Cold Sores
Natural Remedies

Cold Sore Relief: Top Natural Remedies

| Modified on May 12, 2024
The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Acetone
Posted by Jordan D (Georgetown, Tx) on 12/13/2017
★★★★★

Read about this little home remedy yesterday after noticing a cluster of cold sores pop up on my lip when I woke up yesterday morning. Some of the reviews were good and some bad. I decided in a panic and with my wedding only 2 days away that it was worth a shot to try. Not big on the home remedies, but I have been getting cold sores since I was 5 years old (now 26), I have used any and all cold sore medicines, creams, tablets, you name it! None of which have been even close to successful! Last night before bed I held a cotton ball with fingernail polish remover over the nasty cluster of sores on my lip for about 6 minutes. The original post had advised leaving the cotton ball with the polish remover on the affected area for 30 minutes... YES 30 MINUTES. (Not sure how I feel about that one.) I noticed after the 6 minutes that the color of my lip was getting darker and out of fear for it bruising I went ahead and removed it. Immediately I noticed a difference in the affected area. It looked so much better! After wards I cleaned the affected area with hydrogen peroxide on another cotton ball and went to bed. I woke up this morning and to my surprise the clusters were no longer filled with that nasty liquid, they already had a nice scab on them ( the scab was almost the same color as my lips, as it did not look dark or irritated) By lunch time today everything is back to its original color, the scabs are almost completely gone, and the cluster is no longer noticeable unless I stand very close to the mirror. I am definitely forever in favor of this little remedy! Pretty surprised that such a simple solution works after spending TONS of money on medicines for it for 21 years! OH also...after using the nail polish remover BUT before using the hydrogen peroxide I gently cleaned the affected area with my fingers using luke warm tap water and antibacterial hand soap.

Good luck!!!


Acetone
Posted by Kcarey (Dublin, Ireland) on 02/09/2017
★★★★★

Nail varnish remover (acetone) on cotton wool held on cold sore for 10 mins a few times a day.

I cannot overemphasize how much this works; I currently have a very big very sore collection of cold sores & I tried nail varnish remover (as I read it somewhere else) & I could not believe how much it helped within an hour! It sounds drastic & it does sting a lot but the pain is over quickly & cold sore is drastically improved after 1 go!

I've tried everything in the past; taking lysine (cold sores still appeared), zovirax on first tingle (actually think moistening it made it come out not disappear), dabbing with alcohol (helps a v small bit), doing a lot of different stress management techniques to avoid triggers (sleep, exercise, eating well) all to no avail; the nail varnish remover is the only thing where I've actually seen a difference.

One thing I will say about prevention that works is not to let your lips get chapped; most of the times I get a cold sore its after my lips are v dry and chapped; they crack & then out pops a cold score.

I hope it helps someone else.


Acetone
Posted by Jennifer (San Francisco) on 11/24/2020
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Acetone for cold sores works. I also have used ice directly early on for a few hours off and on and that helps too.

However, the MOST important thing you can do to PREVENT cold sores is to NEVER consume ANY artificial sweeteners, which all contain aspartame, including almost any type of gum these days, diet sodas, diet drinks of ANY form, etc, as the aspartame WAKES the virus and activates cold sores. I have not had a cold sore in many years as a result of avoiding aspartame. Hope this helps someone.


Acetone
Posted by Firm Believer (Nyc) on 12/21/2017
★★★★★

Absolutely, positively and without fail works 100% of the time

I'm 42 and I've gotten cold sores my whole life. Like all of you, I too have tried everything I could get my hands on including Dr. prescribed meds. Nothing. Ice seems to chill them out for a bit - but they always came back with a vengeance. I found that acetone works 100% of the time. 100%. I honestly don't care what any naysayer says. It's really that good. If you catch it at the tingle stage, then it stops there. If you catch it at the blister stage, the blisters immediately go down and your at the scab stage. Even that goes quicker. This is the closest thing to a medical miracle that I've experienced. The folks who suffer from this virus would understand that statement. I keep a little bottle of acetone in my home, my car, at work and in my luggage.


Acetone
Posted by Concerned (Georgia ) on 01/12/2016
★★★★★

I have suffered from cold sores ever since I was in elementary school. I am currently 20 years old. I usually get cold sores once a year. But this past year (2015), I got two of them. To top that off, I got one at the beginning of the new year. These are the WORST. I have tried nearly everything. This past time I had a cold sore, I read on the internet that nail polish remover really works. And man was that right! I caught mine before it got too bad.

I put the acetone on it once every hour of the day. Hold it for 20 seconds, IT WILL BURN! But it works. The next morning, my cold sore was almost gone. It wasn't even noticeable! I continued the process of applying acetone every hour of the day until it was gone.

It also helps to take the vitamin L-lysine. I also drink plenty of milk when I have cold sores, because milk also contains lysine.

I hope this was helpful!

Iodine
Posted by Laurie C. (Qualicum Beach, Canada) on 12/31/2020 3 posts
★★★★★

Iodine For Cold Sore On Lip

A nasty cold sore arose on my bottom lip. After 2 days of it annoying me I decided to put a drop of Lugol's iodine on it. Yes, it burned for a few minutes, but, I think it killed it outright. I put another drop on later in the day just to be sure. The next day I noticed it had flattened out quite a lot, then, in a few days a scab peeled off in two very thin layers and my lip looked completely normal. I could not believe it!


Oregano Oil
Posted by Miku (England, Uk) on 04/20/2018
★★★★★

I've suffered with cold sores for years. They erupt violently and take ages to go. I read about oregano oil on here and thought I'd give it a try. Wow! The first outbreak died in 24 hours. I diluted 4/5 drops of oregano oil in water and dabbed it on my lip when I felt the tingles. It rose over night and had crusted over by morning.

The second outbreak didn't even happen. It sort of bubbled under the surface then didnt bother coming up. Haven't had one since.


Garlic
Posted by Happyhappy (Del Mar, California) on 08/30/2014
★★★★★

Garlic works!

I have had this virus since I was 5 or 6, maybe younger for all I know, but I just remember first finding out I had a cold sore. I honestly thought it was a type of cold, and I never knew there was a stigma behind them until I was about 22. Once I figured out people have the audacity to look down on people with this virus (even though they likely have it too), I became very stressed whenever I would have an outbreak. I never knew you could stop one until I researched it. Learning about garlic on this Earth Clinic website, I had to try it, especially since I usually buy too much and have it lying around for about 3 months at a time.

I hear people talking about a garlic supplement not working, but I am talking about FRESH garlic. I personally cannot chance an outbreak by using a garlic pill when I have the real deal fresh garlic. You can buy a couple of bulbs of garlic and it will last for quite some time (I've had my garlic for almost two months, and even though it may not be as pretty as new garlic, once you cut it, that fresh garlic juice is there). I just cut a small sliver (just take a knife and take a flat slice from biggest part of the garlic so it will cover a larger area, which can help kill the virus on AND around the offending area) from a clove and hold the little sliver against my lip. I do this if I feel a tingle, if I bite too much dry skin off my lip (bad habit), if I feel discomfort of any sort around my lips/mouth, or even question an upcoming outbreak, I go on and press that fresh sliver against my lip, and that is EXACTLY what you should do in those cases too.

The nice thing about garlic is that you can even use it IN the mouth, whereas many other things (i.e. alcohol, nail polish remover) cannot be used for blisters inside the mouth.

Even if you have a blister when you wake up, ice it for as long as you can to calm down the swelling and numb the lip, then immediately grab your garlic clove, cut a sliver off (save the remainder of the clove, this way, as you need more, you can keep cutting slivers off throughout the day, thus releasing more fresh juice every time you use it. ) The Garlic will send the active virus to hell where it belongs and you should notice your blister rapidly receding, as the garlic will not only obliterate the active virus, but don't lick your lips after applying the garlic, because the garlic should help dry that sucker out.

(When you get to the last possible piece of your garlic, it may be dry because there is not more garlic to cut off to release the juice. If this is the case, just gently squeeze the last piece to release the juice, and it will be good to go! )

Anytime you think, know, doubt, assume, wonder, or question rather or not a cold sore is coming, USE THE FRESH GARLIC. I recommend using it every couple of hours to ensure you won't get a breakout during times you need it, however, I've used it once on red swollen skin (the stage RIGHT BEFORE impending blister) and feel asleep, and next morning, nothing. If you fall asleep, just use more garlic next day.

WARNING: You will have to man/woman up for this, as the garlic MAY cause an extreme burning sensation as you press it on the offending area. Sometimes it barely burns, especially if my lips are not cracked or damaged, and sometimes my mouth, eyes, and nose water because it hurts so bad. But I deal with it, because it is less painful than walking around feeling like you have a black eye on your lip. Embarrassing.

Summary & Tips:

  • Buy FRESH GARLIC and just keep it around. The juice inside the garlic will be there a very long time, so even old looking garlic can be cut to release juice with that power garlic "medicine."
  • You only need to cut a sliver off of the garlic each time you need some garlic, as each flat sliver has the "miracle" garlic juice on it.
  • If in doubt and if you have an outbreak, still use the garlic. It may even possibly kill the virus on the skin (the shedding) to help protect others or spreading to other parts of your body (please still use ALL the safety precautions that you would use if you had giant oozing blister on your mouth.)
  • Carry a clove of garlic in your car, backpack, purse, etc. It may not be legal to carry a knife (especially if minors and/or anyone at an educational institute), so carry something that can help you release the juice from the garlic. Plastic knife, spoon, even a sanitized filer on nail clippers.
  • Don't forget to brush your teeth! You don't know how many people admit they forgot to brush their teeth the day/night before an outbreak. The virus loves moist and unclean. Also, avoid toothpastes with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (sls), as it is believed to cause outbreaks.
  • You may want to gargle with peroxide to kill the viruses that may be throwing a party in your mouth. I also take a piece of cotton, paper towel, or even toilet paper (anything disposable) and put some peroxide on it, and clean my lips and mouth area to also help remove any shedding I may not be aware of.
  • In between outbreaks, always keep lips moist with something that helps prevent outbreaks. Something with lysine, an antiviral essential or even some balm that if for cold sores. Just use something to help keep these at bay.

Thanks to everyone who sticks around to read this long post.

Good look and be happy!


Acetone
Posted by Jerome (New York) on 07/04/2018 8 posts
★★★★★

Another YEA for acetone for cold sores. I've gotten cold sores since I was a child, sometimes so deep it looked like someone put out a cigarette on my lip. Now I soak a cotton ball with acetone and press it to the cold sore for 20 seconds and after 2 or 3 applications the cold sore is on its way out. Every time.

Such a brilliant remedy, so cheap and SO much more effective than any expensive cream or Valtrex.


Acetone
Posted by Sweetpeasal (Duarte, CA) on 10/25/2022
★★★★★

I have suffered with cold sores my whole life. After spending a day out in the sun, I could feel my lip starting to swell (you know the feeling). I frantically looked online to see if there was some new remedy out there. I discovered this site and saw so many good reviews about acetone I figured I'd give it a try. (I used to use BHT and lysine but that ceased to work for me.)

Miracle of miracles, the acetone worked! Several times of the day, I would press a q-tip dipped in 100% acetone onto the area until it stung and then removed it. The cold sore never even got to the tingle phase. By day two my lip was slightly swollen but only about a third of what it normally would have been. By day three it was 10% swollen with a simple scab that could be covered with lipstick. No blisters even. Unbelievable. A week later, the small scab is still there, but the sore is clearly receding to nothing.

Where has this been my whole life?! The acetone must just kill the virus! Thank you all for sharing your experience with this amazing remedy! So helpful.


Acetone
Posted by Gemma (Lancashire) on 07/17/2022
★★★☆☆

Last summer I had a beast of a cold sore. It was 6 in one!! I hadn't had one in about 15 years so it was very weird. Probably from vaccine shedding from other people.
For some reason I didn't think to check on here until about day 5. I tried acetone but the skin was already broken and it made it 10 times worse and left a scar too.

I think acetone must be used at the first signs and would be very effective but not once the skin has broken.


Acetone
Posted by Cheri S. (Wellington, Florida) on 03/18/2021
★★★★★

My husband had his first cold sore at 42 years old. Neither of us even knew what it was at first. He is very tough when it comes to pain and this thing was excruciating for him. I found this suggestion on Earth Clinic, thank God. He said there was a huge relief with the very first application of acetone. He applied it with a cotton ball only 4- 5 times a day (yes, it burns, but definitely worth it). He is on day 3 now and it is significantly smaller, scabbed over, and he has almost no pain or swelling on his lip. This would have been a miserable 2 week experience if it weren't for you all posting your effective treatments. Thank you Earth Clinic!!

Colloidal Silver
Posted by Art (California ) on 10/19/2018 2332 posts
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

A friend of mine recently got a cold sore / herpes sore on her upper and lower lip. She tried colloidal silver applying twice a day and both sores were gone in three days or less. I told her next time to apply a CS wetted cotton ball and tape it to her lip area so the silver can have plenty of time and material to do its job in contact with the sore. On the second day she told me she thought it was reversing because she felt much less "pressure" at the location of the sore. By the end of the second day, the sore was obviously diminished!

Art


Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Lee (Blenheim, New Zealand) on 12/17/2012
★★★★★

I can not reccommend Hydrogen peroxide enough! I had my first ever break out of cold sores on my bottom lip, it started as one then ended up having 4, my lip was a mess and showed no signs of improving it just kept scabbing then cracking. I went and got Hydrogen peroxide 6% (but im sure 3% or whatever one you can get would work) and I put it on every time I looked in the mirror or remembered about it -the more the better! (I also started taking L-lysine and olive leaf extract but I know it was the hydrogen peroxide that made the big difference) then within only 2 days my lips were 90% better!!!! It kills the virus, dries up the blisters/scabs and heals it but without it getting so dry that it cracks. If my lips did feel a little dry I just put some coconut oil on them and it worked so so well! Had to come back on here and reccommend to anyone who is going through what I have just been through. USE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE!! :)


Lugol's Iodine, Coconut Oil
Posted by Maria K. (Frankfurt, Germany) on 08/19/2021 6 posts
★★★★★

In the Past I used to get cold sores on my lips almost every month. That was so annoying and painful. Three years ago I visited my homeland and being a guest and having parties with friends and relatives ate spicy dishes with ketchup and drank so much soft drinks that at the end of my journey when next night I had a flight for Germany I felt tingling on my lips, alarming cold sore is coming.I wanted urgent relief and want to stop it on its way, because I did not want to travel in constant pain and looking horible with swollen lips.I had Lugols Iodine 5% and coconut oil at hand.

In desperation I took 5 drops of Lugols Iodine and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil after 4 hours took another dose of 5 drops of Iodine and coconut oil. After 2 hours I felt a little relief in tingling on lips and cold sore stopped getting bigger.After 2 hours before depature of my flight I took third time 5 drops of Lugol's Iodine and no more coconut oil.In aeroplane I was sitting relaxed and happy with my family, no more tingling and pain.So quick relief I had never in my life.When I reached home the little sore had turned brown.So in the last three years I did not have a single episod of herpes because at the first sign of herpes I start this protocol, always works like a charm.Now I can eat spicy and sour dishes, ketchup, nuts and soft drinks in moderation without any fear of getting herpes.

I take daily 4 drops of Iodine for general health too.

I think same protocol will work for gentials Herpes too.


Olive Leaf Extract
Posted by Jake (Madison Wi ) on 11/22/2017
★★★★★

I started getting cold sores about once a month sometimes twice and eventually read about olive leaf extract. I started taking them. 4 per day, 2 in the morning and at night. It seems like it took forever, but months later they stopped and so far I haven't had a single one in nearly 2 years. I have not been checked to see if the virus is gone or not, but I'm not complaining. I also combined with lysine pills. Eventually I reduced my dosage to 2 per day and then eventually just one pill a day of the olive leaf extract. I'm extremely grateful to God and for the information I came across that lead me to it. I had to stick with it and it did take months to work, but totally worth it.


Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Tmccallum (United States ) on 12/29/2015
★★★★★

For years I would get re-occurring cold sores when a change in the weather would come;typically from warm to cold. However, this year I used HP and soaked a cotton ball in it and applied (ran back and forth) on my upper lip for repeatedly until I felt it tingle on my upper lip. The tingling helped me to know that it was working. I did this until the tingling stopped. NO cold sore! Not sure this will work for everyone but I can feel when something is not working right on my body and I try to be proactive in stopping it. I hope this helps!



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