Organic Cold Sore Salve with Manuka Honey

This salve is best used as a preventative. It can help prevent cold sores and can speed healing time. It cannot prevent all cold sores. Of the ingredients the lemon balm, Manuka honey, clove, and licorice, are all active against HSV-1 the virus that causes cold sores. The rose hips, horsetail, and oils provide healing benefits to the skin.

Click here to purchase.

Rose Hips (Rosa canina) are an excellent source of vitamin C, flavonoids, carotenoids, and fatty acids. Three major bioactive fatty acid compounds have been isolated that display anti-inflammatory properties. Flavonoids help prevent oxidative stress in skin, lessening the effect of aging.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-allergenic, and antimicrobial properties. It has been used for dermatitis, eczema, pruritus and cysts. It is highly skin permeable and prevents oxidative stress. Its antimicrobial properties are effective against Methicillin-resistant Staph A (MRSA), S. epidermidis, B. subtilis, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, H. pylori and more. Licorice root is active against HSV-1.

Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is high in silica, a component of skin and bones. It is anti-inflammatory and can increase collagen production. It is antimicrobial and can accelerate the healing of small burns and wounds.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) has been shown in studies to be effective against HSV-1. It penetrates the skin and inhibits the growth of the virus. Lemon balm is highly antioxidant and is anti-inflammatory and can reduce swelling. Lemon balm inhibits the growth of S. aureus, B. subtilis, L. monocytogenes, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, S. enterica. In in vitro studies, lemon balm inhibited the binding of HSV-1 to host cells and virus penetration in cells.

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is a very powerful antioxidant. Clove oil has been proven to be effective against Staphylococcus species of bacteria and Aspergillus niger species of fungi. It is antiviral and eugenin isolated from clove oil is anti-inflammatory and is active against HSV-1.

Manuka honey. The importance of honey in the field of wound treatments is well-known. This is due to antioxidant and antibacterial activity and maintaining a moist wound. The high viscosity of honey provides a protective barrier. Manuka honey contains phenolic compounds with potent antioxidant properties. Microorganisms sensitive to manuka honey: Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). S. aureus, Enterococcus, Hemolytic strep, S. mutans, P. aeruginosa, P. mirabilis, Shigella flexneri, E. coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Shigella, S. typhi, H. pylori, and more. Manuka honey is active against HSV-1.

Olive Oil has a comedogenic rating of 2, meaning it is unlikely to clog pores. It is antioxidant, antimicrobial, contains vitamins A, D, E and K. It contains oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid that is moisturizing and anti-inflammatory.

Vitamin E Oil is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It has photoprotective qualities that are very beneficial for skin that is exposed to the elements. It helps preserve the oils used in salves by preventing oxidization.