I did try herbals years ago and none of it worked at all for me
I believe that 'gender dysphoria' is the new classification, and people who desire SRS, or feel they are trapped in the wrong body, are no longer classified as mentally ill in the big book of psychiatric disorders, so the requirements for hormone prescriptions have loosened up/changed as well.
Pharmaceutical hormones require medical supervision/monitoring because they are powerful and can cause life threatening health scenarios. Birth control pills fall in that category as well. I never experimented with any of them. Individual results will vary, and I have experimented with (OTC) over the counter herbal estrogen substitutes, phytoestrogens, HRT etc. and found them to cause some minor physical/emotional changes, while being safer. Unfortunately, to optimize their effects, you need to eliminate the toxins from your life, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, fatty foods, carbonated drinks, etc.