The reason why your hands are stinging is because peppers contain an active component known as capsaicin. This component will produce a burning or stinging sensation in whatever human tissue it may come in contact with. The first thing that you should do in this situation is to wash your hands in cold water. This will help with the stinging sensation initially but it will not be enough to stop it altogether. You should then use dish-washing detergent to wash your hands. You could also use a soft brush to scrub the sides of your nails and ensure that remaining oil is also removed from your hands. The next thing that you should do is to bathe your hands with milk. Milk is the best remedy for capsaicin because it negates its effect completely. The fat component of milk will help soothe the stinging. Place your hands in a large basin and then pour about 500 ml of cold milk over your hands. You should soak your hands in milk for at least 15-20 minutes.
One remedy that is said to work well is vegetable oil. After washing your hands with cold water, spread a liberal amount of any vegetable oil on your hands. Ensure that you keep this on your hands for at least one hour. You can also try using alcohol on your hands to take away the pain as this remedy is also said help greatly. Dip a cotton ball in alcohol and dab it gently on your palms. This should reduce the pain almost at once. It is also recommended that you use a soothing lotion like cold cream or aloe vera gel to soothe the stinging. It is very important that you do not touch your eyes at all because pepper burns tend to spread and you could cause serious damage to your eyes if the burns spread to your eyes.
As a precaution against future burns, ensure that you do not cut any peppers without wearing gloves. You should also ensure that you wear rubber gloves and not thin latex ones because the capsaicin will get through the latex and you will end up burning your hands anyway. However, you should keep in mind that your symptoms should subside in about a few hours after using these remedies. If not, you should seek some medical help immediately because this could be indicative of an allergic reaction.
answered by G M