Never...

[roo4]

And here's another useful tip: Take out your contacts BEFORE cutting up the serranos! Do not ask me how I know this.

[zoom-zoom]

My DH once made the mistake of going potty after cutting jalapeños. He *thought* (wrongly) that he'd washed his hands well enough!

[lph]

oh oh ouch... I found out the hard way that even scratching your EAR is a bad idea. I swear, capsicum comes complete with a tiny needle.

A friend of mine taught me a good tip, though. Rub your fingertips liberally with cooking oil first, to saturate the pores or something. I wipe off the excess with just a paper towel afterwards. After I'm done handling the chili or jalapenos I wash my hands well with soap. I think it cuts down on the amount my skin absorbs.

[Veronica]

I put Neutrogena soap in my nose. I don't know why it worked, but it did.

Veronica

[Blueberry]

Ouch! I use gloves whenever I handle them. With contacts, I don't take chances!

[Veronica]

I've washed my hands several times and I just licked some yogurt off my finger. Black cherry yogurt and jalapeno - very "interesting" combination. I hope it wears off by the time I need ta take my contacts out!

Veronica

[snapdragen]

Be careful!!! I stupidly used my thumbnail to scrape out the seeds of a jalapeño pepper - it burned for days.