Essential oils are coming more and more into the spotlight for their ability to successfully ‘have a go’ at the cold sore virus hat disturbs thousands of beautiful smiles with symptoms like tingling, burning, itchiness and a painful feeling, mostly around the lip area and sometimes the nostrils. Blisters often develop and can burst, exposing a clear fluid that is highly infectious. The cold sore virus is contagious and is easily spread by skin-to-skin contact with other people through kissing, touching or through oral sex. Many people are unknowingly carriers of the virus and it doesn’t bother them most of the time, as it appears to be ‘asleep’ until something triggers it and makes it active. Once it is active, crusty scabs are forming and crack open, which can be unpleasantly painful, because there are a lot of nerves around the lip area. These blisters and crusts are commonly called cold sores and typically appear in the corner of the mouth. It is known that people, who once had a cold sore, will be life-long carriers of the virus that usually lies dormant in the body and doesn’t cause any problems until our body’s immune system is weakened and gives the dormant cold sore virus a chance to replicate itself and show up in the form of blisters. Can too much stress and insufficient sleep be responsible for the cold sore showing up? The experts say the answer to this appears to be ‘Yes’. Whenever we are under mental stress, we tend to sleep much less or have broken and uninterrupted sleep which in turn punishes our immunity and makes us more susceptible for ill health. Lost sleep is lost; we cannot get it back or catch up on sleep! Things that may trigger an eventual outbreak can be:
-Long-term fatigue and stress
-Insufficient sleep over a prolonged period of time
-Weak immune system or drugs that suppress the immune system
-Pregnancy, hormonal changes and sometimes even the monthly menstruation
-Extreme temperature fluctuations
-Strong and prolonged sun exposure
Cold sores are not a life-threatening infection and can be treated either with over-the counter anti-viral ointments that unfortunately contain chemicals (these ointments are not recommended in pregnancy, which shows us that they are not as harmless as we might think).. or..opt for the lesser known but better option and manage cold sores with 100% natural remedies that have zero side-effects and are much more effective in keeping the area moisturised and crust-free, which makes the whole issue a lot more bearable in terms of discomfort and pain.
In a scientific study of Phytomedicine (natural medicine) conducted in 2003 and published in the National Centre of Biotechnology Information at the National Library of Medicine, the 'virucidal' effect (=deactivation and destruction of certain viruses) of essential oils of Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Australian tea tree and Melissa (Lemon Balm) on cells, was tested in vitro. The essential oils exhibited high levels of activity against cold sores (HSV type 1 and HSV type 2) in viral suspension tests. Special selected essential oils were added to the test cells at different times during the infection to determine the mode of the antiviral action, and after just 3 hours of incubation of the herpes simplex virus (the cause of the cold sore) an antiviral activity of about 99% was measured. They also observed that plaque formation (that typical blistery and crusty skin around the location of the cold sore), was significantly reduced by 82% for the HSV type 1 and 92% for the HSV type 2. They concluded that certain essential oils are capable to exert a direct virucidal effect on HSV and might well be suitable for topical therapeutic use as virucidal agent in recurrent herpes infection.
One of such a powerful nz skincare remedy is the Purely Essential Lip Blemish Rescue for cold sores. It is a fast and efficient natural solution that soothes the sore and relieves discomfort and pain and assists the healing process naturally. It is made from New Zealand certified organic and therapeutic-grade oils of Tea tree, Peppermint, Oregano, Clove Bud, German Chamomile, and Lemon Balm. Each bottle is finely handcrafted using fractionated Coconut oil as a carrier that helps to relieve tingling, itching and burning, associated with cold sore problems and blistering. The organic roll-on works very fast and is highly efficient! Most clients noticed their cold sore gone within 7 days without any pain, or scars, or discoloured spots remaining where the sore was before. Entirely natural, organic, and without any harsh side-effects. We are convinced you won't find anything that works better and faster than this!