How To Use Pepper Spray Effectively

1. Elevate the pepper spray product to face level with your attacker and keep it at arm’s length from your body ideally.
   
   The chemical compound in mace attaches to the soft mucous membranes of the respiratory system and causes a violent allergic reaction. For this reason, it is important to aim your pepper spray at the face. Specifically, they eyes, nose and mouth.
   
   If you are in hand to hand combat with your attacker, spray it on your hands and rub it in his eyes. This keeps the pepper spray from blowing back into your own face.
   
   
2. Maintain your concentration of pepper spray on the attacker’s head, keep the actual stream steady.
   
   Expect to see your attacker begin reacting to the chemical compounds in a few moments. Gasping, temporary blindness, tearing and violently coughing are typical reactions.
   
   
3. Spray your attacker with a second burst, if needed, and then move away.
   
   
4. Exiting to a safe space is the goal!
   
   
5. Remember, pepper spray doesn’t work instantaneously. It requires a few seconds to permeate the membranes. But your attacker will go down and be in excruciating pain while you have given yourself an escape route from the emergency situation.

Defense spray manufacturers have gotten very innovative and now offer many pepper spray products that also have additional self-defense features included.

For example, the Strike-n-Spray model combines a pepper spray and blade to provide two self-defense weapons on one tool. Look for a self-defense spray product that has a UV dye in it. Most of them do. The UV dye will not wash off; providing police an easily identifiable target.

The Fight Fobs® self-defense keychains are an excellent way to carry pepper spray as well as several additional personal defense tools right on your keyring, including a kubaton and panic alarm.