A woman suffered horror "margarita burns" while making cocktails after the lime juice spilt on her and reacted with the bright sunshine.
Ashleigh Booth decided to make cocktails after being forced to self-isolate with her family at home in Byron Bay, Australia, when they all tested positive for Covid last month.
The 23-year-old whipped up strawberry daiquiris and margaritas for her mum, sister and their partners - while the others splashed in the pool.
She used fresh limes to give the margaritas their signature taste.
But tragically she was unaware of the injuries that were bubbling up in her skin and trainee teacher Ashleigh went to bed as usual.
It was only the following day that Ashleigh woke up with throbbing, swollen hands after suffering severe second-degree burns.
She is now urging other budding mixologists to "get a real juicer" or face a similar fate, as she has been forced to wear gloves outdoors over her "reptilian" skin for the last month.
Ashleigh, from New South Wales, Australia, said: "It was super strange, my hands were on fire for ages.
"They started blistering and that was definitely the worst part. There was nothing I could do about the heat.
"I couldn't put my arms down because all the blood rushes to your hands. They were throbbing.
"I had to keep my hands elevated by resting them on my shoulders. It was a funny, awkward position.
"I had hard, tough skin and it felt almost reptilian."
The professional bartender whipped up for her family, unaware of the potential danger caused by lime juice reacting in the sunlight, causing a painful injury called phytophotodermatitis, or contact dermatitis.
Ashleigh said: "I'm a bartender so I was on drinks duty for my family. It was me, my mum and sister, and both our partners at home.
"I was only juicing two or three limes to make a round of drinks, then going outside, swimming in the pool and having lunch in the sun as you do during Christmas in Australia.
"It was just consistent throughout the day that I'd juice a few limes every couple of hours when it was needed.
"I'd juiced about 10 throughout the day which is hardly any for me. Usually, in the bar, I'm doing a lot more than that.
"I was rinsing my hands because they get sticky, but not thoroughly enough because I was getting in the pool and didn't think much of it.
"I don’t remember them hurting or even noticing that they were red that night."
Ashleigh woke up the following morning to discover her hands were bright red and appeared sunburnt, while the rest of her body was its normal, paler complexion.
In agony, Ashleigh repeatedly went to hospital and was given antihistamines and steroid cream in case she was suffering with an allergy, but nothing appeared to be working.
Ashleigh said: "On Tuesday morning I woke up in so much pain I needed to go to the hospital because it [the burn] was throbbing and swollen and red.
"They asked if I'd burnt my hands on anything but I hadn't been cooking. Mum was cooking and I was on the drinks.
"They hoped the cream would bring down the swelling and the redness.
"I called my neighbour who is a pharmacist. I spoke to her and she said 'I'll call you back - I have something in mind'.
"She called her friend who's a nurse and luckily they'd just had someone in who had the same thing. She asked 'have you been juicing limes?'
"We went back to the hospital and as soon as I said I'd been juicing limes in the sun, he knew straight away what it was.
"My neighbour brought over the bandages and burn cream when she realised what was wrong, along with tapes and non-stick pads.
"I went back to the hospital later that night because I was in more pain."
Ashleigh was then forced to return to hospital where doctors revealed she had also developed cellulitis.
A month on, Ashleigh still applies cream each day and wears gloves in the sun to protect her skin.
Ashleigh said: "I've still got the burns. I have to wear gloves out in the sun and the skin tone on my hands is different and quite pink, but they're much better.
"I still wear gloves when I’m driving and when I’m in the sun.
"My advice to people making cocktails in the sun is to just get a real juicer - or make sure to wash your hands thoroughly."
