Treat pesky sores with these remedies

1. Enjoy vanilla

If you do use vanilla, try and get it organic, and try to start using it the second you feel the tingling set it.
Directions:
Soak a cotton pad or swab in vanilla until thoroughly saturated. Apply directly to sore, holding the swab or pad in place for a minute or so. Do this four times daily until no longer needed.

2. Snag some licorice

Glycyrhizic acid, an ingredient in licorice root, has been shown in some studies to stop the virus cells in their nasty little tracks-or at least counteract the symptoms of them. This is thanks to its anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties.

Directions:
Mix one tablespoon of licorice root powder to ½ teaspoon of fresh water, or however much you need to get the consistency of cream you want, making sure to add in small increments. Another option is to mix it with petroleum jelly, which on its own can help speed up the healing process of cold sores. If you opt for this, start with a teaspoon of the petroleum jelly and mix it with the licorice root.

Gently dab (a cotton swab is handy for this) a thin layer over the sore, making sure to get it completely covered. Leave it on for at least several hours, or overnight if possible.

3. Toss your toothbrush

Throw out your toothbrush after the blister has formed, and toss it once the sore has cleared up.

A toothbrush is the perfect vessel to carry the virus, and you can end up triggering an outbreak in yourself if you re-use the same toothbrush again and again. This is a preventative measure, since it can stop an outbreak or cut it short, it’s well worth doing.

4. Get milk

Putting a whole milk compress on your sore can help speed up the healing, and ease pain. The reason? Milk contains proteins known as immunoglobulins, which are essentially anti-bodies that fight off and prevent viruses-like herpes. To help cold sores that have already erupted, make a whole milk compress to soothe the pain and fight off the virus.
Directions:
Soak a cotton ball in milk, and apply it directly to the cold sore for several minutes. Use a clean towel moistened with water to dab off the milky residue at the end.

5. Wipe it out with hydrogen peroxide

Anyone who had a parent that put hydrogen peroxide on a scrape knows that it’s not exactly pleasant. The good news is that it’s a lot less traumatic to use at your own will, nor does it seem to hurt as bad now that you’ve grown up a bit. It disinfects, healing up speeding, and makes it hard for the surfaced sore to spread or worsen.
Directions:
Soak a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide. Place the cotton ball directly on your sore. Let it be for five minutes or so, allowing it to do its job, before rinsing off.

6. Be minty fresh

Peppermint oil is thought to have properties that directly kill virus particles outside of your cells, like the ones floating around an erupted cold sore.When applied directly to a cold sore, people have found that the sore healed faster than usual-especially when applied at the very first sign of one.
Directions:
First, use a bit of water to rinse the surface of the cold sore. Then, dip a cotton swab in clean water and then dip it into the peppermint oil. This is to dilute it a bit, making it less likely to irritate your skin. Try this twice daily until it is no longer needed.

7. Load up on vitamins E and C

• red berries
• kiwi
• broccoli
• tomatoes
• red and green bell peppers
• spinach (little did Popeye know he was onto a cure for cold sores)

Vitamin E rich foods include:

• nuts
• leafy green vegetables
• whole grain
• avocados

8. Grab some aloe gel