Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (2024)

Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (1)

Cold sores are uncomfortable, unsightly, and, unfortunately, very common. The World Health Organization estimates that some two-thirds of the worldwide population is infected with the virus. Because active cold sores are highly contagious, prevention of the spread of the virus and the use of cold sore medicine to heal the blister are key.

The best cold sore treatments are going to come via a prescription from your doctor, says Anne Truitt, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Skin Surgery Medical Group in San Diego, CA. But there are a lot of great cold sore medicines you can get over-the-counter to use alongside a prescription to help speed up healing and reduce the pain, burning, and tingling that often comes alongside an outbreak.

We surveyed our editors (who have had at least one cold sore outbreak in their lives) on what OTC medicines they use to find relief and speed healing. We also consulted experts in the field on the most effective OTC ingredients for cold sores. A dermatologist from our Medical Expert Board reviewed the contents of this article for medical accuracy surrounding cold sores and the efficacy of cold sore medicines.

What Causes Cold Sores, and How Can You Prevent Them?

Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), which affects some 57 to 80% of the U.S. population, according to Truitt. Once you contract the virus, you have it for life, though some people only get an outbreak once in their lifetime. Truitt says the best way to prevent a cold sore outbreak is to avoid the triggers—commonly, harsh weather such as sun exposure, cold weather, and chapped lips, or things that compromise your immune system like a lack of sleep, infection, fever, the flu, or emotional stress.

What to Look for in OTC Cold Sore Medicine

  • Form of Treatment: Over-the-counter cold sore relief usually comes in the form of a topical cream or gel, or a patch. Creams and gels usually have ingredients to help the blister heal and be less painful, but be sure to wash your hands after applying to avoid spreading the virus. Patches sometimes have medication on them, but often help more with unsightliness since they cover the blister, and they help minimize the spread.
  • Symptom Relief: Drying agents, topical steroids, anti-inflammatories, and topical anesthetics can all help with the symptoms of cold sores, namely pain, redness, discomfort, and "weeping" of the blister.
  • Frequency of Use: Many OTC cold sore medicines have ingredients that are safe to use for a short period of time but not indefinitely. Be sure to check how frequently you can apply a gel, cream, or patch, as well as for how many days it’s safe to use it for.

Key Ingredients in Cold Sore Treatments

Cold sore medications, both prescription and OTC, rely on a variety of different active ingredients to offer relief and healing, says Tsippora Shainhouse, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in Beverly Hills, California.When it comes to OTC cold sore treatments, the most helpful ingredients are:

  • Drying agents: The HSV virus of a cold sore thrives in a warm, moist setting, Truitt says. Drying agents in medicine help to speed up healing—and reduce the risk of spreading the virus to another part of your body or another person. which, when dabbed on the sore, helps dry up the blister and its fluid.Look for astringents such as calamine lotion, zinc oxide, and witch hazel.
  • Topical steroids and anti-inflammatories: These help reduce the pain, itch, redness, and inflammation of a cold sore, Truitt says. These should only be applied at a limited frequency (e.g., three times per day), so be sure to read the instructions. Usually, this is in the form of OTC hydrocortisone, but ice cubes and aloe vera gel are two great natural anti-inflammatories that can speed up healing time, Truitt says.It's important to note that topical steroids decrease immune function and should only be used alongside antiviral agents.
  • Topical anesthetics: These can help with discomfort and can be applied to the sore up to three times a day as needed for local pain relief, Shainhouse says. Usually, this agent is in the form of lidocaine or menthol.

What Healthcare Providers Want You to Know

  • Canker sore and cold sore medication: Because cold sores are caused by a virus and canker sores are small ulcers, medications aimed at treating cold sores (antivirals) won’t work on canker sores, says Jin Lin, DMD, a pediatric dentist with Hurst Pediatric Dentistry. Also, most OTC cold sore medicines shouldn’t be ingested, so you should not put them on a canker sore inside your mouth, adds Chris Airey, MD, Medical Director at Optimale.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

Cold sores are certainly treatable with over-the-counter meds, and the blisters will heal on their own even without medicine. But if you get cold sores frequently or experience an outbreak, you can talk to your doctor about getting a prescription medication.

Truitt says Famciclovir is an effective oral treatment for the herpes virus for infrequent cold sores or one-time use. For recurrent outbreaks, she says something like acyclovir ointment or valacyclovir tablets can be prescribed to be used on a regular basis to prevent an outbreak.

Also, according to Todd Minars, MD, a dermatologist with Minars Dermatology, medications like Abreva, Zovirax, and Valtrex are usually safe for pregnant patients. Still, asking your OB-GYN before using new medicines, even over-the-counter ones, is smart.

In This Article

Pros

  • Contains an effective antiviral

  • Easy to apply

Cons

  • Must wash hands after application to avoid spreading the virus

  • Expensive

Key Specs

Form: Cream | Active Ingredients: Docosanol | Frequency of use: As needed for max of 10 days

Why We Recommend It

In our survey, Abreva Docosanol 10% Cold Sore Cream Tube was the top-rated treatment for cold sores from all sorts of triggers, including stress, sunburn, fatigue, dry lips, and exhaustion.

As the only FDA-approved, non-prescription medicine to treat cold sores with the anti-viral active ingredient docosanol, Abreva Docosanol 10% Cream blocks the virus that causes cold sores and relieves unpleasant symptoms. Our editors agreed this cream helped to reduce the itching, burning, and pain of their blister, and it softened dried or scabbed blisters to ultimately help their sore go away sooner.

The texture is smooth and slightly thick, which makes it easy to apply to a cold sore. Our editors said this cream works best in conjunction with their prescription cold sore pill, but many saw results using it on its own.

If you’re interested in a fast-acting cold sore cream, Abreva Cold Sore Treatment Rapid Pain Relief was the second most recommended product by editors. This iteration contains lidocaine, which is an anesthetic. And we felt this cream helped reduce the itching, burning, and tingling of our cold sores. That being said, this product doesn’t speed up the healing process. It contains glycerin, which puts moisture back into the sore, and, according to Truitt, you want to keep a cold sore dry to speed up the healing process. Try giving time between applications of the glycerin cream for your sore to dry out.

Keep In Mind

Depending on where you purchase from, this medicine seems expensive, especially for such a small tube. But its effectiveness makes it well worth it, and most tubes don’t dry up over months, so it’s definitely worth the money if you get outbreaks frequently. Also, remember that since this cream has an antiviral agent, you should only use it for a maximum of 10 days.

  • Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (3)

  • Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (4)

  • Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (5)

Pros

  • Local anesthetic provides pain relief

  • Touch-free application

  • Speeds up healing, according to testing

  • Affordable

Cons

  • Weird taste

Key Specs

Form: Liquid | Active Ingredients: Benzalkonium chloride, benzocaine | Frequency of use: Max of 3 times per day

Why We Recommend It

According to Truitt, its active ingredients include a local anesthetic, which should help with the discomfort of a cold sore. It also offers an antiseptic to help speed up the healing process. Our editors reported that Orajel Single Dose Touch-Free Applicator Cold Sore Treatment helped their cold sore go away sooner.

A huge perk of Orajel Single Dose is that this cream is packaged with a unique applicator akin to a syringe. So you can squirt the cream directly onto the blister, meaning you can apply treatment without having to wash your hands afterward. The cream dries quickly and clearly.

We also love that this medicine is affordable, particularly considering that $13 gets you four syringes of medication, each individually packaged for a longer shelf life.

Keep In Mind

Our editors did report that this product tastes a little weird (like glue). This shouldn’t be a problem with most cold sores, but if your outbreak is close to the inside of your lip, it’s something to consider. Also, you should only use it for a maximum of three times per day, which might not be enough pain relief for some.

  • Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (7)

  • Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (8)

Pros

  • Users report it’s effective at reducing pain and discomfort

  • Reasonably priced

  • Dries clear

Cons

  • Must wash hands after application to avoid spreading the virus

  • Doesn’t speed healing time

Key Specs

Form: Gel | Active Ingredients: Camphorated phenol | Frequency of use: Apply 1 to 3 times daily

Why We Recommend It

Our editor who used Campho-Phenique Cold Sore Treatment Gel reported that overall, this gel helped reduce the pain, itching, and burning from their cold sore. That’s thanks to the camphorated phenol, an antiseptic that contains camphor and phenol, which both reduce pain.

It also contains aloe vera (which Truitt says has mixed effectiveness on healing), as well as eucalyptus oil, which studies show may have antiviral properties. That being said, our editors reported that this gel didn’t necessarily help make their cold sore go away any sooner, though it did help make it less uncomfortable while it lasted.

The gel in this tube is super lightweight and has a slightly translucent or clear look to it, so it won’t leave a white residue after you rub it on.

Keep In Mind

Among our editors who used this product, the gel didn’t speed up the healing of their cold sores. Also, you have to touch your open sore to apply this cream, so be sure to wash your hands afterward.

  • Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (10)

  • Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (11)

  • Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (12)

Pros

  • Helps absorb drainage from sore

  • Thin, clear film blends seamlessly into skin

  • Easy to apply and remove

  • Affordable

Cons

  • Patches don’t contain additional medication

Key Specs

Form: Patch | Active Ingredients: Hydrocolloid gel | Dose: Provides protection for 12 hours

Why We Recommend It

Aside from the pain, one of the worst things about cold sores is the unsightliness of an oozing sore on your lip. The Mederma Cold Sore Patch is a hydrocolloid patch, which helps to absorb drainage as well as keep the ulcerated area covered, says Truitt.

Our editors say it helps to speed up healing and make the cold sore go away faster. These patches are easy to apply—just peel back the protective plastic layer, line up the patch to your cold sore, and press down. We love that they don’t involve touching the sore directly, so they’re great to use on the go.

The clear hydrocolloid film blends in seamlessly to the skin, so you can’t tell you have a patch on—or that you have a cold sore, most of the time. And with the physical barrier covering the open sore, our editors felt less at risk for spreading it (although you still shouldn’t share drinks or kiss someone, and should wash your hands after application, just in case).

Keep In Mind

The patches themselves aren’t medicated, so it’s most effective to apply a healing cream or gel before the patch. But even when used solo, our editors felt their cold sores healed faster than without it.

  • Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (14)

  • Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (15)

  • Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (16)

How We Tested the Cold Sore Treatments

To identify the best cold sore treatments, we surveyed our editors who have experience treating cold sores in the past. Overall, we had 28 submissions on the performance of different products. To evaluate how their treatment performed, they considered:

  • Triggers: Our editors identified factors that they believed triggered their cold sores. This is helpful since triggers such as stress and environmental factors can affect a treatment’s effectiveness.
  • Product Usage: Our editors detailed their use of over-the-counter medications, specific products, and holistic remedies for certain types of applications (gels, creams, lip balms, patches).
  • Effectiveness: We rated how effective the chosen treatments are in alleviating symptoms and speeding up recovery.
  • Texture and Feel: We evaluated each product we tried for how it felt on the skin. These descriptions helped us understand satisfaction with the application process and any sensory benefits.

Our Experts

We spoke with experts at every stage of this article, including when formulating what testing criteria to rate in a product, as well as research on which ingredients are effective and key cold sore triggers.

Specifically, we consulted the following experts for the story:

  • Allison K. Truong, MD, a dermatologist with Cedars-Sinai
  • Anne Truitt, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Skin Surgery Medical Group in San Diego, CA
  • Tsippora Shainhouse, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in Beverly Hills, California
  • Jin Lin, DMD, a pediatric dentist with Hurst Pediatric Dentistry
  • Chris Airey, MD, Medical Director at Optimale
  • Todd Minars, MD, a dermatologist with Minars Dermatology

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How long does it take cold sore medicine to work?

    Generally, topical OTC creams should start helping somewhere between 72 hours to four days later, says Minars. Sometimes, though, it can take a week or more. On the flip side, if you start using a medication at the first sign of a cold sore, you can sometimes prevent a breakout entirely, Airey adds.

Why Trust Verywell Health

Rachael Schultz has been a health and science writer, as well as a product journalist, for over 10 years for outlets such as Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Journal, Gear Patrol, and Forbes. Additionally, she’s suffered from cold sores for pretty much her whole life and has tried nearly every remedy, over the counter, holistic, and prescription. That makes her especially well-suited for parsing the science behind what treatments are effective against the virus and, therefore, which cold sore treatments can actually help you find relief.

Our Editors Swear by These 4 Best Cold Sore Treatments for Quick Relief (2024)
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