Counter-irritants produce a slight irritation, as on an area of the skin, in order to relieve more serious inflammation elsewhere. Peppers, members of the Capsicum species, are a source of counter-irritants. The Scoville rating for a pepper provides a measure of the counter-irritant content of a given pepper. This invention provides for the solubilizing and recovery of the counter-irritants contained within peppers, having Scoville ratings of from 30,000 to 250,000, in the common capsaicin containing ethyl alcohol extract from the same specific peppers. The synergisitic pain relieving benefits of the counter-irritants in combination with the capsaicin provides superior pain relief for many hours after an application.