Your 6-point saliva collection
This test maps your morning cortisol rise and how your levels fall through the day, from six saliva samples collected across a single day. The first three — in the hour after you wake — are the heart of the test, so timing them precisely matters.
A simple test you do at home
Your kit and instructions are posted directly to you — no collection centre visit needed. Collect your six samples at home across one day, then mail them back to the lab in the prepaid packaging provided.
Your collection day
What this test measures
Measures: Cortisol — on waking · Cortisol — +30 min · Cortisol — +60 min · Total CAR · CAR rise & decline · Cortisol — midday · Cortisol — afternoon · Cortisol — evening · DHEA-S · Cortisol / DHEA-S ratio
Before you collect
Follow these on your collection day — and in the two hours before each daytime sample.
Avoid all day
Strictly avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine (smoking) on your collection day, unless your healthcare provider tells you otherwise.
Before each sample
In the 2 hours before a daytime sample, don't eat, brush or floss, or use mouthwash. A little water is fine.
Just before
Wash your hands with soap and water. For daytime samples, rinse your mouth with water 15 minutes before collecting.
Hormone & supplement users
Continue your medications as prescribed — you do not need to stop them unless advised by your practitioner. If you use any hormone or steroid product (for example a cortisol/hydrocortisone cream, or a DHEA supplement), note it and its type on your request form, and follow the timing below. Unsure how to time a sample? Email us at info@i-screen.com.au.
| Product type | When to collect your sample |
|---|---|
| Creams / gels / capsules | 12–24 hours after last dose |
| Troche / sublingual | 36 hours after last dose |
| Patches | 24–48 hours after applying patch |
| Injections / pellets | Midpoint between treatments |
Collecting each sample
- Wash your hands thoroughly before you start.
- Unscrew the lid of the collection tube and hold it to your lips.
- Tilt your head forward and let saliva pool naturally inside your mouth.
- Allow saliva to passively pool into the tube — don't force or spit. Continue until you reach the fill line with liquid saliva.
- Fill the tube to the line with liquid saliva. Avoid foam or bubbles — tap the tube to settle them. Insufficient samples cannot be processed.
- Don't cough, clear your throat, or draw mucous from the back of your throat into the tube.
- Screw the cap on tightly to avoid leakage, and label the tube straight away — the sample number and exact time are essential.
Label every tube with:
- Your first name and surname, and date of birth
- The sample number (1–6)
- The exact time collected (including am or pm)
- The date of collection
Packing & sending
- Check your request form is complete — full name, date of birth, address and contact number. Details must match your tube labels.
- Place all six labelled tubes into the sealable section of the specimen transport bag, and the request form into the non-sealable pocket.
- Seal everything inside the prepaid return envelope provided and post it via your nearest Australia Post outlet or express post box the same day.