Key TakeawaysPhytophotodermatitis, also known as margarita burn, is a type of skin reaction that occurs when the skin comes into contact with chemicals from certain fruits or plants and is then exposed to sunlight.People who develop a margarita burn can experience rashes or skin irritation along with other symptoms like swelling, pain, itchiness, raised bumps, redness, and blistering.
Key Takeaways
Phytophotodermatitis, also known as margarita burn, is a type of skin reaction that occurs when the skin comes into contact with chemicals from certain fruits or plants and is then exposed to sunlight.People who develop a margarita burn can experience rashes or skin irritation along with other symptoms like swelling, pain, itchiness, raised bumps, redness, and blistering.
Before you decide to sip on a margarita or eat citrus fruits at a summer BBQ, you’ll want to be extra careful about how you handle these foods and drinks. Particularly, you’ll want to avoid getting any lemon or lime juice on your skin when you’re outside.
That’s because exposure to certain foods and the sun can cause redness,blistering, and burning sensation on your skin. This reaction is called phytophotodermatitis, but it’s more commonly known as “margarita burn.”
The good news is margarita burns are relatively easy to prevent. Here’s everything you need to know about the skin reaction and what you can do to protect yourself without having to give up your favorite summertime beverage, according to dermatologists.
What Is a Margarita Burn?
Margarita burn, or phytophotodermatitis, is a type of skin condition that develops when the skin comes into contact with a class of chemicals called furocoumarins and is then exposed to UVA rays, such as from sunlight. Furocoumarins are found in some plants and fruits, especially citrus fruits.
If lime juice gets on your skin and you stay out in the sun for a few hours, you might develop a skin reaction or severe sunburn, according toMelanie Palm, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Art of Skin MD in San Diego, CA.
Other symptoms that people can experience include redness, itchiness, rashes, fluid-filled blisters, raised bumps, swelling, and pain, typically around the hands, arms, and mouth. But these symptoms can also appear anywhere on the skin that has been exposed to furocoumarins, Palm said.
The condition is more commonly called “margarita burn” because people have been known to experience this inflammatory reaction after squeezing limes for margaritas while outdoors or sitting out in the sun, Palm added.
This is “also why we commonly see this condition flare up during the summer months,” she said.
While a margarita burn cannot spread from person to person, you can accidentally cause the burn in another person, said Palm. For instance, if a parent juices citrus fruits and touches their children without washing their hands thoroughly, the children who later play outside in the sun could experience a margarita burn.
Those who have sensitive skin or who have experienced contact dermatitis in the past are more prone to this condition, Palm said. Someone with sensitive skin might experience this condition from gardening, handling produce containing this plant compound, or even from walking outdoors.
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What Kinds of Food Can Lead to Margarita Burn?
Although citrus fruits like lime and oranges are the main culprit in causing margarita burns, many other foods and plants that have furocoumarins can also cause this skin reaction, according toJennifer Gordon, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Austin, Texas.
These are the foods that contain furocoumarins:
Some weeds, such as hogweed and wild parsnips, also contain furocoumarins and should be handled with care.
How Long Does a Margarita Burn Last?
Margarita burns can start as a rash with burning blistering or red skin, but it commonly evolves intopost-inflammatory hyperpigmentationor brown spots in the area, Gordon said. However, once someone develops a margarita burn, it can take a few weeks or even months to completely fade.
“It’s unfortunately difficult to know if you have been affected until after it is too late,” she said. “Usually you start to see splotchy areas of red and sometimes blistering. This will calm over time and become pink to brown and eventually resolve.”
She added the amount of chemical and sun exposure can also play a role in how long the skin condition lasts. For example, if you spill lime juice all over your hand and continue to sit in the sun for a few hours, the burn may take several weeks or months to go away. On the flip side, if you only get lime juice on the side of your mouth and sit in the sun for 30 minutes, your margarita burn may go away in a shorter time.
In terms of immediate reactions like pain, blistering, and redness, Gordon said they often go away and resolve within a few days.
The good news is preventing margarita burn is relatively easy. Here are some things that experts recommend doing:
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How Do You Treat Margarita Burn?
According to Palm, it’s important to protect the affected area from the sun as more UVA exposure can worsen the reaction.
“While most mild cases of phytophotodermatitis clear up on their own with over-the-counter creams, it’s critical to see your doctor if you don’t see an improvement after several days,” Palm said.
If your condition is mild enough to treat at home, you can use “cool washcloths and hypochlorous acid spray to soothe the affected areas,” Palm said. In other cases, it can be beneficial to use topical steroids to help with the blistering and inflammation in the first day or two.
Gordon said you may also consider using non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin or ibuprofen, topical cortisone, or otherburn-relief creamsto relieve any symptoms of pain, itching, redness, or burning.
“If you’re not sure what your rash is from, definitely see your dermatologist! If the blistering is painful or it is not resolving within a few weeks, make sure that is what you have,” Gordon said. “There are plenty of mystery rashes out there and that is what we are here for!”
What This Means For You
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Maniam G, Light KM, Wilson J.Margarita burn: recognition and treatment of phytophotodermatitis.J Am Board Fam Med. 2021;34(2):398-401. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2021.02.200382Heghes SC, Vostinaru O, Mogosan C, Miere D, Iuga CA, Filip L.Safety profile of nutraceuticals rich in coumarins: an update.Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:803338. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.803338Ohio State University.Wild parsnip: look but don’t touch.
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Maniam G, Light KM, Wilson J.Margarita burn: recognition and treatment of phytophotodermatitis.J Am Board Fam Med. 2021;34(2):398-401. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2021.02.200382Heghes SC, Vostinaru O, Mogosan C, Miere D, Iuga CA, Filip L.Safety profile of nutraceuticals rich in coumarins: an update.Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:803338. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.803338Ohio State University.Wild parsnip: look but don’t touch.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Maniam G, Light KM, Wilson J.Margarita burn: recognition and treatment of phytophotodermatitis.J Am Board Fam Med. 2021;34(2):398-401. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2021.02.200382Heghes SC, Vostinaru O, Mogosan C, Miere D, Iuga CA, Filip L.Safety profile of nutraceuticals rich in coumarins: an update.Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:803338. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.803338Ohio State University.Wild parsnip: look but don’t touch.
Maniam G, Light KM, Wilson J.Margarita burn: recognition and treatment of phytophotodermatitis.J Am Board Fam Med. 2021;34(2):398-401. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2021.02.200382
Heghes SC, Vostinaru O, Mogosan C, Miere D, Iuga CA, Filip L.Safety profile of nutraceuticals rich in coumarins: an update.Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:803338. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.803338
Ohio State University.Wild parsnip: look but don’t touch.
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