Anna’s Wild Yam Cream is a traditional cream used to relieve menstrual pain.
The brand’s website claims that “The key to feminine wellbeing comes from providing our bodies with the nutritional resources we need to have our body to produce the natural compounds needed to meet the ever changing demands of our feminine wellbeing,” which isn’t particularly scientific.
But does Anna’s Wild Yam Cream contain research-based compounds for relieving menstrual pain, or are these just marketing claims? Is topical cream really the best solution for menstrual cramping and menopausal symptoms? Are there any questionable additive ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Anna’s Wild Yam Cream?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Anna’s Wild Yam Cream based on medical studies to give our take on whether this product is likely to be effective for the relief of menopausal symptoms, or if it’s a waste of money.
We’ll share our concerns about the ingredient disclosures (or lack thereof), and feature unsponsored customer reviews of the brand.
Ingredient Analysis
The active ingredients in Anna’s Wild Yam Cream are shown above.
It’s important to note that there are no inactive ingredients listed which is a consumer safety issue, and we strongly urge consumers to avoid health and cosmetic products that fail to publish full ingredient lists.
Consumers may be allergic or otherwise sensitive to inactive ingredients (like fragrance) in creams, and we urge Anna’s to either publish the inactive ingredients in this product, or clarify on the product page if only active ingredients are included.
Wild yam extract is the first-listed active ingredient, and was shown to be ineffective when applied topically in women with menopausal symptoms in a 2001 clinical trial. The researchers concluded:
“This study suggests that short-term treatment with topical wild yam extract in women suffering from menopausal symptoms is free of side-effects, but appears to have little effect on menopausal symptoms.”
Chaste tree extract was shown to be effective for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in a 2017 medical review, although all of the clinical trials seem to use an oral version of the compound rather than topical.
Just because a compound is effective for relieving menstrual pain when taken orally, does not necessarily mean it will have the same effects when applied topically.
Aloe vera is clinically shown to have anti-inflammatory effects, as we documented in our review of Gotucream, although we can’t find a single study proving that topical application of this compound relieves menstrual pain or any menstrual symptoms.
Vitamin E was shown in a clinical trial published in The Journal of Reproductive Medicine to reduce pelvic pain in menstruating women when taken orally.
We can’t find any trials suggesting it has the same effect when used topically.
The ingredients list also states “contains soya bean products,” which is a very strange ingredient disclosure.
Which part of the soya bean product is used? At what dose and concentration?
Overall, we cannot identify one single active ingredient in Anna’s Wild Yam Cream that we consider likely to reduce menstrual pain or relieve any uncomfortable menstrual symptoms.
The brand fails to cite any clinical research on their product page proving that either this formulation or any of its constituent active ingredients are effective for what the brand claims.
But how do real users rate and describe the effects of Anna’s Wild Yam Cream? We’ll feature unsponsored customer reviews in the next section of this article.
Can Diet Relieve Menopausal Symptoms?
A YouTube video published by the famous Good Morning America channel features a registered dietitian discussing how a certain type of diet may relieve hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms:
A YouTube video from a creator named Kale Brock features a doctor and women’s health specialist named Andrea Huddleston who makes a “Hormone Balancing” green smoothie for women:
Where to Buy Anna’s Wild Yam Cream
At the time of publishing this article, Anna’s Wild Yam Cream only appears to be available for sale on the brand’s official website, which can be accessed here.
This product does not appear to be available for sale on Amazon or other third-party retailers.
There are a large number of other yam creams on Amazon, but not this specific brand.
If Anna’s were to list on Amazon, it would likely be a good thing for consumers because the platform requires sellers to publish all ingredients (both active and inactive).
Pros and Cons of Anna’s Wild Yam Cream
Here are the pros and cons of Anna’s Wild Yam Cream in our opinion:
Pros:
- Some ingredients have been studied in menopausal women
Cons:
- Active ingredients are studied more for oral than topical use
- Unclear if brand failed to publish inactive ingredients
- Doesn’t appear clinically tested
- No proof of efficacy
- We cannot identify one single effective active ingredient
- Currently out-of-stock for three months
- Not available on Amazon
- Questionable health and marketing claims on brand website
