How The Veracity Hormone Wellness Test Helped Me Understand My Body

Have you ever wanted to test your hormones? If so, you're not alone. The demand for easy and accessible hormone testing has skyrocketed in recent years, with more and more conversations surrounding hormones—and how they affect mood, weight changes, skin health, and menstrual regularity.

Thanks to these conversations, I recently started to notice a few signs that my hormones were off. My period was inconsistent, and I still didn't have answers after visiting a few different OB-GYNs. I decided to try an at-home hormone test so I could get deeper insight into what was happening with my body.

My menstrual cycle was all over the place, and I was struggling to find answers. I felt like I was doing everything right for my hormones: I never drink coffee on an empty stomach, I sleep for eight-plus hours most nights, I meditate, I consume balanced meals, and so on.

I didn't expect perfectly balanced hormone levels all around—I take hormonal birth control and prescription medication—but I felt like something was off with my body.

When I received the kit, I started the testing process by filling out the registration, which I accessed by scanning a QR code. Along with giving basic information about myself, I answered questions about my lifestyle and current health status. These were questions like: When was the start of your last period? What symptoms are you experiencing? How often do you exercise? Any dietary restrictions?

Once the registration was completed, I started the saliva sample. This required me to spit into a tube until I hit the designated sample collection line. Hitting this line took me about two minutes of spitting; I kept busy by scrolling through my phone. Pro tip: Make sure you're hydrated to keep this process as smooth as possible.

When my sample was finished, I carefully screwed on the top to prevent leakage and packaged it up in the prepaid shipping slip. I was sure to fill out the labels properly, including birthday and collection date, to ensure my results weren't delayed.

The entire process was super easy—and I would know. I actually did it twice. The post office lost my first test, and the brand quickly sent over a replacement to redo my sample.

Luckily, you can click into the specific hormone to receive more information. Although I'm relatively well-informed about hormones, I still felt like I was learning something new with each of these descriptions.

When I got my test results back, my suspicions were confirmed. My estrogen levels were high (as seen above). This information was paired with skin care, lifestyle, and diet information recommendations to help with my hormonal balance. This information is curated with the help of experts, such as dietitians and medical doctors.

I reached out to functional medicine doctor Gabrielle Francis, D.C., N.D., LAc, for some context on my results, and I quickly learned there was far more at play than I suspected.

To my surprise, she informed me that many people who have hormonal IUDs are generally pretty low on estrogen, if anything. However, the medication I'm on can put a strain on the liver, which can interfere with how estrogen is detoxed in my body. 

So, why is it worth getting your hormones checked? To be frank, your hormones impact just about everything, and even a little shift can make a big difference. 

"It takes only very small amounts [of hormone fluctuations] to bring about major changes in the body," licensed naturopathic physician and co-founder of Terrain Natural Medicine Kelcie Rosendahl, N.D., previously told mbg.

"Some common signs that you may have suboptimal levels of one or more hormones include changes in your mood and/or periods, suboptimal sex drive, concerns about your skin or sleep health, unexplained weight gain, or feelings of tiredness," Rosendahl noted. 

While I thought I was set up for failure being on any kind of birth control, I found it comforting to learn that there are actions I can take in my daily life to balance my hormones, even while on the medication.

We can't wrap up without mentioning that the Veracity Hormone Wellness Test (and any at-home testing kit) should not be used to diagnose any hormonal health conditions. Your results vary greatly depending on where you're at in your cycle, medication you're taking, lifestyle changes, and more—so don't panic if your hormones look a little imbalanced.