To better understand and avoid this phenomenon, it’s a good idea to know what causes jalapeño hands in the first place. That would be due to a chemical compound found in hot peppers called capsaicin. When you handle cut peppers, capsaicin transfers to your skin, where it can cause a mild feeling of heat. Capsaicin triggers pain signals in the body but actually reduces them afterward, and can be used medicinally in the form of creams and gels to address the pain of headaches, joint issues, and skin disorders (via University of Michigan Medicine).
If you’re more interested in eating delicious food than in stimulating your pain signals, there are ways to prevent and alleviate jalapeño hands. The best method is to slap on a pair of gloves before you even approach a spicy pepper (via Taste of Home). They can be disposable, as University of Michigan Medicine recommends, or reusable cut-resistant gloves that can be found on Amazon, as suggested by Taste of Home. That way, when you cut open the pepper flesh and expose the seeds, your hands will be entirely protected from the capsaicin.
