The Seven Botanicals in Our Wild Yam Cream
The 7 Botanicals in Our Wild Yam Cream: Why I Chose Each One
When I created Modani Naturals Wild Yam Cream, I didn't want to make a cream based around one botanical alone.
I wanted to bring together a thoughtful combination of herbs with long histories in traditional herbal practice, particularly plants traditionally associated with women's wellbeing, nourishment, calm and everyday self-care.
Each plant has its own story.
Some have a long tradition of use in women's herbal practices, while others are valued for their calming, grounding or gentle botanical qualities.
Here’s what drew me to each plant and the place it has in the blend.
🌿 1. Wild Yam Root
Dioscorea villosa
Wild Yam is where the story begins.
Wild Yam has a long history of traditional use, and different species of Dioscorea have been used in traditional herbal practices for generations. It was this history, together with its fascinating botanical chemistry, that first drew me to the plant.
I wanted Wild Yam to be at the heart of a botanical cream created for women navigating perimenopause, menopause and beyond.
Why is Wild Yam often associated with hormones?
Wild Yam contains a naturally occurring plant compound called diosgenin. This is where some of the confusion around Wild Yam and progesterone comes from.
Diosgenin can be used as a starting material in the laboratory to manufacture steroid hormones, but the human body does not convert diosgenin from Wild Yam into progesterone. Wild Yam and progesterone cream are therefore two very different things. Memorial Sloan Kettering: Wild Yam
Our Wild Yam Cream is hormone-free. It doesn't contain progesterone or estrogen, and I don't present it as a hormone replacement.
For me, Wild Yam represents the botanical foundation of the formula, a plant with an intriguing history that inspired the very first version of this cream.
🌿 2. Chaste Tree Berry
Vitex agnus-castus
Chaste Tree Berry, commonly known as Vitex, has a long history in herbal practice, particularly in connection with women's wellbeing and the menstrual cycle.
The plant originates from the Mediterranean and Central Asian regions and has been traditionally used in relation to women's health and wellbeing. Today, Vitex is also widely discussed in connection with the menstrual cycle and premenstrual wellbeing. NCCIH: Chasteberry
Why did I choose Vitex?
I was drawn to its long herbal history and its traditional connection with women's wellbeing.
The menopausal transition can be a time when many different aspects of life seem to intersect physical changes, sleep, emotions, stress and simply feeling different in your own body.
I wanted the formulation to reflect that broader idea of women's wellbeing rather than focus on just one aspect.
Vitex is one carefully selected part of that botanical story.
For me, it's about the place this botanical has within the whole formulation and its long-standing connection with women's herbal traditions.
🌿 3. Shatavari
Asparagus racemosus
Shatavari is a beautiful example of a plant with deep roots in Ayurvedic herbal tradition.
The root has traditionally been associated with nourishment, vitality and women's wellbeing, and it has been used in Ayurvedic practice for generations. Modern reviews continue to explore its traditional uses and potential applications. PubMed: Shatavari review
Why did I include Shatavari?
I was drawn to Shatavari because of its traditional association with nourishment and women's wellbeing.
There is something particularly appealing to me about the idea of nourishment during the menopausal years.
It can be a time when our bodies ask us to slow down, listen more closely and perhaps give ourselves a little more care.
That's the philosophy behind including Shatavari.
For me, it's part of a wider approach to daily self-care, a reminder that looking after yourself doesn't have to be complicated.
🌿 4. Ashwagandha
Withania somnifera
Ashwagandha has an especially long history in Ayurvedic medicine, where it has traditionally been valued as a restorative and strengthening botanical. NCCIH: Ashwagandha
It's now widely talked about in connection with stress, sleep and resilience, which is part of what initially attracted me to it.
A botanical associated with grounding
Perimenopause and menopause can be a busy time physically and emotionally.
Sometimes what we need most is simply a reason to slow down.
That's the feeling I wanted Ashwagandha to bring to the blend, grounded, nurturing and restorative.
I love the idea that applying the cream can become a small daily ritual: a moment to pause, breathe and reconnect with yourself.
Ashwagandha is an important part of that feeling for me.
🌿 5. Red Clover
Trifolium pratense
Red Clover is another plant that has become familiar in conversations about women's wellbeing and menopause.
It contains naturally occurring compounds called isoflavones, which are structurally similar to estrogen. This is one reason Red Clover has attracted scientific interest. NCCIH: Red Clover
Why did I choose Red Clover?
I was drawn to its botanical history and its place in traditional herbal practice.
It also felt like a natural companion to the other plants in the formula.
Red Clover is one piece of a much bigger botanical picture.
I don't see any single herb as needing to do everything. Instead, I prefer bringing together a number of carefully selected botanicals, each with its own history and character.
🌿 6. Black Cohosh
Cimicifuga racemosa
Black Cohosh is probably one of the best-known herbs associated with menopause.
Native to North America, Black Cohosh has a long history of traditional use, including use by Native American communities. Its root and rhizome are the parts most commonly used in herbal preparations. NCCIH: Black Cohosh
It has also attracted considerable interest in relation to women's wellbeing during menopause.
Why is it part of my blend?
I chose Black Cohosh because of its long-standing place in women's herbal traditions and its particular connection with the menopause conversation.
But I don't want to make exaggerated promises about what one ingredient can do.
Instead, I see it as one thoughtfully selected botanical within a much bigger formulation.
🌼 7. Chamomile
Matricaria recutita
Chamomile brings something beautifully familiar to the formula.
It has a long history of traditional use and has been valued in herbal traditions for generations. Chamomile flowers are also recognised in traditional European herbal preparations for their gentle, soothing qualities. European Medicines Agency: Chamomile flower
Why I love Chamomile in this formula
Chamomile immediately makes me think of quiet moments and simple rituals.
A cup of tea before bed.
A warm bath.
A few minutes without rushing.
That is the feeling I wanted this cream to invite.
Chamomile helps give the blend its gentle, comforting botanical character and complements the other herbs beautifully.
Sometimes an ingredient doesn't need to make a big promise.
Sometimes its role is simply to contribute to the experience and character of the finished product.
🌿 Seven plants, one thoughtful blend
When you look at each of these herbs individually, they each have their own fascinating history.
But I didn't create Wild Yam Cream with the idea that one herb would be responsible for everything.
I wanted something more considered.
Wild Yam Root provides the botanical foundation.
Chaste Tree Berry and Shatavari bring their long traditions of women's herbal wellbeing.
Ashwagandha adds its grounding, restorative character.
Red Clover and Black Cohosh have their own long histories within herbal traditions relating to women's wellbeing.
And Chamomile brings a gentle, comforting botanical quality to the blend.
Together, they create something that is more than a list of ingredients.
They create a botanical self-care ritual.
A moment each day to slow down.
To reconnect with yourself.
To nurture your body and mind.
And to remember that taking care of yourself doesn't have to be complicated.
Nurture. Balance. Radiate. 🌿
A little note about the herbs
Herbal ingredients can have long histories of traditional use, and modern research continues to explore many of these plants. Evidence and understanding can evolve over time, so I prefer to share the traditional heritage and botanical qualities of these herbs without making promises about specific health outcomes.
Wild Yam Cream is a hormone-free botanical skincare product created as part of a daily self-care ritual. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or replace medical treatment for any health condition.
Explore Modani Naturals Wild Yam Cream
This article shares the inspiration behind our ingredients and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are unsure whether a botanical product is right for you, speak with a qualified healthcare professional.