Natural Remedies for Healing Cold Sores (plus an herbal infusion recipe) (2024)

Healthy Living | 26 |
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If you or someone you know suffers from cold sores or fever blisters, these natural remedies for healing cold sores are sure to help!

Please note: 1) I am NOT a doctor, just a mom who has done a lot of research in order to help her kids live healthier lives. Please don’t just take my word for it – your own research, as well! 2) I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!

Our Story

I’m gonna be honest, up until 3 years ago I didn’t know the difference between canker sore and a cold sore. Call me sheltered, but as far as I knew they were the same thing: small sores in the mouth. No big deal. But when my baby girl broke out with painful sores all over her mouth and gums, I was afraid she had some awful rare disease.

After talking with a few mom friends the verdict was in: herpes.

Whaaaa? How could my sweet little 1 year old get herpes? Wasn’t that an STD? No freakin’ way, José.

But aforementioned mom friends also assured me that HSV-1 (a.k.a. cold sores or fever blisters) was actually pretty common, and not really anything to worry about.

What is herpes?

Even though it comes from the same family of viruses, herpes simplex virus 1 is not the same as herpes simplex virus 2. While HSV-2 is considered a sexually transmitted disease, HSV-1 is primarily transmitted by oral-oral contact. Just like and STD though, HSV-1 is very contagious. My daughter contracted it by sharing a sippy cup with a friend who was infected (we didn’t know the friend had HSV-1 at the time).

HSV-1 is one of the most common types of the herpes virus. While the symptoms (the sores) aren’t always visible, that doesn’t mean the virus is gone. The virus will live dormant inside a person’s immune system their whole life, causing periodic break outs in blisters when the immune system is stressed.

When left alone, herpes cold sores usually last about two weeks. They are uncomfortable and may be accompanied with a low-grade fever or sore throat. During an outbreak the virus is contagious.

While the virus that causes herpes is not curable, there are quite a few natural remedies for healing cold sores that can help keep herpes in remission.

Step 1: A healthy diet.

The number one way to keep herpes (or any virus) at bay is to keep your immune system strong by eating a healthy diet. Foods rich in vitamins B & C, zinc, the amino acid L-lysine, and omega-3s are wonderful ways to make sure your immune system is strong. On the other hand, foods that are highly inflammatory, such as sugars, processed foods, alcohol, and foods high in carbs can damage or tear down your immune system. It’s important to stay off these, as well.

Here are a few recipes made with foods high in vitamins B & C, zinc, L-lysine, and omega-3s that we eat regularly.

• White Chicken Chili in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
• Crispy Coconut Pan-Fried Salmon
• Simple Herbed Red Drum
• Simple Green Salad with Leftover Turkey and Homemade Ranch
• Chicken Fajitas in the Instant Pot
• 1-Ingredient Carrot Fettuccini
• Carrot Orange Smoothie
• Mint Chocolate Chip Blender Ice Cream
• No-Bake Banana Walnut Brownies

Along with the right foods, it’s also important to stay hydrated, get adequate rest, and keep your stress level as low as possible. (So easy, I know!)

Step 2: Supplements.

Though my family eats a relatively healthy diet, there are still times when our immune systems need a little extra something. If anyone in my family starts to feel run down, we start pumping her immune system with these natural boosters. Below are our go-to supplements. They are all extremely helpful for people who struggle with HSV-1, but are also good for any virus.

Vitamin B12 spray – Most common B12 supplements use cyanocobalamin, which is a synthetic form B12. This B12 spray contains the methylcobalamin form of B12, which mirrors the form found in our food and cells. It is quickly absorbed into the body and affords the best results.

Vitamin C powder– Acerola cherry powder gives a very high dose of real-food vitamin C. It is very important to stay away from vitamin C supplements like tablets or powders that contain lab-grown forms of vitamin C. You want it as straight from the food source as possible. We usually mix the acerola powder with a little water or orange juice and take it like a shot.

Cod liver oil – There are a lot of different opinions out there about cod liver oil. I tend to be of the opinion that as long as it’s good quality (and not fermented – oil doesn’t ferment!) taking cod liver oil can be beneficial for the immune system. As a rule, we don’t take it regularly, but only when we feel our immune systems need a boost.

Herbal, Immune-Boosting Tea – While I originally came up with this tea recipe to battle sore throats, coughs, and colds, the herbs in this tea are amazing for boosting the immune system! It’s naturally packed with the vitamins and minerals the body needs to fight of viruses, including HSV-1.

Easy Immune Support Tincture – If you’ve never made a tincture before, don’t worry. It’s very easy. This immune support tincture is a great place to start, and your immune system will thank you.

Elderberry syrup – I make my elderberry syrup in the Instant Pot. It saves money, time, and helps keep your immune system safe from viruses.

Propolis – Propolis is a resinous mixture that honey bees make from mixing saliva and beeswax. The bees use it for closing up small spaces in the beehive that they don’t want open. Propolis is very high in antioxidants, which protect the immune system, as well as amino acids, vitamins A, C, and E, and minerals like potassium and magnesium. Though you can buy propolis online or in a health food store, I do suggest getting it from a local farm.

Natural remedies for healing cold sores.

If an outbreak has occurred – as soon as the symptoms appear – we use these supplements mentioned below to help the body heal quickly. Taking these along with the aforementioned supplements will help heal the outbreak quickly.

Antimonium crudum 6x – Homeopathic antimonium crudum is made from the mineral black sulphide of antimony, also known as stibnite. It has many uses, but we primarily use it for canker sores and cold sores.

Wild indigo – Wild indigo is what I first reach for whenever cold sores show up. Though it works wonderfully in combination with the other homeopathic supplements, if you catch the outbreak soon enough, sometimes a couple days of taking this tincture is all that is needed. While I do usually opt for tinctures over homeopathic tablets, you can also use baptisia tinctoria, which is the homeopathic supplement made from wild indigo.

Borax 6x – Yes, you read that righ – borax. Homeopathic borax is diluted from sodium biborate, so there’s no need to worry about ingesting this supplement. It’s not the same as taking a spoonful of 20-Mule Team Borax. Homeopathic borax is wonderful for canker sores, oral thrush, and a host of other ailments.

Natrum muriaticum 6x – Nat mur (natrum muriaticum) is made from sodium chloride and is very useful for nasal allergies, migraine, headaches, and can be used to treat cold sores when used with borax and antimonium crudem. I don’t usually take this alone for cold sores, but when they’re a bad case, it can be helpful to use with the others.

In addition to all these things (I know, it sounds like a lot!) I usually make this cold sore herbal infusion. It give the body an extra boost of herbs to help it heal. It can be given once a day until the sores are healed.

The bottom line.

Having all these natural remedies for healing cold sores on hand is a blessing, but a strong immune system is your best bet to fight off any infection, including an outbreak from HSV-1. Eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and staying hydrated can go a long way to keeping your immune system strong and keeping cold sores at bay.

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