A chapped and red cold sore on your lip can dampen your personal style. It's hard to put your best face forward when you're trying to hide an ugly red sore. But just covering the sore with makeup can make the cold sore even more obvious, thanks to the dry skin that can sometimes surrounds a cold sore. Before you try and cover a cold sore, make sure to apply topical treatment and protection so that makeup doesn't make your cold sore even more noticeable.
Step 1
Apply a thin layer of topical ointment to your cold sore. MayoClinic.com recommends an ointment containing benzocaine such as Zilactin, or your doctor may have prescribed an oral medication like Valtrex. Make sure that the treatment of your cold sore comes first and the covering is a way to conceal the cold sore until it heals completely.
Step 2
Add a thin layer of petroleum jelly, suggests "Cosmopolitan" magazine. Any makeup you apply directly on the sore will become flaky and look irritated. A layer of petroleum jelly protects your cold sore from further damage, while creating a smooth surface for makeup application.
Step 3
Dab a thin, liquid-based concealer over the cold sore with your ring finger. Your ring finger uses a lighter touch so you don't add too much makeup with your index finger. If possible, choose a minty-green colored concealer. Because green is opposite red on the color wheel, they effectively cancel each other out for better coverage and more neutral coloring.
Step 4
Fix the rest of your makeup as usual, concentrating on adding foundation around the cold sore to blend the greenish tint with the rest of your skin. Apply foundation sparingly around the mouth; makeup on the mouth can be a dead giveaway that you've put on too much makeup and can make the site of your cold sore more obvious.
Step 5
Add a dusting of translucent powder to set the look, and finish your face with a sweep or bronzer to blend all the layers together. Dab a few cotton swabs in concealer and foundation and place them in a small plastic bag. When you need to touch up your makeup, you'll have the ideal amount on hand without having to take your entire makeup bag.
Things You'll Need
- Cold sore medication
- Green concealer
- Foundation
- Translucent powder
- Bronzer
- Cotton swabs
- Plastic bag
