HRT (WIP)

Introduction

This is an update/rewrite of a guide I made back in 2020. I’ve removed a few areas that I felt weren’t fully needed and added some new ones. This has come with a full update of all links and other such tweaks. If you would like to see the old guide, it’s still available here.

Homebrewing your own HRT sounds unsafe and expensive at first, but upon looking further into it, one can see that’s not truly the case. Costs from therapists, doctors, and marked up pharmaceuticals can really add up! There’s also the issue of endocrinologists who rarely deal with transgender patients prescribing less effective regimens purely based on their experience with cis patients.

Yes, we will be getting some raw chemical components produced in China, but the same is true of the US pharmaceutical industry. Why not pay thousands of times less for the same medicine? Sure, we can’t perfectly replicate lab conditions, but we can stick to key safety and sterilization methods that mitigates almost all risk.

Please note this guide should be seen as a base! This is one perspective on a process that can be done in many different ways. Feel free to substitute equipment or add/subtract your own steps as it best serves you. I’m also going to try to write this based on a personal-use scale.

Materials

APIs

It all starts with our APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients). In the world of homebrewing, we often refer to APIs as raws. While it’s legal to own what we’re interested in here, these are difficult to source domestically and often not even produced domestically. This is why we use producers or wholesalers in China. You can find several on Alibaba or even more on Made-in-China. I used Hubei Vanz for my vendor, as they are an old/well-reviewed source. I’ve had their raws tested via HPLC before for purity with satisfactory results. According to some, they can be on the pricey end though.

Hubei Vanz WhatsApp Number: +86 157 2705 1885

Prices will increase/decrease based on bulk. This means ordering more at once nets you a better rate. When you consider these are shelf-stable for several years if stored in a low humidity, air-tight container away from light, getting a life-time supply isn’t so unreasonable.

While ordering, you will be speaking to a representative directly via text. This process is simultaneously less and more formal than your average online shopping run. Remember that they are Chinese and speak little English outside of a limited business context. Make sure you clearly and plainly state your desired chemical name, CAS number, and your desired quantity. To find a CAS number, search “[chemical name] CAS number” in about any search engine.

How the process goes from there will vary on who you’re chatting with, but most of the time they’ll ask for a shipping address. This should go without saying, but be very formal in how the address is posted. Look to see how your address appears in GoogleMaps to double check your formatting. And make sure to always include a phone number along with this that you can be reached at.

Next comes payment. They often expect wire transfers as they’re used to dealing with business to business transactions. The easiest and safest way to pay is to have the vendor initiate an order request on Alibaba. This also opens you up to paying directly with a debit card or PayPal and will have your funds often held in escrow, which makes them less likely to scam you. I can also allude to the fact that they sometimes modify details of the order to better bypass your local customs. Which is to say one can find themselves buying a lot of “FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT HD NEW ELECTRONIC SWITCHING NINTENDO CONSOLE DEVICE” during their time as a homebrewer for alleged resale :3

Below are some raws ordered back in 2021 along with the quantity and price. Please note that these are larger quantities, and that you can order much less.

Bicalutamide, CAS 90357-06-5 (100 grams)

$150 total ($1.50 per gram)

Estradiol, CAS 50-28-2 (30 grams)

$90 total ($3.00 per gram)

Estradiol, CAS 50-28-2 (100 grams)

$230 total ($1.80 per gram + 50 shipping to US)

Progesterone, CAS 57-83-0 (200 grams)

$160 total ($1.25 per gram)

Progesterone, CAS 57-83-0 (500 grams)

$320 total ($0.64 per gram)

Estradiol Cypionate, CAS 313-06-4 (30 grams)

$150 total ($5 per gram)

In addition to this list, here's a document someone in the homebrew community made detailing their experiences with different vendors.

Excipients

This list is more concerned with excipients, which is to say non-active ingredients. Most you can get off a mixture of online shopping or probably even the right local store. I’ll be listing the exact links for what I’m purchasing, but feel free to deviate based on your price range and production scale:

Injections

Benzyl Benzoate - Solvent for esterified hormones used in injections.
Benzyl Alcohol - Solvent and preservative for injections. Can be used as the lone solvent for non-esterified hormones, though take note that high concentrations, as well as non-esterified hormone injections, will cause a lot of skin irritation and pain.
Carrier Oils - The main vehicle that carries our desired Estradiol ester. I’ll list three types below:

MCT Oil - Clear and very low viscosity oil which makes for easier filtering and allows for use of very high gauge needles while injecting. Above-average shelf life.
Grapeseed Oil - Pale yellow oil that is more hypoallergenic. Still fairly-low viscosity. Lower shelf life than other alternatives.
Castor Oil - Amber oil with a higher viscosity but impressive shelf life if cold-pressed.

Transdermal

99% Isopropyl Alcohol - For dissolving Estradiol.
Isopropyl Myristate - A penetration enhancer that keeps skin wet and absorbing longer.
Polysorbate 80 - Emulsifier that helps create stability in our mixture.

Oral Capsules

Powder Filler - Inert substrate that helps evenly distribute our APIs throughout gelatin capsules. Lots of powders can be used, but here are some I’ve worked with:

ProCap 90 - Costly proprietary powder excipient based mostly on Microcrystalline Cellulose. Hypoallergenic, mixes well, and generally easy to work with.
Lactose Monohydrate NF (Spray Dried) - Cheaper and cleanest to work with. Doesn’t mix as well as the above though and is not great for people with lactose intolerance.
White Rice Flour - Cheap and can be found at many grocery stores. Mixes well with micronized powders but can be a mess due to poor flow.
Coconut Flour - Cheapest and can be found at most grocery stores. Mix validation is easier, since its color should be different from your API.

Gelatin Capsules - Shell that holds both the filler and API. Transparent ones are good for starting out, so you can see how your tamps are doing. These are hypoallergenic by their nature and can be found at vitamin stores. This guide will assume size #1 gelatin capsules.

Suppositories

Suppository base - Our main goal with a suppository base is a material that can be melted and worked with and go back to being relatively solid once at room temperature again. Here are a couple that I’ve used:

PolyBlend Rx - Expensive but perfect for those who want more solid and durable suppositories even in relatively high storage temps.
Coconut Oil - Cheap and easy to source at about any grocery store. Storage for coconut oil suppositories should be done in a fridge unless you want to keep them in the mold until use.

Sublingual Oil

OraPenn SD Sweetened - Proprietary oil-based sublingual vehicle that’s supposed to be “””more palatable””. It’s certainly expensive though. You could likely get similar results with your own MCT oil blend, but I lack the experience to give advice there.
Peppermint Burst OS - Mint flavoring used to help with bitter acid taste that our sublingual vehicle brings. Oil-soluble variant.

Tools

This list will cover tools and accessories used in our homebrew. Note that, like the last list, all of this can be gotten from online shopping and local stores:

General (These are used in every method)

Scale - Used to measure out components of our mixture. It ideally should read down to 0.01 grams. If you’re only working with 250ml at a time, you can likely find the right scale at a seedy gas station marketed as a jewelry scale. For 500ml and up, I recommend either a kitchen scale or looking into something more marketed toward a lab setting. What’s important is that the scale’s surface area is large enough to hold the beaker you plan to work with and is of sufficient capacity for your batch size.
250ml Borosilicate Glass Beaker - For mixing and heating fluid. Can also be used to have a feel on measurements, though bear in mind we’ll be using weight for our metrics. Feel free to instead grab a 500ml or 100ml variant based on your planned batch sizes. A mason jar or similar thermal-resistant container that’s easy to fully clean will work just as well, especially when doing transdermal or sublingual Estradiol compounding. For injections, it’s more important to use good glassware though.
Glass Stirring Rod - Used for stirring mixtures together. I prefer my stirring rods to have spade and button ends to help crush stubborn powder chunks while it dissolves.
Hot plate - Used to heat mixtures so as to better incorporate all ingredients. Basic isn’t bad here, but again make sure the surface area is large enough to comfortably fit your beaker. The price jump between a standard kitchen hotplate and a lab one is pretty huge if you want a noticeable quality increase, so there’s no shame in using something cheap.

HRT Homebrew (WIP)

Introduction

Materials

APIs

Excipients

Tools