What is Mace Pepper Spray?

There are several different kinds of self defense chemicals and mace pepper spray is a common one. Generally speaking, mace and pepper spray are two different chemicals. However, you can use mace pepper spray to denote a pepper spray marketed by Mace, one of the top self defense spray manufacturers, or you can use it to identify a spray that is a mixture of mace and pepper spray.

That might sound a little confusing but it really is not. Most people do not really know the difference between mace, pepper spray and tear gas. They are all used to some extent by the police and military. But tear gas is not a chemical commonly used by the public. It can be bought by anyone but if you are thinking of using it for personal protection, you should first do a little research on how it is used and the effects it can have on the human body.

Mace is a type of tear gas. One of the reasons it is different than pepper spay is because mace is an irritant and pepper spray is an inflammatory. Pepper spray, as you might expect, is made from pepper, specifically the cayenne pepper. When sprayed into a person’s face, it makes the eyes shut immediately. It causes coughing and respiratory problems, so that the attacker is totally incapacitated for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Mace is a different type of chemical. Mace is a brand name that refers to the chemical,
orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile, thankfully referred to as an easier to remember abbreviation, CN. Today Mace is also a brand of pepper spray. But, when people refer to mace, they usually mean the chemical CM. Mace is more painful than pepper spray, and it also causes the eyes to shut and burn. Coughing and choking are normal reactions.

The biggest difference between pepper spray and mace is that people who are high on alcohol and drugs are not affected by mace. If someone is on PCP, for example, mace is not going to stop them from continuing to attack you. Neither will it deter someone who is drunk or high on other drugs. This is one of the reasons that many police departments now use pepper spray instead of mace.

Depending on where you live, pepper spray or mace may be illegal. That’s why it is necessary to check your local laws before purchasing these chemicals. Countries, states, and cities all have different laws pertaining to self defense products, and if you break the law, you will be held accountable, not the person who sold you the product.

The best thing you can do is to check out all the different kinds of self defense sprays, and choose one that you would feel the most comfortable with using in a situation where you are being physically attacked.