What happens without CVS

I lament to inform you all that I've developed an ouchy cold sore (it's not herpes!!) on the inside of my lip. In the U.S., I would simply walk or drive down to the nearby CVS and grab some fancy Blistex from off the shelves. In Mexico, I walked to the closest pharmacy and showed the lady behind the counter the a list of the main ingredients in said fancy Blistex. She produced some major cold sore ointment, but then told me I couldn't use it on my gums. Fortunately, the people in line behind me suggested I apply sodium bicarbonate (or baking soda, for idiotas like me) directly to the wound. I was then instructed to some weird little sub-pharmacy within the pharmacy where you can buy raw ingredients (perfect for any residential meth lab!). For 10 pesos (80 cents), this was Mexico's answer to the no-Blistex solution: