Top Natural Remedies for Cold Sores (Fever Blisters)

Apple Cider Vinegar, Clay

Posted by Sheel (New York, Ny) on 07/08/2016
★★★★★

I just experience an amazing recovery from a recurring cold sore. In the past I have used garlic and tried acetone topically, but I noticed that moisture always exacerbated the sore for example taking a shower would be terrible. This time I figured I would dry the heck out of it so I tried using a clay mask mixed with an equal amount of ACV on my developing cold sore. I did it two times a day for two days now and slept with it on my lip overnight and the cold sore completely skipped it's "exploding with pus" stage, dried up and is healing. I hope you try this, it really worked amazingly well for me.

Acetone

Posted by Ed (Seattle, Wa) on 01/01/2016
★★★★★

My diet is somewhat acidic. I would experience cold sore attacks every other week. I stopped taking daily multivitamins due to high L-arinine content of solid multivitamin pills. I have been eating roman lettuce, green cabbage, carrots and other vegetables every day starting this summer.

I had only 1 instant of tingling and reddish color on my lower lip where cold sores would appear before. Tingling, inflammation and skin redness went away in minutes after applying acetone.

Ice

Posted by Lavender (Minnesota) on 12/22/2013
★★★★★

This works at the first sign of a sore, quickly and every time.... ICE.... Take a cloth so your fingers don't freeze off, wrap it around a cube of ice. Place the ice directly on the sore. You can move it around the surrounding area, as well. Leave it there until you can't stand it anymore....then do it again....at often as you have time to during one day's time....

I promise you it will go away. The ice does not bother me, I'm used to it, you will too knowing the sore will be gone by evening. This works for me everytime, been doing this for YEARS!

Acetone

Posted by Josephine (Uk) on 10/20/2013
★★★★★

Just wanted to say that acetone for nose ulcers work very well. Just just a cotton bud dipped it into acetone and applied to the sore for one minute. I did this every moring and niht for two days.. The tinggling sensation went after the second application. Thank you Earth Clinic.

Acetone

Posted by Fmb (Vancouver) on 08/09/2013
★★★★★

YEA Acetone really does work - it's amazing. I wanted to explain a few details I experienced with the acetone treatment.

I've been getting cold sore outbreaks for about 15 years now - I'm 39 - I found that taking 1000mg Lysine daily has kept me free of outbreaks for 4 years - I ran out, didn't take lysine for only 2 days and BAM my upper lip had the start of BIG nasty large vesicles - Couldn't believe it - no prodrome tingling, no warning. It was slightly obsured by my moustache so I didn't really notice it right away. This one just by the initial size was gonna be a major disaster.

I read all the miracle stories about it, so I tried the acetone on a cotton swab placed directly onto the sore for 5min at a time every 30min for the first day. To stop evaporation I used clear packing tape to press the swab right onto the sore. Don't be afraid to PRESS the acetone into the sore - it will burn bad but it's like you can also feel the acetone destroying the HSV inside.

The next morning I woke up and I thought Lisa Rinna's plastic surgeon had snuck into my bed and plumped up my lip with silicone - It was HUGE, I actually laughed in the mirror because it looked so ridiculous. However, the sore had gone directly to scab healing stage.

The following morning the swelling had almost completely gone and after my shower the scab had worn off and the final pink healing scab remained. So literally 48 hours from the start of what was to be a colossal large sore on my lip it's already to the point of what normally takes about 10 days to get to.

1000mg Lysine daily is the long-term cure you want to get on - but if you miss a Lysine and one pops up Acetone is what you need 100% - Do not even bother with anything else and start it as soon as you see or feel one coming on.

Acetone is also totally safe for your skin - read up about it on wikipedia - It's even used as a food additive!

Ear Wax

Posted by Gladys (Boise, Idaho) on 08/18/2009
★★★★★

My Mother suffered from cold sores, My Great grandmother always said use your own ear wax. Grandma was from the Old Country..When I got married my husband suffered with cold sores, So I told him what grandma used to say to mom. Use your ear wax. After many Years of going thru this. I told him again and also saying i will not tell you again and to just suffer. Well to my surprise he tried it and from then on. he was telling all of his friends. My last words were not to lick your lips.

Ear Wax

Posted by Margie (Columbia, SC) on 03/26/2008
★★★★★

You might find this fever blister (herpes) remedy kind of yucky, however IT WORKS. I've been using it for YEARS and I'm 52. Whenever I feel a fever blister coming up on my lip, I immediately apply (here goes) EARWAX from my ear! YES REALLY. Just use a Q-tip, dab a little on the area and you can feel the earwax working as soon as you apply it! For some reason, earwax dries fever blisters very, very quickly. The only downside is that earwax tastes bitter. I know you are horrified right now, But DON'T KNOCK IT until you've tried it. I've never taken the time to research why it works. (Maybe you folks might have an answer.) Anyway, if you feel this is appropriate to post, please do. Thanks,

Ear Wax

Posted by J (Tn) on 08/21/2017
★★★★★

Yes, My grandmother told me the old wives tale about ear wax and cold sores. At first I was like most horrified and grossed out, I bought the expensive squeeze tunes of "cold sore medication", tried about 2 or 3 different forms of it...nothing. I tried popping them and alcohol to dry them up....nothing but more days in pain, I even went to the doctor and was given a script when I had one inside my lip in fear that they would reach my throat. They cleared up, eventually.

But when I felt that well known oh no tickle the next time and thought I have nothing else to lose so I go into the bathroom and qtip to ear and took a deep breath and 1,2, wait what am I doing?? Screw it...3!! And on like I would lipstick or gloss but just to the spot.

You know what....no break out! Are you kidding me?! All of this time, pain and wasted money. Should I been doing this for years! And I have been ever since.

Let me say this, it only takes one time to forget that you have it on and you rub your lips together or stick out your tongue. Lol. Heaven forbid if you lick it! Lol, but you will only do it once.

Neem Leaves or Oil

Posted by Louise (NYC) on 01/21/2007
★★★★★

I have been taking Neem triple potent tincture and apple cider vinegar. I am happy to report 3 months OB-free after 10 years of multi annual OBs!!! Neem is toxic to the herpes virus and I advise everyone to research and try this ancient herb, it absolutely works!!! WWW.NEEM.ORG Try reducing to removing all manufactured sugars (all sweeteners, white/brown sugar, turbinado,corn syrups) and as much stress from your life asap. Herpes LOVES sugar. Herpes hates hydrogen peroxide (food grade) and any other remedies loaded with oxygen.

Acetone

Posted by Whathadhappendedwas (Florida) on 08/28/2023
★★★★★

Acetone is the best remedy I've tried. I get the big swollen lip. Others have said to keep it on for five minutes. However, I kept it on for a min or so at a time. I did it about 20 times the first day.

My lip went down after a couple hours. I then poked the blister with a needle and got the fluid out. Next day it crusted over. Did the acetone all day again but maybe fewer times. Third day was just a scab. Did the acetone a few more times just in case. Now I'm just waiting for the scab to come off. I'm on the fourth day. It usually takes a week before it scabs over. I guess I'll be doing this from now on.

Black Tea

Posted by Trista (Sydney, Australia ) on 09/13/2022
★★★★★

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.

Kale

Posted by Lynn4 (maryland) on 07/11/2022
★★★★★

Cold Sores:

When one of these appears in the mouth - what has worked for me is eating a good quality raw kale greens - or take Lysine tablets. it works.

Lemongrass

Posted by Trista (Sydney, Australia ) on 03/05/2022
★★★★★

Fresh lemongrass has stopped my cold sores in their tracks. If you get to it on the tingle and before it blisters it will knock it out and won't get the chance to blister.

Get a fresh lemongrass stalk, peel one of the layers off and use a spoon..I usually have the spoon up right while I scrape the inside lemongrass layer using my thumb to hold it down and get the juice on the spoon that way.. then put it on the cold sore with my finger...

The 1st couple of times I just put the layer on a plate and used the spoon and pressed it down to get the juice on the back of the spoon and used the spoon directly on the cold sore so I didn't have to wash my hands after.. or fold the layer in half and use the juices that produce at the fold directly to the cold sore..

1st time I used it, it was at the tingle stage.. within the hour of it tingling I applied the lemongrass juice just the once and the tingle stopped instantly. It was around midday/ early afternoon that I applied it.

The next morning I felt the tingle again.. I could see slight redness however no blister so I quickly put some more on and immediately stopped tingling and started healing after that.. no blister. No more applying. It just didn't progress into a cold sore and it healed from that point on.

2nd time it had just started to rise and was about to form a blister. I had no lemongrass on hand so went to the shops and grabbed some.I applied it that afternoon and before bed. The next day no tingling and it was healing. I didn't need to apply anymore.

So it would seem that 2 applications are necessary.

4th or 5th time I had kept the lemongrass in the freezer.. to my dismay, it did not work. It took the tingle out a little which I felt I needed to keep applying it.. soo I did all day and the next day.. but it continued into a blister.. I got some fresh lemongrass the next day and it worked. Immediately stopping its progress.

So the lemongrass has to be fresh.

I've tried all the creams.. they aren't really great.. at 1st they helped the itchiness etc but never stopped the blisters...and after a while don't do anything at all..

I've tried peppermint extract.. as I had read good things.. but this didn't help really.. made it less itchy but didn't help the blisters.. same as toothpaste.. it stops the itch but it burns the skin and makes the area bigger.

Lemongrass by far is the best thing I've tried. Knocks it out.

Bleach

Posted by Fruitful Eden (Or) on 11/21/2020 4 posts
★★★★★

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.

Honey

Posted by Bee (Lansing, Mi) on 10/20/2018
★★★★★

My go to for outbreaks is honey. Its antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, and conditioning benefits work great at all stages of these buggers. So soothing and I rarely have the long scab stage anymore. I tried melaleuca homey this time and don't think it's any better than the organic I usually have. Take a tbls internally too!

Ice

Posted by Susie (Hawke's Bay, Nz) on 09/19/2018
★★★★★

I have struggled with cold sores for 23 years now and have tried many things to ease the pain and make them go away quicker. I have also been an Earth Clinic follower for over 10 years and have never posted a comment because nothing has ever worked for me. Until today! I am still really stunned and cannot quite believe that it has worked so well. I keep checking my lip, but no, there is definitely no coldsore there. This morning I was at an appointment and I felt my lip start to swell and get really hot and sore. I was gutted because I am going away tomorrow for a few days and did not want to have to worry about a cold sore. When my appointment finished I quickly came home and felt I needed to apply ice to it. I did not know ice could help coldsores, it was not a remedy I had ever come across. I just knew I needed to ice it. So I got an ice pack and held it to my lip for at least 10-15 minutes, then when I took the pack off there was no more swelling or heat and the lump had disappeared completely. I could not believe it. I am still surprised! I keep thinking it might come back so I keep checking. I took two Lysine tablets and applied some cream I always put on just to be sure. Nothing there. No heat, no mark, no swelling. Usually by the end of day one I would have a full on throbbing, very painful blistering sore. I wish I had known about this remedy years ago. I know some remedies work for some and not others, but I highly recommend trying ice. It may just work for you like it did for me. And so easy. I only applied it once.

Lemon Balm

Posted by G (Auckland, New Zealand) on 03/24/2018
★★★★★

Lemon balm tincture worked for me. I'm 51, female and have had a recurring cold sore for about 10 years on my bottom lip.Sometimes I would get it maybe once or twice a year, and other times I would get it nearly every month.

I could only find the tincture, not the oil on a Friday night after watching on youtube about cold sore remedies. So I applied it by q tip on the newly and quickly developing cold sore for about a minute. Then I dropped a couple of mls or so into my green tea and drank it. I did this a few times over the weekend. The cold sore didn't develop any more and was totally gone in 3 days. I've tried heaps of remedies over the 10 years and this was the first time I've succeeded in getting instant results. I've had 2 recurrences since then and applied the lemon balm with immediate results again. Lemon balm oil would probably work too but I couldn't find it at the time. I've since realised that it's called by it's latin name Melissa officinalis on the essential oil bottle at my local organics shop.

I hope this helps someone else.

Ice

Posted by Carmen (Eureka, Ca) on 04/04/2017
★★★★★

Ice on a cold sore--absolutely works. Hold it on until it aches. It will diminish the sore, or make it go away altogether. If the cold sore flares up again, ice it again.