What is Abreva? Abreva is the only non-prescription cold sore medicine FDA approved to shorten healing time and duration of symptoms. That's why it's the number one Pharmacist recommended cold sore medication. While other products just soothe, Abreva goes deep in the skin to help heal cold sores from the inside out...Fast! Abreva is available in two formats; a convenient tube to keep Abreva ever-ready at home,

and now a new easy-to-use pump for a clean and easy application on the go. When Should I Use Abreva? Start applying Abreva the moment you feel a cold sore coming on, when you feel that tingle, itch and/or burning sensation.

If you miss the tingle stage, start using Abreva as soon as you can, and apply it five times a day until your cold sore is healed. How Does Abreva Work? Abreva contains 10 percent Docosanol, a unique patented active ingredient that helps protect healthy cells from the cold sore virus. As Abreva helps the healthy cells defend the cold sore virus, the virus has a difficult time infecting more and more cells. This means cold sores heal faster and symptoms don't last as long.