I would like advice on how to get rid of burning from hot peppers on the hands. I have tried lemon, alcohol, tomatoes, and ice. Nothing works, my hands hurt with the burning.
I've had good luck with plain vinegar, but prevention is the best! If you don't have gloves just use plastic bags over your hands while handling the peppers.
I have found that the best way is to prevent the peppers from coming in contact with your skin. I always use rubber gloves when working with hot peppers. No burning hands and no blisters, either. I use the gloves that you would wash dishes with. They are a tight fit. I have a pair especially for peppers and onions.
You need binding molecules. Capsicum/capsation (the component that makes peppers and chiles hot) bonds with fat. Rub lotion, yogurt, cream, or butter on your hands to bind the capsicum/capsation and then use soap to wash it all away.
This works for the same reason drinking water or beer after hot food does not relieve the hotness while a few sips of milk or a spoonful of ice cream would.
To prevent irritation in the first place: coat your skin with oil before you start working with the chilies and wash thoroughly afterward. Also, NEVER, NEVER touch you eyes while working with "hot" food.
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Request: Removing Hot Pepper Juice From Skin
Archived on 08/23/2009
I got some hot pepper juice on my hands and it is burning. Does anyone know how to sooth it?
Beth from Bloomfield, IN
Feedback:
RE: Removing Hot Pepper Juice From Skin
Try milk; it helps neutralize the capsicum. (08/14/2008)
Many years ago, when we lived in New Mexico, every year we would get a hundred pound sack of chile peppers. We would roast them, peel them and then freeze them to be used all year long. One year we decided to get the "extra hot". We were told that we really didn't want extra hot, but we were young and foolish. Well, my hands were burning up so I called my doctor. He told me to soak my hands in ice water in which I put COMET or AJAX, any type of abrasive cleanser. I thought he was crazy, but I did it anyway. It did take the burn and the sting away.
Good Luck. (08/14/2008)
Use baking soda, you can just sprinkle it on your hands and rub or make a paste with a little water. Good luck.
(08/14/2008)
By Linda
RE: Removing Hot Pepper Juice From Skin
I like you had burning hands from peppers. I put vegetable oil on my hands and put on cotton gloves, it took away most of the burning effect. (08/14/2008)
By JJ
RE: Removing Hot Pepper Juice From Skin
Also, you can use something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar. (I haven't tried vinegar, but I think it would work, but I know the lemon juice does) Also, salt and beer are known to neutralize the chemicals from peppers that cause the burn (capsacian). (08/15/2008)
Have you tried aloe vera? I keep a plant on my fridge to sooth any burning sensation. I don't know if that will work or not. I think it's probably not "juice" but "oil" that you're struggling to get off? Maybe some type of grease relief product? Good luck. Pam (08/16/2008)
