Cold Sore Alert! Top Tips To Heal & Hide!

by BR Amelia

There's nothing like that heart-sinking moment when you feel the dreaded tingle of an incoming cold sore. If you know you know. And if you don't know, I hope you never do. While cold sores aren't the end of the world, at the time, they can feel like they are. So what can we do to heal and hide a cold sore? Help is at hand! 

Before concealing a cold sore, you have to set in on the healing path first, because if it's still weepy any makeup you apply will a) not really stick but, more seriously, b) have the potential to make things worse due to infection. So put the makeup down until your cold sore is at the scabby stage.

How you choose to heal a cold sore is up to you, but options include using over the counter medications, taking medicine prescribed by your doctor, or you can simply allow the cold sore to run its course and use a cold compress or ice, which will help with the pain and, if applied at an early enough stage, help to shorten the duration of the cold sore's life. Other, natural options, that some swear by include using tea tree oil, aloe vera or manuka oil to help speed up the healing process. (However, as always, if you've concerns about your cold sores do talk to a medical professional, and when using a product you've not used before do a patch test first.) 

Once a cold sore has crusted over, you can break out the makeup and get concealing!

First things first: cold sores are contagious, so you need to work with disposable sponges and brushes, and never dip directly into the product after touching your cold sore with the sponge or brush or you'll contaminate the product and risk getting another cold sore. My advice? Apply product to the back of your hand or onto a palette to avoid accidentally doing this. 

If there's redness that needs to be dealt with, take a little green concealer and apply to the cold sore, then blend it out. Once you've done that, take a good, high-coverage cream concealer that's the same tone as your skin, and apply a little at a time, as you want to avoid emphasising the cold sore by making it look cakey, until your satisfied with how it looks.

Once the concealer is applied, dust a little translucent powder on top. 

If you're wanting to apply lipstick, a full-coverage, opaque lipstick in a 'your lip but slightly better' shade is your friend. As with concealing, don't apply the lipstick directly to your lips, but put a little on the back of your hand or on a palette and use a cotton bud to apply the product.

While cold sores are not the most wonderful things to experience (let's be honest, far from it), the good thing is that they don't last forever, and if we manage our lifestyle - keep stress to a minimum, avoid too much sunlight or extreme cold, get good sleep - we'll hopefully not have to deal with them on the regular. And when they do hit, well, as my aunty used to say in times of terribleness... this too shall pass.

So, my lovelies. If you experience cold sores, what are your tips and tricks to heal and hide them? Sharing is caring, so get chatting below!