== Home remedies ==
* [[Lemon Balm]] (Melissa) appears to be directly effective against the herpes simplex virus. As part of a soothing lip balm, you can address both the need to sooth painful sores and attack the virus at its root.
*[[Licorice]] powder has been used externally to treat genital herpes and Cold Sores (herpes simplex virus).
* [[Rhubarb]] is sometimes applied to the skin to treat cold sores.
* [[Melissa]] has been know to help people with Cold Sores.
* [[Colloidal Silver]] can help.
* [[Garlic]] : Like in treating acne, cut a clove of garlic in half and apply it directly to the sore. It might sting a little, but it’s been shown to work just as effectively as commercial treatments for getting rid of those unsightly sores.
* ear wax (cerumen) has some anti-herpes activity.
* [[l-Lysine]] can prevent or control herpes outbreaks.
* Avoid [[Arginine]] rich foods.
* [[Sage]] : when applied as a cream containing sage and rhubarb. Applying a cream containing sage and rhubarb (Rheum officinale and Rheum palmatum) to cold sores may be about as effective as acyclovir (Zovirax) cream. Acyclovir cream heals the cold sores in about 6 days; it takes the sage and rhubarb cream about 7 days to heal them. Sage and rhubarb together work faster than sage alone.
* [[Propolis]] : Preliminary research suggests that topically applying propolis may help heal cold sores. In a study published in Phytotherapy Research in 2010, for example, scientists found that extracts of propolis possess virus-fighting effects that may help knock out against herpes simplex virus type 1 (the virus that causes cold sores).