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.
Ear Wax
Posted by Kylie (Whitianga, New Zealand) on 07/11/2012
★★★★★
Up in the Cook Islands a couple of years back I met an Australian woman who worked for a big pharmaceutical company in Aussie. We were talking about traditional remedies vs drugs, and she told me about a time that she had a massive cold sore and an Aboriginal woman stopped her on the street and told her to put ear wax on it. She admitted she didn't want to try it but I filed it away in my brain. Was surprised to see so many others on earthclinic have tried it and had success with it. I have no doubt if the Aboriginies use it that it must work, so just wanted to add a "yea" to the debate! Haven't tried it myself as fortunately I don't get cold sores but if I did I'd totally try ear wax first.
Ear Wax
Posted by Nathan (New Zealand) on 03/13/2014
★★★★★
I had an out break yesterday of genital herpes. I have been suffering for two years now. As when an out break occurs I end up trawling the net for anything to make my situation better. I read this last night about the earwax and was kind of interested. I applied it to the blisters this morning and within 3 hours noticed a significant change in my situation. Almost no pain. Within 6 hours all the blisters where the earwax had been had vanished not giving any a chance to burst and therfore not having to go through the whole scab healing process which totally sucks and is probably the worst part. By this evening it is as if I had never had an outbreak. This has taken maybe 10 days off the whole cycle which is a god send. I am actually still totally stunned at how effective and quick this has worked. TOTALLY RECOMMENDED. Better than anything from the doctor and health food shops by a mile. Natrual and free. Thank you to this site and all who have posted here. This is a game changer. :-)
Lemon Balm
Posted by Angela (Brisbane, Qld, Australia) on 05/17/2012
★★★★★
I have tried a number of remedies for cold sores with no success: ice, apple cider vinegar, lysine (was ok), crystal salt deoderant (only helped the blister dry up). I get cold sores every couple of months so was very keen to find a good cure. I recently attended a medicinal herb workshop and was told to try lemon balm. I happen to grow it in my garden so I made a tea of it and have been drinking it 3 times per day. I found that within a day the cold sore I had went down and all pain subsided. It is now healing well. Additionally I have put some goldenseal ointment onto the healing sore and that is also clearing up a lot faster than normal. The teacher at the herb workshop said her husband use to get regular cold sores and he now drinks lemon balm tea often. He has not had a cold sore in years.
Ice
Posted by Barbara (Lakehead, Ca.) on 04/18/2012
★★★★★
I found that when I start to feel a tingling on my lip(slight itch) immediately I get an ice cube and place it on the affected area for 10 minutes until the itching goes away using a on and off approach..... Don't want to freeze the lip. Do this at least twice within a hour, usually once does it. This has always worked for me. If I'm out I stop at any fast food place to get the ice. If you let it go and wait until your home it will probably be too late. I haven't had a cold sore for several years using this method. TRY IT! Barbara
Ice
Posted by Anon (Anon) on 01/19/2013
Hi, another remedy that I have noticed if you have no lysine to hand or ice is to rub geny a piece of silver jewellry over the sore (b4 breakout) you will get a slight grey mark from the silver coming off but it will halt the infection - silver heals.
Acetone
Posted by Suem (Worden, Il) on 03/24/2012
I frequently get cold sores... Hate them. I've tried absolutely everything, including acetone and it did nothing for me. My cold sores swell terribly and I generally have flu like symptoms. I have been researching essential oils and making my own formulas and came across what oils are good for cold sores. I started out with tea tree oil, but found that it was not knocking the cold sore like I had hoped. So, I switched to Bergamont and applied it 3 to 4 times a day. It was wonderful. The cold sore did not disappear overnight, but the duration time and severity of the sore was diminished drastically. This will be the only remedy I use from now on. If you try it, I hope it helps you, too.
Amaranth Grain
Posted by Dbkh (Y, Usa) on 03/02/2012
★★★★★
Amaranth Grain is a complete protein grain that is high in Lysine. Lysine tablets, even when kept under lip, never worked for me; But Amaranth Grain, ground into flour with a coffee grinder and used in recipes, really does help. And is VERY healthy to boot.
Ice
Posted by Julie (Chanhassen, Mn) on 01/30/2012
★★★★★
I have suffered from cold sores on and off since I was a child. I have tried mulitple remedies, but by far the best remedy is ice! When you feel that tingly itchy sensation get a cube of ice and press it against that spot for several minutes (Maybe 8-10 minutes). You may want to do this a few times. I think it causes the cold sore to go into remission or something. This really works!
Acetone
Posted by Hb (Santa Fe, New Mexico Usa) on 12/31/2011
★★★★★
This past week I had been stressed out. Yesterday I noticed some itching at the edge of my bottom lip. Oh great! A cold sore is coming. I get these all the time, recently not so much, but ever since I was a yonug child (I'm in high school now). It's horrible! People make fun of you, it's so embarrasing. I kept searching on the internet of ways to make the damn thing go away. All of them said: you can prevent them, but once you have them you have to wait 7-10 days for it to go away. I kept searching on yahoo answers, and found something that didn't involve me going out to buy abreva or any other expensive products that only shorten healing time.
You take a sterilized needle and poke into the sore. You will see clear liquid ooze out of the sore now. Immediately take a cotton ball with acetone and press onto the sore, but after about 5 minutes change the cotton ball and do it again, because if you take it off and put it back on again an infection may form. It worked perfectly! It was gone instantly. I put [again] a new cotton ball with acetone on, and kept it on for an hour and a half. Please try this! But be careful because sensitive skin may have a chemical reaction from the acetone.
Aloe Vera
Posted by Lulu (Orange, Nj) on 01/24/2012
Hey everyone. I highly recommend aloe vera gel, at least in combination with turmeric. Here's what happened. I woke up this am with small bumps on the bottom corner of my lip, though I hadn't yet felt the tingling. I'd already made a mask of turmeric powder -- bought at an Indian grocery store; not taken from my spice rack -- for my puffy eyes and decided to search online to see if turmeric works for cold sores. After reading that it does, I applied the paste (turmeric and water) to the cold sores and left it on for about 10 minutes. Then I rinsed gently with water, patted it dry with a towel, and applied a bit of aloe gel using a q-tip. Within 10 minutes I noticed the sores were no longer shiny. They'd already dried up quite a bit. I was amazed! I applied aloe vera gel again about 30 minutes later and followed up two hours later with more turmeric paste. I'll keep this up all day and see, but it looks like they will be gone by tomorrow. Good luck!
Ice
Posted by M (Ny) on 11/11/2011
★★★★★
I've used Abreva, Lysine cream and its ok but what has been the game changer is ICE! A cold sore is a fever blister, so it builds of heat. You fight the temp by reducing it, ICE it immediately. Also take advil or any fever reducer you have to calm your body temp down and relax! I got them back to back and on my big 30 birthday. I tried acetone but seemed to burn my skin and make it worse. I grabbed a glass of water, took advil and Lysine vitamins (doubled dosage) and iced my sore. Fell asleep watching a movie but the sore stopped, looked like pimple. kept icing it, I was fine next day.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Coldsorenomore (Phoenix, Arizona Usa) on 10/13/2011
★★★★★
This is a great site. I LOVE it!
About a year ago I decided to try Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) on a big and ugly cold sore. Having first learned about ACV as a child about 35 years ago and then getting a great education about it from Earth Clinic, the idea just clicked. I took a cotton ball and soaked up a good amount of ACV. I would lie down for about 15 minutes with the wet cotton ball on my lip directly over the cold sore. Sometimes I would apply slight pressure to make sure of good contact. I did this about 3 times per day. The cold sore was completely gone in 3 days. It usually takes 2 weeks, no matter if I apply other mainstream and alternative remedies.
I got another cold sore about 2 weeks ago. It was just coming on. Had to move quickly, because I work with the public. Thankfully, it was during the weekend. I searched my memory about what I had done last time and remembered ACV. I did the same as above, and it was gone in 1 day. No joke and no exaggeration.
The ACV gave me a light burning sensation my lips and not just on the cold sore. My lips peeled mildly for the next few days. I believe there is no harm, and I certainly prefer a little peeling to a big, ugly cold sore. One thing I am cautious about is to keep the ACV on the cotton ball from touching my front teeth to prevent enamel erosion.
I hope this works for you.
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
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Anonymous (Bklyn, Ny) on 09/30/2011
I just discovered this site and living with herpes, I felt so alone and ashamed. Through this site, I was able to run to the health food store and have begun treatment, I believe can heal my condition. I have had a breakout in the private and was able to use FGHP to dry it up almost instanty. Thank you earth clinic.
Colloidal Silver, Coconut Oil
Posted by Mark (Las Vegas, Nv) on 03/31/2012
I have used Lauricidin brand of Monolaurin. I would NEVER reccomend it to anyone. I threw out $250 worth of tha stuff.
I never was able to take it without getting sick with a bad infection that would go into my lungs. Healthing Crisis B.S. The first rule is DO NO HARM. If something has to make you sick it's not worth using.
Coconut Oil however is good and I have had good experiences with it as well as Soverign Silver for any type of infection. I believe it will also help cold sores and herpes.
L-Lysine and Vitamin C
Posted by Merryanne (Orange City, Florida, Usa) on 05/04/2011 113 posts
It is true that L-Lysine kills viruses, it has saved me several times from severe colds that would have put me in the bed for at least a week, but I do not want to miss that much time off my job. I am 64yo so it can be hard on me. I also take lysine 2000 mg every 4 hours as long as I am up, and the next day, as long as I have any symptoms, sometimes I do get very congestd, but not so that I have to miss work. If I had any permanet virus I would take it every 4 hours, 4 times a day for a few months and see if I could get totally free of that bug, but that is just me... I do have faith in lysine, the last cold I had, it started with a tickle in my thorat. I started with the lysine, the next day I was still sick.. I kept up with the lysine, then it was gone in two days, no coughing, no drainge, if not for the lysine I would have been down for a long time. And I did take some C 2000mg a day... For children under 60 pounds, I have given 250mg every 4 hours. Merryanne in Central FL
Alkalize, Coconut Oil, Trace Minerals
Posted by Letsbeatthis (Eatontown, Nj/ United States) on 04/15/2011
Coral Calcium comes from our Coral reefs. If you know anything about Coral Reefs in our Oceans, you will know and understand that we should not be destroying them to make Coral Calcium. There is an Alternative that is basically the same thing which comes from Salt Lakes rather than the Ocean, destroying our Coral Reef. The Alternative is Trace Mineral Drops. It is also Certified Vegan and Gluten Free. I am in no way, shape, or form stating that this is a cure. I am strictly stating that this is an alternative to Coral Calcium. I recently contracted HSV2 unfortunately, so like you I am looking for a natural/ holistic cure, so I am trying different things as well.
I am also trying the Virgin Coconut Oil solution as mentioned in the 07/04/2007 Peter from New Zealand post. 1. Warming the Virgin Coconut Oil slightly and dabbing it onto the Herpes themselves. 2. Warming Virgin Coconut Oil slightly and adding a teaspoon to a glass of water 3 times a day in regular intervals.
The third solution I am trying is Alkalizing my body... Over the years I have heard lots of great things about Alkalizing the body. How Cancer cannot survive in an Alkalized enviornment as well as tons of other ailments. Feel free to type your Ailment along with the word Alkalize into Google or whichever search engine you choose, and you will be suprised to read what pops up. Just beware of products for sale.... You can also view lists of foods that are Acidic, Alkaline or somewhere in the middle as well by simply typing Acid/ Alkaline Food List. There are many, I notice some vary a bit as far as how many foods each one lists. I purchased PH strips, which you can either wet with saliva or in the urine stream. I though I was a healthy eater, apparently not healthy enough. My PH level was at a 5.5 where 7 is balanced, above 7 is Alkaline and below 7 is Acidic. Don't be suprised if you have to cut out habits such as wine, coffee, and or cigarettes to achieve your goal. Taking Trace Mineral Drops is just one step toward Alkalizing my body, since I don't know of other ways to intake minerals which our bodies need. Let's pray, one of these solutions are a cure. I'll do anything I can to keep from taking medication.
Food is our Medicine and Medicine is our Food. ;) I love the power of the internet. Any Feedback is greatly appreciated.
Turmeric
Posted by Going_28 (East Norriton, Pa, Usa) on 04/05/2011
★★★★★
I have been able to successfully suppress genital herpes outbreaks indefinitely with two daily doses (morning and night) of 3-4 300mg turmeric capsules per dose. So 3 or 4 in the morning, then 3 or 4 again at night. Without taking turmeric (or anything else to fight it), I'd break out everyday with full symptoms.
Turmeric
Posted by Jflange (Chicago, Il) on 11/11/2012
★★★★★
I have had the same result with turmeric. 1/4 tsp organic turmeric powder mixed into a small amount of milk (any milk with fat will do) and a bit of honey. Symptom free since I began and otherwise it would have been a monthly outbreak for me.
Ear Wax
Posted by Donna (Boise, Id) on 01/06/2011
★★★★★
EAR WAX! It works, and you always have your ears with you. yep, it seam yucky, but cold sores are more yucky. I read about it here on Earth Clinic, tried it, It stopped the blister in its track! I have keot these blisters at bay for over a year!
Acetone
Posted by Melissa (New Brunswick, Nj) on 06/03/2011
★★★★★
IT WORKS! It's a miracle cure, I got a cold sore yesterday, used the nailpolish remover in the morning and by 5 or 6 pm is was almost gone, and this morning you can barely see anything! ONE DAY and I can leave the house! AMAZING
Garlic
Posted by J.t. (Delta, Oh, Usa) on 11/16/2011
I've been putting fresh garlic on my lip, not only burns, surrounding area seems to be discolored as well.
Garlic
Posted by Anonymous (Nc) on 02/08/2013
★★★☆☆BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Garlic works. However, garlic will eat up the infected area and leave a hole! I used garlic for a boil under my arm and it left me with a hole. The skin grew back but it was not pretty. Be careful with garlic. Very potent stuff!
DMSO
Posted by Arwoody (29 Palms, Ca, Usa) on 09/08/2010
★★★★★
I have gotten cold sores for years, I used to pick it with a alcohol soaked cotton swab (burns like the Dickens) but dries it up and goes away quickly. Recently I have started using DMSO when I started getting one, 3 times a day. By the next it was nearly gone and by day two there was nothing there but a blemish which disappeared soon after. Since then I have not had a single out break! I still use dmso one or twice a week and I even tested myself by doing things to make an outbreak occur but nothing happened.
Also avoid nuts especially walnuts for some reason they used to make me have an incident almost every time especially when I was dehydrated.
Ice
Posted by Jjkrmom (Sayville, Ny, Usa) on 08/17/2010
★★★★★
Herpes No More!!!
Ice, Ice, Ice is the best thing you can do. I have tried every remedy here with no luck whatsoever. I have even tried the prescription you take on a daily basis, also with no luck. I have been getting cold sores (herpes) on my upper lip as long as I can remember. It wasn't until I was in my 20's that I actually had it diagnosed by a doctor. I used otc products for years and they just seemed to make matters worse. After having four children I became obsessed with natural remedies as I was no longer looking out for just myself. I read a wonderful book on natural cures and it gave me a lot of insight. The most important thing you can do to never have an outbreak again is to keep your immune system strong. Eat a healthy diet loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables. Stay away from processed foods and avoid fast food altogether. Also avoid tomatoes, nuts and caffine. When you start to feel that tingle, (oh that dreded tingle)head for the freezer and grab an ice cube. Hold the ice on the spot until it melts, repeat, again and again and again. It works wonders, the sore will not even have a chance of coming to the surface. You will be able to tell when to stop, the tingle will go away. Ice will even help with an already full blown sore. It will reduce the swelling and speed healing time. About 2 1/2 years ago I was so stressed I kept getting sores over and over trying every remedy in here for about 6 months. I was so embaressed to go anywhere especially work. After that horrible 6 months finally I tried the ice. I have not had an outbreak, or even felt I was about to since.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Jaytuccibx (Scarsdale, Ny, Usa) on 11/02/2010
★★★★★
I have cured my oral herpes ingesting H2O2. After I had reached about 15 drops 3x a day I felt my lip tingling as if I was going to get an outbreak... Over the next 3 to 4 days I did get an outbreak (or so I thought). The sore kept growing 3 times its normal size, then balloned and popped... I continued with the h2o2 for the full course.... Also I got boils under my armpits which I now know were the aluminum deposits from my deodorant being forced out.... That was about three years ago... Havent had an outbreak since... I used to get them at least twice a year religiously for 7 years, , . , So when the doctor tells you there is no cure for herpes laugh at him... He will tell you to take a 20$ abreva cream which does nothing... No money in the cure people.... You can easily get reinfected with the virus, if so I would repeat my same process.... I would assume this would also work for GENITAL HERPES being that h2o2 kills basically all viruses and bacteria... Email me with any questions!
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Tyler (Oshkosh, Wisconsin) on 12/27/2009
Started taking aspartame yesterday as a phenylalanine supplement, so I was taking a pretty significant amount, about 350mg twice a day. Today, I got a cold sore; no notice or warning (tingling or itching) or anything. I've never ingested aspartame before in my life, and don't get cold sores that often, maybe once or twice a year and it's always from too much sun. The aspartame is definitely what caused this outbreak, seeing as it's December and I'm not getting any sun at all.
I'm pissed. The companies that make and sell this sh*t should be required to put a warning on the labels regarding a link between their product and cold sores/gh outbreaks. Obviously, and I can tell from reading the responses on this site, aspartame causes herpes outbreaks, and this cold sore on my lip right now wouldn't be here if I never took any in the first place.
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Hilde (Chicago, Il) on 02/03/2010
Aspartame is toxic. It not only, apparently, causes herpes outbreaks, but may be linked to all sorts of ailments that plague people today. Don't believe the FDA's and diet industry's lies! Research the dangers of aspartame and stop ingesting it already.
Oregano Oil
Posted by Rhonda (Rockwood, Tn) on 10/01/2009
★★★★★
I put oil of oregano (one drop) on my fever blister/ cold sore and withing an hour I noticed it was disappearing. I reapplied throughout the day and by the end of the day it was as if I never had one. It had started out that morning as a potentially nasty one - a lot of blisters covering an area about the size of a dime. As you know, what you see in the morning is just the tip of the ice berg as they continue to grow during the first day or so. I also put three or four drops under my tongue. I bought mine from a health food store. Get the kind that is diluted with olive oil not alcohol. Also, there are places on line that sell it cheaper and in a much higher strength. There are even places that sell it undiluted with instructions on how to dilute it with extra virgin olive oil. I've tried all the other cold sore cures. This is the only one that did anything for me.
Oregano Oil
Posted by Jersey Guy (Jersey) on 02/19/2014
I'd like to add, yes higher strengths of oregano or olive leaf helps greatly. I would post what I use but I don't think I can. I'd like to add I use it with a product called diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth is a product that attacks parasites please please please research it u may like it. I've tried a bunch pf different products and some seem to work for a while and then I get stressed or drunk and pow it was back. I stumbled on diatomaceous earth from a website that had higher doses of a lot of good products but was to pricey. So I found the same strength cheaper online and gave it a try. I mixed DE with water and Olive leaf and did that 5 times that day. I think I did to much at once , because the next day I felt a tingling around my spine and burning and intense itching sensation at the back of my legs. I showered and used Food grade peroxide all over my body. and withen hours the itching and burning stopped and the sores went away. I kept doing the Olive leaf and DE daily it happened again maybe a week later much smaller and less intense, I did the same process in the shower with the peroxide. Everything had stopped again. I believed it to be the products pushing the virus to the surface. fast forward 8 months of doing this daily I havent had the slightest itch burning sensation etc. I recently added probiotics as that extra immune boost to keep me healthy but yeah. I just wanted to share my experience 8 months no issues when I use to have it at least twice a month.
