PlanetMace Blog

What’s the Difference Between Pepper Spray and Mace?

The list of methods employed to provide effective self defense devices based on the spray in the face approach includes pepper spray, tear gas chemicals such as CS and CN, and other added enhancements such as identification dye. All of these products have distinct benefits for disabling a violent criminal, and are effective in similar ways, but understanding the differences between how each one works on an attacker is fundamental to protecting yourself in real life threatening situations. As the two most popular forms of self protection sprays available in the market, pepper sprays and Mace-like chemical based solutions have become the standard bearers in the industry for their proven ability to bring a rapid halt to any assault.

While anyone sprayed in the face by a self defense product might tell you they’ve been ‘Maced’ the truth is that only a small percentage of personal self defense products can be truthfully called Mace, as it is actually a brand name for an assortment of self defense sprays, of which there are many different variations. What most people are referring to when they mention Mace, is a tear-gas like spray based on the synthetic chemicals orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS) and choroacetophenone (CN).

Mace works by causing a painful irritation on the assailant’s eyes, skin, and any part of the body exposed to the substance. The stinging sensation is intended to overwhelm and disorient the attacker temporarily while police subdue the attacker. As it does not render someone physically immobile, it is an ideal tool for law enforcement officials to use when dispersing crowds of people in mob situations, but is ineffective against drunk, drugged, or deranged individuals who are impervious to pain.

Whereas Mace refers to a specific brand of self defense products, pepper spray itself is a more general term for any self defense spray that is based on the use of capsaicin as the main active ingredient, usually combined with both a carrier agent in which the pepper extract is dissolved and a propellant that allows the solution to be sprayed into an attacker’s face. When someone is hit in the face with a stream of pepper spray, they experience a physical inflammatory reaction throughout their upper respiratory system. More specifically, the mucus membranes in their throat, sinuses, and eyes become physically inflamed and they temporarily loose the ability to see and breathing ability is reduced to all but life critical levels. This renders an attacker immobile for a short period of time and will wear off within an hour, returning the afflicted person to their normal state of being.

Solutions of pepper spray vary from 1-15% and have different applicability for various self defense situations. Lower percentages are commonly used by police and law enforcement officials, as the lower concentration acts more quickly on the body and wears off after 10 to 15 minutes. This is ideal for police who need to quickly disable an attacker and would like to be able to process and relocate a violent criminal as quickly as possible. Higher concentrations are more typically used for personal self defense and are usually the type offered for the consumer market, as they work longer, though they may take a few more seconds to set in, which can be crucial in a self defense situation.

As both Mace and pepper spray have their own effects on attackers, each has it’s benefits and detractions for various real life situations, and there’s a reason why Mace has made a name itself in the international world of law enforcement professionals, and pepper spray has remained a proven effective agent for decades. That being said, for most practical personal self defense use, pepper spray is clearly a more reliable weapon against personal assault than Mace, as it can be used more effectively against drunk or drugged assailants, which is a highly likely scenario when facing the prospect of violent crime.

As pepper spray and Mace are both used as self defense sprays, they are quite similar in their appearance and application, so it’s important for consumers to understand the difference in the products they are choosing. Additionally, there are now several products on the market that combine both of these products into a single self defense device, which is a good way to make sure any attacker not only is effectively immobilized by pepper spray’s inherent inflammatory assault, but also feels the pain and stinging remorse of Mace’s chemical bite.