# When handling hot peppers why is the oil that gets on your skin almost impossible to get rid of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-handling-hot-peppers-why-is-the-oil-that-gets-on-your-skin-almost-impossible-to-get-rid-of/503432 "2009-07-18T14:35:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-handling-hot-peppers-why-is-the-oil-that-gets-on-your-skin-almost-impossible-to-get-rid-of/503432/1 "2009-07-18T14:35:05Z")
I chopped up a bunch of jalapenos yesterday and had to get pretty intimate with them to strip out the interior pith etc. I washed my hand twice with soap and water and there was still enough oil on my hands when I got home to irrigate the hell out of my eyes when i rubbed them, So I wash them twice again with an alcohol based cleaner last night and now in rubbing my eyes this morning there’s STILL a hint of this stuff on my skin when I rub my eyes. Why is this stuff so incredibly adherent and tough to remove? It’s only oil for God’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-handling-hot-peppers-why-is-the-oil-that-gets-on-your-skin-almost-impossible-to-get-rid-of/503432/2 "2009-07-18T15:06:54Z")
Mis-posted into wrong forum, could a kindly mod please move to GQ? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-handling-hot-peppers-why-is-the-oil-that-gets-on-your-skin-almost-impossible-to-get-rid-of/503432/3 "2009-07-18T15:19:26Z")
Reported. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-handling-hot-peppers-why-is-the-oil-that-gets-on-your-skin-almost-impossible-to-get-rid-of/503432/4 "2009-07-18T17:52:28Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Mis-posted into wrong forum, could a kindly mod please move to GQ? Your wish is my command. bibliophage moderator CCC ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-handling-hot-peppers-why-is-the-oil-that-gets-on-your-skin-almost-impossible-to-get-rid-of/503432/5 "2009-07-18T18:08:06Z")
Are you using soap or **dishwashing** soap? Soap, in my understanding, works by being sticky to gunk (like oil). Dishwashing soap (i.e. detergent) works by breaking oils down. The former probably works better for getting dirt and stuff off of your body, but the latter probably works better for plain ol’ oil. > **[Soap](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap)** > > Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are used as thickeners, components of some lubricants, and precursors to catalysts. > When used for cleaning, soap solubilizes particles and grime, which can then be separated from the article being cleaned. In hand washing, as a surfactant, when lathered with a little... > **[Dishwashing liquid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishwashing_liquid)** > > Dishwashing liquid (or washing-up liquid in British English), also known as dishwashing soap, dish detergent, and dish soap is a detergent used to assist in dishwashing. It is usually a highly-foaming mixture of surfactants with low skin irritation, and is primarily used for hand washing of glasses, plates, cutlery, and cooking utensils in a sink or bowl. In addition to its primary use, dishwashing liquid also has various informal applications, such as for creating bubbles, clothes washing and... ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-handling-hot-peppers-why-is-the-oil-that-gets-on-your-skin-almost-impossible-to-get-rid-of/503432/6 "2009-07-18T18:20:32Z")
Also really good at removing oil from skin is Tecnu, the stuff sold as an urushiol (Poison Oak/Ivy/etc.) remover. It’s primarily deodorized mineral spirits, but it works great at getting oil off. Just to be sure to follow the directions - apply it to dry skin, and then rinse off after a little while. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-handling-hot-peppers-why-is-the-oil-that-gets-on-your-skin-almost-impossible-to-get-rid-of/503432/7 "2009-07-18T19:02:43Z")
Capsaicin, the fun stuff in peppers, is an alkaloid. I don’t understand how that’s different from an alkaline substance, but wouldn’t some rather friendly acid, such as lemon juice, vinegar, or Coca-Cola® turn it into a less crazy salt? This is why I got a D in Chemistry, isn’t it? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-handling-hot-peppers-why-is-the-oil-that-gets-on-your-skin-almost-impossible-to-get-rid-of/503432/8 "2009-07-18T19:05:13Z")
The molecule causing the hotness, capsaicin, is quite hydrophobic and poorly soluble in water. Hence a glass of water not doing much to calm a fiery curry, but a bowl of yoghurt can be effective. It’s also the source of the ring of fire. Something like swarfega would probably work for cleaning your hands - it’s the UK brand name of the thick green jelly that mechanics use to clean oil off their hands. It solubilises the hydrophobic oils and is formulated to be relatively easy on your skin. It’s kind of a heavy duty solution to cleaning your hands after chopping chills though. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-handling-hot-peppers-why-is-the-oil-that-gets-on-your-skin-almost-impossible-to-get-rid-of/503432/9 "2009-07-18T19:07:39Z")
I’ve had good results using Dawn dishwashing liquid. You still need to scrub hard(I use a small scrub brush) and use liberal amounts. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-handling-hot-peppers-why-is-the-oil-that-gets-on-your-skin-almost-impossible-to-get-rid-of/503432/10 "2009-07-18T19:11:22Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Capsaicin, the fun stuff in peppers, is an alkaloid. I don’t understand how that’s different from an alkaline substance, but wouldn’t some rather friendly acid, such as lemon juice, vinegar, or Coca-Cola® turn it into a less crazy salt? > > This is why I got a D in Chemistry, isn’t it? :smack: Capsaicin is not very basic - it features an amide group rather than any more basic nitrogen functionality. You’d stand a better chance of using a base to make a salt, as it also has a phenol group in the molecule which is weakly acidic. The problem would still be the overall hydrophobic structure though, hard to get into water.