A patient I saw recently reminded me of how spicy food can be bad for contact lens wearers. This doesn't mean can't enjoy Mexican, Thai or other varieties of spicy food if you wear contacts. It means that if you are making a spicy dish, you could end up with very irritated eyes if you handle your contacts after working with hot peppers.
Capsaicin is the main heat-rendering molecule associated with jalapenos, serranos, habaneros and other hot peppers. Capsaicin and similar molecules found in hot peppers can leave a very persistent residue on your hands, especially if you handle the pithy internal ribbing. These compounds are not very water soluble so even extensive hand washing may not remove all the residue. Since even small traces of capsaicinoids on your fingers can cause significant eye irritation if you touch your eyes or contacts while capsaicin is present, the best precaution is to wear gloves while handing hot peppers. It is also important to avoid spreading the potentially irritating residue to other items or utensils. Thus, gloves should be disposed of as soon as you are done handling the hot peppers. Glove options include latex, nitrile and vinyl gloves and each type has different considerations regarding allergenicity, presence of powder, size availability, fit, type of cooking task you are performing and cost. There are many good online resources regarding the pros and cons of each type of glove as well as other recommendations for food safety. Whatever type you choose, just remember to protect your hands (and eyes) when handling hot peppers.
Capsaicin is the main heat-rendering molecule associated with jalapenos, serranos, habaneros and other hot peppers. Capsaicin and similar molecules found in hot peppers can leave a very persistent residue on your hands, especially if you handle the pithy internal ribbing. These compounds are not very water soluble so even extensive hand washing may not remove all the residue. Since even small traces of capsaicinoids on your fingers can cause significant eye irritation if you touch your eyes or contacts while capsaicin is present, the best precaution is to wear gloves while handing hot peppers. It is also important to avoid spreading the potentially irritating residue to other items or utensils. Thus, gloves should be disposed of as soon as you are done handling the hot peppers. Glove options include latex, nitrile and vinyl gloves and each type has different considerations regarding allergenicity, presence of powder, size availability, fit, type of cooking task you are performing and cost. There are many good online resources regarding the pros and cons of each type of glove as well as other recommendations for food safety. Whatever type you choose, just remember to protect your hands (and eyes) when handling hot peppers.