Jalapeno Hands: something that actually works!

Pardon me whilst I take a quick break from my travel blogging for this important public service announcement:

I was making gazpacho today, and stupidly cut up some jalapeno pepper without wearing gloves first. I washed my hands right afterwards, but it was too late: the oils got into my skin, and my hands and fingers started burning really badly.

I “googled” burning + hands + jalapenos and found a loooong thread filled with home remedies for the charming condition known as “Jalapeno Hands”, but none of them worked. (Washing my hands while holding a stainless steel spoon made it only a little better, but not much. Other stuff I tried: Dawn dishwashing soap, lemon juice, white vinegar, milk, rubbing alcohol, sanitizing gel, hydrogen peroxide, cortisone cream, burn cream, pure aloe vera.)

FINALLY, I found the solution: Calamine lotion! It’s a drying solution that helps draw out the oils that cause itching and redness from exposure to poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Well guess what? It works like a charm for jalapeno oil, too!

I slathered on the Calamine lotion, letting it dry completely on my hands for about 10 minutes. Then I rinsed off with cold soapy water, and the stinging was COMPLETELY gone.

To anyone out there suffering from this same malady, get thee some pink calamine lotion!

2 thoughts on “Jalapeno Hands: something that actually works!

  1. I love you. This actually worked. I tried everything else you tried while my husband ran to the pharmacy to get the glorious pink lotion you suggested, nothing worked. When he got back, I did exactly what you did and it completely WORKED!!!!!! You saved my Saturday… THANKS!

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