What Is “Margarita Burn” and Why Are People Talking About It?

And how can drinking lime cocktails in the sun cause it?
photo illustration of three margaritas with a thermography effect appearing to be hot
Illustration by Hazel Zavala

When Isabel Tan, a beauty and fashion influencer, spent a holiday weekend in Montauk, New York, she thought she needed only to worry about applying sunscreen. But in the week following the trip, she noticed a dark spot had appeared on the left side of her mouth.

At first she brushed it off, thinking it was a strange suntan or melasma that would fade. But just two days later, the spot had darkened even more, and her skin felt dry, flaky, and even a little painful.

Tan rushed to the dermatologist, who “immediately asked what I drank over the weekend,” the content creator told Bon Appétit. She said she had drunk cocktails with lime. Her dermatologist informed her she had phytophotodermatitis, a skin condition resulting from exposure to both sunlight and an irritant found in limes. “The lime wedge on the rim of the cup must have been rubbing against my lip.”

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Tan’s TikTok video about her experience has garnered over a million views since she posted it early this month. On the Today show, celebrity dermatologist Dr. Pimple Popper recently explained what phytophotodermatitis is. While the condition is usually not severe, it is common. At the same time, “most have never heard of it,” Tan notices from the commenters on her video.

Have you heard of phytophotodermatitis? Casually called “margarita burn,” the skin reaction looks like blisters or dark spots. Read on to learn what margarita burn is, what causes it, how to avoid it, and how to treat it if you get it.

What causes phytophotodermatitis?

Margarita burn is caused by the psoralens, or skin irritants, that can be found in limes as well as other citrus fruits and celery.

Psoralens are irritants that make your skin more sensitive to UV light, enabling stronger and faster reaction to UV light. “A burn that would typically happen in half an hour can happen in minutes, or a burn that would happen in an hour could happen in 15 minutes,” Lindsey Bordone, MD, a dermatologist and professor at Columbia University, says.

The margarita burn doesn’t just come from margaritas. Handling guacamole, mojitos, or chicken marinades in the sun might result in the skin reaction as well. Bordone says some of the worst cases she sees come from homemade lime popsicles.

Phytophotodermatitis can also result from celery, and Bordone’s heard of people getting it from making Bloody Marys or restocking celery stalks at grocery stores. But, she says, 99% of the cases she sees come from limes. She’s personally never seen a case from lemons, although people have been known to suffer from lemon juice burns.

You don’t need to be outside to get it, either. “The other thing that people don’t realize is that it can happen next to a window,” Bordone says. You can be squeezing limes in sunlight in your kitchen and still get a “really nasty” phytophotodermatitis.

How dangerous is phytophotodermatitis?

Bordone sees multiple cases of phytophotodermatitis every week. Most cases, much like Tan’s, begin with mild irritation or pigment on the hands or mouth. But in more severe cases, the marks can blister and turn into second-degree burns. Bordone says she’s even seen cases in the shape of a handprint on someone’s arm that was grabbed by people who previously touched limes.

Luckily, Bordone says, even more severe cases of phytophotodermatitis aren’t typically as painful or deep as other kinds of burns. Tan was grateful to have a mild case—her dermatologist had cautioned her that the burns could have been even more painful.

What do you do if you have phytophotodermatitis?

A day or two after exposure, phytophotodermatitis marks typically appear, Bordone says. They can sometimes leave a pigmented stain on the skin. That stain will typically disappear once the skin turns over. That could take a few weeks or a few months; Bordone says that length of time may vary by person.

While discoloration and discomfort can be frustrating to deal with, Bordone says that phytophotodermatitis isn’t dangerous in the long term—which might be why so many people have never heard of the common condition.

Tan says that her dermatologist prescribed her a topical steroid. By day three of her using it, her skin stopped flaking. She’s now using an over-the-counter retinoid recommended by her dermatologist to treat the discoloration. It’s been three weeks since her exposure and “I feel good now,” she says.

If you are handling limes in the sun and notice a dark spot or irritation on your skin, Bordone recommends making an appointment with your dermatologist, who can determine the severity of the burn and recommend a topical treatment for any discomfort.

How do you avoid phytophotodermatitis?

While it may be hard (and just a little absurd) to completely avoid limes and the sun, it’s simple to avoid margarita burn if you’re eager to do so. Handle citrus out of the sun and stick to preparing citrus-filled summer recipes indoors and away from windows, suggests Bordone. And if you do handle limes or citrus fruits in the sun, “rinse [your] hands off immediately.”

Several dermatologists have dueted Tan’s TikTok to say they’re glad people are talking about phytophotodermatitis and that it’s a good reminder for those heading to the beach or backyard this summer. As for Tan, she says she’ll be avoiding citrus fruits in the sun. She’s even planning to use a wet wipe after eating or drinking—“to be extra safe!”