An uncomfortable subject - with a surprising solution!

Cold sores.

Man, they're gross. Especially when they're on YOUR face. Right?

It's an uncomfortable subject AND an uncomfortable ailment. I've suffered from them on my nose, of all places, a few times a year. Of course, it always happens just before I have some place to go or a public speaking event. Never fails.

Last week it happened again. A little irritating itchy red area started up on my nose two days before I was scheduled for a book club event with twenty four people under the bright lights of a library. I was mortified before it even happened, imagining myself with a giant red spot on my nose. Well, sure, there are much worse things that can happen, but it isn't fun at all.

Since I've been laid off from Kodak, I've had time to play around with therapeutic essential oils. They're produced very carefully (organically) by a super company called Young Living, and I've been experimenting with their value. This stuff has been used for thousands of years to heal and help people, and it's just now that our arrogant society is starting to integrate the benefits of these medicinal and healing plants into their lives. I guess Beth Israel hospital has seen the light and is integrating them into their programs.

But I digress.

So, I was using these oils for things like headaches (the pure peppermint oil completely eradicated my headaches. Haven't taken an Advil in months), skin care (lavender heals cuts and burns like crazy), relaxation, pain relief (oh my God, if you have pain, ask me about it later!), etc. I've also been getting the oils that are prescribed for my wife's MS - and I'm seeing some results. It's early, but we'll see.

Anyway, when this cold sore started to show up, I figured it couldn't hurt to dab a few oils on it and see what happens. I knew that the lavender is great for healing burns and cuts, among a million other things. And I'd heard that frankincense is also great for skin care, as well as helping with alleviating depression, etc. And I knew that the Thieves blend (cloves, cinammon, lemon, rosemary, and eucalyptus) was good for killing airborne bacteria as well as just smells so darned good I can't help but want it all around me (in the diffuser, in the cleaning products, in my toothpaste (yup!), mouthwash, and on my skin).

So, I put a few drops of each on the erupting cold sore. I thought, what could it hurt? And I know the oils are beneficial in a million untold ways, anyway. Plus they're all natural and I LIKE that. I didn't dare hope that it would actually work.

I was shocked when later that afternoon the itching/burning/hurting stopped cold. The red spot that would have by then started to ooze and grow and hurt was just that - a red spot. And if felt very dry, almost scaly, but not quite. Thrilled beyond belief at my "discovery," I applied a few drops each day a few times a day. It never erupted, it never progressed through its usual cycle.

So I started to wonder which of the oils might have fixed it. Or was it a combination? I researched a bit more (I'm still learning, mind you) and found this listing for Thieves. (look at the bottom of the list.)

So, I started laughing out loud when I read this. My big "discovery" was already well known and documented. It may have been the D-limonene in the lemon that partially helped, as its known to have antiseptic, antibacterial, and antiVIRAL properties. Either way, I'll use them all next time to be sure.

All those years, all those expensive salves and prescriptions... I could have just used a few drops of my Young Living Essential Oils to avoid the awful embarrassment and discomfort. Wow.

So, if any of you want to try the oils, don't just buy them off the website. I should have said that nicer. You can, of course, but you'll pay a lot more than if you go through me. I have a membership and can save you 24% off the cost. I just want to shout from the top of buildings about how good this stuff is. Next time I'll tell you about my headaches, pain, and more. Check out their website at www.youngliving.com and go to the products tab, then essential oils, both singles and blends. ;o)

I've decided to let nature fix what ails me. How about you?

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Aaron Lazar is an author (Legarde Mysteries and Moore Mysteries) who's been laid off from his day job in engineering since May 2009. He's still looking for work in the Rochester, NY area, in either engineering or writing, so if you have any leads, give him a buzz! In the mean time, between job search, gardening, playing with his grandkids, cooking for his family, and writing his fourteenth book, he's been playing around with these essential oils and loving it. Email him privately about it if you wish at aaron dot lazar at yahoo dot com.