Those dreaded first signs... 
 red, swollen area near your mouth 
 skin will feel tight and tingly
 blisters start appearing

What do blisters look like?
small liquid-filled lesions that break and turn into unsightly scabs.

I have herpes?
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus.


How did i catch it?
Since it is caused by a virus you have to have caught it from somebody. Most people catch the virus in their childhood, often from an infected adult. 

Why does it keep happening?
The virus lats dormant in your body forever. It will never go away.

What is triggering it?
A large number of things could be triggering your outbreaks. Excessive stress, fatigue, weather conditions, food allergies, dental work, excessive sun exposure, the flu or even a common cold. 

What will help prevent?
Daily consumption of vitamin C as well as Lysine will pump up your immune system. 

Make it go away!!!
Although there is currently no cure for cold sores, there are many things you can do to shorten their duration.

 Cortisone
If you get severe cold sores you may want to consider seeing a dermatologist. Dermatologists can inject your cold sore with Cortisone. Cortisone is a steroid injection. 

The injection is inserted into the core of the cold sore outbreak and sterilizes the virus at the root .It is painful, and will leave the injection site swollen for many hours. Its best to take the day off of work. 

Because Cortisone is so powerful, most of the time, your cold sore will be gone by the end of the day. Of course, because of its power, and requirements to see a doctor, Cortisone is one of the more costly methods. 

Abreva
Abreva, also known as docosanol, is a topical cream, applied up to five times a day for up to ten days. 

Tea Tree Oil (Alyx's Top Treatment)
Tea tree oil is medically proven to be a naturally powerful anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial.

 For treating cold sores, your going to want the purest/strongest you can get your hands on. I use 100%, but anything above 40% will do the trick.

Tea tree oil can reduce cold sores painful healing time by nearly 50%. Apply a few drops of  tea tree oil directly to the break out area with cotton swabs several times a day. This spot treatment will dry out and shrink the coldsores over time, often within a few hours of application. The quicker the cold sore is spotted, the more effective Tea Tree Oil becomes.

When all else fails...
Relax, drink plenty of clear liquids and rest.

    Thanks to Renee B., she sent us this useful tip for dry and/or cracked heels and elbows!  You have some Crisco sitting around in your cabinets?! Put it to good use! At night time rub some Crisco on your feet and massage into your heels and throw on a old pair of socks and over night this will help soften the skin and moisturize it!
    Not only does this really do the job, but it's easier on your wallet as well compared to all those expensive creams in the market out there! Give it a try and comment here letting us know what you think!