If you’ve ever seen a rom-com, you know what it means when the leads are bickering and firing off zingers at each other. They might look like they’re trying to drive each other away, but we know what’s really behind all of those “sick burns.” They’re feeling the love, and it scares them. This may…
You probably already know how to quell the burning in your mouth (milk helps, and so does chocolate), but what about the burn on your skin from cutting peppers? Here’s the hack you need to keep hot peppers from irritating your skin.
Beating the Capsaicin Pain From Hot Peppers
The active ingredient in hot peppers is an alkaloid called capsaicin, which activates sensors in your mouth and on your skin that would ordinarily respond to physical heat. Some people actually like this sensation, and find that capsaicin relieves pain from ailments such as arthritis (it’s used in topical creams for that exact purpose). Unfortunately, capsaicin can cause irritation if you’re sensitive to it, and if you absentmindedly rub your nose or eyes while it’s on your hands, you’ll be in a world of hurt.
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But you know that saying “fat equals flavor”? Well, there’s a scientific reason behind it: Many flavor compounds, including capsaicin, are lipophilic, which means they bond with fats.
That’s the key to this hack: Instead of just washing with soap and water, pour a little vegetable oil onto your hands and rub it in thoroughly, as you would hand sanitizer. (If you don’t have vegetable oil on hand, any cooking oil will work.) At this point, most of the capsaicin will bond to the oil. Now, wash your hands with dish soap, not hand soap, because dish soap is specially formulated to cut through and remove fat. The oil will wash away, and take the capsaicin along with it.
