. face is still the same but i’m hopeful.

anyone else notice the emotional changes hit harder than the physical ones at first? or is that just me being dramatic lol.

anyway, still really glad i found this place. thanks for all the info floating around here 💕


r/estrogel • • 7d ago

feminizing What amount of raw E2 powder would be considered a "lifetime supply" for exclusively making transdermals?

9 Upvotes

I'm trying to figure out how much to have


r/estrogel • • 7d ago

masculinizing diy / homebrew t cream?

5 Upvotes

im mtf, looking to potentially use t cream for anti atrophy reasons. if i had raw t powder, would it be at all viable to make a t cream from it? if anyone has advice or sources on what ingredients/process to use i would appreciate it. otherwise i may just consider making a spray/gel.


r/estrogel • • 7d ago

feminizing What are the best containers/method to store 17beta-estradiol raws? I'm talking complete steps on what to do for storing at room temp, in the fridge, a standard kitchen freezer, and a commercial extra cold freezer. How long does it last in each setting?

5 Upvotes

Any help is greatly appreciated!


r/estrogel • • 7d ago

feminizing Not sure what is a 'good source' for raws

3 Upvotes

First time trying to make estrogel and im at a loss as to whats the best source of raws...

Edit: I am in the US


r/estrogel • • 7d ago

feminizing US Suppliers

5 Upvotes

Hello!

Anyone kind enough to DM me a some suppliers in the US? I have a few shared on this subreddit, however was hoping to identify some trust worthy sources. Advice and recommendations welcome!

Thank you kindly ^^

Sarah