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

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 Dr. Truitt. Once you contract the virus, you have it for life, though some people only get an outbreak once in their lifetime. Dr. 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, Dr. 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, Dr. 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, Dr. 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, Dr. 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.

Dr. 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.

Our Top Picks

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

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.