Product guide
Cortisol Hormometer® 101: the ultimate guide.
With a simple saliva sample and the Eli app, you’ll see your cortisol rhythm take shape, one reading at a time.
Whether you're tracking how stress, sleep, training, travel, or lifestyle factors impact your cortisol, start here.
Cortisol is a rhythm, not a single number.
01
Collect your saliva.
Saliva gathers in the collection pad for just 60 seconds before the test begins to develop.
02
Test and scan
Saliva gathers in the collection pad for just 60 seconds before the test begins to develop.
03
See your rhythm
Your cortisol reading is plotted next to your own optimal range and how each test compares to your previous history.
04
Focus on optimizing
Get personalized insights on your cortisol rhythm and tips on adjustments, so you can build a steadier rhythm over time.
Peaks shortly after waking
Declines through
the evening
01
Cortisol regulates your body.
Cortisol shapes your waking time, how you manage stress, and how your body recovers. Most people never measure it, or only see one snapshot in time that doesn’t reflect their full rhythm.
02
It’s a daily rhythm.
Cortisol peaks shortly after you wake up and drops steadily until it reaches a nighttime low. When that rhythm shifts, you can feel it in your energy, sleep, mood, performance, and more.
03
Simple habits shift cortisol.
Tracking your cortisol rhythm gives you a clear picture of which habits support your cortisol, and which move it further from optimal. This allows you to see which lifestyle changes actually support your goals.
Getting started
Getting started.
Step 01
Download the app.
- Get the Eli app for iPhone (Android coming soon.)
- Create your account and confirm your email.
- Follow the onboarding instructions.
- Questions? Reach out to ask@eli.health.
Step 02
Take your first cortisol test.
- Make sure you have Hormometer®, the Eli app downloaded, and a flat surface in a well-lit area.
Reminders before you test:
- 30 minutes before: avoid eating, drinking (other than water), brushing your teeth, or smoking.
- 24 hours before: skip any biotin supplements.
When you're ready, open the app and follow the step-by-step guidance. Soak the collection pad with saliva until it’s fully saturated. After 60 seconds, pull the tab firmly until the entire dot is visible.
Interpreting your results
What each reading means for your rhythm.
Every test is plotted on your daily cortisol rhythm, so you can see how far you are from optimal and how that test compares to your previous history.
01
Where you stand.
Each reading appears on a chart of your cortisol rhythm, marked with the time you took that test.
02
Distance from optimal.
Your target range is shaded, so you can see where each reading falls, compared to your optimal value.
03
How today compares.
See today’s rhythm overlaid with your average rhythm over the last month, 3 months, or 6 months.
Test, then the app
does the rest.
A short explanation will display beneath each new reading you log. These insights are based on your unique cortisol data, not the general population.
When to test
Your rhythm: one test, morning and evening.
The Eli app guides you to test in the morning and in the evening to complete a full cortisol diurnal rhythm.
Within the first
hour of waking
Early evening
Rise and
fall
Morning test
Within 30-60 min. of waking.
This timing captures your natural morning rise, known as your cortisol awakening response (CAR) which helps energize you for the day.
Evening test
Between 5-11pm.
This evening window captures your cortisol as it falls towards its lowest point during the day, signaling to your body it’s time to rest.
Tag trends
Tag every test, get the full story.
The same reading can mean very different things after a hard workout, a long flight, or a night out. With Tag Trends, you add that context to each test. The Eli app factors these into what may be shaping your rhythm.
Tip 01
Tag right after you test.
Log anything you notice, from your mood, to energy, to routine changes, in the moment.
Tip 02
Don’t skip the ordinary days.
Calm days create your baseline, your normal rhythm to compare changes against.
Tip 03
Log morning and night.
Your morning test has a different range than your evening test, but both shape your rhythm.
Long-term benefits
Watch your rhythm change over time.
Identify relevant trends, not outliers.
Averaging over a longer window means one out-of-range reading doesn't read as a shift in your pattern.
Know what’s actually working.
Review your testing history to see how your rhythm responds to changes in sleep, training load, light exposure, and more.
The protocol
Three months to know what’s driving your rhythm.
Each month builds on the last, from establishing your cortisol baseline to seeing what moves it. The goal isn't to check off a set number of tests.
It's to capture how your rhythm changes as your life does.
Month 1
Establish your baseline.
Month 2
See your pattern.
Month 3
Identify your trends.
It does not stop there.
The Today tab points you to the test that is open right now, morning or evening, so you complete the pair without planning it.
Test often, learn more.
The more rhythms you complete, the more accurate your own baseline becomes. This lets you track what better sleep or a harder week does to your rhythm.
Daily reminders to test.
Set your ideal morning and evening test reminders in your onboarding setting, and adjust them as needed.
Your baseline is just the beginning.
Once you understand your typical cortisol pattern, you’re ready to experiment. Try comparing your weekdays to weekends, testing before and after training, or tracking how different lifestyle changes show up in your rhythm.
Want a plan built around your goals? Grab time to chat with the Eli team.
Book an onboarding callTroubleshooting
Test didn’t develop? Start here.
Tests that don't develop or scan into the app often trace back to these two steps. Ensure you’ve completed both properly.
Soak the sponge fully with saliva; light contact won’t activate the chemistry.
Pull the tab firmly and fully until the blue dot is fully revealed.
If no line appears, the chemistry doesn't activate. Repeat the test with a new strip.
Reach out to ask@eli.health for fast support.
Watch this before you test.
See your cortisol rhythm in minutes.
Cortisol shapes how you sleep, recover, and handle stress. Eli lets you measure vital sign anytime, anywhere. Getpersonalized insights to help you optimize your rhythm.
Saliva-based, non-invasive test
97% accuracy*
AI-powered app—no external hardware
Personalized insights to optimize cortisol
*Benchmarked against laboratory method references. Hormometer® is a wellness device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or manage any medical condition.