If you’ve ever bitten into a hot chili pepper that was just a little too spicy for you to handle, then you might know how difficult it is to get the burning sensation in your mouth to go away. The immediate pain can be unbearable, and no matter how much water you drink, it just doesn’t seem stop.

Now, imagine if you felt that same burning sensation all over your face and in your eyes, nose, and throat. It would be excruciating. This is the basis behind a solution known as pepper spray. Since 1973 pepper spray has been used by law enforcement as a way to subdue violent, aggressive or uncooperative subjects. Many people also use it as a personal self-defense tool to fight off attackers.

Pepper spray is made from an extract of chili peppers and usually comes in an aerosol canister so you can spray it quickly and easily. Since it’s portable and easy to use, pepper spray is a popular option for both law enforcement and personal use. When sprayed into the face of an attacker, it’s extremely irritating to the skin, eyes, mouth, throat and lungs. Its effect is immediate and powerful, and it can distract a person long enough for you to escape an assailant, or for a police officer to take control of a subject.

Another reason pepper spray is so widely used is that, most of the time, exposure has no lasting effects. The immediate impact may be intense, but after a few hours, the effects should wear off completely. This makes it a generally safer option than using guns, chemical deterrents or Tasers, which in some cases can lead to permanent health problems or even death.

What Pepper Spray Is and How It’s Used

The active ingredient in pepper spray is oleoresin capsicum (OC), a natural oil found in many types of hot peppers, including cayenne peppers and other chili peppers. OC contains a compound called capsaicin, which is what’s responsible for the spicy sensation when you eat a hot pepper. It’s odorless, colorless, and even flavorless, but just one milligram (about 0.00003 ounces) of pure capsaicin is enough to cause blisters to form on your skin.

Pepper spray is usually dispensed from an aerosol canister. To make it easier to spray, OC oil is mixed with a water-based or oil-based solution. It’s also mixed with a propellant, a solution that allows it to shoot outward, and then the entire solution is pressurized inside the canister. Using an aerosol canister allows you to spray farther — and in many cases wider — than other types of spray containers.

The Effects of Pepper Spray

When you hold a pepper in your hand, it probably doesn’t feel any hotter than if you were holding an apple or a plum. But when the pepper comes into contact with your lips or your tongue, you can definitely feel the heat. This is because the capsaicin in the pepper reacts with the nerve endings in your body’s mucous membranes that are sensitive to heat and cold. This explains why biting into a spicy pepper can actually feel like your mouth is burning.

Because capsaicin is the same component that makes peppers seem hot, its potency is measured in Scoville heat units (SHU) — a heat scale used to rate the heat level of peppers. The overall heat level is based on the amount of capsaicin present. Typical pepper spray is rated between about 500,000 and 5,000,000 SHU. By comparison, a jalapeño pepper is only around 8,000 SHU, and a habanero is close to 350,000 SHU.

The severity of the effects of pepper spray varies depending upon the amount of pepper spray that’s used, the strength of the spray and where it’s sprayed. If sprayed directly into a person’s face, the effects may be more intense or long-lasting. When pepper spray is sprayed at an attacker, the burning sensation they would feel is just the tip of the iceberg.

If you were sprayed in the face with pepper spray, you would immediately feel a burning sensation in your eyes, nose and mouth, and possibly even your throat and on your skin. This burning feeling, if left untreated, can last anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. Your eyes would become irritated and probably swell shut, causing temporary blindness that can last from 15 to 30 minutes. You might also begin coughing and find it difficult to breathe as your throat swells — this can last from 3 to 15 minutes.

Stop by our store and pick up some pepper spray today by CLICKING HERE.

sources: How Stuff Works

Thanks to Bonnie over at the www.thejoyfulorganizer.com for putting us in their holiday gift guide. Stop by their site to check out all the great gifts they are reviewing. You can see our holiday review at: http://thejoyfulorganizer.com/2012/12/10/personal-saversthe-safe-stocking-stuffer/

Don’t for get to pick up your gift on our store by clicking HERE.

We also have a great special running until Sunday December 15th, see the image below:

Like For Safety Daily Giveaway

From now until the end of the year were giving away one Personal Savers product away daily on our Facebook page.  To enter, all you need to do is like our page and you’ll be entered to win some free Personal Savers pepper spray.  You can click the like button, in our Facebook Like Box on the right side of our blog or visit our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/personalsavers

Help spread the word, everyone loves free pepper spray.

This is part of a blog posting on Running For Bling… Please read the rest of the blog posting via the link below and give Elizabeth some encouragement.  This situtation is the main reasons we started Personal Savers.

He Won’t Take Running From Me

by Elizabeth on November 24, 2012
I had 10 miles on my training schedule for Saturday mornings run. I was physically and sexually assaulted on my run at mile 8.2. I will forewarn you, this post will be long. I want to get the details out, for me mentally, for those in Mobile to be aware, and for the safety of each and every female runner I know.

I haven’t had to run in Mobile in almost a year. Running around my dads house can be challenging, there are no sidewalks and I don’t love the neighborhoods next to us. I chose to go run at Cottage Hill Park. The loop at the park is right under 2 miles and there are plenty of people out and about. I also planned on running in the neighborhoods around it-all of them have sidewalks and are all nice, middle upper class, clean areas. I used to run in the downtown area and there are two reasons I didn’t this weekend: old sidewalks (issues with my ankle) and the sketchy homeless people.

I started my run a few minutes before 8am. I looped the park and headed out on Knollwood towards Grelot. I turned left on Grelot to Hillcrest and turned around and ran back up Grelot to Regency Oaks neighborhood. I looped the neighborhood and headed back out on Grelot to University. I decided to also do Regency neighborhood to run by a childhood friends home. Throughout my run, I saw several runners on the road. I felt very safe. People were out in the yards and plenty of people driving up and down the street in Regency (this is a big cut-through neighborhood). I remember passing a woman, also running, and nodding to her and headed back onto Grelot, a mile or so later.

By the time I was near the park, I needed another 2 miles or so. I decided to turn into Sutton Place neighborhood. I don’t/didn’t know the neighborhood well, just that it made a loop and I knew it would be close to the perfect mileage for the end of my run. Again, it’s a nice neighborhood. I had a friend from high school that lived there.

Read the rest of the article by clicking HERE

Puchase a Wrist Saver pepper spray on our store HERE

By Jamie Cohen- January 6, 2006

Protect Yourself

Personal Safety Tips for Women

Some 1.9 million women are physically assaulted annually in the United States, and 15 percent to 25 percent of all American women will report a sexual attack or rape at some time in their lives, according to studies conducted by the Justice Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And experts say that because the majority of sexual assaults go unreported, the numbers from these studies may represent only a fraction of the violent of crimes against women.

But while these numbers may seem frighteningly high, safety authorities are quick to point out that women need not view themselves as helpless victims. ABCNEWS’ Healthy Woman asked crime and safety specialists the most effective precautions a woman can take when walking alone to keep herself from becoming a statistic:

Dress to Kill. Clogs, high heels, and tight skirts are hard to run and fight in, while scarves and long necklaces are easy to grab. If possible, modify your fashion style or wear comfortable clothing when walking alone. You can always change into dress-up clothes later. Or, think through how you would fight in your dress-up clothes. Would you kick off your high heels or hike your skirt up around your hips to run or kick?

Make Eye Contact. It may be your first instinct to lower your gaze as you walk to your destination. But looking straight into the face of potential enemies is the better option. “Eye contact may scare off attackers because they fear you will be able to identify them,” says Mary Ellen Burns, a spokesperson for the Boston Police Department.

Keep Eyes and Ears Open, Hands Free. It is important to be alert to who and what is around you. Talking on a cell phone or listening to headphones makes you easy prey for a predator. The only reason you should be using your mobile phone is notify a friend of your whereabouts or to call for help. Also, limit the number of bundles you have to carry by using a backpack or bag with a shoulder strap. This will ensure that your hands are free to defend.

Be Lazy, Take the Elevator Over the Stairs. And when in the elevator, stand in front of the doors, then if someone you feel uneasy about gets on with you, you can step off immediately.

Fight Your Inner Woman. Experts say that women tend to be sympathetic — don’t be! History has shown that serial killers and other criminals often play on the sympathies of unsuspecting women to lure them into dangerous situations. If someone asks for the time, directions, or help in or around their car, be as courteous as possible but keep moving. You can always assist the stranger by making a phone call to police from a safe location, or by finding others to go back and help with you.

Change It Up. Regularly change your walking routine. Plan out a few different routes that you can take and mark out “safe houses” in your mind at intervals along the way. In the event of attacks, you can stop at these shops or homes where you know you will be safe. Try to incorporate these houses every time you vary your route

Click HERE to read the full article from ABC NEWS.

Pepper Spray Sale Ends Today!

Don’t miss out on getting a free Personal Saver, when you buy two.  A great gift for the runner, cyclist, woman or new mom (Baby Saver) that your buying for.  Check out all our pepper spray products at: http://www.personalsavers.com/store_main

Jog on over and pick your pepper spray safety product up today!

Thanksgiving Pepper Spray Sale

Don’t miss out on our great Thanksgiving Sale through Sunday.  Buy any two Personal Savers pepper spray products and get one free.

New Personal Savers Replacement Products Added

We’ve just added a full selection of replacement products, led lights and bottles to our store.  You can pick up extras or replacements on your next purchase.

We have launched our NEW Online Affiliate Program!

With our Online Affiliate Program you can have the flexibility to make money through your web site, email list, web links, blogs and social networking avenues without having your own store, being a dealer or buying product to sale.  The best thing of all, it’s FREE, no charge to you to get started.

If you’re interested in raising money for your organization, group, event or just want to put your contact list to use, please fill out the form below to apply to our Online Affiliate Program.  We would love to have you onboard.

You can click the image above to apply or follow this link: http://www.personalsavers.com/affiliate

Please share this with your friends, to help their organizations, groups or events.

Well, our Active.com Schwaggle deal is over and was a HUGE success for Personal Savers… Great sales, tons of exposure and some really awesome leads for other big things this fall/winter. A big thank you to everyone for helping spread the word.  http://schwaggle.active.com/deal/15795/up-to-41-percent-off-personal-savers