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What you have described is usually known as a chili burn - this is usually the effect of capsaicin or other capsaicinoids, the main components of chili peppers. Capsaicinoids are irritants that produce a burning sensation, and many people fail to realize that this effect can take place on the skin too, not just when chili peppers or their powder is consumed. When you work with chili peppers or chili powder, you are bound to get some of the capsaicinoids on your hands. In small quantities, the effect may be so mild as to be unnoticeable; however, if you have sensitive skin or work with large quantities of the substances, or if you fail to wash it off quickly enough, the effect can be quite strong.
Most treatment for chili burns is to be taken soon after exposure. By now, too much time will have passed since the exposure, and the need for treatment will itself have reduced. If the chili burns have caused any lasting damage, you should consult a doctor; if not, nothing needs to be done apart from being more cautious in the future.
Avoid handling chilies and chili powder with your bare hands. Allowing skin contact is an invitation to chili burn. If you must use your hands, ensure that you wash them with soap immediately afterwards. Capsaicinoids are oily substances, and therefore, plain water is useless. If you find that even this minimal exposure causes a burning sensation, then you need to wear gloves whenever you handle chilies and chili powder.
To treat a chili burn, you need to act soon after it has occurred. Washing the affected skin is the first course of action. With any chemical burn, the first thing you need to do is get the chemical off your skin. As mentioned earlier, plain water will not work, and neither will some traditional remedies such as vinegar. Instead, use soap, or use another oily substance to dissolve the capsaicinoids - vegetable oil or milk work quite well. Apply the oil or milk on your skin, leave it for ten minutes, then wash it off and reapply, leaving it on for at least half an hour. After this, if the burning sensation persists, a cold compress should provide adequate relief. Simply rubbing a cube of ice on your skin should be good enough, but if you want, you can prepare an actual ice pack. Aloe gel is also supposed to be good for such burns, especially if you can get fresh aloe gel from a plant.
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