The chemistry of Chilli burns and its solutions

Introduction - What is chilli? 

Chillies are one of the most popular spices in the world, usually used as a spicy in foods, but they can be dangerous if you don’t know how to handle them. Chilli in food is responsible for the sensational burn in food. The main problem with chilli burn is that it can be very painful and uncomfortable, especially if you’re not used to touching, eating or drinking hot foods or handling chillies in general. In this lesson, you will learn what chilli burn is and how to go about it when you find yourself in its net.

Does Chilli burn, and what causes it?

1. When you chop, mince or bite chillies, most times in food, you release capsaicin, which sticks to your skin and mucous membranes.

The substance (capsaicin) then enters the bloodstream through blood vessels in the skin and travels through veins towards the brain. Capsaicin gives off heat when it binds with nerve cells - this is why we feel pain when we eat hot foods!

Chillies are members of the Capsicum genus, which includes various species with an active ingredient called capsaicin. When you chop, mince or bite chillies, you release capsaicin, which sticks to your skin and mucous membranes. The substance then enters the bloodstream through blood vessels in the skin and travels through veins towards the brain, and gives you a feeling of burns. 

2. Capsaicin is an oily compound that doesn’t dissolve in water (which is why it sticks to your skin) but will dissolve in fats and oils.

Capsaicin is an oily compound that doesn’t dissolve in water (which is why it sticks to your skin) but will dissolve in fats and oils. It’s the savoury ingredient in chilli peppers.

When you burn your skin with capsaicin, the burning sensation comes from its ability to bind with proteins on your nerve endings. This causes your nerves to send messages faster than they normally would, which can feel like “pins-and-needles” or “heat lightning” pain.

To make matters worse, capsaicin is volatile and extremely hard to remove. Remember, it is an oily compound that doesn’t dissolve in water (which is why it sticks to your skin) but will dissolve in fats and oils. This means that washing your hands with soap and water may not be enough — you need something that can help break down more oil.

A good way to get rid of capsaicin is by using a soap bar. The soap contains two ends: a hydrophilic end that loves water and a hydrophobic end that repels it. This makes soap an excellent substance for breaking up oil molecules (capsaicin being one of them). The problem with this method is that the chilli oil can spread through the soap itself very easily.

3. The burning sensation of chilli on your skin is not a pain reaction directly (i,e, no actual burning sensation) but a nerve reaction.

Capsaicin is an oil and not a water-soluble substance. It's the active ingredient in chillies that causes a burning feeling when they're consumed or applied to the skin.

So what happens? When you eat hot peppers, it passes through your digestive system into your bloodstream before entering every part of your body—including those that produce heat! This includes areas like the brain and spinal cord where signals from one nerve cell can be received by another nearby one; this allows us to feel sensations such as pain or heat from capsaicin being released into our bodies after food enters them through digestion."

Capsaicin is a chemical that causes a burning sensation. It's not a pain reaction itself but a nerve reaction. The capsaicin molecule has been found to bind to specific receptor proteins in sensory nerves, which are responsible for transmitting pain signals from outside our bodies into our brains.

4. Capsaicin on your skin will burn for about 30 minutes, depending on how much you have and how sensitive you are to it.

The more capsaicin you have on your skin, the longer it will take to subside.

• If you're not very sensitive: Your body can tolerate large amounts of capsaicin without harm. This is because our bodies contain very high levels of a type of protein called heat-shock proteins (HSP60) that protect us from burns caused by hot peppers like chilli peppers by triggering an immune response in cells called neutrophils. These neutrophils then release chemicals called cytokines which stop inflammation and pain from occurring in our bodies.

• If you're very sensitive: Your body cannot tolerate large amounts of capsaicin without being harmed because there isn't enough HSP60 present in our bodies or their enzymes aren't working properly.

• That is why some people eat or consume more hot foods than others. 

Chilli burns solutions.

1. If you have a lot of chilli on your hands from cooking, then soap, water and scrubbing won’t be enough.

Soap is only going to spread the capsaicin around more and make it worse by removing some of the oil that helps keep it at bay.

Water is also not going to remove the capsaicin because it has nowhere else to go but into your bloodstream.

You need to remove the chilli oil from your hands by neutralising it with an alkali such as a base. Think sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH), which are also bases and can be found in dishwashing detergents.

2. Chilli left in your mouth can be neutralised by eating yoghurt or drinking milk.

If you like hot and spicy food, then it is best to neutralise the burn by eating yoghurt or drinking milk. Yoghurt is the most acidic of all foods, so it will help neutralise any acid in your mouth. Milk can also be used to remove the chilli from your mouth, but not as effectively as yoghurt. Cheese and ice cream are also good options because they have some calcium that helps stop burns from becoming worse.

The same principles apply when you eat spicy foods - if you get an upset stomach, then you can try these methods too!

Try these methods if you get an upset stomach caused by spicy food. They may help to neutralise the acid in your mouth and will stop it from getting worse.

The best way to combat the burning sensation of chillies is with dairy products

The best way to combat the burning sensation of chillies is with dairy products. Dairy products neutralise capsaicin, which causes heat in your mouth and throat. Yoghurt is a good choice because it contains lactic acid, which neutralises capsaicin. Milk or cheese can also work well if you're not lactose-intolerant or allergic to dairy products (if so, then opt for soy milk).

However, cheese is not recommended if you're trying to ease your pain from a chilli burn—it's high in fat and will worsen the burning sensation!

If you're looking for something more exotic, try eating a banana. The potassium will help neutralise capsaicin as well as any other acids that might be in your mouth from eating spicy foods.

Conclusion.

So, what’s the best way to treat the burn? Well, I hope this article has answered that question for you. In addition to using cold water (not recommended), which is a common way to help alleviate chilli burn, there are also some amazing products out there that can provide relief in just minutes. One of my favourites at home is homemade cream with Cayenne and Aloe Vera (which will also help reduce swelling).