What is your holistic cold sore prevention routine, lysine, SPF lip balm, less stress?
I get a fever blister a few times a year and I would rather focus on prevention than scramble for abreva once one shows up. Right now I keep an SPF lip balm in every jacket pocket, take lysine when I feel run down, and try to protect my sleep during busy weeks. I am curious what a full holistic routine looks like for other people here, not just one product. What has actually made a difference for you over a long stretch of time?
For me the two big ones are sun and sleep, so I wear an SPF 30 lip balm every single day even in winter, and I stop scrolling by eleven. Chapped lips seem to be my earliest warning sign, so I keep them moisturised year round.
Simple stuff for me, I never share drinks or lip products, I swap my toothbrush after a rough week, and I keep abreva in the drawer so I am not stressed about being caught off guard. Managing the stress itself has honestly helped more than anything I bought.
I keep a small note on my phone of what was happening in the week before each flare, and after a year the pattern was obvious, it was almost always travel plus skipped meals. Now I pack lysine, a lip balm with SPF, and real snacks whenever I fly.
Winter is worse for me too, the cold cracks my lips first.
Down to about two a year now, prevention genuinely works.