face burning from pepper plant.

[VeganBikeChick]

I'm so sorry, that sounds painful! I do love ghost peppers, but not on my face.

[lauraelmore1033]

Oh my! I once opened a container of ghost peppers and burning of the nasal passages that resulted from a tentative sniff (at a distance) scared me enough that I never used them. I can't imagine how bad that would be if I'd gotten it on my face!

[emily_in_nc]

Ouch!

Last summer I chopped up a chile (not even sure what type) that the farmer I bought it from at the market said was "mild". My hands burned for 48 hours and required multiple soaks in ice water. Absolutely miserable. I can't even imagine how much MORE painful what you're going through is, but I am sure it is with a ghost pepper. I wonder if fresh aloe would help; it can be very good for burns, if you could locate a plant.

Wishing you the best!

[OakLeaf]

Haha, there's something about my terroir that makes peppers grow crazy hot. My jalapeños are hotter than grocery store habañeros. I made the mistake of growing habañeros one year, took a bite out of one and just about melted my head. I'm not even remotely tempted to try growing anything hotter!


Emily, it's not actually a burn, it's just overstimulation of the nerves. That's why people can develop a tolerance. You just need to get it off your skin and the burning will go away. But it's such a light persistent oil, and especially being colorless, it's hard to get it off. I'm conpletely serious that anything you use to take persistent oil off your hands in the garage, will work on pepper oil, but the trouble is most of that stuff you wouldn't use on your face. Gojo, Fast Orange, any of those mechanic's hand cleaners. But it's oil, not water soluble, so plain water won't do a thing, either washing or drinking.


Thinking about it, you might try scrubbing your face with grapeseed oil or some other light vegetable oil, followed by soap and water. Some oil light enough that it would lift the pepper oil without smearing it too much ... Walnut oil maybe ... Possibly safflower ...

[rebeccaC]

unfortunately i remember what you're feeling..

even though it should be gone by now if what you did didn't work then here's what works for me.
A mechanic’s soap with pumice, the pumice will help to get the capsaicin out of the pores…..and capsaicin is alcohol soluble so a pad with rubbing alcohol (or gin/volka) can get the capsaicin off and a milk-soaked washcloth (the casein in dairy helps to relieve the burn) both can help when it's on your face.....it did with me. remember to clean any knife etc you've used with rubbing alcohol before touching them with bare skin.

i remember ghost peppers....the intense sweet chili flavor followed by sweating, eye watering, hiccups, shortness of breath, heat building for wayyyy too long a period and an intense endorphin rush that fooled me into thinking it was a good experience.