How to Treat Habanero Pepper Skin Burns

Habanero chili peppers can add a fiery zip to almost any dish, like a salsa or marinade, and get their signature burn from capsaicin. A chemical, capsaicin's purpose in chilies is repelling animals that might otherwise eat the peppers and harm the plant they grow on, sort of like nature's self-defense system. Capsaicin is capable of burning not only the mouth, but also the skin and eyes, and as habaneros contain high levels of the chemical, even quick contact can irritate the skin and result in painful burning.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Soap
• Milk, yogurt, ice cream or other dairy product
• Olive or vegetable oil
• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton ball

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Instructions

• 1

  Stop handling the habaneros if still chopping or otherwise processing them. Set the peppers aside and do not return to them until the situation has been resolved and irritated skin treated. Continuing to work with the peppers will only expose the skin further to irritants and worsen the problem.

• 2

  Remove any bits of the habaneros, including seeds, that may be stuck to the skin. Carefully examine the areas that have had contact with the chilies and look for any pieces of the habaneros that may remain, lifting them away and disposing of them.

• 3

  Wash the hands thoroughly with soap and water if the burn is on another part of the body, such as the face, and the hands are required to treat it. Failing to do so can transfer more of the irritating compound in the habaneros, capsaicin, to the problem area and worsen the situation.

• 4

  Apply a dairy product, like milk, yogurt or ice cream, to the burned area. Dairy foods contain caisen, which neutralizes the burning of the habanero's capsaicin. Use a generous amount of the dairy product, making sure it is enough to cover the entirety of the burned area and if relief is not immediate, allow it to soak in by resting the sore spot in a bowl of ice cream, milk or yogurt for several minutes.

• 5

  Wash away the dairy product with water and treat the area with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol, which will also neutralize the painful effects of the capsaicin. Rub a little vegetable or olive oil into the burned area to continue breaking down the capsaicin and moisturize the skin to speed healing.