• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Ascension Kitchen
  • About
    • Philosophy
    • About Lauren
    • Media & Events
    • Contact
    • Terms + Conditions
  • Naturopathy Consults
  • Blog
    • Plant-Based Recipes
      • Healthy Dessert Recipes
      • Mains
      • Snacks + Sides
      • Drinks
      • Kitchen Staples
      • Breakfasts
      • Salads
      • Healthy Dressings + Condiments
      • Ayurvedic Recipes
    • Natural Health
      • Natural Remedies
      • Plant-Based Nutrition
      • Functional Foods
    • Natural Living
      • Natural beauty
      • Natural cleaning recipes
      • Essential Oils
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Blog
  • Plant-Based Recipes
  • Natural Health
  • Natural Living
  • Naturopathy Consults
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Plant-Based Recipes » Homemade Cold Sore Salve

Homemade Cold Sore Salve

Published: Mar 14, 2014 · Modified: Nov 30, 2019 by Lauren Glucina • Naturopath, Nutritionist

683 shares
  • Facebook124
Jump to How-to Print How-to

homemade-cold-sore-salvehomemade-cold-sore-salve

Today’s recipe is a simple herbal salve for cold sores. They are one of those annoying things that seems to strike at the most inconvenient of times, always when you least need them! (Which is always, always when you are stressed!). Before we begin, if you find you are feeling rather stressed lately, I wrote a lovely meditation to help you unwind and release tension here. Practising this meditation may also help in the prevention of nasty cold sore outbreaks. Ok, let's get started!

Herbs and Oils to heal Cold Sores

I  chose the following herbs and oils to use in this healing salve:

Coconut oil: Olive oil is traditionally used as a base in herbal infused oils and in salve making, but I chose coconut for its strong anti-viral properties.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): Lemon balm is a fantastic calming, soothing herb to aid to stress and tension (cold sores are often triggered by stress). Additionally, it is an effective anti-viral that is safe to use topically. I have used both the dried herb and the oil in this remedy.

Peppermint Essential Oil: In this study, it was found that peppermint oil was extremely effective at inhibiting the herpes virus and can also be used therapeutically, topically. Add to this – it is cooling and has both a pleasant taste and scent.

Tee Tree Essential Oil: Also a known anti-viral, tee tree has the added benefit of being antiseptic and antibacterial. This is useful once those painful blisters have broken and start to heal, to keep it free from any chance of an infection.

St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum): I used the dried herb in the infusion of the base oil. St John’s wort is both anti-viral and incredibly beneficial for stress and anxiety. Used externally it is a great anti-inflammatory.

Clove Essential Oil: Clove is a dear friend of mine, I once had ‘dry sockets’ – a complication after having my wisdom teeth removed (the blood clots dislodge prematurely from the sockets, exposing the raw nerves). An emergency trip to the dentist saw him stuff the sockets with clove buds and the pain relief was instant. Clove is what we call an analgesic – a pain reliever. I put a tiny bit in the salve to aid in that horrible aching tingling feeling you get. Be warned though - please don't use more than suggested - it is quite strong!

Homemade Cold Sore Salve with coconut, lemon balm, st john's wort, clove, peppermint and tea tree

If you make and enjoy this recipe, please leave a rating below. And better yet – leave me a comment to tell me how you got on, or just say hi – I LOVE hearing from you. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest to see more of my everyday recipes and wellness tips.

 If you’re after a Naturopathic consult, read more here.

Cod Sore Salve in a jar

Homemade Cold Sore Salve

Naturopath Lauren Glucina
A home remedy for cold sores with lemon balm, St John's wort, tea tree, clove, peppermint and coconut.
This recipe starts by making a herbal infused oil to use as a base for the salve - it takes two hours to prepare this. You can purchase a herbal infused oil if you'd like to speed the process up.
4.78 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Course Personal care
Cuisine Herbal
Servings 100 ml

Ingredients
  

Herb Infused Oil:

  • 1 cup coconut oil
  • 15 g St John’s wort dried herb
  • 15 g Lemon Balm dried herb

Salve:

  • 60 ml of the above herbal oil
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped/grated organic beeswax about 15g (deeply moisturising, soothing, creates a protective layer over the skin)
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated cacao butter a rich moisturizer, rich source of fatty acids to aid in emulsification, gives firmness
  • 10 drops Melissa essential oil common name, lemon balm

Optional:

  • 2 drops clove essential oil pain relief
  • 4 drops peppermint essential oil anti-viral, cooling, pleasant scent
  • 2 drops tea tree essential oil anti-viral

Instructions
 

Herb Infused oil:

  • Melt coconut oil in a double boiler/in a glass bowl over water that has only JUST reached a simmer, add herbs and mix well, leave for two hours, checking regularly to ensure there is enough water in the pan still as it simmers away. If after two hours the oil has taken on the colour and scent of the herbs, perfect, if not, leave for another couple of hours.
  • The longer you can leave your herbs to extract, the better. Just ensure the temperature is low.
  • Strain through cheesecloth/nut milk bag, wring out the herbs to get every little magical last drop of goodness out. Compost the herbs when done and save the strained oil for the salve.

Salve:

  • In a double boiler, combine the herbal oil with the beeswax and cacao butter and let the water simmer till everything has melted and combined, stir frequently.
  • At this point, you may want to test the consistency of the salve. Spoon a little into a container and set in the freezer for a few minutes. If it is too soft, add more beeswax, if it is too firm, add more oil.
  • Remove from heat, let cool a little, add the essential oils (they are heat sensitive so adding them to a hot mixture will see the volatile oils evaporate and escape), pour into little lip containers or small pots, set in the fridge. Make sure you label and date them so you remember what they are and when you made them!
Keyword Cold Sore Salve
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Where to find…

Herbs: Try your local health food store, alternatively, you can source them from Austral Herbs.

Jars/droppers: Perfect potion

Skin care/bases/wax: Body Temple, Australia

 

REFERENCES:
STUDY: LEMON BALM FOR HERPES.
STUDY: PEPPERMINT OIL FOR HERPES.
VIBRATIONAL MEDICINE: THE NUMBER 1 HANDBOOK OF SUBTLE ENERGY THERAPIES, THIRD EDITION. RICHARD GERBER, M.D. 2001.
GEM WATER: HOW TO PREPARE AND USE MORE THAN 130 CRYSTAL WATERS FOR THERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS. MICHAEL GIENGER, JOACHIM GOEBEL. 2014.
HOLISTIC HERBAL. DAVID HOFFMAN. 1990. 

Related

Raw Mango and Passionfruit Summer Celebration Cake
Close up of a pottle of homemade face cream for oily, acne prone skin
Homemade face cream for oily skin
Stack of homemade ginger slice
Raw Ginger Slice - A New Zealand Classic

About the Author

I’m Lauren, practising Naturopath, Medical Herbalist, Nutritionist, and essential oils educator in Auckland, New Zealand. I’m incredibly passionate about food as medicine, and helping connect people with the healing power of Nature.

BNatMed, AdDip NutMed, BCS, Certified FitGenes Practitioner.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joyce Wheeler

    July 29, 2016 at 6:01 am

    Great post and blog. I create organic skin care products and want to include some crystal energy. I do have one question, can I put the crystals in the various oils and leave them there? Thank you, pinned and shared. Consider stopping by my blog later this evening and sharing a yummy recipe on Real Food Fridays Link Up.
    [email protected]

    Reply
  2. Karen Caldwell

    October 01, 2019 at 3:43 am

    Thank you for this! I can't wait to get started making my new salve.

    Reply
  3. Wendy Gregory

    October 01, 2019 at 3:52 am

    This is a great post. I have recently started working with an essential oils company and have been wanting to try some of my own combinations. If anyone is looking for high quality essential oils in the states send me an email at [email protected] .

    Reply
  4. Agula Parachoniak

    October 01, 2019 at 3:52 am

    wow, it looks amazing! I can imagine how great it smells 🙂

    Reply
  5. Brenda Breuer

    October 01, 2019 at 3:52 am

    <3 <3 <3

    Reply
4.78 from 9 votes (9 ratings without comment)

Ask me anything Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

ABOUT

I'm Lauren Glucina, a New Zealand based Naturopath, Medical Herbalist and Nutritionist. My main goal is to empower you to connect with the healing power of Nature. I've been sharing plant-based recipes, natural remedies and health articles here since 2012.

If you're here, you're not here by mistake. You're ready to put your physical, emotional and spiritual health first. Welcome!

BNatMed, AdDip NutMed, BCS.

READ MORE

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Search

Features

Graphic displaying logos of websites, publications and shows Lauren has been featured on

POPULAR POSTS

Chocolate Caramel Slice

BEST chocolate caramel slice (vegan)

Close up of zucchini and corn fritters with cream and dill on top

Vegan Zucchini and Corn Fritters

Close up of a herbal facial steam for dry skin

Herbal Facial Steam with Essential Oils for Dry & Oily Skin

3 essential oils for kids sleep

Essential Oils for Kid's Sleep Support

No-bake Snickers Cake on a white cake stand by the kitchen window

Raw Snickers Cake with Vegan Caramel

Ashwagandha Sleep Tonic

Ashwagandha Sleep Tonic

Two bowls of hot Tuscan soup on a marble counter.

Lemon White Bean Kale Soup

Two bowls of kitchari surrounded by fresh herbs and dried spices

How to make kitchari – an Ayurvedic healing meal

LATEST POSTS

  • Fall crockpot potpourri
    Fall crockpot potpourri
  • How to make dandelion tea (from flower, leaf and root)
    How to make dandelion tea (from flower, leaf and root)
  • How to make mugwort tea for lucid dreaming
    How to make mugwort tea for lucid dreaming
  • Amazing kawakawa – all about this versatile native plant!
    Amazing kawakawa – all about this versatile native plant!
  • BEST chocolate caramel slice (vegan)
    BEST chocolate caramel slice (vegan)
  • Easy feijoa loaf recipe
    Easy feijoa loaf recipe
  • Summer cherry tomato confit
    Summer cherry tomato confit
  • Heavenly spiced feijoa chutney
    Heavenly spiced feijoa chutney
  • Easy Moroccan matbucha salad recipe
    Easy Moroccan matbucha salad recipe
  • Hazelnut granola
    Hazelnut granola

CATEGORIES

  • Ayurvedic Recipes
  • Breakfasts
  • Drinks
  • Essential Oils
  • Featured
  • Ferments
  • Functional Foods
  • Healthy Baking
  • Healthy Dessert Recipes
  • Healthy Dressings + Condiments
  • Kitchen Staples
  • Mains
  • Natural beauty
  • Natural cleaning recipes
  • Natural Health
  • Natural Living
  • Natural Remedies
  • Plant-Based Nutrition
  • Plant-Based Recipes
  • Salads
  • Snacks + Sides
  • Uncategorized
  • Workshops

Footer


PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT
© LAUREN GLUCINA 2012 - 2021, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Copyright © 2025 Ascension Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
683 shares
  • 124

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.