Participant characteristics
| Continuous variables | Median (IQR) | |
| Aciclovir, n=475 | Honey, n=477 | |
| Age (years) | 42 (30–54) | 43 (29–55) |
| Time since last HSL episode (months) | 3 (1–7) | 3 (1–6) |
| Episodes of HSL in previous year (N) | 3 (1–5) | 3 (2–5) |
| Pain score at baseline | 2 (1–4) | 2 (1–4) |
| Time from onset of symptoms to randomisation (days) | 1 (0–1) | 1 (0–1) |
| Categorical variables | N/475 (%) | N/477 (%) |
| Female sex | 364 (76.6) | 350 (73.5) |
| Ethnicity | ||
| NZ European | 360 (75.8) | 354 (74.3) |
| Māori | 62 (13.1) | 66 (13.8) |
| Other | 53 (11.1) | 57 (11.9) |
HSL, herpes simplex labialis.