Balancing Act

A natural hormone balancer for women & men, a face spray alternative, & a sweet chocolate tahini recipe.

Apr 13, 2025

BALANCING FEMALE & MALE HORMONES

I originally heard about using wild yam cream to balance female and male hormones from Barbara O’Neill in a comprehensive lecture.

WOMEN

ANNA’S Wild Yam Cream is the specific product she mentions with phytosterol as the active ingredient — a natural plant compound, not a synthetic hormone — used in herbal medicine to soothe menstrual pain and menopausal symptoms.

According to O’Neill, applying the cream topically may stimulate pathways involved in natural hormone balance, encouraging your body to regulate its own progesterone production. After a few months of use, I’ve personally found this to be a powerful tool.

MEN

She shares that men can also use the cream to help counter estrogen dominance (and the onslaught of xenoestrogens from plastics and more). More specific product instructions for men exploring ANNA’s Wild Yam Cream here. O’Neill even suggests it may help with issues such as penile dysfunction.

An alternative men’s product is the ProAndro Men's Wild Yam Cream from MoonMaid Botanicals. According to MoonMaid, the product is designed to support progesterone balance.

“In men, progesterone is produced in the testes and adrenal glands and is a critical component in balancing hormones. Progesterone is known to assist in keeping testosterone balanced.”

While I love to share alternative, natural options, as always, please do your own research and consult with your health practitioner.

Spray for Beauty, Travel, & More

Face sprays from Tower28 and other brands include hypochlorous acid, a natural molecule produced in the body to fight infection.

Hypochlorous acid is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial with many uses. Spritz on your face or body:

After a workout
During a flight
For post-sun care
To set makeup
To support wound healing
To soothe irritation or redness

It’s also marketed for pet care as an antiseptic for cleaning paws, treating minor wounds, and soothing irritations.

It’s a great multitasker, often wrapped in clever marketing. You can skip the pricey options and simply buy the same ingredient in bulk — like the BRIOTECH Pure Hypochlorous Acid Spray and Cleanser — and add to your own spritz bottle.

The math:

Briotech: 33.8 oz at $0.88/oz
Tower28: 4 oz at $7.00/oz

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Date Bites

For those of us who aren’t skilled bakers, I recently made a batch of these Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Date Bites shared by Tessa Smith (who has her very own Substack newsletter More Salt) — they’re delicious and fairly foolproof.

Her original recipe calls for dates, pistachio butter, tahini, dark chocolate, and salt. I made a few tweaks, using pistachio pieces (pulsed in a food processor) in place of pistachio butter and homemade dark chocolate (macadamia milk warmed on the stove, with cacao powder and maple syrup stirred in). Either way, a decadent, sweet treat without processed sugar depending on the dark chocolate you choose.