While in western medicine, the answer to most women’s health questions is answered with “the pill”, Traditional Chinese Medicine utilizes a combination of Chinese dietary therapy, acupuncture, and herbs for a better monthly cycle.  The DAO Labs Women’s Kit is comprised of two powerful herbal formulas: Free & Easy Wanderer (Xiao Yao San) and Four Substance (Si Wu Tang).

These two formulas are among the two most commonly used formulas in Asia for women’s health needs.  Whether a woman is seeking to harmonize her menstrual cycle, recovering from childbirth, or preparing for menopause, these formulas can help create balance in the body, thereby promoting health and well-being.  

Moving Qi During PMS & Rebuilding Energy After Bleeding

According to Chinese herbal medicine, Xiao Yao San helps move the Qi, which is commonly stagnant (or stuck) during the premenstrual phase of a woman’s month.  Stagnant Qi can result in moodiness, tender breasts, anxiousness, and interrupted sleep. 

After menstruation ends, many women feel depleted. During menstruation, women lose blood resulting in deficiency.  Si Wu Tang is a blood rebuilder, and is helpful to anyone who is blood deficient.  Signs of blood deficiency include: feeling weak or run down and a pale complexion.  These two powerful formulas can be used to help support a wide variety of goals a woman may have. 

Here are 5 ways to use the DAO Women’s Monthly Kit

1) Regulate the Cycle

A normal menstrual cycle is a key indicator of good health.  Stress, not eating enough, and even travel can throw off a menstrual cycle.  A normal cycle is 22 to 35 days, and the period should be the same month to month for each woman.   According to Chinese medicine theory, an irregular cycle is often a symptom of Qi stagnation or Blood deficiency, and working in tandem the two formulas found on the DAO Women’s Monthly Kit can help balance the body for a more predictable month.  One of our customers writes:

“Great product.  I absolutely love this product, I have seen amazing results - More regularity in my cycle. I'm ordering more for sure.”

To promote better regularity, take 2-3 tablets of Free & Easy Wanderer, a couple of times a day, during the PMS phase of your cycle to harmonize hormones and reduce stress and mood swings. 

Consume 2-3 tablets of Four Substance 2-3 times in a day, for around 4-5 days once the bleeding has ended. This will help to restore body’s energy and replenish blood which will support current cycle and ensure its regularity for the next month.

2) Finding Balance After “The Pill” or Pregnancy

Many women are so depleted after pregnancy that it can take a year or longer for their periods to return.  I met a woman last year who had a one year old baby and was trying to get her cycle back. After using the combination, she wrote an e-mail and said: 

“I love the herbs and I did get my cycle a few weeks ago!” 

Similarly, many women who come off the pill struggle to get their cycles back which can be especially frustrating for women who are hoping to try to conceive.  For women who want to get their cycle “back” after pregnancy, birth control, or any other form of amenorrhea, we recommend taking one Emotional Balance in the morning and one Women’s Formula in the evening daily until the cycle returns, then move the protocol to "Regulate the Cycle" above.

3) Increase Fertility

Once the menstrual cycle is regular and predictable, you can slightly change the timing of when these herbs are taken throughout the month to support fertility. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, blood is at the core of fertility - but many natural biological processes affect and deplete a woman’s blood, starting with the menstrual cycle. 

One woman writes: 

“Easy habit to get into.  The flavor is much more celery than raspberry pepper but it’s rather nice. It’s equally tasty at room temp or warm which is convenient. I’m using it as part of a fertility process and we’ve seen a measurable increase in uterine lining so 2 thumbs up!” 

We recommend taking 2-3 tablets of the Four Substance, a couple of times a day for 4-5 days after menstruation ends to build back the blood and re-balance the body.  

Because ovulation requires a cascade of hormonal releases and physiological responses, moving the Qi will help support the pregnancy process.  After you finish Four Substance (Si Wu Tang), on roughly day 10 or 11 of your cycle, start taking Free & Easy Wanderer (Xiao Yao San) twice a day for the next 4 – 5 days. Together these two formulas will restore Blood and facilitate the free flow of Qi to improve chances of conception.

4) Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome

PCOS is complicated, with the herbs acting best as a complement to nutritional therapy and acupuncture.  However, customers have had great success balancing their hormones with the Women’s Monthly Kit. One customer writes:

“This was my first time using herbs but this blend was recommended by my acupuncturist....after the first couple days I could really tell results with the Xiao Yao San. I have PCOS, and this kit really helped with the symptoms. I would give more than 5 stars if possible, and will be ordering every month.” 

If you're interested in taking these herbs to support your PCOS, we recommend talking to a practitioner about the best way to use herbs as a complement to your regular treatments.

5) A Better Overall Month

How our period affects us can be a huge indicator in our overall health. In Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine theory, common signs of imbalance are moodiness, acne, irregular cycles, disrupted sleep, bloating, heavy or light bleeding, cramps, and headaches. 

In the west, we tend to think, well, it just sucks to be a woman - but in Eastern Medicine theory, these are all common signs that the body is out of balance. The Women’s Monthly Kit can help bring the body gently back into balance, and this combination of formulas is one of the first steps.

We also recommend complementing herbs with acupuncture and nutritional therapy (did you know women in the East rarely (or at least minimize) drink ice water, and try to avoid cold foods during the pre-menstrual phase as well as their periods?).  The fact of the matter is that Chinese medicine provides better support for women’s health than simply overriding the hormonal system with birth control.  One customer writes:

"Cannot live without product. You will never look back.  This is essential to my life after using it for a few months and then going without (never again). It regulated the mood swings and reduced pain I was experiencing before."

Chinese herbs are extremely powerful, but sometimes they can be less than approachable to somebody new to this incredible practice ( what is Xiao Yao San?). 

DAO Labs is committed to making this practice more accessible. We truly believe that there is a better way to hormonal health, and it starts with Chinese medicine.  We’ve taken some of the most common formulas used everyday by millions of women in Asia, and in complementing the herbs with approachable positioning, in some cases flavors and more, our goal is to make this modality part of your ongoing health practices. 

These formulas work gently to bring the body into balance, so we recommend using them consistently for at least 2 months for best results.