7 Natural Ways to Treat a Blister

It seemed like marathon training had just ended when my running partner announced that he wanted to run a half marathon this March. We jumped in to Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 program with both feet, and at the end of week four, I decided to finally replace my worn out running shoes. Transitioning to new shoes has never been a problem for me before, so I didn’t anticipate any issues with these new shoes. Oh, how wrong I was!

After just two runs, I knew I was in trouble. The first run in the new shoes left me with minor blisters, and a run later that week didn’t help at all. Clearly, these blisters were going to require a little TLC if they were going to heal up.

Whether it’s from an uncomfortable pair of shoes, too much yard work, or something else entirely, having a blister is no fun and can even get in the way of what you want to do! Next time you’re dealing with a painful blister, try a few of these natural remedies to help soothe your damaged skin.

1. Keep it clean. This is especially important if your blister pops. Blisters take long enough to heal as it is. You don’t want an infection complicating things furthers, so wash your blisters gently with warm, soapy water.

2. Rest. If you got a blister from your running shoe, for example, either try a different shoe or take a few days or even a week off to let yourself heal. Avoid the activity that caused the blister to give yourself a chance to heal. If you push it like I did, you’ll just make it worse and end up out of commission for even longer.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Mary Beth M.

1:07PM PST on Nov 30, 2012

Good points. Lavender oil works well too.

November 30
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Melania P.

1:05PM PST on Nov 30, 2012

good, thanks

Jennifer P.

5:11AM PDT on May 4, 2012

I know my usual areas where blisters come up from my dance shoes so I put moleskin (felt-ish on one side, sticky on the other) on those areas before the dancing, on nice dry feet. Then if I get a blister (especially on my heel) - I'm sorry, I know it's not a natural remedy but the Dr Scholls blister pads work like a dream. They are medicated and cushiony and seal over a generous area. They are hard to disturb, as I have found happens within five minutes of bandage application.

I've also been told that chapstick is effective if your shoe starts to rub, it eases the friction a little until you can get to a place where you can change shoes.

May 4
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Debbie C.

1:43PM PST on Mar 2, 2012

I had a friend one time who would wear MY brand new shoes to break them in for me. She NEVER got blisters (I was so jealous - since I got one all the time). She moved out of state, so I was back to getting blisters again. I hated to get new shoes.
Then, I discovered that if I would wear 1 pair of shoes one day and a different pair the next day, I didn't get so many bisters.

I didn't know about the Aloe, so I will try it if I get another one. Thanks for the information.