Top Natural Remedies for Cold Sores (Fever Blisters)

Oregano Oil

Posted by Donkeypoofed (Calgary) on 01/29/2014
★★★★★

I was at work one night and could feel the tingling start. Unfortunately, I had 8 more hours until I could get home to my Oil of Oregano, so the sore came up. I immediately put on 2 drops of undiluted oil and within mere hours, the sore was healing!! The blister balloon had deflated and the pain was mostly gone. I knew Oil of Oregano was good, but even I am blown away by how good it is!

Lecithin

Posted by Freddie (Buckeye, AZ, USA) on 02/17/2009
★★★★★

I tried Lecithin. A Bechtel engineer who worked at a laboratory when he was younger told me that they grew the herpes virus. They used Lecithin to control and kill the herpes virus. He saw the herpes breakout on my face one day at work. He told me to take 2500 mg each day for a month. I asked him why he hasn't come forward with this information. He said that the FDA was too powerful to fight.

It worked for me. I haven't had a breakout in 20 years.

As I understand it, hospitals use Lecithin based baby formulas on new born babies born to women with genital herpes.

Lecithin 2500 mg a day for a month

DMSO

Posted by Rose (Bowie, MD) on 10/14/2021
★★★★★

Apply dmso at first sign of cold sore it will shrink and prevent it even becoming an open blister within 10-15 mins

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.

Ear Wax

Posted by Angela (Wyoming) on 06/23/2016
★★★★★

Alright you all need to try ear wax for a cold sore. I had a huge one on my bottom lip. I tried 1/2 bottle lysine, acetone, salt, honey, abreva, toothpaste and many many more and nothing! I then decided to try earwax. I kid you not it immediately felt better. No stinging or burning like most products did. The swelling went down in a hour and no redness. By hour 3 virus gone! It you are at your wits end please try this or do when it first tingles. Wash hands really really good. Don't use same finger that touched sore in ear please!! Do this upon the first tingle and keep doing it until no tingle. It really is a true miracle!!! Thank you God for having a free remedy to get rid of these nasty things from the devil.

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!

Acetone

Posted by Anon (Anon) on 11/09/2015
★★★★★

Acetone is working really well. Had the worst cold sore of my life a month ago and now a month later another one. I felt the tingling and immediately started with Hydrogen peroxide. Later read on here that acetone works very well too so I started using that. It has dried out the cold sore better than the HP. The cold sore is barely visible and has not swollen huge or burst or anything. it is Just red and a little swollen, It is very dried out and seems to be going straight to scabbing, although you cant really see a real "scab" its just dried out and dry skin but you cant tell unless you look real close in the mirror. This sore is in the same spot as the really bad one a month ago but also spread down the lip even more than the really bad one. I feel that if I would not have used the acetone this sore would have been the worst one ever. The first day I felt the tingling I used HP. The next day no sign of a sore but still put HP on it for about 10 min twice that day. Day 3 I woke up and the sore started to pop up like normally, reddish and a glossy bump. It wasn't too big, yet! It was about the size of Lincolns head on a penny. Immediately started to soak with acetone. It went down in swelling and dried out quick. Still red though. Next day, day 4, which is today, I woke up and it looked really good. swelling down still, still dried out, still a little red. Soaking in Acetone again this morning. Worked all day and it barely noticeable, barley swollen, barely red. Applying again tonight. I'm hoping that it continues to go down and not have a brown scab. Hopefully just dry crusty skin scab that you can't really see like it is now. So it should be healed within a week hopefully. which is amazing because before it would be a week before it even scabbed and then at least another week with bleeding nasty huge scab on my lip.

This is a GOD send, helping soo much. I am truly grateful!

Baking Soda

Posted by Suzanne (Fort Wayne, US) on 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.

Oregano Oil

Posted by Sue M. (Worden, Il, USA) on 12/16/2012
★★★★★

My "cold sore" outbreaks consist of naturally the lip pustules, but also I have the bad headache, body aches and pain and so very tired.... Flu like symptoms. At the first sign of an outbreak, I would take lysine and it would help lessen the symptoms by 25%, but I was looking for a prevention to the outbreaks that I could take on a day by day basis. That's when I read about the Oil of Oregano. Got my first bottle on the 6th and used 2 drops under my tongue for 10 to 15 seconds, followed by a large glass of warm water. I had a cold sore come up on Friday (14th) and immediately increased my drops to 3 and put the oregano directly on the lip (up to 3 to 4x's a day). My symptoms were cut, I would say, by 75% to what they used to be. I had about 1/2 day of downtime, compared to 3 days before and my lip stayed contained to the cold sore and no swelling like I usually get. I did do the lysine on the 1st and 2nd day, but I really attribute the scaling down of my cold sore issues to the Oil of Oregano. To compensate for it taking iron out of my system, I just drink a tbs of blackstrap molasses to warmed almond milk every other day. There are so many benefits to taking this..... I found alot of information on so many sites. Hope this helps someone.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Bill (New York, Nyc Usa) on 11/23/2012
★★★★★

I've been battling cold sores for twenty years. They would appear whenever my body got "run down" (fatigued). I suspect that my immune system is not as strong when I'm really fatigued and that's when the cold sores appear.

As somone who travels for business, frequently crossing time zones, there are several times a year when I don't get enough sleep and get "run down" Up until recently, the cold sores would appear without fail. I tried taking food grade hydrogen peroxide according the the advice given on this site. That hasn't worked for me yet but what HAS worked is very simple. When brushing my teeth, I dip my toothbrush in a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide and water (half h2o2 and half water) and simply brush my lips with the solution. The h2o2 is the 3% kind found in conventional drug stores. It's been two years and I've only had two occurances of cold sores, both when I neglected to bring my h2o2 with me while traveling. This is not a perfect cure because when I've neglected to brush with the h2o2 and haven't gotten enough sleep, the cold sores reappeared. But even after a cold sore has developed, I've brushed with the solution and the cold sore has gone away in two days maximum. This really is a completely workable way to manage cold sores. If I feel a "tingle" on my lip, which is an indication that a cold sore is about to appear, I quickly brush with the h2o2 and water. I've actually begun to brush this way on a daily basis just as a precaution.

I've recently discovered that they are making toothpaste with h2o2 as an ingredient. I've been using this for the last 3 months and the results have been the same. No cold sores. This is even easier.

This is a really simple remedy and I'm anxious to hear if it works for you.

The short version is to simply brush your lips with 1.5% h2o2 daily and also whenever you feel a "tingle". Let me know how you do!

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.

Oregano Oil

Posted by J. (Minneapolis, Mn) on 03/03/2010
★★★★★

I have been a cold sore sufferer for about 20 years and I usually get between 10-35 or so a year and they range from the size of a pea to a quarter. They are usually in my nose or on the skin between my nose and lip...so it is safe to say I'm a chronic cold sore sufferer, especially during cold weather and I live up north. I honestly don't know what is worse, the pain or the humiliation as both are almost unbearable. I have tried every single prescription on the market over the years, every single over the counter treatment, and home remedies like daily lysine, ice, acetone fingernail polish...you name it.

For me there is one prescription (blue pill) that always worked best but the sore is still extremely painful for 2-3 days and then I have a scorched area of skin that turns scaly and then stays red for weeks afterword. Anyway, I have been trying to find a natural way to control or eliminate my cold sores and I came across Oil of Oregano so I thought I would give it a shot. (I am also taking 2 billion live cultures of acidopholis per day to strengthen my immune system.) And I am so so thankful that I did.

I started taking the OoO twice a day by putting 3-4 drops under my tongue and holding it for about 1-2 minutes and washing it down with 8-10 oz water. Before bed I also rub several drops on the base of my spine (where the virus lives) because OoO is supposed to penetrate the skin to directly combat the virus. (I have read that you might get a bad outbreak as the OoO clears the virus from your system so I was prepared for that.) Anyway, I have taken it for several weeks and I hadn't gotten a cold sore until I forgot to take it two days ago. Yesterday morning I felt the tingle of a cold sore coming on and immediately took a ____ and put Oil of Oregano on it and reapplied it 3-4x throughout the day. I noticed that the sore stayed very small and the Oil of Oregano reduced the usually unbearable burning pain and itching to almost nothing. I did get some blisters, but the sore was about 25% to 35% of the normal size of a cold sore for me with almost zero swelling, burning pain, or itching. It has now been around 36 hours since the first tingle and it is almost completely healed...and it was easily covered with a little powder when I was out shopping yesterday so no one else even knew. This stuff is AMAZING!!!! I also took a couple extra drops orally throughout the day so I was taking it orally and applying it to the sore directly.

Usually within 5-10 hours of the first tingle I have MAJOR burning and itching and there is always a lot of swelling the next morning when I wake up even if I take my prescription the second I feel the first tingle and another before bed. The sore usually lasts a couple of days and then I am left with the burned skin from the blisters which turns into a scab and then red skin for a couple of weeks afterward. With the Oil of Oregano I was able to keep the sore very small and nearly painless and it is almost healed within 36 hours. I am thrilled!! Every time I started to feel a bit of burning pain and itching I would gently reapply 1 drop of oil to the sore and it would immediately help a lot. The second day of a cold sore for me has always been full of serious burning pain, lots of swelling, and finally it is very very itchy as the virus starts to retreat. With Oil of Oregano I experienced almost nothing except a bit of redness and a warm sensation over my lip where the sore was. I can't say enough good things about Oil of Oregano and cold sores. I understand that I have only been using this product for about two weeks and this is my first cold sore that I have treated with it, but I can't tell you just how different this cold sore looked and felt from any other in the past 20 years. My husband couldn't believe it either. This is so much better than my prescription alone. Hopefully it will be a long time before I get another one since I'm taking the OoO to prevent them, but if/when I get the next one I will try OoO without my prescription at all. Hopefully I will have the same results as I really think it was the OoO alone that made the amazing difference in the pain and duration of this sore. I am going to check into how long I can take it daily. I don't want to do any damage to my liver or anything else by taking it for too long, but for now I am going to keep taking it for several months to try to eliminate my cold sores completely. If anyone has information on how long you can take it I would love to hear about it. I asked my pharmacist yesterday and he said that there has been no long-term research on daily usage of OoO, but he personally thinks this is much safer than almost anything else people use for cold sores.

If you suffer from cold sores, I hope this helps you as much as it has me!

In addition to the cold sores, I have used it to stop a sore throat within minutes, relieve my husband's migraine that his medication wouldn't touch, relieve my friend's bronchitis within 24-48 hours after two weeks on antibiotics weren't helping, clear an under the skin acne problem I wasn't even aware I had (experienced a bad breakout for a couple of days) and now my skin looks healthier than it ever has, shrink a cyst that my dermatologist wouldn't remove because it was too deep (within 2 weeks it has shrunk to half the size and is now flat), stop the pain and redness overnight from a hangnail that was really sore...and this is only after using this stuff for only a few weeks. I can't say enough amazing things about Oil of Oregano!! It is like a cure all for everything and that is just crazy!! Had I only know about this 20 years ago I could have saved myself thousands of dollars and years of pain and humiliation!!

Acetone

Posted by GILLIAN (CA) on 07/10/2022
★★★★★

I haven't gotten cold sore breakouts very often but have had them since I was a child. I've even gone years without an outbreak. When I would get one it would be mild and I'd combat it with Lysine and oil of oregenal both orally and topically. Usually they wouldn't even get to a blister with this treatment. However, I recently had a really large one come out on my bottom lip and it took forever to come down and heal. What a pain! The area is still slightly raw and sensitive. Over the long weekend of the 4th of July I got a lot of sun and didn't drink enough water, drank alcohol and got totally dehydrated. I felt my lip burning. I woke up with 3 huge ones on my bottom lip coming up into blisters!!!

Panicking I scoured the internet and saw Cheri's post from 2021. I tried it and put acetone on each one with a q-tip for about 20 seconds each and 1 DAY LATER they had all scabbed over!!

This would have been at least a week or more without this remedy! Thank you!!

Acetone

Posted by Craig (Albany, Oregon) on 10/17/2018
★★★★★

Wow! Another satisfied acetone customer. I wish everything worked so well.

Ear Wax

Posted by Tworoos (Katy, Tx) on 05/11/2018
★★★★★

Just adding my two cents on ear wax for cold sores. Yes, it's "gross". BUT IT WORKS. I've tried everything from acetone to OTC creams (like Abreva), to prescriptions. Nothing makes them go away much faster than if you let them run their course. I stumbled upon this cure via your website. I was searching for a cure because I could feel that dreaded tingle and wanted to see if there was anything new out there. This isn't new. This is an old remedy. Try it anyway. My cold sore never even erupted. That's the first time IN MY LIFE that I was able to head off one of the nasty buggers! From now on this is all I'm going to use.

No burning like you get with acetone. No Dr. visits for a prescription. No running to the store for vitamins, etc. Just grab a Q-tip and apply. Could not be easier. Yeah, it's still "gross". But far better than the sporting the sore on your face for a week or two, right?

Lemon Balm

Posted by Cris01us (Honolulu) on 07/07/2017
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

So I have tried many many things for the past three years to deal with embarrassing cold sores and surprisingly most are listed on this site and most do in fact work to some degree or another.

For instance, on a 1-10 scale with 10 being awesome: 1. ACV applied (3) 2. Acetone applied (6) 3. Ice applied (4) 4. L-Lysine taken (5) 5. Earwax applied (7) (hey when your desperate you'll try anything! ) 6. Zinc taken (3) 7. Lemon Balm (9)!!! 8. Organic Oregano Oil applied (7) (if the right strength is applied enough) 9. Tea Tree Oil applied (5) 10. Tea bag applied (2)

If you are reading this and looking for some relief then you have probably read a ton of others too, and what you should have noticed by now is that no one thing by itself is probably going to be a silver bullet. What I have found that works for me is: Lemon Balm oil (1oz bottle with dropper) apply to q-tip and hold that on the spot for 1-5 minutes at a time, do as often as needed through out the day. If done at the very first sign this is amazing with helping slow everything down. Then up the L-lysine to 3000mg (1000 each dose). Drink plenty of water - the body needs it! Eat healthy (I even fasted for a day once and it helped).

Take a zinc supplement and make sure your getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs and plenty of rest. I also have tried BHT and I think it helps....but that's not natural and is very controversial in this kind of community.

Mistakes: too strong of OOO - I burned my lip and it took as long to heal as it would have the cold sore (but it worked the sores were gone the next day)! . Topical Zinc Sulfate - also burns. TTO applied too often - burns and stops working after a while. Really in most mistakes it comes down to overdoing it. I know we all want it gone yesterday but NOTHING is going to do that so have a little patience. Best of luck!

Ear Wax

Posted by Shannon (Toronto, On) on 07/02/2015
★★★★★

I get cold sores at least 3-4 times every year. The last couple years I do everything I can as early as possible to try and reduce the sore and get to the scab phase. I use ice, hydrogen peroxide, l-lysine tablets and oregano oil but no matter what I do it always lasts about 5 days to a week. I got a bad one two days ago, I noticed it as I was on my way to work and unfortunately couldn't do anything about it all day. By the end of the day it was a full-blown nasty, throbbing sore that spread half way across my lip! I tried all of the things that I normally do and nothing seemed to be working in the slightest because I didn't catch it fast enough. I

finally decided to try the ear wax method and within an hour of applying it, the pain started to go away and the sore reduced drastically. I applied some more a few times throughout the day yesterday, and today it's already at the scab phase. This will be the first thing I try from now on.

Oregano Oil

Posted by Jnell (Bc, Canada) on 01/16/2014
★★★★★

A drop or 2 of Oil of Oregano applied directly to my cold sore (lip), using a clean cotton swab, upon onset, stop growth dead in it's tracks! What would normally take 7-10 days to fester and heal now takes only 3 days!