Yet again, my life experiences compel me to write a post….a one-handed post since my left hand is on fire with the fury of an angry jalapeno. Do you know my pain? Chances are, if you know your way around a kitchen this has happened to you. If you are smart(er than me) this should only happen to you once before learning your lesson. If you were REALLY unfortunate, you touched your eyes too! The worst! Once, I got a pepper burn on my lip just from eating Mexican food. It blew up and everything, and was super painful.
First things first: Prevention is key. If you’re cutting up hot peppers, either have a pair of kitchen gloves handy to handle the hot stuff, or if you’re lazy like me, coat your hands in some oil before chopping. I thought I could get away with using a paper towel as a buffer, but about 30 minutes post-chop, the fingers started slowly feeling warm. I should have addressed the problem right then. Big mistake. Now, instead of just feeling the irritation from capsaicin contact, my skin is legit burned. I tried the following remedies listed in the article below and beyond:
Mustard
Honey
Baking Soda Paste
Alcohol
Lime Juice Soak
Honey, again
Yogurt
Lime juice worked the best to mitigate the burning sensation, but it returned several minutes later. Now I’m sitting here with yogurt spread on my fingers. They don’t hurt at the moment but I dont trust that it will remain that way when I wash it off! But its nice to have relief afer two hours of trying. I’ve always used honey for burns given its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It aids in healing the skin but the burning sensation seems to linger. Hence, my present yogurt-fingers. Read on at EnkiVillage some additional remedies I didn’t try that might work for you! And nexr time, be prepared! Gloves or cooking oil!
