Chili peppers have a natural chemical called capsaicin which produces a burning sensation upon contact with skin tissue. Jalapenos too, like all other peppers, contain this chemical and though it adds a delicious flavor to your food, it is advised that you be extra cautious when working with them.
The capsaicin is concentrated in the veins that surround the seeds. Therefore, it is important that you pay special attention to your hands while deseeding the jalapenos. Cutting these can also be quite tricky and it is recommended that any work with jalapenos should be done only after wearing vinyl or rubber gloves.
Since you have already burnt your hands from the peppers, it is best to immediately soak your hands in lemon or orange juice. The vitamin C and citric acids neutralize the burning sensations by breaking down the capsaicin oils and provide instant relief. However, if you have any scrapes, cuts, or even minute bruises on your hands, citric juices will not be of much help. The relief might last a few minutes before the pain comes back with full force.
A thick paste of baking soda and water, when smeared on the affected areas, can help reduce the burning sensations. Let the paste remain on your hand and wash your hands only after the paste has completely dried out. Your hands might feel a little sore after that but the pain should have completely vanished.
If that too doesn’t completely eliminate the burning sensation, soak your hands in some cold milk for about five minutes. You can also mix baking soda and milk if the baking soda-water mixture does not work well with you. Dry your hands for about twenty minutes and then wash off. Repeat this as many times as it takes to completely get rid of the sensation. The skin will become sore and tender and possibly a little swollen too, but at least the pain will be gone. The skin will resume its normal texture in a few days, after it has completely healed.
People who have tried applying toothpaste on the burning areas have claimed that it works like a charm. Simply rub the toothpaste all over the affected are and leave it on for about half an hour. The pain will have vanished when you finally wash the toothpaste off. It is the menthol added to the toothpaste that helps cool the burning sensation.