How to Get Pepper Sauce Off of the Skin
Capsaicin, the oil in a hot pepper that contributes the burning heat, spreads through contact with the peppers. If you get pepper sauce with capsaicin oil on your skin, it can burn and irritate the area. Due to the oil base, it can spread, posing a hazard particularly to your eyes, nose and mouth. Prompt action can protect your skin from injury and discomfort. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Grease-cutting dish detergent
- Vegetable oil
- Yogurt, sour cream or heavy cream
Instructions
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Wash the area thoroughly with warm water and a grease-cutting dish detergent. The detergent will remove the surface oils, but will not eliminate anything that has already saturated your skin.
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Apply a layer of vegetable oil to the affected area, rubbing it in thoroughly. The oil helps to break up the molecules in the capsaicin until they are miniscule and easily washed away. Wash the area again with grease-cutting detergent and warm water.
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Spread yogurt, heavy whipping cream or a similar high-fat dairy product on the area and let it rest for 15 minutes. Like drinking milk or consuming other dairy products to soothe your mouth when you eat hot peppers, the dairy helps to disperse the molecules, drawing it out of your skin to help you wash it away. Wash the area a final time with the grease-cutting detergent and water.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear gloves when handling peppers and pepper sauces to prevent skin contact.
Do not allow children to handle hot peppers.
Remove the seeds from the center of the pepper to reduce the heat. Much of the capsaicin is concentrated in the pepper seeds.
Capsaicin can cause respiratory problems and trigger asthma symptoms in sensitive individuals. If you notice breathing difficulties, leave the area right away.
