Yeah bear mace is like 2-4% OC, while human mace is 15% OC or higher. It works because Bears noses and mucus membranes are much more sensitive than a humans.

Nah the bear usually doesn't want to mess with you in the first place, and it's gotta go live it's life so you don't want to permanently blind it. The can usually projects out farther and wider though.

People actually have motives and can get to a hospital if incapacitated. I think I heard that the foam or gel is more effective than spray too if it's needed.

I had some guy try to fight me in a parking lot at the beginning of the mask mandate stage of 2020 because i called him out for wearing it like an idiot (politely at first, less so by the end) and realized I needed a serious form of self-defense.

I highly recommend comrades carry a concealable pepper spray/mace with them. It's actually better to get a pepper spray of the two, since mace tends not to work as well on people who are drunk or high or EXTREMELY motivated to hurt you. Pepper spray causes not just a sensation of pain (same as mace), but physical swelling that forces an attacker's eyes shut and makes breathing difficult after a very short period of time. That gives you more time to get away from the aggressor or otherwise ensure your own safety.

When choosing a dispense method, gel or steam are best for both distance and avoiding blow-back from the wind. You have to be accurate with these methods, but they fly farther than a mist spray and when it comes to self-defense then range is your friend. They also stick to the target making it harder for an assailant to remove, and when they instinctually try to wipe it out of their eyes or off their face they actually just spread it around further, or unintentionally rub the spray deeper in. Pepper spray is strong enough to burn skin too, so the assailant may even experience a reaction on their hands or exposed skin in addition to mucous membranes. iirc mace only affects mucous membranes.