Mace, pepper spray and your cleanser: what's the difference?

Quick question: do you own Q-tips, or cotton swabs?

Most of us say Q-tip no matter what is in the box. It is a brand name that became the word for the whole category. Mace® is the same. Mace® is a brand. The product most people mean when they say it is pepper spray.

It sounds like a small thing, but it matters when you are choosing a self defense tool. "Pepper spray" isn't one product. It is a category, and what is inside varies as much as what is on your skincare shelf.

Think about cleanser

Nobody walks into a store and asks for "cleanser." You choose between a gel, a foam, a balm, an oil or a milk. They all clean your face. They feel different, they work differently, and the right one depends on your skin and your routine.

Pepper spray works the same way. There are two things to understand: how it comes out, and what is in it.

How it comes out

This is the delivery method, like gel versus foam.

• Fog. The widest cloud. It covers the most area and is the most affected by wind.
• Cone. A wider mist. It is easier to land, but it has a shorter reach and drifts more.
• Stream. The in-between of a cone and a gel. A narrow, direct line that still splashes at the end of the stream.
• Gel. Thicker and stickier. It stays where it lands and puts less into the air around you. It requires more accurate aim.
• Foam. Thick and clinging, like a gel, and it expands where it lands. It puts very little into the air and has a shorter reach.

None of these is the wrong choice. Like a cleanser, it comes down to where and how you will use it.

What is in it

This is the formula, and it is where reading the label matters.

• The active. Pepper spray is made from oleoresin capsicum (OC), which comes from hot peppers. Its strength is measured in major capsaicinoids (MC). That is the number that tells you how hot a formula is.
• Tear gas. Some formulas add CS tear gas alongside the pepper, for a second effect.
• UV marking dye. Some include an invisible dye that shows up under UV light and can help with identification later.

State rules on formulas differ too, so what you can carry depends on where you live.

What we chose for Bestie

After testing different delivery methods, we chose a stream, with a range of up to 10 feet. It gives you a direct line and more coverage on impact than a gel, without needing a gel's precise aim. And since one formula does not fit everyone, we make three:

• Holy Grail®: pepper spray, CS tear gas and UV marking dye. Our most comprehensive spray.
• Hero: pepper spray with UV marking dye. Our hottest spray.
• Nationally Notorious®: pepper spray only, made for states with stricter formula limits.

There is also a Practice Canister with no pepper spray at all, so you can train before you carry. Think of it as the patch test.

Read the label

You would not buy a cleanser without knowing whether it is a gel or a balm. Give your every day carry (EDC) the same attention. Know what it is, how it comes out and what is in it.

Self care is self defense.

Mace® and Q-tips® are registered trademarks of their respective owners. Bestie Defense, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by either brand.