Avoiding The Sun
For years I would get cold sores and I could not figure out why.. I'm 70yrs now and about 5 years ago the answer came.. It was the sun that brought them on for me... I am fair skin and I have a large lot.. I do all the yard work , that includes making patios with pavers, digging up sewer pipes etc... The days I'm in the sun too long, the next day I will feel bumps next to my lips and I know whats coming Blisters... So now I do most of my yard work late in the day or very early in the am.. If I do get one, I use camphor.
Baking Soda
Bicarbonate of soda for cold sores:
Been having cold sores all my life but it effects me more now as I have fallen in love. Massive cold sore came up yesterday (Thursday )above my lip found this site and made the paste put it on the sore and it went down within an hour. I covered my whole face with it and my skin is so soft and glowing now thank you so much
inez
(Fort Wayne, US)
07/26/2014
Inez from Kent UK. Inez, I too suffered from cold sores till I started taking baking soda mixed with water in the morning on an empty stomach. I have 1/2 teaspoon baking soda with a cup of water four to five days a week. I have not had one outbreak since I started years ago. there is much written on the subject here on EC. It works, it's cheap and I feel great.
Baking Soda
I found that the virus that causes cold sores does not like bicarbonate of soda. I was usually able to half the time to heal by applying the soda to the open lesion several times a day.
Baking Soda
Another excellent use for baking soda is for mouth ulcers and cold sores. Simply mix a teaspoon of baking soda with 100mls of water and use as a gargle. For cold sores use the same solution. Dab directly onto the cold sore using a cotton bud. Do this at least twice a day.
Bee Propolis
Herpes: Bee propolis applied topically significantly shortens the duration of the outbreak. Be careful: it permanently stains textile!
Bentonite Clay and Apple Cider Vinegar
I`ve had good results using cosmetic bentonite clay mixed with apple cider vinegar on a fever blister.This is something I normally use as a facial.But I discovered if I applied a small amount of the mixture to the fever blister covering it completely and leave on overnight, it would reduce and start to heal.
BHT
I have been taking BHT for a year now and haven't had an actual outbreak since. In 2015 I had three in the course of 6 months, which is the most I've ever had in that amount of time. Now here's the disclaimer, I've had what I thought were the tell-tale signs of one coming on (you know that little bit of irritation). Now this could be paranoia and nerves or an actual outbreak, I never am 100% sure. Anyway, I always up my regular 250mg dose of BHT to 500 or even 1000mg (never more), apply some Lemon Balm to the suspect area and ta-da, and up all my other vitamins (L-Lysine too) and it never comes to fruition. Maybe one of these times I will be brave and just stick with the 250mg of BHT and see what happens (too bad my outbreaks last at least 2 full weeks! )!?
(Emerald City)
08/20/2016
BHT
I see a list for popular remedies but, under that list I do not see BHT (Butylated Hydroxy Toluene) for cold sores of which is a herpes virus. I for one am using it and am seeing the disapearance of one on my lip that used to break out every year. Some one here mentioned if you can't cure it you can at least control it. I say why control it when you can cure it. You can see the results of BHT under the remedies tab. Again I don't understand why it not under the list of popular remedies here as opposed to acetone which can be harmful. Acetone nay. BHT yea.
BHT
Hi my name is Lucky Phoswa, from South Africa I'm busy experimenting with BHT, to try and control my cold sore outbreaks and documenting it all on my blog at: bht-coldsores.blogspot.com. I want to give users first hand information on the use of BHT, with results and it's side effects. Many thanks,
(Fremont, OH)
06/11/2008
Ok after reading the above blog on BHT, I thought I would give it a try. So I began taking 250mg per day and over the course of a week or two ramped it up to 1000 mg per day. i continued this for 2 months not always taking 1000mg but varying between the 250 and 1000, and during this time I had far more (3 to be exact) and more severe outbreaks than I'd had in the 5 years since first realizing I had genital herpes. So, I would say BHT is an emphatic NO. I even combined it with ST. Johns Wart (hipericin). I have been outbreak free since quitting the BHT and thought well maybe this stuff actually worked and I had rid myself of the virus, but just last night I began feeling the familiar pain, like somebody punched me in the vag and it has continued onto today. No blisters yet but I'm sure they are coming. Since quitting the BHT, I have been boosting my immune system with extra zink, resveratrol, flax seed oil, mega doses of vitamin b, vitamins a+d, vitamin c. The boosting of the immune system seems to be the only effective therapy.
(Orange County, Ca)
12/06/2010
BHT works. I read about it and immediately tried it for a year, everyday (without fail). Combined with my normally strict diet, no nuts, no alcohol, no chocolate, no soda, no caffeine. Started with 500mg then moving up to 750mg a day and sometimes 1000. I never had a outbreak during this time. My year long experiment ended roughly 2 years ago and I'd say I've had 3 minor outbreaks since the experiment ended, although I have started to occasionally enjoy alcohol again and chocolate and some seeds and nuts, but no caffeine. My opinion is BHT has greatly reduced my outbreaks and improved my life.
(Bc Canada)
09/08/2016
Bingpensan
Bingpensan for Cold Sores on the Lips
Many years ago in China, a local doctor gave me a vial of Bingpengsan (borneolum and borax), which is a white or pink powder. She told me to rinse my mouth three times a day with diluted hydrogen peroxide (4 parts water, 1 part hydrogen peroxide). After rinsing, I was to use the equivalent of a Q-tip to spread the Bingpengsan lightly on the cold sore. This must be done immediately when the cold sore just emerges.
Within a day the cold sore will dry up, but keep using the treatment. About day three, the cold sore will have turned into a scab and will fall off. I've kept the vial for more than 25 years and use it whenever I feel/see a cold sore emerge. It has never failed to eliminate the cold sore immediately. I'm not sure where or how to get this type of powder in the U.S., but my acupuncture doctor has provided to me a powdered preparation in capsules called Tianqi, which has the same effect on open wounds (like blisters, burns, scrapes, bed sores). Just take the the powder out of the capsule and sprinkle or spread it on the open sore (if it's a blister, just put the powder on it). The wound will dry up and scab over very, very quickly. I've never tried the Tianqi for cold sores, but it seems to have the same action as the Bingpengsan.
Bitter Almonds
Have anyone tried bitter almonds on cold sores. I have now been eating them for half a year and have no outbreak of cold sores.Also I mix some bitter almond oil with sweet almond oil and rub it on my lips every night. You can also use 100% bitter almond oil but it burns like hell
Bitter Melon
Bitter Melon has worked wonders on cold sore outbreaks. I get a tingle, take a couple of capsules and it subsides. I have tried coconut oil, but the results were not as spectacular.The few times I could not get the capsules in time (at work), I simply took them as soon as I could and the break out was lasted about a day and was not even visible- just itching and some slight burning. Bitter Melon beats all the others, hands down.
Black Tea
Recently found that black tea gets rid of my coldsores.
I usually drink coffee but like to have tea sometimes.
I had a cold sore a few weeks ago and didn't have lemongrass that I usually use on them.
After having a few sips of black tea I realised the swelling feeling was gone.. so I put some directly on the sore. It basically stopped the progression of the coldsore and started healing.
I tried it again today after having another one pop up, it didn't disappoint and is healing.
Apparently the tannins in the tea kill off the coldsore virus.
Bleach
Like Gloria (2009), Bleach worked for me when I have a cold sore a few years back. It made sense that it would kill a virus since that's what it says on the bottle. so I diluted a little bleach and pressed it on there until it stung and then I only had to reapply it a few times because it didn't get any worse after that.
(AB)
01/09/2022
I do this as well. In fact I started feeling the tingle around 2 this morning. Dabbed a cotton swab with bleach before I went to bed and held it on the very tip of each blister (there were 3 starting) for about 30 seconds each. Did it again around noon (when I woke up) and now it is just after 6pm and all that's left is a tiny mark from the slightly bigger blister and the other 2 are completely gone.
I just make sure I'm SUPER careful about allowing the tip of the swab to touch ONLY the blister so the skin around it doesn't burn.
(Calgary)
01/12/2022
Bleach
My son got cold sore, i heard about apple cider vinager, hp (hydrogen peroxide) and all of that store stuff. My co-worker told me about clorox bleach. After trying carmex, and hp, we applied bleach, and every time it stopped burning we applied more. After 3 applications it went away in 30 minutes.
(Portland, Oregon)
02/27/2009
I am happy to hear about your success Gloria, and while I see that your sharing of it is intended to be helpful, I feel I must express my sincere concern about the safety of your remedy. Bleach is very toxic, even to breathe. I know that many of us use or have used it in our homes and for laundry, etc...and have probably absorbed it into our skin, without noticing, but I cringe to think about someone applying it to the mouth area, or getting the idea that this is a safe remedy to use in the future. I would hope that anyone reading over this remedy would take this into consideration and pursue other methods of healing, that are natural and work with the body instead of against it. In my opinion, it would be safer to just 'wait out' the sore than to apply a toxic substance to it. I hope you understand my need to mention all of this, as I feel that certain people could be harmed by this remedy.
(Calgary, Ab,canada)
10/25/2011
Bleach is dangerous, but if it is applied properly I think it is an extremely effective way to stop a cold store dead in its track.
Use a little with a q tip and press it onto your cold sore for 3 - 5 minutes. Do this at the very first sign of a cold sore coming on and it WILL NOT come out, or grow to be worse. Be very careful not to burn yourself or your lip area. Allow for a little bit of stinging, but know what is too much. Compress with an ice cube after to get rid of the sting. I did this twice the first day I noticed one coming on, and along with Abreva and L-Lysine it was practically gone by day 2 and never got worse.
