How do I stop a cold sore before it starts on my lips?

For me the tingle stage is everything, I keep abreva in my bag and start using it the second I feel it rather than waiting to see a bump. Timing made a bigger difference than any single product I tried.

Chapped lips and sun exposure were my two biggest triggers, so I switched to a lip balm with spf 30 and reapply it whenever I am outside. My winter and beach flare ups dropped a lot once I stayed consistent with that.

I take a daily lysine supplement and try to protect my sleep during busy weeks, since stress and being run down seem to line up with mine. Worth chatting with your pharmacist or doctor about what fits you, but the routine part is what helped me most.