The “Scoville Unit” is used to calculate the temperature of peppers and can range from 1000 for mild bell peppers to over 500,000 for exotic habaneros. Pure Oleoresin Capsicum (the active ingredient that make peppers hot) can go into the millions! There are laws that dictate how pepper spray ingredients must be processed and refined. At the maximum legal concentration of 15%, pepper spray can reach over 2,000,000 Scoville Heat Units. However, the concentration of Oleoresin Capsicum is not as important as the effective heat provided by a particular pepper spray formula. The higher the concentration, the thicker the liquid becomes and this can slow down absorption into the skin. So there is definitely a science in developing the optimal pepper spray formula. Staff Patrol has tested its formulas against dozens of other brands and can honestly say that these are the most effective pepper sprays available. Our full selection is at http://www.staffpatrol.com/store5/agora.cgi
May 24, 2007 at 9:16 pm |
Great point about the heat rating not being the most important thing. It’s critical to get the mixture right so that it penetrates the skin quickly.