How to Heal a Cold Sore: Can Natural Remedies Help?

Recommended Home Treatments

Relieve pain with a cold or warm compress. Either choice can help reduce the pain and discomfort from a cold sore. Wet a wash cloth with warm or cold water and hold it against the sore for 15-20 minutes at a time. You can repeat this as often as you have to throughout the day. A cold compress could promote healing a bit better than a warm one. However, a warm compress could reduce the pain more effectively. Balance these 2 choices out. You can use heat or cold at different times as well. Do not use the towel again without washing it.

Wash the sore with gentle soap and water once day. Wet the sore with warm water and rub it gently with regular antibacterial soap. Then rinse it off. This helps prevent the sore from getting infected or spreading to other areas. Don’t scrub the sore hard or you’ll cause pain and inflammation. Use a light, gentle touch. Always wash your hands before and after cleaning the sore. You could spread the virus if you touch the sore without washing your hands after.

Protect your lips with an SPF lip balm. Cold sores are sensitive to the sun and also spread more easily on dry lips. Keep your lips covered with a lip balm of at least 30 SPF to moisten your lips and protect them from the sun. Keeping your lips moist could also prevent future cold sores, so try using lip balm every day if you’re prone to outbreaks. Don’t share this lip balm with anyone and get rid of it when the sore clears up. If the cold sore isn’t directly on your lip, then cover it with regular SPF 30 sunblock instead of lip balm.

Eat cold foods and drinks to prevent more pain. Cold sores on your lip might sting if you eat hot foods. It’s better to have cool or cold food and drinks while you wait for it to heal. This might make you more comfortable. Also avoid spicy, salty, acidic, or heavily seasoned foods. These could all irritate the sore.

Avoid taking arginine supplements. L-arginine is an amino acid that your body needs, but it also helps the herpes virus spread. If your body has too much arginine, it could cause a cold sore or make one worse. If you’ve had cold sores in the past, then avoid taking arginine supplements so you don’t trigger an outbreak. Some foods are also high in L-arginine, especially poultry and soy. However, you probably don’t need to avoid specific foods because the levels aren’t high enough to trigger an outbreak.

Reduce stress to prevent future outbreaks. Cold sores can appear during stressful periods, so controlling your stress levels could prevent them from forming. Try to take steps in your daily life to reduce stress. Not only can you avoid cold sores, but you can also enjoy greater overall health. Relaxation exercises like deep breathing or meditation are great stress-reducers. Try taking 15-20 minutes each day to clear your mind with these activities. Doing your hobbies or other activities you enjoy are also great ways to cut down on stress.

Natural Remedies That Might Work

Inhibit arginine with lysine supplements. Lysine is another amino acid that works against arginine and might help cold sores heal. Try taking 3,000 mg of lysine supplements per day and see if this clears the cold sore. Check the dosing on the product you use and follow those instructions if they’re different. You could also take lysine regularly if you often have cold sores. The recommended dose for prevention is 1,500 mg daily, but speak with your doctor to make sure this is right for you.

Apply rhubarb and sage cream to kill the virus. This combination has antiviral properties and might help treat a cold sore. Try making a mixture that’s half rhubarb extract and half sage extract and applying it to your cold sore twice a day for a week to see if it works. There are also creams that contain these 2 ingredients. They might work as well.

Try propolis cream to soothe the sore. Propolis is a tree product similar to beeswax. It shows some success in soothing cold sores and helping them heal faster. Get a cream with 0.5-3% propolis and apply it to the sore 5 times per day. Don’t use propolis if you’re allergic to bee stings or bee products. It could trigger an allergic reaction.

See if tea tree or eucalyptus oil reduces the sore. Both of these essential oils have antiviral properties and might help the sore heal. Get a 3% concentration of either oil type and apply it to the sore daily. If the oils you get aren’t diluted, then dilute them to a 3% concentration before using them. Get a carrier oil like olive or jojoba. Add 3 drops of essential oil for every tsp (5 ml) of carrier oil for a 3% concentration. Don’t swallow any essential oil. It’s not intended for oral use.

Preventing the Virus from Spreading

Wash your hands every time you touch the sore. Any time you touch the sore, you could have the herpes virus on your hand. Wash your hands often, especially right after you touch the sore, to avoid spreading the virus to other people or parts of your body. It’s best to avoid touching the sore at all unless you’re washing it. This avoids pain and irritation.

Use your own razors, utensils, and personal items. The cold sore virus can live on surfaces for a few hours, and other people could catch it if they use infected items. While you have a cold sore, be sure to use your own utensils, razors, towels, lip balm, and any other personal items so no one else picks up the virus. Using your own personal items is good practice at all times, even if you don’t have a cold sore. This prevents infections from spreading to other people.

Avoid kissing anyone until the cold sore heals. This is a very common way for cold sores to spread. Wait until your sore is completely healed before you kiss anyone. You could still transfer the virus if you kiss someone before a cold ore actually appears. If you feel any tingling in your lip, a cold sore could be starting, so avoid kissing anyone if you notice this.