-
- cold sore
-
- dancing raisin
One of the best euphemisms ever for the “gift that keeps on giving” if you ask me. But! Cold sores are just as easy to prevent and heal in a natural way as they are to freak out about!
One of the easiest ways to treat an existing breakout:
Avoid acidic situations: spicy foods, tomato products, hardcore toothpaste/mouthwash, coffee, alcohol, processed sugars. Now I’m not saying to stay away from these forever, but just as you’re healing.
dancing raisin
Rub a raisin in your mouth: at the end of your day, after brushing your teeth gently, rinse your mouth completely with warm sea salt water (1/2 tsp per 80z). Then rub a raisin around in your fingers until it’s soft. Now split the raisin and apply the open side to the sore for 15-20 minutes. This can be repeated for 2-3 nights until it’s gone.
This is of course easiest on a cold sore that’s on the inside of the mouth, but you can apply a bit of the raisin mush to a band-aid or use like a lip balm for an external sore. I know I know, NOT the hottest look, but please, you’re embarrassed already, why not? 😉
Raisins have a high iron and potassium content which balances out the acidic environment that cold sores love.
Preventing more breakouts:
Discover L-lysine:
cold sore
The amino acid l-lysine, one of the key essential amino acids (meaning we have to get it from our diet) to fight, minimize and prevent viral herpes (sorry, that’s the real name for cold sores!) is a nutrient you can easily find in supplement form. It also comes naturally in foods, but brewer’s yeast is a unique food with a high lysine content. (sorta like vegan powdered cheese…sorta)
If you’re taking the supplement form, make sure to take at least 1250mg per day when you feel it coming on, and then back down to lower levels once you’ve been breakout free for a while. Also remember to consume plenty of Vitamin C, Zinc and Bioflavinoids (from a good multi-vitamin or better from dark leafy veggies) when taking this supplement to support it’s benefits.
