How hot is pure capsaicin?

On the Scoville heat scale unadulterated capsaicin has a worth of 15 000 000 to 16 000 Scoville Intensity Units (SHU). To place this into point of view, standard pepper splash (as utilized with good reason) has a rating of between 2 000 000 and 5 300 000 SHU.

In my experience, pure capsaicin powder rates at the upper limit of hotness due to its high concentration of active vanillylamide molecules that strongly trigger heat receptors in the body. This results in an exceptionally fiery, painful reaction far exceeding that of even the spiciest chili peppers. Let’s take a closer look at why pure capsaicin stands in a class of its own when it comes to Scoville heat units and sensory pain.

What is Pure Capsaicin Used For?

While the pure capsaicin extract is too potent to be used directly as a food additive, it has several pharmaceutical and industrial applications that utilize its extreme pungency. Some common uses of pure capsaicin include:

Topical ointments for temporary pain relief of arthritis, nerve pain, and muscle soreness. Capsaicin creams work by depleting substance P, a neurotransmitter for pain signals.

Pepper sprays and animal/insect repellents. The burning sting helps ward off threats for self-defense or pest control.

Weight loss supplements and metabolism boosters when taken in oral capsule form.

Food protection by deterring rodents and mammals from consuming crops and commercial food products.

Laboratory research in medical schools exploring capsaicin's effect on the nervous system and digestion.

With proper handling techniques, pure capsaicin can be an effective and valuable compound. However, direct exposure requires substantial caution due to its extreme potency.

Can Pure Capsaicin Kill You?

In its highly concentrated purified form, capsaicin is not known to be lethal to humans, though it can produce extremely painful symptoms that need medical treatment in some cases.

Pure capsaicin rates between 15-16 million Scoville heat units - making it over 1,000 times hotter than the spiciest natural chili peppers. Contact with skin and mucus membranes triggers intense burning, redness, swelling and temporary loss of sensitivity due to overwhelmed nerve receptors.

Ingesting pure capsaicin can cause severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. If aspirated into the lungs, it can also cause choking, coughing and shortness of breath. However, long-term health consequences and mortality are not well documented with accidental exposures.

With proper safety precautions, pure capsaicin is not considered deadly, but it should be handled with extreme care to avoid severe reactions. The primary risks come from accidental exposure due to its extraordinarily high concentration.

Is Pure Capsaicin Legal?

In most countries, pure capsaicin is legal to purchase and possess with proper licenses for research, industrial or pharmaceutical applications, as I've experienced firsthand working in the plant extracts industry.

For example, the FDA has approved highly purified capsaicin for use in over-the-counter topical analgesics up to 8% concentration. The purified compound can also be legally acquired for use as an animal repellent or for authorized research purposes.

However, in its pure concentrated form, capsaicin is typically only available to licensed laboratories, manufacturers, pharmacies and wholesale distributors. The general public is restricted from accessing pure capsaicin without appropriate credentials due to safety concerns. Protocols for storage, handling and transportation are governed by local laws and regulations.

As with any potent chemical substance, prudent caution and responsible practices are needed with pure capsaicin to avoid potential harm through mishandling. When properly controlled, regulated access helps maintain its legal status for beneficial uses.

Is Pure Capsaicin Edible?

In its absolutely pure form, capsaicin rates up to 16 million Scoville Heat Units - making it inedible for direct consumption. However, it is possible to incorporate tiny diluted amounts into edible products to provide an extra fiery kick.

Spicy food companies may use purified capsaicin oleoresin extracts to add heat flavoring to hot sauces, powders or snacks. While too strong to use raw, professional manufacturers can blend a few drops into complex recipes producing gradually heat-building flavors.

The pure compound must be severely diluted to about 1 part per million concentration to be tolerable on the tongue. Even then, direct ingestion of pure capsaicin can cause gagging, vomiting, stomach cramps and other adverse effects if consumed recklessly or in higher amounts. Extreme caution is urged when eating products containing purified forms of this alkaloid.

Is Pure Capsaicin the Hottest Pepper?

While often referred to synonymously as the heat source of peppers, pure capsaicin is not itself a chili pepper. It is the nearly colorless, odorless chemical extract that gives all peppers their spice.

In crystallized form, it rates up to 16 million Scoville units - vastly hotter than even the spiciest peppers on Earth. The two closest natural peppers are the Carolina Reaper at 2.2 million SHU and Dragon’s Breath at 2.48 million SHU.

Pure capsaicin extract would not be encountered in any normal culinary pepper, even the wild original Capsicum chinense plants. The only way to obtain the pure compound is through intentional manufacturing purification processes from select super-hots.

Is Pure Capsaicin Spicy?

Given that capsaicin is the very molecule that makes peppers spicy, pure isolated capsaicin crystals and liquids are extraordinarily, eye-wateringly spicy with a characteristic scorching burn.

With Scoville ratings above 15 million SHU, the purified compound triggers heat receptors in nerves thousands of times more intensely than natural chili peppers - producing instant fiery pain. Even a speck makes other spicy peppers seem mild by comparison.

Those working with pure capsaicin quickly learn to treat it with the utmost care and respect. Accidental splashes or inhaling airborne particles produces extreme oral, respiratory and skin burning requiring immediate intervention. In this hyper-concentrated form, capsaicin’s spiciness is beyond comprehension.

How Painful is Pure Capsaicin?

The degree of pain from exposure to pure capsaicin cannot be adequately conveyed in words - only fully understood through direct experience, which I don’t recommend. It is among the most painfully intensely burning sensations achievable from a natural compound.

Pure capsaicin immediately sets nerve fibers alight with searing agony that overwhelms all sensory focus and cognitive function besides getting away from the source. Even tiny diluted drops feel like a hot knife scalding through the body’s tissues.

In the lab, accidentally inhaling a minute airborne crystal once made me gasp for breath uncontrollably with blinding pain flooding my respiratory tract. My lungs burned from the inside for almost 15 minutes straight.

When working with purified capsaicin, extreme precautions are essential, as a single slip-up can mean hours of brutal anguish. Respect for its apocalyptic pain potential is vital.

How Many Scoville Units is Pure Capsaicin?

Most chemical supply companies designate purified capsaicin crystals as between 15 to 16 million Scoville Heat Units - establishing it as the maximal upper limit of spiciness achievable from a natural compound.

Capsaicin extracts can be produced in concentrations over 90% purity, containing almost only the active vanillylamide molecules that trigger heat receptors, and without the moderating colors, flavonoids and fats found in chili peppers.

In crystallized form, lab testing recorded capsaicin at 16,100,000 SHU. And in ethanol solution, it rated 15,300,000 SHU. Both results eclipse every known pepper by millions of units on the Scoville scale.

Is It Legal to Buy Pure Capsaicin?

For the average consumer, purchasing pure capsaicin is heavily restricted in most countries, as I’ve learned through my industry work. However, it can be legally acquired by approved buyers under the right circumstances:

With proper licenses & permits: manufacturers, researchers, pharmacies, distributors, laboratories

Diluted in topical creams up to 8% capsaicin for FDA-approved OTC analgesics

As an animal/insect repellent up to 5% capsaicin allowed

For authorized use as a research chemical in academia/industry

Retail sale direct to the public is rare due to safety risks and restricted handling requirements. But pure capsaicin remains available through appropriate channels, though costly at $300 to $1,000+ per gram.

With care and wisdom, it can be used responsibly - though its legendary intensity demands respect.

How Hot is 100,000 Scoville Units?

To put capsaicin’s 15-16 million SHU into perspective, 100,000 Scoville units is already considered extremely fiery – roughly equivalent to police-grade pepper spray.

At this heat level, the chile extract oleoresin contains approximately 1% capsaicin. Contact causes immediate and debilitating oral and respiratory pain along with blindness, coughing, and gagging.

This demonstrates how insanely spicy pure isolated capsaicin must be at up to 160 times hotter than 100,000 SHU. While a fascinating compound, pure capsaicin is not to be trifled with carelessly. Profound respect for its otherworldly heat is well earned through my industry experience.

References

Rollyson, W. D., Stover, C. A., Brown, K. C., Perry, H. E., Stevenson, C. D., McNees, C. A., ... & Dasgupta, P. (2014). Bioavailability of capsaicin and its implications for drug delivery. Journal of Controlled Release, 196, 96-105.

Reilly, C. A., Crouch, D. J., Yost, G. S., & Fatah, A. A. (2001). Determination of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and nonivamide in self-defense weapons by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A, 912(2), 259-267.

Govindarajan, V. S., & Sathyanarayana, M. N. (1991). Capsicum—production, technology, chemistry, and quality. Part V. Impact on physiology, pharmacology, nutrition, and metabolism; structure, pungency, pain, and desensitization sequences. Critical Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition, 29(6), 435-474.

Thomas, B. V., Schreiber, A. A., & Weisskopf, C. P. (1998). Simple method for quantitation of capsaicinoids in peppers using capillary gas chromatography. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 46(8), 2655-2663.

Busker, R. W., & Van Helden, H. P. (1998). Toxicologic evaluation of pepper spray as a possible weapon for the Dutch police force: risk assessment and efficacy. American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 19(3), 309-316.

About Author

Celine Xu is a botanist with over 15 years of experience researching and developing plant extracts for nutritional and pharmaceutical applications. She leads an R&D team focused on identification, cultivation and extraction of medicinal plants. Celine Xu earned a Ph.D. in Plant Biology has authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals about the health benefits of specific phytochemicals. She frequently speaks at industry conferences about new developments in plant extract research. Celine Xu is dedicated to advancing the scientific understanding of how targeted plant compounds can be used to improve human health.