Updated: August 02, 2020
There are many products out there that we use where the brand name has become synonymous with the product itself. Take the cotton swab for example. All of us are familiar with this product. Most of us use it every day to clean our ears. But most of us don’t refer to it as a cotton swab. We call it a Q-Tip, because Q-Tip is the brand name that is most often associated with the product itself.

This is something that is found in dozens if not hundreds of products on the market today. A brand will become so popular that its name becomes the product itself. This has become the case with pepper spray as well.

If You Ask Most People…

If you ask the vast majority of people what Mace is, they would tell you that it is a spray you can purchase that is used to defend yourself against potential attackers. That is true, but the reality is that Mace is not the spray itself. Instead, that is pepper spray. Mace is just one brand of pepper spray.

A little understanding of what pepper spray is could actually help in this situation. Most of us have heard the term but don’t really understand what makes up pepper spray. Is it like the pepper that we use in our condiments?
That is a good question, but pepper spray actually gets its name because it uses hot peppers as the source of its effectiveness. Most of us are familiar with how hot peppers work. If you have been to a Mexican restaurant and eat some jalapeno peppers you are probably aware how this can quickly get your mouth burning, your nose running, and your eyes watering. It can be horrific!

The same is true of pepper spray. In fact, the effect that jalapeno peppers have on you when you eat them is what pepper spray will do when sprayed on you.

The difference between pepper spray and jalapeno peppers is that pepper spray uses much more potent peppers that jalapeno peppers. You may find that hard to believe if you have ever eaten jalapeno peppers before. They can cause your mouth to burn quite severely, but cayenne peppers are what are commonly used in pepper spray because they are a hotter, more potent pepper.

When properly treated and placed inside a canister, the extract from cayenne peppers can be a devastating tool to drop any would be assailant. It instantaneously causes a person’s eyes to start watering, and acts as such an irritant that it makes it impossible to see. A person is literally dropped to the ground, writhing in pain from the effects of the pepper on their skin, in their eyes, and in their nasal passages.

And How Does Mace Come into Play?

Mace was one of the first manufacturers of pepper spray. They were one of the first companies to realize that they could create a product that was ideal for allowing a person to defend themselves while not being lethal.

While there is really no one who wants to be attacked while walking out to their car or heading to the bus, most do not want to kill someone. They are afraid of carrying a firearm because of the potential injury that can occur, but pepper spray is a safe, effective tool that can be used to defend yourself in any precarious situation.

Mace capitalized on this desire. They understood that people wanted a means to defend themselves and were able to create this product to do just that. Anyone can use pepper spray, and Mace has not only created a potent solution to help protect people, but they have created several products that fit the needs of consumers.

Just as all thumbs her fingers but not all fingers are thumbs, all Mace products are a form of pepper spray, but not all pepper spray is made by Mace. This has just become one of the most popular brands of pepper spray on the market, and will likely continue to do so.

Mace has created a number of great products that consumers have found ideal for protecting themselves, and is one that most should feel quite confident in using.

Michel Pedneault

Michel Pedneault

Michel Pedneault has been blogging for more than three decades. He is a former lead writer at various self defense publishers. Michael has written 100s of reviews for various defense & tactical gear. He is fond of travelling, adventures and discovering new things. You can reach him at twitter @pedneault

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