Ever had hot pepper hands? I have! Last night I bought a bunch of fresh jalapenos from a local farm in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I decided to make salsa, all day I chopped peppers. In a wicked quick flash, I realized that my hands were on fire!!! The oil from the peppers had seeped in through my skin, capsaicin was the culprit. Capsaicin is is the active component of chili peppers. It is also what they use to make pepper spray.
I tried every remedy on the net, nothing worked. Then I tried (after washing my hands many times) a couple drops of peppermint essential oil, soaked a rag in aloe vera juice and put ice packs on my hands. I was finally able to sleep. All better in the morning. Moral: Don’t forget to wear gloves when chopping peppers!!!
Compiled by Raquel