How To Get Capsaicin Off Skin

Meta: Is it one of those days when you forgot to wear your prep gloves while chopping peppers and causing a dreaded burn? Here's how you can soothe the pain.

Chile peppers contain an active component called capsaicin which is an oil. So a direct contact with your skin can cause serious burning sensations and pain. Even if you wash it multiple times with hand soap and water, you cannot get rid of the burn because water cannot dissolve the oil-based component, you can only neutralize it.

Wondering how to neutralize capsaicin on the skin? Here are some quick and helpful remedies to neutralize capsaicin and stop the burning sensation.

How to Neutralize Capsaicin On Skin?

Effective Remedies to Neutralize Capsaicin Burn

You cannot do much about the burning sensation that comes from capsaicin present in the chiles and neutralizing the oil is your best bet. But it is difficult to neutralize the burn so you may need to repeat the desired procedure several times.

1. Dish soap and Rubbing Alcohol mixture

Dish soap and rubbing alcohol have proven to be quite effective on capsaicin. Since isopropyl alcohol helps dissolve oil and dirt, you can feel an instant relief if you apply it directly to the skin.

Follow these steps:

Take rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad or douse the effective are with rubbing alcohol and leave for 10-15 seconds.
Do not rinse with water yet. Take 1 2 teaspoons of dish soap in your palms and apply it directly to the skin and vigorously rub it.
Now wash your hands with regular water or you can use iced water as well.
Repeat the process if necessary.

2. Hand Degreaser

Since capsaicin is a natural oil a degreaser will definitely help neutralize the burning sensation.

Follow these steps:

Take a little more than a pea-sized amount of hand degreaser and rub it all over your hands or any other area that came into contact with the pepper.
Leave for 10-15 seconds and then rinse with cold water. This should suffice, but you can also try repeating the process.
As an alternative to hand degreaser, you can also use dish soap as it will also work as a dissolver.

3. Calamine Lotion/Spray:

Calamine helps reduce itching and irritation caused by an allergic reaction, rash, and several other reasons. Aerosol calamine is said to be really effective on capsaicin burn as well.

Follow these steps:

Apply calamine lotion or spray directly onto the skin.
Repeat application after a few minutes if needed.

4. Corn Starch Soak

Follow these steps:

Mix corn starch with iced water in a bowl and soak your hands in it for several minutes
Rinse your water normally or with dish soap as an additional step to stop the burn.

5. Vinegar

You can also try vinegar as the acid will help neutralize capsaicin on your skin.

Follow these steps:

Take any organic or synthetic vinegar and rinse your hands 2 to 3 times with it.
You can also use vinegar and dish soap mixture to get the pepper oil off faster.

Hopefully, these remedies will answer your question of how to neutralize capsaicin on the skin. Remember to always wear prep gloves before chopping chile peppers to avoid going through the pain and suffering of capsaicin.