Cold Sores
Natural Remedies

Top Natural Remedies for Cold Sores (Fever Blisters)

| Modified on Mar 23, 2025
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.
Local Concentrated Heat (LCH)
Posted by Bart (Athens - Greece) on 02/19/2025
★★★★★

Local Concentrated Heat (LCH)

I have used LCH machines for mosquito bites with great success. The ones with ceramic plates that can reach 51C. If one searches in the internet, there are many good comments for these machines from buyers. There is also this research:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24231728/

Use these machines at least three times a day from the first signs of a cold sore. You can use them repeatedly but with 2 minutes intervals at least in order not to get burned. No more than 5 uses per hour. The burning sensation is for about 3-6 seconds.


Acetone
Posted by KK (Cyprus) on 02/18/2025
★★★★★

Acetone works...but cautiously

Been dealing with this regularly for 30 years.. ended up with acetone dabbed on with earbuds.

Initially kept it on until the burns. Now I'm not sure if a lot of the scabbing that follows is due to the coldsore healing itself, or actual acetone burns.

Will keep using it. Maybe cautiously to avoid damage to surrounding areas, which may actually take longer to heal.


Neem Leaves or Oil
Posted by Ann (Miami) on 02/16/2025

A homeopathic remedy Natrum muriaticum stops a herpes outbreak if taken in the early, tingling stage.


Neem Leaves or Oil
Posted by GrassTwig (Geneva) on 02/15/2025
★★★★★

I have long been using neem oil for cold sores. It has to be used as early as possible when tingling appears. Cover the area and around the mouth with a thin layer and apply many times per day. Use a small 10ml empty essential oil bottle and fill it with neem oil and always carry it around with you.

This is the only remedy that actually prevented the cold sores from going from stage one to the other stages of the blisters. Using acyclovir, I always had to go through stages 2 to 5.
Together with neem oil, it is good to supplement with L-Lysine and reduce sugar coffee and other arginine rich food (wheat for example). When going out in the sun use lips sunscreens, as long exposure to sun is likely contributing to outbreak triggers.

Acetone
Posted by Carolyne (Washington) on 12/15/2024
★★★★★

It's not just the aspartame. I started totally avoiding aspartame and ALL artificial sweeteners years ago, (I never drink sodas either) and I still get a cold sore, every time I get a runny nose-- a cold, the flu (which is RARE), or allergies and Im blowing/wiping my nose a lot!! So I think I need to take Lysine. When they do start to come on-- I SWEAR by the acetone and/or ICE!! Apply the ice cube till it hurts! let it rest a while and do it again, repeat often as soon as you feel that tingle. The virus can't take the cold and it goes away without scabbing...


Colloidal Copper
Posted by Kathy (Grandville, MI) on 05/12/2024
★★★★★

Herpes cold sore

Dabbing colloidal copper on the cold sore stops the cold sore from ever breaking out.


Ear Wax
Posted by Annie (Washington) on 03/25/2024
★★★★★

My partner is prone to cold sores, and after I found earwax suggested on EC, he tried it and IT WORKS! Amen for folk medicine, and this website!


Clove Oil
Posted by Christy B (Turbotville, Pa USA) on 03/13/2024
★★★★★

Most of the time, when I feel the first tingle of a cold sore, I can head it off with high doses of lysine. Unfortunately, there are some times, like the one I'm dealing with now, where a cold sore comes out overnight without any warning and is past the point of not showing up by the time I wake up in the morning. Whenever that happens, I put a little bit of clove bud essential oil on a cotton ball and hold it against the sore for about 30 seconds. It's amazing because it clears the cold sore up faster and also takes the pain and itching away immediately. I have a toddler, so after I apply clove bud oil, I cover the sore with a colloidal patch to keep little hands from bumping into the infected site.


Oregano Oil
Posted by crystal (TX) on 02/14/2024
★★★★★

Oil of oregano heals fever blisters within days. I actually put the oil in the wound itself and then take 300 mg twice daily.


Acetone
Posted by V (US) on 11/04/2023
★★★★☆

Be Careful with Acetone!

Acetone is so powerful it will take the paint right off your car!

You are using it to kill the virus, this shouldn't take more than 1 day, once the virus is dead, meaning the cold sores stop growing and developing, you need to stop using acetone, it is used to kill the virus, not to heal the cold sore, the healing process happens naturally, the more you leave it alone the quicker it will heal.


Acetone
Posted by hi (hello) on 11/04/2023

No, acetone is an extremely powerful chemical, it will strip the paint right off your car, so you want to be careful and not hold it for too long in one place.

The acetone is used to kill the virus, if you cover any living thing in acetone it will die, same with the virus, once the virus is dead it scab over and start the healing process, the more you mess with the scab, the more you risk leaving a scar, so no more acetone after the virus is dead, you can tell it is dead because it is no longer growing larger and it no longer has that tingly feeling when you push down on it.


Acetone
Posted by beverly (USA) on 10/29/2023

Acetone is not the safest chemical in the world so I would use a q tip so as to target the sore better rather than a cotton ball.

acetonefaq.pdf (delaware.gov)


Avoid Arginine
Posted by beverly (usa) on 10/29/2023
★★★★★

I may have solved my own mystery.............I rarely get fever blisters but have changed my diet to Keto due to my husband being diagnosed with Parkinsons. One of the things I started doing was getting high fat yogurt, cream, buttermilk and keifer from a nearby dairy. The past month I have been constantly plagued with fever blisters at the corners of my mouth and nostrils.

Certain Foods

Consuming arginine-rich foods – such as beans, meat, chocolate and dairy – can trigger or worsen a cold sore. This is because arginine is required for the virus to replicate. Acidic foods and beverages can also trigger a cold sore outbreak. This includes citrus fruits, tomatoes, orange juice and even soda.

Source


Calamine Lotion
Posted by Vera (Colorado) on 09/20/2023

For herpes sores, what works best for me is lemon balm ointment, L-lysine, and dabbing with 3% peroxide. If I catch it early, this is all that's needed.

I used to get really bad sores every 4 months or so, and found acyclovir invaluable in that. I still keep an old prescription on hand.


Calamine Lotion
Posted by Tamara (GA) on 09/19/2023
★★★★★

I use calamine lotion on mine too and it really works faster than anything I've tried ... And it soothes the burn ... I also use 91% alcohol on a qtip and dab it a few times a day then soothe with carmex and at night I put calamine on it .... Works very well


DMSO
Posted by Lisa (USA) on 09/11/2023
★★★★★

Yep.. I'm amazed... that's the stuff!!! I feel it, but it never broke out in a sore!


Acetone
Posted by earth is a pancake (chiraq, illinois.) on 09/09/2023
★★★★★

When I read about cold sores and acetone - I thought these people had lost their minds!! ... but this last time I had a bad case sold sore, two locations on lower lip about 5-6 bumps / bulbs, 3-4 of them were getting oversized, I looked horrible - and hurt like a mofo.

I used a q-tip to dip in a home depot purchased acetone container and applied throughout the day starting in the afternoon. Without any exaggeration, and with outmost sincerity, it worked for me. By the end of the day 10 pm or so - the size of the bumps/bulbs decreased to about 25% from the large size of that same morning. I could not believe it. I asked my roommate, just to make sure I was not losing my mind and going blind...

By the next morning, the bumps decreased more in size, and a small scabs started to appear - signaling the healing process has begun... I only applied once or twice the second day.

Don't ingest the powerful acetone, careful breathing in the fumes - I held my breath as much as possible, sealed my lips / mouth while applying with q tip soaked. Acetone evaporates very quickly, so application time is short.. Think I applied about 10 times from afternoon til midnight the first day.

Hope this helps!

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.


Bingpensan
Posted by famcoll (TN) on 08/05/2023
★★★★★

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.


Multiple Remedies
Posted by Suzanne (INDIANA) on 05/01/2023

Lecithin taken daily will keep you from ever having another herpes outbreak again. I tried everything and lecithin is the only thing that works.


Multiple Remedies
Posted by Nan (Canada) on 04/30/2023
★★★★★

My multi - protocol:

1. The minute I feel tingling, I dab it with OREGANO, GARLIC, or GOLDEN SEAL essential oil, (or, if necessary, ACETONE/nail polish remover - I spit out any that goes into my mouth). I dab one of the above herbs on my lip every hour or two - I use only one herb a time, but you can rotate them from hour to hour. Use Acetone only 3 times a day or less.

Another remedy that you can also use WITH the above or use alone:

Dab on a little mixture of cayenne pepper and coconut, olive, or any edible oil. I sometimes cover it with a bandaid for a while to hold it in place while it dries. This works very well on skin shingles -- as well as taking lots of Vitamin C/lysine. It might sting a little at first.

2. Take plenty of Vitamin C and lysine at least 3 - 6 times a day. (If you experience loose stools, back off, but don 't stop taking it altogether for a week or so.) Drink lots of water with the C.

_______________________________

These remedies won't eliminate the cold sore completely if it's already formed a pea-sized bump, but it will stop it from growing into a larger bubbly marble as the sore will flatten and stop tingling or feeling painful. (By the second or third day, your lip might still have a reddish, flattened dried-out light bump, but it should pass as looking merely chapped.)

**** When the tingling first starts and your lips are dry, do the protocol immediately. If you aren't at home, if necessary, rub on a bit of salt, tabasco sauce and/or vinegar. Carry apple cider vinegar and vitamin C and lysine capsules in your purse or car to take in an emergency. Do NOT wait! For me, consuming excessive sugar (and occasionally too many nuts, which contain arginine, and for some, excessive pop or alcohol) is the major culprit and the bitter vinegar, pickle juice/sauerkraut, lysine, and vitamin C supplements seem to counteract that.


L-Lysine
Posted by Sam (Miami ) on 03/25/2023

It does work, just add vitamin C.


L-Lysine
Posted by Another Mom (San Diego, CA) on 03/23/2023
★★★★★

L-lysine for cold sores WORKS! All my siblings get cold sores and around 10 years ago one of us discovered that L-Lysine 1000mg 3 x day as soon as you feel that tingle/pain and even AFTER one has erupted. Then reduce to 500 mg 3 x d for a few more days. By that time all should be well.

If one sore has emerged, then it goes away quickly - if it hasn't then the L-Lysine makes it go away fast.

I keep a bottle of it in my vehicle, as we know those suckers can strike at any time & don't wait until you have some on hand.

Reading through the posts, some take it daily. I heard you should ONLY take it when needed and prolonged use is not good for you, other posts say it can affect the liver-so be careful out there, do your research, and if confirmed, only take for a few days to a week.

DMSO
Posted by Kristi LMT (Moore, OK) on 03/03/2023
★★★★★

2 drops of 99.9% DMSO with 2 drops of reverse osmosis water on a q-tip. Apply to cold sore area. With 1 application, mine was completely gone in 4-6 hours. It was applied within hours of the start of it.

Tea Tree Oil
Posted by LaNae (Connecticut) on 11/26/2022

Hi debra what is h202 and TTO? Not all of us are acronyn savvy...lol

EC: Hydrogen Peroxide and Tea Tree Oil.


Ear Wax
Posted by Sandy (Chapel Hill, NJ) on 11/23/2022
★★★★★

Ear wax 100% works and I'm so glad I found this remedy. The key is to get to it early and it will stop it from every getting visible. But even if you miss the early stages and wake up with one, ear wax still drastically cuts down how long its around. I find, now that I know this, the max a cold sore will be around for me is 48-72 hours and usually they aren't noticeable at all. The only unfortunate thing with this remedy is you're likely to not have/produce enough ear wax to apply ear wax multiple times.


L-Lysine and Vitamin C
Posted by Aviva (Tel Aviv (Gosh Dan)) on 11/16/2022
★★★★★

I came up with the tingling feeling of a cold sore. There it was. on my upper lip. I took 4 grams Lysine per day + natural vitamin C 4000 mg per day and put some coconut oil on the blister. It stopped growing and tingling immediately and the blister began drying quickly. Now it is the 3rd day and only a wound remained.


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.



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