Got hot pepper on your skin or in your eyes? Do this
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For eyes, rinse with plenty of warm water for 15 minutes, then try cool compresses [1]. For skin, flush with warm water, then try vegetable oil, a soak in vinegar diluted with water, or a liquid antacid spread on the skin [1]. For a burning mouth, take small sips of milk or water [1]. Call 911 for any trouble breathing or chest discomfort, and call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for expert advice on anything else [1]. Do not soak in pickle brine: in a 2025 case report it made the pain worse [2]. The steps for each kind of exposure, and what to expect, follow.
Call 911 now if
- The person has trouble breathing, wheezing or chest discomfort after breathing in pepper fumes or dust [1]. Capsaicin can trigger an asthma attack in susceptible people [1]. Get them into fresh air while you call.
Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 if
- Eye pain, redness or blurred vision does not ease after 15 minutes of rinsing.
- Skin pain is severe or you are not sure what to try next.
- A child has swallowed or touched hot sauce, pepper or pepper spray and you want advice.
- You want an expert to talk you through it. Poison Control also has an online tool at poison.org [1].
Go to an emergency room if the pain is intolerable. In one case Poison Control describes, a liquid antacid on the skin did not give enough relief and the person went to the ER [1].
Step by step, by where it is
| Where | First | Then | Expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eyes | Rinse with copious warm water for 15 minutes [1]. | Cool compresses [1]. | If pain, redness or blurred vision continues after rinsing, call Poison Control. |
| Skin (hands, face) | Flush with warm water [1]. | Try vegetable oil rubbed in and wiped off; soaks in vinegar diluted with water; or a liquid antacid such as Maalox spread on the skin [1]. | Burning can start hours after contact and last hours [2]. |
| Mouth | Small sips of milk or water [1]. | Cold dairy such as ice cream or a yogurt drink [4]. | The burn falls over the next few minutes; the next bite brings it back. |
| Breathing in fumes or dust | Move to fresh air at once [1]. | Ventilate the kitchen before going back. | Coughing and sneezing settle in fresh air. Trouble breathing means 911. |
| Swallowed a lot | Small sips of milk or water [1]. | Call Poison Control for advice. | Stomach and gut irritation [1]. |
Eyes
Do not rub, which spreads capsaicin across the eye. Poison Control's article does not address contact lenses, so if you wear them, call 1-800-222-1222 and ask how to handle them. Wash your hands with soap before touching the eye area again, or you will put more pepper back in.
Skin
Water alone may not be enough, because capsaicin does not dissolve well in it. That is why the household remedies Poison Control lists include an oil (which dissolves capsaicin) and an antacid or a dilute acid soak [1]. Researchers who reviewed published cases in 2025 found reports of relief from cold water, diluted vinegar soaks within about 30 minutes of exposure, and baking soda paste, and also reports where each did nothing [2]. Try one, give it a few minutes, and try another if it fails.
If the burn is under your fingernails, soak the fingertips in the oil or dilute vinegar rather than scrubbing.
Mouth
Milk works better than water. In a 2019 Penn State study, people who drank whole or skim milk after spicy tomato juice had among the largest drops in burn of any drink tested; a sweetened drink (cherry Kool-Aid) did nearly as well, and every drink tested reduced the burn significantly [3]. A 2024 follow-up found that fat, protein and cold temperature each helped, with ice cream and lassi giving the largest drop from peak burn [4]. Non-alcoholic beer, cola, seltzer and water helped less [3].
What did not help in reported cases
- Pickle brine. The 2025 case report describes a woman who soaked her hands in pickled cucumber brine and found her pain increased [2]. Acidity alone is not the answer for every person.
- Shampoo and repeated soap washing. The same patient found shampoo made the pain worse, and repeated cold-water and soap washes gave only short relief [2].
- Rubbing alcohol, lidocaine gel and steroid ointment were used in earlier reported cases with limited or no benefit [2].
The authors' conclusion was that there is "no uniform treatment approach" for chili burn: start with household measures and move to a doctor if they fail [2]. Pepper burn on the skin usually leaves no lasting harm [2].
How long it lasts
Most skin burns from pepper fade within hours. In the 2025 case, the pain lasted several hours each time and rated 6 to 7 out of 10 [2]. If the pain is still severe after you have worked through the household measures, call Poison Control or see a doctor, which is the step-up the 2025 review describes [2].
Keeping it from happening again
Gloves, eye protection for messy steps and an open window prevent nearly all of this. Handling hot peppers without getting burned covers which gloves to use, how to take them off, and how to clean knives and boards so the next person is not caught out.
References
- National Capital Poison Center (Poison Control), Capsaicin: When the "Chili" Is Too Hot, Amanda McDaniel-Price, undated (viewed October 2026). https://poison.org/articles/capsaicin-when-the-chili-is-too-hot
- Hitl, Radovanović and Kladar, "Chili Burn": A Case Report of Contact Dermatitis Caused by Capsicum Peppers, Life 15(4):539, 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12028851
- Nolden, Lenart and Hayes, Putting out the fire: Efficacy of common beverages in reducing oral burn from capsaicin, Physiology and Behavior 208:112557, 2019. https://pure.psu.edu/en/publications/putting-out-the-fire-efficacy-of-common-beverages-in-reducing-ora/
- Gaiser and Hayes, Fat, protein, and temperature each contribute to reductions in capsaicin oral burn, Journal of Food Science 89(8):5091-5100, 2024. https://pure.psu.edu/en/publications/fat-protein-and-temperature-each-contribute-to-reductions-in-caps/
