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Blister Remedies

| Modified on Feb 25, 2024
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Even a miniscule blister can leave you limping or worse, sitting on the sidelines. But, home remedies can help soothe and heal blisters quickly and effectively. The next time you get a blister try aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, or green tea.

What Causes Blisters?

A blister is a fluid-filled bump that looks somewhat like a bubble on your skin. Blisters can form almost anywhere and are generally caused by a weakening of the skin in conjunction with inflammation. Common causes are wearing shoes that rub your feet, heavy work with your hands, exposure to heat or other chemicals, or even an insect bite or infection.

Are There Any Natural Remedies I Can Use to Speed Healing?

The inflammation and tenderness of a blister can be difficult to handle, but you can speed the healing and relieve these symptoms quickly and effective. There are a number of home remedies that work for treating blisters, but three of the best are aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, and green tea. So, the next time you get a blister, don’t prolong your suffering; try one of these treatments.

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a natural healer. The gel contains anti-inflammatory properties, which help to reduce redness and swelling. It also hydrates your skin, so it heals faster. To use this remedy, apply fresh aloe vera gel, straight from the plant, to your blister 2-3 times a day or as needed.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It can help prevent infection and relieve inflammation. To use this treatment, use a cotton swab to dab the blister with ACV or even soak the blister in the liquid and allow it to dry.

3. Green Tea

Green tea possesses potent anti-inflammatory compounds, so you can use this option for relieving pain and reducing swelling. Either brew some cold green tea and use a cotton swab to soak your blister with the liquid, or soak a tea bag in cold water and place it directly on your blister.

Hydrating and reducing inflammation are the best options for treating a blister, and these remedies do just that. Continue reading below for more tips from our readers!

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.
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Aloe Vera

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Posted by Janie Y (Illinois) on 11/18/2013
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Aloe Vera has been helping to actually heal my blisters on the bottoms of my feet and the ones on the backs of my toes! While I was treating my plantar warts with 100% Aloe Vera, which really did the trick (The warts are almost completely gone as of this writing)! See my post in "Warts" about using the Aloe Vera for treatment....During the time of treating my warts (which were super painful at the time), I decided to dab some Aloe on a couple of blisters I had, as well. It worked! . Seems the Aloe dried them up. Now I am pretty much blister free and wart free, thanks to my using Aloe Vera. I was using the gel taken from my Aloe Vera Plant, that I had at home, but finally made it over to my health food store and bought a bottle of Aloe Vera Gel . I always heard that Aloe was good for burns... but who knew I could use it on plantar warts and blisters.....Oh - I had also been using something called "Benzoin Tincture" (am I allowed to say that?) on my blisters, which has all natural ingredients including Aloe Vera .... But I thought I would try and see what good ole pure Aloe would do - It seems to have work just fine!!! Thank you Earth Clinic for helping us to find NATURAL remedies to help cure what ails us!!! Read and take heed!!!

Bulbine Frutescens

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Posted by Pam E. (Riverside Co., California) on 10/09/2023 148 posts
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Bulbine frutescens (the species / yellow-flowered)

I recently began to apply fresh leaf-gel from a succulent (Bulbine frutescens) in my garden, whose gel is medicinally like that of Aloe vera ... also to blisters.

At least when the blister is new, a leaf sliced open on one side, then opened to form a wider 'poultice', held on the blister for several minutes ... and the blisters have healed.

I break a leaf off, remove enough to cover the blister from its wider end, slice down 1 side of it with thumbnail, lay it open, lacerate the gel some with fingernail, then hold the moist inner leaf against the blister for 20 or so minutes.

So far this has healed the blister, so I can see no sign that it was ever there.... I have yet to use it on an older blister, but feel confident that they may only take longer to heal.

Bulbines natalensis & frutescens Promote Cutaneous Wound Healing

"Histological analysis of the wound tissue in the study indicated earlier wound contraction and collagen deposition ... with re-organisation of the collagen (indicating collagen maturation) evident as early as at day 10.

"The results of this study suggests that the leaf extracts increase tensile strength by increasing fibroplasia, differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, and increased collagen deposition and maturation.

"This study further validates use of Bulbine leaf gels for skin wound treatment."

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23078885/

Epsom Salt

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Posted by Alliimo (Massachusetts) on 08/06/2015
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I recently went to Bostonm MA and spent the day walking around the city. I wore the wrong shoes (flip flops) and had quarter-sized blisters on the sole of my feet that evening. I used epsom salt soaks for 3 nights and they disappeared!

The first night I soaked both feet in hot water with about 1.5 cups of epsom salts in it. I did two rounds, soaking for about 20 mins each round.

The following 2 nights, I soaked for the same amount of time with the same amount of epsom salts in the water.

The first morning, I noticed little fluid left in the blisters. These were big blisters and had noticeably shrunken in size.

The second and third mornings, the fluid was gone and the skin started to tighten back up. AMAZING!!

Essential Oils

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Posted by Katzie (Calgary ) on 01/28/2021
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My son developed a rather large blister on the sole of his foot on our very first day at Universal Studios, and so had alot of walking to do! I got out my healing oil kit consisting of: Tamanu oil, Emu oil and Goji berry oil. I soaked a cotton ball with all 3 and taped it to his foot overnight. The next day the skin was pink and healthy, with no sign of blister! I expect and get alot from my healing oils, but even I was blown away!

Onion

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Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 02/24/2024
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Onion for Foot Blister

I'm GF got a blister the size of a nickle on the bottom of her foot from wearing heels. I sliced off piece of red onion and used a garlic press to squeeze out the juice (enough to saturate a cottonball) and taped it over the blister. A few hours later (5hrs?) when she pulled the tape off to examine the blister, it was almost gone. It did not burst. Amazing…..

Plantain

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Posted by Marcy (Californina) on 08/20/2018
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The first time my son walked to high school about 2.5 miles from home both of his feet had blisters the size of quarters. (His feet were soft from laying around all summer ;)) I had him soak his feet in epsom salts for a couple of nights and then applied a salve I made from plantain and had him sleep with white bootie socks on. The results were amazing! The next morning he got up and said that he didn't feel any pain in his feet.

Plantain
Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 05/18/2018
 ★★★★★

One of my sons had what he thought was a touch of poison ivy on the sole of his foot.

It was finally just one bubble/blister. The blister wore off and he had an open spot on his foot that was painful; and he is on his feet a lot during the day.

I took a fresh plantain leaf and bruised it heartily with a rolling pin. I then folded it and applied it to his foot with a fabric bandage. (I get these fabric bandages at the Dollar General that stick so nicely and breathe well too. And they are not more expensive than plastic bandaids, which I do not like at all! )

I did this for a couple of mornings for him and he was comfortable all day and it healed up nicely.

If you are ever hiking and get a blister on your foot and are able to locate a plantain leaf, bruise the leave and apply it to the blister to get pain relief and help it to begin healing - all the while still hiking!

~Mama to Many~

Rubbing Alcohol

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Posted by Ken (Arizona) on 11/20/2017
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I am a runner and hiker and occasionally suffer from foot blisters. Over the years I have experimented with preventatives and treatments.

The best preventative I have found for toe blisters is to apply Vaseline or Albolene between your toes to prevent them from rubbing against each other before pulling your socks on.

The best cure I have found requires a large safety pin (1.5 inches), a cotton ball and off-the-shelf 70% isopropyl alcohol. Soak the cotton ball with the alcohol, clean the safety pin and the blister with it, then puncture the blister on the bottom-most edge. Squeeze the liquid out of the hole by pressing it with the cotton ball starting from the opposite side of the blister. When all the liquid is released, press the cotton ball over the pinhole to squeeze a small amount of alcohol into the blister. You should feel it burn a bit. Leave the blister alone after that and go about your life pain-free. Eventually, you can remove the dead skin over the healed skin beneath it using scissors or clippers.

In a pinch, you can use a high proof alcoholic drink if isopropyl is not available. Be sure to use a larger pin. Too small a hole will make it harder to release the liquid and get the alcohol inside.

Replied by Pam E.
(SW Calif.)
05/18/2023
148 posts

I used to swing from the rings at school during recess & got a lot of palm blisters! At first I suffered through loosing their cover until they healed, but soon began puncturing them at the lowest edge & emptying them so the skin would lay flat & not get popped by accident. It would dry & act as a breathable bandage until healing took place underneath. Then I would carefully remove the dead skin.... But I never applied anything to them at all, & yet they were pain & infection free. Right now I'm applying fresh gel from a succulent whose gel is reportedly much like that of Aloe vera (Bulbine frutescens) to a beginning friction-blister & it has already re-flattened (without draining it) & become pain free! (:


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