Natural Home Remedies for Cold Sore Treatment
An estimated 50 to 80% of American adults get cold sores. They do normally heal on their own, but they can take up to three weeks to fully heal. Since cold sores can be uncomfortable, you may be looking for ways to speed up your recovery time. Along with various over-the-counter and prescription medication treatment options, there are some natural at-home cold sore treatments that you can try. Here’s a look at four options to consider.
Medical Grade Honey
Medical grade honey is honey that has been sterilized. It has antimicrobial activities, which means that it can help fight off bacterial and fungal infections. A recent study also found that it can be effective for treating the viral infection that causes cold sores, herpes. In the study, patients applied medical grade honey onto their cold sores and compared that to the standard treatment. What they found is that patients had faster healing times and milder symptoms when they used the honey.
If you have a cold sore, you might want to try dabbing some medical grade honey on it. Do this three times daily until the cold sore heals.
Zinc
Zinc is another naturally antimicrobial agent. You can find it in the store as a cream that can be applied directly onto the skin where you have a cold sore. There is some research that supports the use of zinc cream for cold sores. One study found that when patients applied zinc cream onto their cold sore every two hours, it made the healing time faster and the symptoms less severe. If you have a cold sore, you can try putting some zinc cream on it to help it heal faster.
You can also find zinc in the store as a vitamin you eat. There is also research that supports the use of oral zinc for cold sores. In one study, patients were given oral zinc to take two times a day. These patients had fewer cold sores, and they healed faster when they did happen. So if you have cold sores often, zinc vitamins might be a good idea for you to try.
Olive Leaf Extract
Olive leaf extract is an herbal treatment that has antiviral effects. That means that it has natural properties to fight viruses like the one that causes cold sores. A recent study found that olive leaf extract cream helped patients have fewer symptoms and faster healing times than with the normal treatment. The patients in the study used the cream five times a day to get these benefits. If you have a cold sore, you might want to try using olive leaf extract cream to help it feel better and heal a bit faster.
Cold Compress
Ice or cold compresses can reduce the pain and redness associated with cold sores and may reduce inflammation. Generally, this home treatment is mainly about comfort, as it numbs some of the irritated nerves, leading to less pain.
When using ice, don’t apply it directly to the skin. Instead, wrap it in a clean washcloth or something similar to avoid unnecessary skin damage.
Additionally, when using a commercial cold compress pack, check the directions to see if applying it directly to the skin is safe. Some may recommend wrapping the compress in a small towel to avoid skin damage, and it’s best to follow that guidance if the manufacturer states doing so is necessary.
Next Steps
If you have a cold sore and it’s causing discomfort or you just want it to go away faster, you can try one of these natural home remedies to treat your cold sore. If you try one of these and it makes things worse, stop using it immediately and contact your doctor. Natural home remedies are usually safe to try, but if you have any questions you can reach out to your doctor. You can also speak with your doctor to make sure you have the right diagnosis and to see what medical treatments may be available for you.
Medical content reviewed by Brittany Stopa, MPH
Further Reading
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Oral Herpes.” Accessed 23 Mar 2023. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/herpes-hsv1-and-hsv2/oral-herpes
- Mayo Clinic. “Cold sore.” Published 24 Jan 2023. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cold-sore/symptoms-causes/syc-20371017
- Naik PP, Mossialos D, Wijk BV, Novakova P, Wagener FADTG, Cremers NAJ. Medical-Grade Honey Outperforms Conventional Treatments for Healing Cold Sores-A Clinical Study. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021 Dec 4;14(12):1264. doi: 10.3390/ph14121264.
- Godfrey HR, Godfrey NJ, Godfrey JC, Riley D. A randomized clinical trial on the treatment of oral herpes with topical zinc oxide/glycine. Altern Ther Health Med. 2001;7(3):49-56.
- Femiano F, Gombos F, Scully C. Recurrent herpes labialis: a pilot study of the efficacy of zinc therapy. J Oral Pathol Med. 2005;34(7):423-425. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0714.2005.00327.x
- Toulabi T, Delfan B, Rashidipour M, et al. The efficacy of olive leaf extract on healing herpes simplex virus labialis: A randomized double-blind study. Explore (NY). 2022;18(3):287-292. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2021.01.003
- American Academy of Dermatology Association. “Cold Sores: Tips for Managing.” Accessed 23 Mar 2023. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/cold-sores-self-care
