Cure for burns from hot peppers / capsicum oil?
So, I foolishly ignored advice about wearing gloves while handling hot peppers. I thought since they were "just" anaheim peppers I'd be fine... I was wrong, and I repent.
Does anyone know of a way to stop the burning? I have washed my hands repeatedly with soap in hot water and tried OTC burn spray.
I'm really worried about getting it off b/c I have a little baby & I don't want to get it on her, too. Can the oil transfer to someone else still?
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Mythbusters tested capsaicin cures a few years ago.
It was Episode 91 - "Shooting Fish in a Barrel" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_%282007_season%29#Hot_Chili_Cures
Whole Milk was their control as the already known go to cure, and nothing beat it.
They Tested:
water
beer
tequila
toothpaste
petroleum jelly
wasabi
I heard today that pepper juices have barbs in which make them very difficult to wash off. The person I was speaking to said that rubbing your hands with milk is the best way to get rid of pepper oils and smells from your skin.
I haven't tried it myself but it's worth a go and you can let us know if it does work!
Capsaicin, the active ingredient that makes chili peppers hot, is not soluble in water, but it does dissolve in fat or alcohol. BTW, it is not an acid, but is a complex chemical similar to the main flavoring in vanilla; it directly stimulates the nerves.
While washing your hands in vodka might be a little extravagant, you might try vegetable oil, and then washing that off with soap and water.
Be very careful not to touch your eyes or other sensitive areas until the capsaicin is removed from your hands.
Rinsing your hands in a bleach solution (a few tablespoons in a bowl of water) will make the oil water-soluble, so it can be washed off.
Capsaicin is oil/fat-soluble so try washing your hands with a little whole milk, or rub with sour cream or vegetable oil and see if that helps.
Just as you can get it in your eyes if you rub them with your fingers, I'm sure you can easily transfer it to your baby.
I'm just surmising here, not speaking from experience so if you try any of these, be sure to let us know how they worked....or what you did instead.
I tried everything from alcohol, lime juice, dawn detergent, vinegar...nothing helped until I finally used aspercreme with aloe. Sat with it on my hands (still burning) and waited about 10 minutes. It finally started working and I am finally now without pain..... Phew....3 hours of burning can take its toll. Thank God for aspercreme.
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