Welcome—and thank you for being among the first to experience this breakthrough. This guide is designed to make your journey smooth, insightful, and impactful.
With just a quick saliva sample and a smartphone, you now have access to real-time data about your body’s most important stress hormone: cortisol. Whether you’re curious about how stress, sleep, or your routine affect you—or simply want to understand your rhythm—this tool makes it easier than ever.
Let’s walk through the essentials—from how cortisol works to how to run your first test with confidence.
First of all, why track cortisol?
1. Cortisol regulates your entire system
Cortisol is one of the most essential hormones in the human body. It affects how we wake up, handle stress, fight inflammation, recover from workouts, and even how we age. And yet, most people never track it—even though 1 in 3 adults experience cortisol dysregulation without realizing it.
2. Your health runs on a 24-hour hormone rhythm
Cortisol follows a natural daily cycle known as the diurnal rhythm—rising sharply in the morning to help you wake up and dropping gradually through the day to support rest and recovery.
When this rhythm is intact, your body works as it should. When it’s disrupted, everything from sleep to focus to metabolism can feel off.
3. When the rhythm Breaks, you can rebuild it
Chronic stress, poor sleep, light exposure, irregular routines, and diet can all throw off your cortisol rhythm. The good news? Cortisol can be rebalanced.
By measuring it consistently and understanding your pattern, you can make simple lifestyle changes that support recovery, energy, and long-term resilience.
Read the studies →
Now, let’s get started
Step 1: Download the App
Start by installing the Eli app on your iPhone:
→ Download on the App Store
Once installed:
- Open the app and create your account using your preferred email.
- Confirm your email address via the link sent to your inbox.
- You’re ready to begin.
If you run into any issues—such as a blocked login or missing email—our team is available at ask@eli.health.
Step 2: Your first cortisol test
Each test captures a snapshot of your current cortisol level in just minutes. All you need is:
- A Hormometer test
- The Eli app
- A flat, well-lit surface
Preparation Guidelines
- Avoid eating, drinking (other than water), brushing your teeth, or smoking for at least 30 minutes before testing
- Do not take biotin supplements within 24 hours of taking a test
How to test
Every step of the testing process is clearly guided inside the app—but we know it can be helpful to have an overview upfront. Below is a quick walkthrough of how the test works, what to expect, and what to watch for.
Want to learn more about how the Hormometer works?
Discover the tech→
And then? Let’s interpret your results
After your first test
Right after scanning your test, the app gives you an immediate readout:
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Cortisol Score
A number between 0 and 100 showing how your result compares to expected healthy levels for that time of day. A higher score means better alignment with the optimal cortisol rhythm.
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Lifestyle Log Prompt
You’ll be invited to log how you’re feeling, whether you exercised, how you slept, and more. These quick reflections help contextualize your result and start building your hormone journal.
After several tests
Once you’ve completed multiple tests across different times and days, the app begins to reveal larger patterns:
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Diurnal Rhythm Tracking
The app overlays your results onto a typical cortisol curve so you can see how your rhythm aligns with expected biological patterns. By measuring your diurnal rhythm daily you will unlock Trends.
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Trend Graphs
Visualize how your cortisol levels shift throughout the day—and from one day to the next. This is your personal cortisol fingerprint. The trends assess whether your curve is improving.
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Personalized Insights
As more data comes in, you’ll receive tailored summaries that highlight consistencies, fluctuations, and possible connections to lifestyle.
When to test
Your cortisol levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day. By testing at strategic moments, you can build a clear, personalized picture of how your body responds to your routine, recovery, and stress.
1 . Daily baseline aka the diurnal rhythm
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Morning measurement: the peak of your day
Take your first test 30 minutes after waking. This typically captures your natural cortisol peak.
This window is critical for understanding your baseline energy and resilience levels. -
Evening measurement: low levels to wind down
Take your second test 1–2 hours before bedtime (or anytime between 5-11 pm) to observe cortisol at its expected lowest point.
Avoid testing immediately after meals or caffeine, which can elevate cortisol and skew the result.
This helps assess how well your body is winding down.
2. Spot testing options
Use additional tests to explore how specific events affect your hormones:
- After workouts – See how your body recovers after physical stress.
- Following stressful events – Observe acute cortisol spikes after moments of emotional or mental load.
- During relaxation – Test after meditation, yoga, or a quiet weekend morning to see how rest affects your levels.
- When sleep is disrupted – If you wake up in the night or feel unrested, test early to investigate cortisol’s role in sleep quality.
3 . Want to dive even deeper?
Here’s our recommendations for deeper insights:
- Test multiple times in one day to map your full diurnal rhythm.
- Compare weekdays vs. weekends to highlight how routine impacts recovery.
- Experiment with post-meal or fasted-state testing to explore how food timing affects your response.
Need a more personalized measurement protocol?
Book a slot with an Eli HQ member →
You’re early—and that matters
This isn’t just a product. It’s a new way of listening to your body.
Having access to your hormone rhythms in real time changes the game—for your health, your performance, your awareness.
Your experience will help us shape the future of stress tracking and recovery. If there’s anything we can improve or clarify, reach out directly at ask@eli.health. We’re listening.
PS: What if something doesn’t work?
During your first test, it’s completely normal to run into a few hiccups—this is a brand-new way to measure hormones, and like anything new, there’s a bit of a learning curve. The good news? We’ve already seen the most common issues, and we’ve built solutions for each one.
Nail the basics: saliva + pull
Two simple steps make or break your test:
- Soak the pad fully — really drool on it. A light touch won’t trigger the chemistry inside.
- Pull the tab all the way — firmly and steadily, until you see the blue dot.
See exactly what’s going on inside the test—and why your technique matters.
If no line appears, it means there was no flow.
The chemistry inside the test didn’t activate, and your result is invalid.
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Undersaturated pad or weak pull? No reaction. |
Full soak and strong pull? Test activates perfectly. |
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Quick problem solving
Still having trouble? Reach out to ask@eli.health for fast support.
