Prevention vs treatment, a mindset shift
A lot of cold sore advice is about what to do once a blister appears. I have found the bigger wins come from blocking the trigger before it fires: sun protection, sleep, stress, and not letting lips crack in wind and cold. Treatment is measured in how fast it heals. Prevention is measured in how rarely it happens. Which camp were you in before, and did switching help?
Stress is my number one trigger by far. Busy weeks and then it appears.
Do you reapply after eating and drinking? That is where I always seem to forget.