5 Cold Sore Home Remedies (that work!)

Home remedies for cold sores that work fast with demonstrated effectiveness via scientific research.

The huge billboard pictured above is on display near my home. It is advertising to find adults willing to participate in a research study to test a new drug designed to treat cold sores.

Kind of ironic that the sign is positioned right above a Burger King, wouldn’t you say? You don’t need a research study to know that folks who eat a lot of fast food and other junk probably suffer from cold sores with more frequency than those that don’t. Could the sign’s eye-rolling position actually be no coincidence?

One thought immediately came to mind when I first saw this billboard. Had these people (who were no doubt flocking to be guinea pigs for this study) ever tried any home remedies for cold sores before deciding that an untested drug with unknown side effects was a better way to approach the problem?

One thing is for sure: if the pharmaceutical industry has created a drug for a particular health condition, the profit potential must be in the billions of dollars!

Nontoxic home remedies for cold sores and other ailments don’t make corporations any money. Most importantly, Mother Nature can’t be patented, which is why you don’t see these simple, inexpensive solutions advertised on expensive billboards or on TV so few people seem to know about them.

For those who are looking for results without toxic side effects, below is an overview of the best home remedies for cold sores that have historically helped people for generations.

Cold Sores Different from Canker Sores

Unlike canker sores, which are typically triggered by too much sugar or fructose consumption (fruit too!) even in an otherwise healthy diet, cold sores are caused by a pathogen, specifically herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1).

According to the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, 8 out of 10 people are infected with this pathogen that causes cold sores, and most were infected before they were 10 years old.

There is no known cure once a person has become infected with herpes simplex. In other words, any drug, cream or home remedy only treats the symptoms and not the root cause.

As a result, a strong immune system supported by an excellent diet and healthy lifestyle is the best defense against outbreaks that last from 1-2 weeks.

Life isn’t perfect, so unforeseen stress, cold weather, sun exposure, a toxic environment, illness, or surgery can weaken a person’s immunity from time to time. So even with an excellent diet in place, a nasty outbreak is possible on occasion.

Unfortunately, outbreaks often seem to occur right before a major event like the high school prom, exams, graduation, or wedding nuptials which involve a lot of stress for some people! Hence, knowledge of fast-acting cold sore home remedies is crucial information to avoid succumbing to the drug-based approach.

Before overviewing the best home remedies for cold sores, here is a summary of the drugs on the market currently with all the many side effects.

Drugs for Cold Sores

In addition to the new drug on the horizon to treat cold sores, pharmaceuticals to treat the symptoms of cold sores come in both tablet and cream form.

Abreva^® (docosanol) is a cream that is available over the counter. The manufacturer claims that it reduces the duration and discomfort associated with a cold sore outbreak if it is taken in the very early stages, ideally at the very first tingle.

Docosanol cream is not appropriate for children under 12 and has not been tested on pregnant women. For those who do use it, side effects include headache, hives, rash, swelling of the lips, and allergic reactions including breathing problems. (1)

Prescription anti-virals in cream and/or tablet form are also available under the following names and are usually not advisable for those with kidney problems. None have been evaluated for safety in pregnant or nursing mothers:

• Acyclovir (Zovirax): *may slightly shorten* the duration of the first attack of cold sores. Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and headache.
• Famciclovir (Famvir): Not recommended for people who have had an allergic reaction in the past. Side effects include itching, fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, or diarrhea.
• Penciclovir (Denavir): This prescription cream that claims to reduce the duration of a cold sore outbreak has possible side effects of headache, decreased sensitivity to touch/local anesthesia, taste perversion, rash, swelling of the mouth or throat, pain, alterations in sense of smell, abnormal touch sensation, itching, skin discoloration, and hives.
• Valacyclovir (Valtrex): Side effects include skin rash, allergic reaction, headache, dizziness, insomnia, and fatigue.

5 Effective Home Remedies

If the lengthy list of side effects from pharmaceuticals designed to treat cold sores has you concerned or if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have kidney problems, take heart!

Traditional, nontoxic home remedies for cold sores with zero side effects abound and some even have scientifically published research to back them up!

The best home remedies for cold sores that really do work to temporarily reduce discomfort and speed healing include:

• Skin icing, aka “cold therapy”
• Concentrated Allicin gel
• Lysine supplement
• Tea bags (black tea only)
• Raw honey (preferably manuka honey) and turmeric paste

Several other fever blister home remedies are listed in the comments section below, so scroll through for more safe, nontoxic ideas that people are finding work well.

Skin Icing (Cold Therapy)

Applying ice or a cold pack directly on a cold sore for 2-3 minutes definitely helps to reduce inflammation and temporarily reduce pain and itch. (2)

It is best to do this over a kitchen or bathroom sink to catch melting ice drips and avoid making a mess. This remedy can be repeated multiple times during the day to maintain comfort.

Note that this method will not stop the pathogen causing the problem, however. For methods that help with this as well, see below.

Allicin Gel

We use this high-potency allicin gel for so many things skin-related in our home.

Because the active ingredient is concentrated allicin from raw garlic, the ointment is highly anti-microbial and, thus works incredibly well for anything skin related.

Bonus: allicin does not harm the probiotics on your skin!

I recommend keeping the tube in the refrigerator to maintain potency for years. The coolness of the gel when applied provides extra relief.

Lysine Supplement

According to research, the amino acid L-lysine prevents the herpes pathogen from replicating and so can stop a cold sore in its tracks. (3)

Many people swear by taking lysine pills at the first sign of tingling.

Black Tea Bags

Tea bags are one of the best-known home remedies for cold sores. Note that black tea bags, preferably organic (never plastic mesh tea bags), are the only form of tea proven to work. Herbal tea bags are not helpful.

I recommend this brand as the company uses nontoxic paper tea bags.

Black tea contains tannins that have been demonstrated to inhibit the herpes virus. Studies have shown that the beneficial effect of tannins works by stunting the formation of cold sores by inhibiting the absorption of the herpes simplex virus into cells. (4)

Some over-the-counter medications for fever blisters contain tannic acid.

Here’s how to apply the black tea therapy for cold sores: place a warm, recently brewed black tea bag directly on the area where the first tingle of a cold sore occurs.  

The earlier this home remedy is used, the better!  

Apply a freshly brewed tea bag for a few minutes every hour or a minimum of several times a day.

Remember, the tannins in the black tea inhibit the herpes virus from invading the cells, so the more often you do this in the early stages, the more effective this home remedy will be to stifle an outbreak in its tracks, or at the very least, minimize the size of the cold sore.

Raw Honey and Turmeric

Another cold sore home remedy that is scientifically proven to be effective is the application of raw manuka honey and turmeric to the cold sore. Again, the earlier this home remedy is used, the more satisfactory the results will be.

Note that only raw honey will do for this remedy and preferably manuka honey (also called tea tree honey) as it is the most potent type of honey in the world. 

Note that heating honey destroys its anti-pathogenic properties, so do not bother with honey that has been heat-treated in any way.

How to Make a Healing Paste

Simply mix a dab of raw honey (suggested source) and a pinch of turmeric powder (freshly ground is best) together and apply as a paste to the cold sore.

Reapply as often as necessary to maintain the constant application of the paste to the affected area.

Research has shown that honey is more effective than the prescription-only, anti-viral cold sore drug acyclovir cream at reducing the pain and duration of cold sores.

Researchers found that “The mean duration of attacks and pain, occurrence of crusting and mean healing time with honey treatment were 35%, 39%, 28%, and 43% better” than when the prescription item was used.”. (5)

Curcumin, a major component of the curry spice turmeric, has also been shown in a lab environment to be an effective antiviral agent against herpes simplex type 1. (6)

More study is needed to confirm the effectiveness of human subjects directly rather than in a lab environment

In the meantime, the research lends credence to the ancient Ayurvedic home remedy for cold sores which recommends slathering them with raw honey mixed with turmeric.

At the very least, adding turmeric is certainly not going to hamper the effectiveness of the raw honey and may very well boost it.

Whether you are prone to frequent fever blister outbreaks or just get them occasionally, these natural remedies can help resolve the discomfort and duration of an attack without the dangerous side effects and exposure to toxins of pharmaceutical creams and anti-viral drugs.

References

(1) Abreva (Docosanol Topical)

(2) Self-treatment of Cold Sores with Ice

(3) Lysine

(4) Inhibition of herpes simplex virus infection by tannins and related compounds

(5) Topical honey application vs. acyclovir for the treatment of recurrent herpes simplex lesions

(6) Curcumin inhibits herpes simplex virus immediate-early gene expression by a mechanism independent of p300/CBP histone acetyltransferase activity