Superdrug
Lip & Cold Sore Cream

You may think that, 'Oh, it's just another lipbalm, but only well-known brands work'
From the moment you think that this is a 'lipbalm', it's shown that you are someone who would just judge a product by its look. Also... just because it's an own branded product, doesn't mean that it's rubbish! That's what I like about UK, you can save up alot by using own branded products but they still do the same job, but I still haven't found any own branded products in HK... or... I should say... own branded quality products... 


THIS, is NOT a lipbalm! I would describe it as a lip moisturiser. 
The main role of a lipbalm is to seal your lips so that it is less easy for your lips to lose moisture. This, however, the main role is to rehydrate your lips, that's why I consider this as a lip moisturiser. Some lipbalms also moisturise but only to a certain extend. This one, moisturising is the main role, together with some other ingredients to help seal in moisture and to help the healing of a wound. 

Other products I own that contain the same active ingredients:
  • Boots Lip & Cold Sore Cream - 5g
  • Cymex - 5g (the original one in yellow packaging, not Cymex Ultra which is in silver packaging)
I am showing this one by Superdrug just because it's the cheapest (in terms of the price) out of all these. 


Okay, let's look at the active ingredients:
  • Urea BP 1.0% w/w
  • Dimethicone 350 BPC 9.0% w/w
  • Cetrimide BP 0.5% w/w
  • Chlorocresol BP 0.1% w/w

I use this on the nights that I have severely dry lips. Yes, I USE THIS EVEN IF I AM NOT SUFFERING WITH COLD SORE. And if you think that this is a treatment for cold sore...erm... Not really, this is more like something you would use to prevent getting cold sore, and to help healing after a cold sore (at the stage of blistering). I use this for the purpose of rehydrating my lips when it's at a state that they are so dry and crak, on top of that, I would put on a lipbalm to seal in the moisture. By doing this, I am rehydrating my lips, as well as preventing the loss of moisture. Very effective especially if you do that at night before bed. You WILL wake up with nice baby soft lips. 

For treating cold sores (when you have the first sign of burning/tingkling sensation, at the very first stage), I would recommend using something that contains Aciclovir 5%. Doesn't need to be a fancy famous brand, as long as the active ingredient is the same.
Well... I do understand sometimes people might need a particular brand since the side ingredients might help the product to work better. It is true that everyone's different and hence the body would response differently to every products. Some might work better for them but some might not, due to the side ingredients. But in general speaking, any lip product that contains Aciclovir 5% would do the same job. Use this for 5 days and if the cold sore is not healing at all in 5 days, you should always consult a doctor for further medical treatement. 

Triggers of cold sores (once you have herpes simplex virus... the residue of this virus stay in your body FOREVER...) :
  • Extreme weather (too hot or too cold)
  • Menstrual periods
  • Emotional upset
  • Exhuasting schedules (lower your immune system)
  • Bright sunlight and UV lighting
  • Illnesses (colds, flu...etc.)
  • Physical stress and fatigue (e.g. dental work)
  • Injury (e.g. physical trauma, severe chapping)
  • Pregnancy
  • Immune system deficiency
I mean, you can use this for treating the cold sore but... might not be as effective... 

When urea is used in topical products, it can effectively rehydrate the skin. With a much higher concentration, it can be used by people who suffer with skin problems such as eczema, even corns and calluses. This is what makes this product a lip moisturiser rather than a lipbalm. There are also other uses including being used in instant cold packs / ice packs. 

Dimethicone works as an emollient to seal in water underneath the surface of skin. So, helps preventing the loss of water from your lips, by creating an oily layer on top of it. But, don't get scared by this, this product does not feel greasy at all, not unless you apply a pea size of product... You only need a tiny dot size... This is not greasy, spreads without effort, very lightweight and can get absorbed easily. 

Cetrimide can actually help a wound to heal faster as it is a topical disinfectant, by preventing further infections. Chlorocresol is a preservative that can also kill bacteria. This is why this is more like a product for preventing a cold sore or one to use after treating a cold sore to help healing. 

Sounds good to you?