Xiao Yao Wan

Xiao Yao Wan is not a different medicine — it is Xiao Yao San in pill form, the way most people outside a herbalist's clinic actually meet the formula.

San, wan, granules

Chinese pharmacy names preparations, not just recipes. Sǎn (散) is a powder, classically stirred into a hot draft with ginger and mint; wán (丸) is the pill form — usually small black "teapills" rolled from the powdered herbs with honey or water; granules are modern concentrated extracts that dissolve in hot water. The ingredient list is the same eight herbs in each case.

What actually differs

• Convenience — teapills and granules need no preparation; the classical

draft does.

• Dose and strength — decoctions and granules generally deliver a larger

effective dose than teapills; patent teapill labels typically suggest around eight pills, three times a day.

• The finishing herbs — the classical draft adds

mint and roasted ginger fresh at preparation; in pills they are simply part of the blend.

Reading a label

Look for the formula name (Xiao Yao Wan or Xiao Yao San), the manufacturer's GMP status, and whether the product is the base formula or Jia Wei Xiao Yao San — the augmented variant is often sold under very similar packaging. Our safety page covers quality and adulteration concerns in imported patent medicines.