How to Defend Against Pepper Spray Attacks

Pepper spray is a non-lethal chemical agent used for crowd riot control, individual self-defense, and sometimes in case of animal attacks. The chemical that makes it so potent is called capsaicin, which is derived from peppers. There may be situations where you want to protect yourself from pepper spray, such as if you are a protester or a policeman in training. In these legal cases, there are a few ways to defend against the spray.

Things You'll Need

• Gas mask, bandana or goggles
• Baby shampoo or milk

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Instructions

• 1

  Wear a gas mask. This option can be bulky, so a wet bandana around your face and goggles will also work.

• 2

  Duck and roll if your assailant brings out pepper spray. This requires quick reflexes, but often you have a little time when the person is reaching for the spray.

• 3

  Try to move away or get upwind of the spray if it is being massively deployed.

• 4

  Wear clothing that covers most of your skin. The pepper spray chemical can get trapped in skin oils and moisturizers and make it harder to recover from an attack. Do not wear contacts, either.

• 5

  Put baby shampoo on skin and milk on eyes to lessen the effects of the spray. Water will not help, as you need something that has natural oils.

• 6

  Blink frequently in order to get the body to flush out the spray.