Archive · 9 Aug 2026

US Woman's 'Margarita Burn' Warning After Citrus Juice Spill

US Woman's 'Margarita Burn' Warning After Citrus Juice Spill

Some fruits, like limes and lemons, have special chemicals in their juice.

When that juice stays on your skin and the sun shines on it, the two can react together.

This reaction can make your skin turn red, blister, and leave dark spots that take months to fade.

People call this 'Margarita Burn,' and the fancy doctor name is phytophotodermatitis.

A designer named Haley Peacock learned about it the hard way.

She was making drinks with lots of limes on a sunny day and got juice on her hands and arms.

She only gave her hands a quick rinse, so the juice stayed on her skin while she was out in the sun.

After about a day or two, her skin became very red and covered in painful blisters, like a bad burn.

Now she tells everyone to wash their hands really well with soap after squeezing citrus, and not to lie in the sun with juice still on their skin.

Sources