Chili Burn - What to do

I cooked today and used 6 chili padi in my dish. Washing and slicing them were no problem, but about 50 minutes later, there was a slow and then fiery burning sensation on my hands. I got some on my upper lip area when I rubbed the area and it was BURNING. Washed with water, didn't help much and I figured it would die down soon.

I mean, I hardly get chili burn from cooking so I did not know the extreme discomfort it can cause. The burn on the upper lip area subsided after 10-15 minutes but the hand was still in pain. I tried lime juice over the hand but it did not work.

No yoghurt in the house so I soaked my hand into a bowl of milk (low fat skim milk) and the coldness of the milk relieved the burning sensation but once I took my hand out, it was even worse. I think the chili oil was also left in the milk because I decided to soak my other hand which was quite ok into it and that hand started burning up instead!!!

So it was on to other remedies - washing with hot soapy water. Soaking hands in warm vinegared water. Soaking in warm soapy vinegared water. Rubbing with olive oil and vegetable oil. Coated with toothpaste. Back to alternating soaking hand in warm vinegared water and cold milk. The extreme temperatures helped some. Putting on ice.

All these did not really help in making the pain disappeared but at least now the burning sensation has reduced somewhat and is more bearable.

Got the above tips from googling and asking friends. But this website is a gem, especially the comments left by others.

This would be good to remember if you get burned by the chili. Rachelle from Australia has this to share.

THE SOLUTION: The capsaicin in the chilli is NOT water soluble and it BINDS to nerve RECEPTORS in your skin and membranes.

STEP 1: You need to bind it up with either OIL, FULL CREAM MILK or RUBBING ALCOHOL. Then wash your skin with cool soapy water to remove any extra bits of left over capsaicin. You can't get it off with just water and soap. You must bind it first to OIL, FULL CREAM MILK OR RUBBING ALCOHOL.

STEP 2: Next, neutralising it once extra capsaicin washed off.
SALT helps to neutralize it as does LEMON JUICE, and or VINEGAR.

STEP 3 : Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

STEP 4: Make up a thick paste of bi-carb soda (baking soda) and cover eg, hands in it, cheeks, nose. Leave on over night. Wash off in morning.

Follow these guide lines and stay calm. If it gets in your eyes, nasal passages, groin, try oil or full cream milk to bind it and then rinse away with salty water. Repeat an if it persists, gets worse, ring a poison information centre, then a hospital.

Of course to prevent the chili burn is to wear gloves (though some still get burned despite wearing gloves) or rubbing hands with oil first, before touching the chilies.