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We learn so much from our listeners, readers and visitors. They like to share the results of the home remedies that others have recommended. One of the most popular remedies is yellow mustard to ease the pain of a burn. We recently heard from a reader who uses yellow mustard on cuts to speed healing.
Yellow Mustard Offers First Aid Against Kitchen Mishaps:
Q. Decades ago, a friend from India taught me to keep curcuma (what we call turmeric) at hand in the kitchen for first aid. He told me to dab the powder on a cut. The spice should stop the bleeding and work as an antiseptic.
I found the same spice in regular yellow mustard. This is a far easier way to apply turmeric and keep the remedy in place.
Curcumin Cuts Inflammation:
A. We have learned quite a bit about turmeric and its active ingredient curcumin against inflammation. We were surprised to find that it also has antimicrobial (antiseptic) properties (Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2020).
We’ve certainly heard from people who’ve put yellow mustard on a burn, after cooling it with cold tap water. It’s fascinating to think mustard might also be helpful for cuts.
Another reader found a different use for yellow mustard:
“The yellow mustard contains turmeric, which is an anti-inflammatory. That’s why it works on burns and also on mosquito bites. It really reduces the itch!”
Mustard Is a Favorite Home Remedy:
Q. Yellow mustard on burns is probably my favorite home remedy. I apply it after running the burn under cold water and drying the skin. Then I replace the mustard as it dries. I’ve never had a blister or even redness the next day. This is the best remedy for anyone who often cooks or bakes.
A. We first heard about mustard for burns during our syndicated public radio show. A man from South Carolina called in to tell us that plain yellow mustard helps minor skin burns heal faster. We tried to talk him out of it, insisting that cold water was the only doctor-approved approach for mild burns. He insisted that mustard could also be helpful.
A reader of this column heard about the remedy and wrote to us in 2010:
“I just want to say thank you. I burned the tip of my finger last night. I immediately put it in ice water. After about an hour it still hurt if I took my finger out of the ice water, but it was time for bed.
“I looked it up on your website and saw that yellow mustard might be good for a burn. I put mustard on my finger. I was amazed that the pain went away and I was able to go to bed pain free. This morning there is just a little white area where the burn was.”
Although we do not know why it works, many share your experience. A serious burn requires emergency medical attention!
Yellow Mustard for a Burn:
Q. A couple nights ago I accidentally grabbed the metal handle of a pot right out of the oven. The pain of the burn was intense.
I immediately grabbed the soy sauce and poured some over the burn, with not much relief.
My husband handed me a gel ice pack out of the freezer. The pain came back as soon as I took it off.
I ran upstairs to my computer, got on the People’s Pharmacy website and found the yellow mustard remedy. I immediately got the jar from the fridge, put a generous amount of mustard on the burn and wrapped it with gauze bandage. Relief was immediate. By bedtime, the pain was completely gone and the burn was barely pink.
The next morning, my hand looked and felt perfectly normal–no pain, no discoloration. If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I’d never believe anything so improbable could work.
Keep It Simple:
A. We first heard about this remedy from a listener to our radio show. He recounted a time decades ago when his twin brother fell against a wood stove. They were far away from medical assistance, so his grandmother slathered the burn with cold yellow mustard. There was no blistering.
We want to emphasize that cold tap water or ice water–not ice–should always be first aid after grabbing a hot handle or similar misfortune. Other remedies such as soy sauce or yellow mustard should not be used until the skin has been cooled with water. We’re glad you also got relief from yellow mustard. A severe burn should always be treated as a medical emergency.
Some people have wondered if brown mustard or fancy Dijon mustard will work as well. From what we hear from readers, cheap yellow mustard works best.
Mustard in a Glove for a Burn:
Here is another innovation we heard from a reader:
Q. My husband recently grabbed a hot pan from the stove. His fingertips were VERY red and beginning to blister. He immediately ran them under cold water. When he sat down, I gave him a bowl of cold ice water to put his fingers in. That got to be too much after a while.
I suggested going to urgent care, but he wouldn’t. So I used a remedy you have described. I found a disposable nitrile glove and squirted yellow mustard into the fingers. He grudgingly agreed to wear it and kept it on for about two hours. He took it off and gingerly washed his hands before bed.
The next day his fingers looked fine–no blister, no pain, all normal. He said, “I thought it was a crazy idea, but it really worked.”
A. We first heard about the mustard remedy from a caller on our nationally syndicated public radio show. He insisted that applying plain mustard to a burn would both ease the pain and reduce the redness. In fact, he insisted that fancy dijon mustard wouldn’t work well.
Although we were initially skeptical, many readers have subsequently described benefit. We have not done a head to head test, but we suspect that cold, inexpensive yellow mustard is best.
Your use of disposable gloves is a cool twist. Keep reading for another person’s similar experience.
Mustard Soothed Power Outage Burn:
Q. During a power outage, I burned four fingers while removing hot glass from a kerosene lantern. I first used cool water, then soy sauce without much relief. I quickly went to your website and searched on burns. I found the mustard remedy.
I put on a sterile plastic glove and squirted yellow mustard in the fingers and left this on for an hour. Immediate relief!
A. We’re glad this remedy helped. Cool or cold water is first aid for a burn, but many readers have told us that following this up with yellow mustard or soy sauce can greatly ease the discomfort. A caller to our radio show recently described using plain table salt on the burn, leaving it on until it cakes off.
Still other people have been enthusiastic about applying Elmer’s white glue after cooling the burn in water. We are not quite sure why any of these work, but glad the popular mustard remedy helped you. Putting mustard in the fingers of a plastic glove is an innovation that other readers may wish to adopt. Make sure that you treat any burn with cold water first, and determine if it is serious enough to require emergency medical treatment.
Abigail liked this idea:
“Thanks for the tip of using a (disposable) sterile plastic glove. Having my palm slathered with mustard is awkward. The yellow mustard did take away the pain. Worked better than aloe vera. First I grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer. I think it did stop the burn. Will try immersion in cold water next time.”
Louie B. Free did, too:
“Dumb move: grabbed a VERY hot cast iron pan that had been on the stove for awhile
Smart move: grabbed yellow mustard from the fridge
Results: I JUST remembered that I did that !!! no pain…much gain !!!!”
VSD wrote:
“I suffered a severe steam burn one evening. Cutting open a piece of aloe vera, I taped it onto the burn. The pain soon disappeared. However, after keeping it on overnight, there was absolutely no sign of the burn the next morning. Complete healing. I now keep aloe vera plants for use in case of a burn; also, when they grow large and fan-shaped, they’re a very attractive plant.”
Susan commented:
“I burned the back of my calf on a hot tailpipe – the burn was very painful and large. There was no water or ice to apply to the burn for three hours. As soon as I got home, I remembered the yellow mustard remedy I’d heard about on your show, so I applied a liberal amount to the back of my leg and wrapped up the area with plastic wrap. The pain subsided within minutes, and never came back. The burn did not blister as it normally would have, and after a month or so, there was no mark or scar.”
Learn More:
If you would like to learn more about additional treatments for mild household burns and other common ailments, you may be interested in The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies.
Susan
I’ve been trying this on insect bites and finding that it reduces that nagging itch. To think this has been in the cabinet all along!
Lester
In EMT school they told us that the pain comes from the oxygen in the air. We would just use a whole roll of medical
gauze. Once the layers get thick enough it blocks oxygen from getting to the wound, and the pain subsides.
I wonder if the mustard does the same thing? I think that mustard would probably be better than using patroleum jelly though, and easier to get off too.
Joy
I am very allergic to chiggers bites, and each one forms a large red swollen area. The intense itching will last for over a week. I have tried many different creams with very little help until I started using cold plain yellow mustard on each bite. Be sure to put a bandaid over each one so it doesn’t rub off or stain your clothes. It will immediately remove the itch, and next morning the red swollen place will be gone. Miraculous for me!!
Lori
I once burned the heck out of my mouth and could hardly talk! Took mustard & keep rinsing my mouth out & it took the pain away!
Joella
Be careful if you have sensitive skin. I put yellow mustard on a small burn and because it was straight from the fridge the cold mustard felt good and took away the pain of the burn. I left the mustard on for 2 hours, at which time the burning sensation became very painful. I washed off the mustard with cold water and discovered the acid in the mustard had burned my skin even more. Never again.
Betsy
The yellow mustard is made of Turmeric which is an anti-inflammatory. That’s why it works. Does it work on Sunburn? I haven’t tried it. But it does work on burns and Mosquito bites. It reduces the itchy!! Also wasp stings!
Joy
After reading about the benefit of yellow mustard, I have found that cold mustard from the fridge is the BEST remedy for chigger bites. I am very allergic to chiggers & they reaction to the bites usually last for multiple days and keep me awake at night. But if I apply cold mustard immediately and cover the bite with a bandaid, then the next morning the swelling, itch and red swollen bite site is almost totally gone!
Linda
Glad to read about the yellow mustard for burns. I have been using cheap yellow mustard when I get a muscle cramp in my leg, and it works. I get the little pack, and shortly the cramp subsides.
Erin
I splashed a steak into a pan of hot grease, and my whole forearm was splattered. I tried aloe gel with lidocaine, ice packs, and no relief. I found this site saying to just squirt yellow mustard on it. It’s been an hour, and the pain is completely gone. I’m leaving the mustard and gauze on overnight but all I can say is as of now this is a miracle.
I suspect it has something to do with the vinegar, as that will treat sunburns. I’ll always be sure to keep yellow mustard handy in the fridge for burns!
Richard
While working outside the tender part of the inside of my arm touched the hot muffler on yard machine. Came into house and put on cold mustard. Wow, did it feel good when I put it on! Not sure if it was the cold or mustard. However the pain quickly subsided. Back out side to finish work. The pain came and went but not nearly as bad when burned. Reapplied more since some came off when working. Soon hardly noticed any pain. Within in 2 hours didn’t feel any pain. In the evening before bed reapplied more with a wrap. Still not pain, and it didn’t look too bad. Curious how it will look tomorrow. I’m thinking probably good. For any skeptics, Yes !! It does work.
Chris
WA
If you have heart burn or built up acid, a quick remedy is to eat a tablespoon full of mustard. It will burn initially but it actually pushes the acid down and relieves the burning. It works faster than TUMS and is quicker than waiting for something like Prilosec to start working.
Kimberly B.
Ohio
My husband went to grab a container of scalding hot microwavable mashed potatoes out of the microwave, and the container was so hot that it gave in and covered his hands in extremely hot potatoes, burning him badly. I found this site, and we are trying the mustard now, and it took quite awhile for the pain to subside, but it eventually did. I read in a comment to leave it on at least a half an hour but that’s how long it took before the pain started to calm down. I guess we should leave it on longer but I am wondering if maybe it’s best to reapply cold mustard again? I’m not seeing anything stating what to do after the initial mustard application. If anyone would like to share their ideas on this one, I would greatly appreciate this!
Jeanie
Cold mustard worked for me. It was cold, soothing, and took the pain right away. Great recommendation!
Royce
San Antonio, TX
I believe in Good old HONEY. Being a beekeeper, we have used it a number of times. The best one is Our Grand-son. Now 30 years old, but at 2 years, my wife and I were in the back yard shedding 100 bags of leaves for our garden. Our Grand-son was locked in the kitchen, with a plate glass door, some how he got it unlocked, we heard him hollow, and I seen his little hand come off of the muffler. I picked him up, run in the kitchen, put his hand under cold water. I got the honey and spread it on his red hand, his face and sounds showed the pain going away, We put his hand in a wool mitten w/honey, inside a sandwich bag, for 2 days. Left no marks.
Genie
NC
Definitely cold mustard! I spilled hot coffee on my inner thighs, and no, not from Mickey D’s.
Covered it in cold mustard and within minutes the pain was gone and the only pink area was the little spot I missed when applying the mustard.
Donna
Chicagoland suburbs
Wow! I love this site. Thanks to all who post.
Ann
Merseyside UK
Hello
I have found tomato pureé is another excellent soother/healer for burns
Yours
Ann (UK)
Margie
Yellow mustard also relieves the pain of fire ant stings. When my grandson got several stings on his foot I put mustard on and he quickly went from tears to smiles. It was funny to hear him tell others, “grandma put mustard on me”.
Nancy
Mexico
Nancy from Mexico
Lavender essential oil is wonderful for burns. Used in ancient times and still good today. Apply direct you do not have to mix with oil and for burn straight is best.
Berryman
Yellow mustard gets its color from turmeric. It’s the turmeric that tempers the burn. A fast check into Ayurveda will reveal that turmeric has been used for centuries as a burn aid.
Thea
Albuquerque, NM
Does it have to be yellow mustard? I would have buy the yellow stuff just for burns, since I do not care for this American staple.
Mary
Lakewood, OH
I also grabbed a hot pan off the stove. Quickly held my hand under cold running water and took an ibuprofen as my hand was throbbing. Remembered something about either mustard or honey for burns. All I had in the fridge was honey mustard so slathered some on. Very sticky, by the way. But the pain and throbbing went away fairly quickly. The burn healed without any blistering and only faint redness the next day. It was amazing. Another time my brother called to say he had burned his hand so I told him what I had done. He used yellow mustard, as that was all he had in his fridge. The next day he had already forgotten about the burn.
Klara
Atlanta
My go-to remedy for kitchen burns is cold water first, then vaseline. They say you shouldn’t put grease on a burn, but I disagree. For years, I have avoided the painful aftermath of burns by slathering on vaseline after dipping the affected hand in cold water. You have to do it quickly, though. If you wait too long, the vaseline won’t work. I’ve never tried the yellow mustard remedy, but I plan to.
Joan
Seattle, WA
I always have a bottle of vitamin E gels handy for burns. I just prick the outside of the gel and squeeze it on the burn. In a minute or two the pain is gone, and it doesn’t blister or scar.
Timothy J Doyle
Michigan
I was an orderly in a hospital emergency room in 1969. One evening we had a teen aged boy come to the ED with his employer, from a fast food restaurant. He had inadvertently grabbed for a falling french fry basket, and his arm was submerged in the frying machine. His boss lathered his arm with mustard, wrapped it in saran wrap and brought him in. We anticipated the worst, but once the mustard was washed off, the skin was barely even pink. We were all amazed. I’m a believer ever since that day.
Jan
Here in France we don’t have the bright yellow mustard that you’re referring to. Will ordinary Dijon mustard work?
Carol
Texas
I had only Dijon mustard in the kitchen so that’s what I used on my burned fingers. It worked very well!
Alyssa
Missouri
I accidentally burned myself by pulling the lid off my spaghetti sauce and hot steam burned my fingers I came across this and so far ive got two fingers covered in mustard and napkins
jamie
missouri
Wow…. 2 degree burn with deep fryer oil is painful . id put my hand n cold water to help and make pain stop. i work 10 hr days 5 days a wk as a cook and i still have 7 hrs left. I tried the mustard and at first didnt think it was working cuz i still felt pain and lot of tingles goin thru my hand. But after that it started working. Thanks cheap yellow mustard and thank all of u. Even tho i look nuts with my hand covered n mustard y im at work N have ppl looking at me and askin me y i wont wash it off lol.
George
23889
I take a big spoon of mustard before bed for happy sleeping.
idia
pennsylvania
After reading about the healing properties of yellow mustard to a burn I had the occasion to utilize it myself after pulling something out of the oven. I first poured cold water over the burn and then applied a big glop of yellow mustard and left it open in the air until it finally dried to nothing but flakes in a couple of hours. The pain stopped immediately except for a little tingling to remind me it was working. When I finally brushed the dried flakes off – no scar at all.
A miracle!
AC
North Carolina
This is a fairly lengthy story so let me start by saying CHEAP YELLOW MUSTARD WORKS! I work in a bar as a cook. One of our desert dishes requires us to use a flat skillet to prepare cookies in the oven. I’ve been a cook of sorts for years so while removing the cookies from the oven, in stead of using the sleeve we normally place around the handle, I used a dry towel.
Needless to say, I was careless and didn’t realize the top part of the handle was slightly exposed. Long story short, I burnt my thumb as I pressed down on the skillet handle to pick it up. I still had a few hours of my shift left so I spent it periodically dumping my thumb into cold water to relieve the pain which proved to be only a very brief relief because a few seconds after I removed my thumb from the water, the excruciating pain returned. My shift is over, I make it home, and immediately google burn relief and came across this page.
I immediately apply a generous amount of cheap yellow mustard to my thumb and the relief wasn’t immediate so I was skeptical. While the mustard was applied to my thumb, I once again dumped it in cool water to provide the temporary relief. About 5 minutes later, the pain was less than half as bad. 5 minutes after that, the pain was almost COMPLETELY gone. At that point I could not just sit back and not post a reply to this article. This is an immediate response after getting almost immediate relief to a pestering burn that had been plaguing me for hours! Thanks!
Julie
Virginia
Put the oven mitt on my right hand, opened the oven door to remove steak in copper pan under broiler and gripped the pans handle with my left ?. Severe burn left thumb really painfully throbbing. Held under cold water then applied petroleum jelly (WebMD). Still throbbing. Had read some remedy for burns in people’s pharmacy column in newspaper so quick search online came up with mustard. I only have Dijon but as soon as I applied to burned thumb the pain was gone! It’s pretty numb now hope I don’t have a blister tomorrow.
C.P.
I worked in a pretzel shop three year ago and work in another one now. In both shops, ovens are intensely hot, some of them reaching over 600° F. I have burned myself multiple times, and the only burns that didn’t scar were the ones I put mustard on, even if the mustard wasn’t cool. The paramedic needs more training in things which promote healing, as not only mustard, but honey, and other foods, have healing properties, some external, some internal. Nearly every ingredient in mustard has anti-microbial properties. Anyway, I use mustard on all my burns now, and bless the general manager of the first pretzel store I worked at who kindly informed me about it. Note to others, slather a generous amount on, and if necessary cover loosely with a bandage to keep the mustard from rubbing off. Leave the mustard on for at least half an hour, but preferably until it dries. Repeat if desired. Cold mustard works best, but room temperature mustard will also work (Relief comes quicker, for room temperature mustard, if you rinse the burn under cold water first for at least a half a minute. Otherwise room temperature mustard takes longer to bring relief).
Tess
Littleton Colorado
I burned myself with boiling water, badly on my stomach. Then tried ice and cold water, but the ice only temporarily helped. Even online they say to never put ice on a burn, because it will stop the blood flow, and prevent it from healing. I was trying many things to help, but nothing would help until I looked up about Yellow Mustard, and I knew I should try it and was amazed the pain started to go away within a few minutes of applying it. I am sure it is most likely because there is vinegar in Yellow Mustard, and vinegar is one of the natural ways they said to get rid of burn pain. I was in agonizing pain to the point where I could not even go to sleep. At first I thought the Yellow Mustard thing was a joke from the blog I found, but then realized it does have vinegar, and mine wasn’t even cold, and it still worked. So, for anyone in the same position, I definitely recommend Yellow Mustard if that’s all you have, because it should work from the vinegar. I won’t forget that remedy either. But, I learned my lesson and will be more careful from now on handling boiling water that’s for sure!!
Bridge
I burned my hand while cooking l. Wet oven mitt =BAD NEWS.
I was skeptical at first but that burning sensation was sending me over the edge. Decided it couldn’t hurt. Applied the mustard and bc it was cold it felt great. I wrapped my hand with toilet paper as I had no gauze handy and after 30 min the burning sensation was tolerable. I’m impressed and as long as the skin isn’t broken I’d try it.
Marlene
Ontario, Canada
Would be more wordy but typing with one hand as have the mustard in a baggy on the other! In the comments I have read so far – no one has mentioned hot glue-gun burns. Burns are severe as burning hot glue blob STICKS to skin and continues to burn. Was in tears, Did the cool water, then frozen gel packs – was in agony the second I removed the ice. Thank God for the Internet. Zero pain even with mustard now warmed to body temp. Will NEVER forget this remedy. Will gladly trade the pain for a yellow stained thumb any day! Thanks Peoples Pharmacy!!
Cindy
San diego
I need to thank everyone for posting their experience with burns an yellow mustard. I just burned my wrist pretty badly on opening the counter top oven. I heart it sizzle. I ran and turned on cold water and ran it under for about 5 min, wrapped ice in a napkin, it helped but as soon as I removed it from the ice 2 seconds and it was badly stinging pain again. I read these posts online. So I tried it. As soon as the cold mustard touched my wrist almost instant relief!! Wet or dry the pain is almost gone. It does hurt to cover it up with a bandage so I’ll see how I can sleep tonight. I’ll try a lose ace wrap but I’ll first smother the side of my wrist again with mustard. Can’t thank you enough!!! :)
Tracy
NC
This absolutely works and wish I had learned this in nursing school or as an ER nurse. I burned my fingers on my daughters curling iron that had been sitting on for greater than 4 hours. Every time I removed my hand from ice water it throbbed and brought me to tears. I found this site online and went to the kitchen to grab the yellow mustard, squirted into a plastic sandwich bag and plunged my finger in. The first few minutes the intial coldness kept the pain at bay but then it came back in waves but not as bad as earlier. After about 15 minutes it only hurt slightly and after about 30 minutes I rinsed it off and it no longer hurt! Incredible! No pain the next day either although my finger is stained yellow!
Mark
Dallas oregon
I handed my girlfriend a plate of food that had partially sat atop a burner that was off but still hot. While she soaked her hand in ice, I found this page. Wrapped three fingers in mustard and gauze and pain gone next day, no blisters but still tender. This is as good as using diatomaceous earth for fleas and bedbugs and should be given more attention as well.
rita d
ontario
I am doing the mustard for burn treatment now. It is working! My friend says it’s the tumeric in the mustard that helps and that chefs do this in kitchens. Wish I had known this long time ago.
Nichol
U.S.
After burning my finger tips & only sleeping for a few minutes last night even after applying prescription burn cream with/without bandages in between grabbing more ice for my poor blistered fingertips (2 blisters already popped) I hopped online in search of a resolve which would allow me to sleep at least a couple hours before facing my day.
So now instead of sleeping I’m writing to say thank you for recommending the use of yellow mustard on burns as I’m 100% pain free after 30 minutes of using mustard even after several hours of applying ice & burn cream failed to relieve the pain.
I used plain French’s brand yellow mustard – it being cold in the fridge was an added bonus).
The process that worked for me:
1. Cut the top off of a sandwich bag & fill one corner with mustard (I used 1 bag per finger)
2. Put burned finger inside the corner of the sandwich bag leaving a bit of room (mustard) on the end.
3. Make sure to take all the air out of the sandwich bag & then tape the ends to seal all of the air out (I used packing tape after running out of medical tape).
4. Wrap extra tape completely around the burned fingers a few times to add some light added pressure onto the burn (this made a huge difference for me and took almost all of the pain away).
5. Try to keep your hand (burns) above your heart
and…
6. Give it a couple minutes as you might feel some light burning/pinching for a few minutes (but for me it was nothing compared to the pain/burning I had throughout the night after I removed the useless burn cream and needed to keep changing my bag of melted ice).
I vote plain yellow mustard as:
THE BEST HOME REMEDY EVER!
Well, two finger tips soaking in yellow mustard in sandwich bags taped shut & wrapped with extra tape and my blistered tips are finally pain free! It did take a few minutes & releasing all the air out of the sandwich bag & wrapping the fingers (especially the burnt tips) with extra tape putting a bit of pressure on the the burns/ blisters made a HUGE difference!
christine
meadow heights victoria
Thank you all so much for sharing this helpful hint of using yellow mustard on burns after my pressure cooker full of hot soup exploded as I took lid off last night the soup went all over my wrist I applied cold water then ice but the pain was so bad and every time I took away the ice it was worse. Then after trying to find something that I could try online found the yellow mustard went to the fridge put it on wrapped it in an old bandage so it wouldn’t get over sheets within twenty mins. the pain was gone. I slept all night took bandage off no blisters still bit sore to touch and sensitive to shower but am so happy that I tried the mustard. Thanks again guys, am 67 and had never heard of using it but will spread the word now.
Ashley
My 8 year old son burned the tips of three fingers on a waffle iron. We tried soaking them in yellow mustard for about 10-15 minutes and it worked!! Will definitely use in the future when needed. :)
Tammy
Austin, Texas
Mustard does work! Like many of the stories on this subject, I too burned myself badly and mustard cured my pain and burn. I was cooking with melted chocolate, some dripped onto my thumb immediately solidified and blistered my thumb. The pain was intense throbbing, searing pain. I am a CNA and used my medical training first aid. My pain was still severe even soaking in ice and water. After an hour I was still in pain, and I thought I could deal with the pain so I removed ice. The pain instantly worsened to almost the worst pain I’ve ever had, save only natural child birth. I found this site online, read about mustard and immediately applied it. I soaked my thumb in a condiment dish of mustard for an hour, then slathered more cold mustard directly on thumb and covered loosely with cling wrap taping it sealed at bottom so no mustard leaked out. The pain subsided immediately, except for a slight tinge. I reapplied fresh cool mustard and resealed it before bed, and by morning the pain was no longer, and the blister is only whiteness under the skin.
Cherry
South Africa
I burned two of my fingertips when I took a baking tray out of the oven last night – even though I used an oven mitt, somehow two fingers were pressed against the pan and the pain was immediate and excruciating for such a small area! I kept it under cool water and then in a bowl of water with an ice cube, but every time the water warmed up or I took it out of the water I couldn’t believe the pain! As bedtime neared I realised I was never going to be able to sleep so I got online looking for a miracle…. and found this page. Luckily I had a jar of Dijon mustard in the fridge so I applied liberal amounts and immediately the pain subsided! As the mustard warmed I felt a few twinges, but nothing like I had before and within 30 minutes no pain at all! This morning I washed off both fingers – no blister (despite a large one forming last night) and only a slight tenderness, so I’m redressing with mustard for the day and by tonight I’m sure it will be completely gone.
Thank you to everyone who shared this and commented here – I would never have believed this if I hadn’t experienced it myself!
Jen
Canada
Okay so I don’t normally comment on forums but yellow mustard on burns really does work!!
I burned the end of my thumb pretty bad when picking up a hot lid after dinner. The only relief I could get was constantly holding a baggy of ice. It was almost time for bed and I was worried I was going to have trouble sleeping so I decided to search remedies so I didn’t have to clutch ice all night.
I found the yellow mustard remedy and decided to try it out on my thumb. Low and behold it worked!! I loaded the mustard on my thumb wrapped it with paper towel and then taped it up. The pain subsided and by the time I went to sleep it didn’t hurt at all!
Bobbie09
Ohio
I’m back to let all know that the yellow mustard treatment had done miracles on my burned toe. Next day I could put on my shoes and go to work, and stand for hours. No pain, in the evening I did apply another coat of mustard, wrapped my foot, just in case, and by the end of Sunday, I can honestly say there is no trace of burned skin, no blister, may be a fading line. Impressive. I have to draw attention though. The sugar didn’t drop directly on my foot, fel first on the ground, and then I stepped on it. I was taking the pot outside to cool down, so it was cold and the temperature of the melted sugar was, probably, few good degrees lower. That’s why such fast healing. Don’t want to know what could’ve happen had it been scaulding hot straight on my skin.
Nonetheless, the yellow mustard does help, a lot.
Bobbie09
Ohio
I was making cremme brûlée. It requires to melt sugar until caramelized, taking the pot off the stove to cool down some spilled on the floor and I stepped on, my little toe got a 1″ long strip of melted sugar. Hurts bad, I kept in water for a while then read about ways to calm the pain, and prevent future damages, I applied yellow mustard, being cold from fridge helped, now I feel is hot, still painful but can support, also feels like swollen. It’s after midnight, why did I get up to make this stupid desert? In the morning I have to go to work and stand for hours, will I be capable? Bad things happen after midnight, a fact.
monique
windham
Wow!! It’s christmas night and my daughter reached up and touched the stove burner with both hands and her fingers were badly burned! I tried aloe, water, and a cold pack and no relief lasting more then a minute. Thank God I found this site! Mustard worked wonders! 10 mins later after applying mustard and wrapping with gauze she was out like a light and still is! Thank you so so much!
Melanie
Austin tx
Yes, I did the same, touched a burning hot pan handle after it came out of the oven. Had the oven mitt ready and still forgot. The mustard helped immediately. We’all see how it is later…
Pasco sure shine
Pasco
I was wondering: Does anyone know can you get relief 3 days later? I was making candy and dripped some hot syrup between the index and ring finger.
Now it feels warm and looks a bit red. It also hurts more today- any help would be great
LOJOLO
ORLANDO FLORIDA
I must say to my amazement that yellow mustard on a burn works! I was pouring hot water for tea when the lid of the kettle came off and hot water exploded covering my hand holding a mug. After placing my hand under cool running water without comfort I reluctantly slathered on the yellow mustard. The pain went away almost immediately. I covered my hand with gauze until morning. Once I removed the covering there was no sign of blistering or pain. outside of the yellow discoloration I can say there were no side affects. Crazy but true! I will keep yellow mustard in the fridge always. Thanks!
mandy t
england
Hi hun my daughter burned her hand on a soldering iron. I was told to use wet tea bags something in the tea help sooth the pain and also help leave no scaring, you could try applying a cold wet tea bag and see if this helps you in the future kind regards, mandy
Shirley K.
TampaBay
I’ve known to use yellow mustard on burns since 1965 when my husband spilled hot French-fry grease on his foot and a friend of his thought to pour mustard all over his foot. it drew the pain out and he never had a scar. I’ve since used it myself when I could get to it immediately … doesn’t have to be cold from the fridge either. if I burn myself away from home and can’t get to the mustard I always get a blister. not so with the mustard, tho. :)
Cesar
sp/sp Brazil
This did not work for me… I used yellow mustard and no relief. When mustard starts to lose its cool, the pain comes back. I burnt my finger while cooking chocolate with butter. A bit felt on my finger while i was transferring from the pan to the plate… worst pain of all. I immediately stuck my finger in water with ice, then after sometime without ice, pain returns, then decided to use the mustard and it didnt work. Now I don’t know what to do.
timanie
guyana
I was getting up and I accidentally sat on a pressing iron and got a burn on my butt it hurt a lot and I didn’t know what to do so I went on the internet and found this webpage and I decided to use the mustard to see if it would actually work and it did. I feel relief from the pain. Thank you for the info to the power of mustard. !!! :)
SAM
I too believe this because I have used it as well. I was awaken by an awful smell one night. I found a knife with a plastic handle melted (melting) on the heating element in the dishwasher. Half asleep and without thinking I tried to get it out. The plastic melted enough that it dropped onto my hand. I ran cold water on it and reach for the mustard. I had use it before on minor burns and I knew that worked well. I put the mustard on and it was almost immediate it provided relieve. I would dare say that this would have been a 2nd degree burn. Within minutes there was no pain and the next day I did not have a blister. You could see the whitening of the skin where one tried to form. No discomfort and perfectly well.
Sonia
panipat
Yeah…mustrard seeds really works…Today I got a burn from a very hot oil. I was in intense pain. Firstly, I dip my finger in icy water but whenever I took off my finger from water the pain became intolerable. Then I got this home remedy from internet. I couldn’t believe…my pain gone..within few minutes..Thanks every1..who recommend this remedy..It really works
A
I used stoneground mustard, and it worked just as well as yellow. Wow!! What is it about mustard?! I burned my hand pretty badly when boiling hot, thick soup spilled onto it. THANKS everyone! I used aloe earlier, straight from the plant, and antibiotic ointment with anesthetic in it, and they both did very little to help. I’m noticing as the skin stretches as I type it’s still stinging a slight bit, but the mustard is clearly soothing it. What a strange and wonderful medicine…
Joyce T
I was fixing myself a cup of hot tea with lemon and honey when the cup turn over and I ended up burning my wrist and thigh. I immediately went to the internet and discovered cold yellow mustard was good for burns. I put the mustard on my wrist and thigh and wrapped both body parts with an ace bandage. Within 10 minutes the pain was gone and when I removed the bandages there was no redness. I will always remember this remedy and make sure I keep plenty of mustard on hand
Candace
The mustard works wonders! I found out about it when I worked in a restaurant a long time ago! Another thing that works is pickle juice. When I would burn myself working I would soak in pickle juice then smother with mustard.
Pearl
OH my gosh, this is such a life saver!!! Thanks to those people that share this! I wish everyone would know about this, especially if they have kids.
kim rhodes
I burned the inside of my wrist using a curling wand and it was an intense pain. I read on the internet about yellow mustard, and it really does help with the pain. thank you
TC
Thanks everyone for sharing your stories. The insight is just wonderful! My mustard burn story is like yours, as I sit waiting for it (the mustard) to dry, I am feeling no pain, it might be alittle hard to type, but other than that I am very grateful for the info. Thanks again!
Lorie
I was making flan at home and the first step is cooking sugar on the stovetop until it melts, creating VERY HOT LIQUID SUGAR. I was making this deliciousness and began to pour it into my bunt pan. I wasn’t thinking clearly and, looking at the bunt pan, went to a place in my head that I was pouring cake batter into it…I swiped my finger along the rim of the pan to catch the drippings and instantly remembered this wasn’t cake batter, it was hot liquid sugar and instantly I was in terrible pain.
The sugar had stuck to my finger, continuing to burn it and began hardening. I ran water over it to get the sugar off then put an ice pack onto my sad fingertip. I held the ice there for about 45 mins. When I lifted the ice pack, my finger had a huge white spot on it and it throbbed so intensely. I was in pain!
I went to Facebook and put my plight out to cyber world asking for remedies. I had some people say water, ice, milk, urgent care, aloe. I went online and read about each remedy for about 5 mins and then my angel posted a comment to try mustard.
I read the People’s Pharmacy website and saw many testimonials to the golden savior and tried it for myself. Holy cow, it worked!!!!! The throbbing stopped, the burning feeling stopped, I was instantly relieved. I let it sit for an hour until I wiped it gently and added a new layer then wrapped with bandaids so that I could sleep. When I woke, I lifted the band aid and saw that my finger was super yellow and had a few blisters on it. Oh man, I still had blisters but I had pain relief, so there was that, at least. I took my shower then decided to add another layer and bandage it. I am so glad I did!!! I left the bandaid on all day and that night I took it off….NO BLISTERS!!!! I took a shower and cleaned off my yellow fingertip and that was that!!! GONE!!!! Now, I don’t have a blister, I am not in pain, I believe in the power of the mustard!!!
Deb
I did the same thing JS did, grabbing the handle of a hot pan with my left hand. It hurt like hell, and I kept it under running cold water for a bit. Then went to ice and the pain wasn’t decreasing. I was wondering what to do when I went to bed, other than pump advil, and came across this page.
I slathered my hand in mustard, put a paper towel on it, then put it in a ziploc that I rubber banded on my wrist. I was able to get to sleep and when I woke up three hours later I removed everything and washed my hands and was able to sleep through the night. This morning I only have red marks where I thought for sure I would have blisters. The only side effect is that my hand is yellow.
Megan
I grabbed a pot without knowing the handles were searing hot. I burned 3 fingers pretty badly. I had to run them under cool water constantly and after 2 hours there was no relief. My sister researched the mustard remedy. When I first tried it there was no relief at all. In fact, it seemed to irritate it a bit. However when the mustard started to dry it immediately started feeling better. By the time the mustard dried completely there was little to no pain at all! Hang in there that first hour or so and relief will come!
AZ
I used Dijon Mustard, and it worked great for me.
JS
THIS WORKS!!! 2 nights ago, I took a stainless steel pan out of a 350 degree oven and after setting it on the stove, forgot it had been in the oven. I GRABBED the handle with the entire palm of my left hand, and held on to it, trying to lift it up. It took a few seconds for the pain to register, so it was burning for quite some time (3-5 seconds!) before I let go. The skin was immediately TAUGHT, looked burnt, and cold water / ice did not help at all. I found this site and after reading the other stories I thought the mustard trick was worth a try. I used Sierra Nevada brand, the only one I had. I slathered some on, covered with paper towel, and within a couple seconds the pain lessened!! When I lifted the paper towel 30 minutes later, the pain returned. For a couple hours I applied more mustard each time it dried out, and before sleep wrapped my palm with the mustard/towel and slept like that.
RESULT: I’m not kidding, in the morning my hand had NO signs of serious burn, only a TINY pinkish mark in the area that was the worst (not red, not raised). Two days later (today), even that pink mark is gone, no blister, no pain, nothing there!
ADVISORY: I agree with the paramedic’s comment that this wouldn’t be a good use on open/blistered skin (you wouldn’t slather ketchup or mayo onto an open wound.. so don’t apply mustard.. duh), but it definitely helped on freshly burned (unbroken) skin. For me, this was a life saver.
dirtymoses
I just had to comment on the miracle burn cream. I work in a kitchen and have burned myself twice recently. The first was a small burn on my thumb because I didn’t realize the oven mitt had a small hole. I just rinsed it in cold water and went back to work. I developed a blister on my thumb. Later, in a hurry, I put something in the deep fryer and it splashed hot oil across my forearm.
Having already known about this, I grabbed mustard and spread it all over my arm. When it started to dry I put even more on. This mustard was not refrigerated. I looked like an idiot but I left it on until I got off work. The pain relief is nearly immediate. Also, when I washed it off there was a big red patch but no blistering.
Chellie
I agree with Suzy. I burned my thumb and the sensitive skin between thumb and index finger. Had ice on and off for like two hours. Still hurt. Put mustard on it and the pain decreased and I did not use ice again and I have no blister. I do not even eat mustard and all that was in the fridge was spicy brown mustard and it worked.
suzy
I want to add that before I put on the mustard, I soaked my fingers in very icy water for 20 minutes with lots of ice! I think this is crucial. Then I used the mustard which was very effective.
Suzy
I just used the mustard on a very bad burn. I was trying to figure out why mustard would work. Then I remembered that apple cider vinegar is recommended to be poured on burns. Mustard contains apple cider vinegar, but is more effective because it acts like a cream and stays on the burn longer. I was very grateful for this advice, and it worked well for me. Thanks so much!
DMS
Tonight I burned my inside of my hand on 325 hot candy that I was making. I immediately ran cold water on it, sat with ice cube pack on it for an hour it was so intense. I finally decided to google burns, as I was ready to go to the emergency room. I am sitting here now with yellow mustard on it, and it seems to be lessening the pain. I didn’t want to make a mess so I put a plastic glove over it. Will that hurt it at all? Does it need air?
Niveen
I have mustard covered in gauze on my arm now.. How long should u keep it on? Do I have to clean it and put again? When I remove it should I put neosporin ?
People’s Pharmacy response: Keep it on until the pain goes away. If the skin is raw, Polysporin or something similar is not a bad idea. Neomycin in Neosporin can cause rashes in some people.
mj
OMG!!! Works like a charm!!!!
CT
THANK YOU!!!
swn
What kind of prepared mustard are we talking about? Plain old yellow French’s mustard? I only have Dijon mustard… has anyone tried Dijon moutarde on their burns? LOL, it sounds like the TV commercial. :-))
Sue
I just went to a dermatologist. Other then giving me Rx’s for my toenails, she told me to mix 1/2 water and 1/2 of the gold colored Listerine. After you shower, file down your toenails, throwing away the nail file each time, and spray your toes with the listerine concoction. Maybe you can get an OTC cream like Miconazole, see if that helps. Do that 2 times a day, using a new file each time so you’re spreading the fungus. I saw a difference in 1 day. Good luck!
th
I just burned the back of my hand in the toaster oven and immediately my husband said to put mustard on it, I said well butter is not going to work (been there done that) so I squeezed some frenchs yellow mustard on it. Instant relief from the burn, a little stinging but other than that. Anxious to see what it looks like when I take the mustard off….
VIc
Vicks vapor rub every single day smear it on for 6 months to a year religiously and it will go away even after it goes away keep doing it to be sure
Donnie H.
I am a pipe welder I’ve been welding twenty years and carry mustard with the rest of my tools. I had a old-timer on a job tell me about it. I grabbed a hot piece of metal and it burnt all the way through my gloves. He(the oldetimer) said put some mustard on it. I told him I didn’t want to make a sandwich out of it. The burn never blistered up–it works.
Peggy S.
THANK YOU! The mustard works! I am amazed and so thankful.
After using 7 or 8 ice cubes on my blistered and burnt finger, I was still in pain.
Than I found this web page. I only tried it because I was in pain . I never expected the mustard to
Work. But it did! Why have I not heard of this before? The mustard dried on my finger overnight.
The next morning I was 100 % better. The hot water in the tub did not bother my finger at all..
I use the finger like nothing ever happened.
Mecheal D.
I have known about the Mustard for burn relief for over 30 years. I also know how well it works in an emergency situation. About 8 years ago when my twin girls were 3 years old. I was cooking myself a “Cup of Noodles”in the microwave and had set it on the kitchen counter. One of my twins came behind me a picked the Cup of noodles off the counter and tipped it up as drink it like a cup of juice. She ended up spilling the boiling hot noodles and liquid all over the front of her.
I immediately took off her shirt, grabbed the mustard out of the fridge and applied it heavily to her chin, neck, and face. I covered the burn with paper towel. In the morning I was surprised that there was no horrific blistering or redness. Just a tiny speck of redness remained. Unfortunately the liquid scaled the inside of her mouth and burned her vocal cords but I am thankful I knew about the power of Mustard.
J.J.
I also really doubt bacteria could live in such an acidic environment as mustard, and I don’t think you’re really “rubbing” salt into the wound as the mustard isn’t filled with hard salt like sand paper. Needless to say, I wouldn’t use it on an open wound.
I will say, however, that it does seem to help. I was cooking salmon for me and my wife tonight and when I pulled the pan out some of the butter I had slathered on spilled into the bottom of the oven. While I was wiping it up before it hardened, being careful not to touch any of the hot metal surfaces, a drop of butter fell from the oven shelf (should’ve seen that one coming) and burned the back of my middle finger. I put it under cold water for instant relief. I ate dinner with ice in paper towel (to keep it from getting too cold) on top of my finger.
I took two ibuprofen and I sprayed it with Lanacane. The only thing that helped was the water, the ice, and the Lanacane helped for all of about 2 minutes before hurting again. It’s minor burn, no blistering, but the pain is debilitating enough I couldn’t do my homework.
I saw online a website cited this one as purporting a yellow mustard cure. So, risking being the idiot in pain with mustard on my finger I figured I’d try it. For a few minutes, I really though I was just an idiot with mustard on my finger. Even after typing all this, it still hurts – but it’s tolerable. It’s not the cure everyone else is having, but analgesics (especially the shots) don’t work on me, so that may have something to do with it.
Jennifer
This worked for me last night! Thank you!!!
I burned my forearm on a hot tray, it was pretty large, I ran water over it but was still in bad pain. I went online to see if I should go to the ER, found this advice and slathered it with mustard.
Within minutes it felt better and the swelling went way down. I kept reapplying mustard for a couple hours and felt no pain. My husband got home and had some antiseptic burn cream so I used that the rest of the night.
He’s an auto mechanic who gets burned all the time while fixing cars, and he was amazed at the result of the mustard. He’s bringing some to the shop now to keep on hand for burns!
Teri
Last night I pulled a pan out of my 425 degree oven and set it on the stove. Two minutes later I grabbed the pan without a mitt. Needless to say, I severely burned my hand. I immediately placed my hand in a bowl of water with ice, which took away the burn.
I held my hand on ice for several hours trying to alieve the burn. Not being able to go to sleep, I jumped on the computer to desperately find a home remedy. I was completely skeptical when I read about the mustard, but thought what the heck, I’ll give it a shot.
I poured the mustard all over my hand and then placed my hand in a ziplock baggie. I left it on for about ten minutes. The pain immediately went away. I washed it off and then went back to bed, placing a frozen bag of peas on my hand. I fell asleep. I woke a couple hours later and the pain was completely GONE! The morning came and my hand is a little sore, but there are no blisters and I can at least use my hand. AMAZING!!!!!
wagbe
Being a microbiologist, most bacteria dislike vinegar due to the acidity. Hence you can leave mustard on the counter without it spoiling, thus infection from mustard would be difficult. There are a few acidophilic bacteria, but they primarily reside on selective orifices in the human body. I have tried mustard for minor burns, and I must say I have better results than using aloe vera. Right now I ‘m trying mustard on my bug bites. The itching is receding.
kg
I was camping and pulled a hot metal grate off of the fire – and the potholder slipped, leaving me with a bad burn on my palm. I kept it cool, under running cool water, but as soon as I stopped the pain came back bad. My sister-in-law suggested mustard. After a horrible hour of pain I put a ton of mustard on my hand and left it there. I have a nice blister, but the pain stopped immediately and it’s now healing. Who knew!
captain wayne
As a first aid instructor and firefighter I have had some experience with burns. The relief comes from the cool fluid (vinegar) which is almost always beneficial to a burn. But, burns are wounds and food should not be applied to a wound. Infection being the biggest risk. A big component of mustard is salt and it probably not a good idea to rub salt into the burn. If it is a serious burn, you have to a some point remove the mustard from the burn causing more trauma to the site.
Be aware Ice can cause frostbite to already damaged tissue. And never use Egg Whites (full of bacteria) which is another viral email favorite.
mw
I found out about the mustard for burns remedy when I was in college working at a pizza joint, many moons ago. I picked up a pizza pan right out of the oven and promptly dropped the entire pan. My hand immediately turned really red and the owner, Tom, who was Greek and spoke very little English grabbed my hand and squirted mustard all over my palm and told me not to take it off. I worked my shift, one handed. When the mustard had dried – I washed It off. No pain and no blisters. Amazing!
db
WORKS AMAZINGLY. OTHER THAN ME HAVING TO TYPE THIS WITH MY LEFT HAND ONLY BC MY RIGHT IS COVERED IN MUSTARD, THERE IS LITTLE TO NO PAIN!! LOL
mina
My 2 yr. Old burned her palm on the stove, and I immediately ran under cold water then applied ice pack. She screamed over 10 min while I searched frantically online for home remedies. I came across the mustard postings, I immediately poured mustard on it and wrapped with a paper towel and applied ice on top of that. Instantly, her crying turned to whining, then eventually she stopped all together. She just woke up from a nap and there are no signs of any burn. Thank Goodness for the internet! Hope this helps someone! :)
tina
I have been reading in amazement the affect mustard has with burns, nothing to do with burns at all wondered if it could help with fungal toenails?
CKB
Over this last weekend, I mistakenly picked up my curling iron on the “hot” end burning my first two fingers, my palm, and thumb. I immediately placed my hand in cool water, used ice to lessen the pain, and drove to the local store to buy some Neosporin. As I was checking out, the lady mentioned that I should go home and cover the burn with yellow mustard from the refrigerator! I was amazed when in about 15 minutes after doing so, my pain was lessening. Today, I have almost no sign of the burn! Amazing!
VKL
I read in your column a few days ago about applying mustard to burns. I had never heard about it before, but it sounded pretty amazing. Well it was so meant for me to read that particular column. A couple of days later I was having a dinner party and the pot on the stove wasn’t getting hot so I pressed my fingers to the stove burner and seared 2 of my fingertips. I immediately put my fingers under cold running water and remembered the column.
I got the mustard from the refrigerator and poured it on my badly burned fingers. The relief was immediate. I applied band-aids on top of the mustard. In the morning there was NO blistering or pain of any kind, just indention on my fingertips where the skin had been burned off. It was like I had poured liquid skin on top of the burn. Absolutely amazing. This is the best home remedy I have ever experienced. You definitely have to see it to believe it!
HEG
I found the mustard treatment myself after sticking the palm of my hand on a hot indoor grill that I did not know was on. I have used it a dozen times since, but have found that yellow mustard is the best, and if I make a compress of a paper towel to seal in the mustard it seems to do better. Sometimes I add ice to the paper towel to keep it cold and mustardy. I also replace the mustard once it has reached room temperature with cold mustard until the pain has subsided if I am not using ice.
The first burn I mentioned did not even leave a mark and I thought I might need medical attention. I thought it was a miracle.