How to Stop a Jalapeño Burn Fast

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Jalapeño burning your eyes, hands or ... whatever else? Allow me to show you how to get jalapeño off your skin as we enter pepper season. Because even though you should wear gloves when you slice hot peppers - you probably don't do that.

Jalapeño peppers being sliced and deseeded on a wood cutting board.

I'm worried that you got to this post because you dipped your hands into jalapeño juice and are now running screaming around your kitchen so I'm getting to the important information immediately.

How to Treat a Hot Pepper Burn

Hot peppers get their heat from capsaicin—a natural oil that binds to your skin and sends your nerves into a full-blown panic. The problem? Capsaicin isn’t water-soluble, so you can’t just rinse it off with soap and water and hope for the best. That’s not how science (or pepper pain) works.

To actually stop the burn, you need to either:

Neutralize it using an acidic ingredient (like vinegar, tomato paste, or dairy), or
Dissolve the capsaicin using another oil (like olive or vegetable oil)

Milk or Yogurt
Soak the burn in cold milk or apply with a cloth.
The casein in dairy binds to capsaicin and helps lift it off the skin. It’s cooling, soothing, and fast-acting. Best for hands, eyes, or anywhere else you’ve made questionable life choices.

Vinegar
Pour directly onto the skin or soak a cloth and press it on.
The acidity helps neutralize the alkaline nature of capsaicin. Use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar—whichever you have.

Olive or Vegetable Oil
Rub oil onto the affected area, let sit for a minute or two, then wash with soap and water.
Capsaicin is oil-soluble, so fat breaks it down and lifts it from your skin. Soap finishes the job.

Tomato Paste or Sauce
Spread a layer over the burn, wait a few minutes, then rinse off.
Mild acidity helps neutralize capsaicin. Also a great excuse to use up that half can of tomato paste in your fridge.

Butter
Rub on cold, let sit a few minutes, rinse off, then wash with soap.
Same idea as oil—fat helps—but butter is less effective and slightly embarrassing to explain to anyone who walks in mid-treatment.

Bleach Solution (1 part bleach to 4 parts water)
Dip hands quickly (don’t soak), then rinse immediately and wash with soap.
Bleach chemically breaks down capsaicin, but it’s harsh—only use on hands, and only if you're desperate and out of dairy.

Use whatever method will work best with where your burn is.

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I use the milk method all the time.

Here's the thing about me; I injure myself at least 3 times a week. I cut myself, burn myself and just generally maim myself. It's not because I'm particularly clumbsy or careless ... I just do a lot. Most of the time I just ignore these injuries and know they'll go away in a few days.

This is also why I keep my tetanus shot updated and mini alcohol wipes on me at all times. For some women it's lipstick in their purse, for me it's wound care. 🤷‍♀️

But sometimes I need the pain to go away IMMEDIATELY. Like that time I suffered a chili con carne injury that I couldn't ignore. Nor could anyone who looked at me.

Woman with an eye patch soaked in milk to treat a pepper burn on her eye.

When you have a finger full of hot pepper juice you should avoid touching your eye. I just soaked a pad in milk and wore it like an eye patch.

So if you get a pepper burn anywhere on your body, including your eyes, your fingers, your mouth, your fragile zones the very best thing you can do is soak it in milk or spread yogurt on it.

If you're a woman, here's where else I had to spread frozen yogurt once.

I left my eye sling on for 20 minutes total and I replaced the cotton pad with a freshly soaked pad every 5 minutes or so. You should feel instant relief from the milk, but as the burn starts to come back, replace with new, cold milk.

Now if you'll excuse me I have a mystery scab that needs to be tended to.