Old Spice Lawsuit Claims Deodorant Causes Skin Irritation And Chemical Burns

Old Spice, a deodorant known for its comical commercials and distinctive scent, is now at the center of a lawsuit after a man accused the product of causing him severe chemical burns. According to the lawsuit, filed by Rodney Colley of Virginia, Colley is not the only consumer affected by this problem, although the exact cause of the irritation has not yet been made known.

Colley claims that the burning rash in his armpit began after “only a few uses” of the Old Spice deodorant, Buzzfeed reported. Apparently, Colley isn’t the only Old Spice user to experience severe side effects, and others have taken to Facebook to share their own adverse reactions to the product. On Consumer Affairs you can see similar complaints dating all the way back to 2014.

Damon Jones, a spokesman for Procter & Gamble, the company that creates Old Spice, told Buzzfeed that he was aware of the irritation experienced by a small number of Old Spice users.

“First and foremost, we’re 100% confident Old Spice is safe to use,” said Jones. “Tens of millions of guys use our products safely and without incident every year. We believe it's 0.01% of consumers will have any type of reaction and that’s not unusual to what we see in any type of product.”

Although Jones did not point out the exact chemical root of the irritation, he described it as “essentially skin reactions some people have that can be caused by a broad variety of factors or ingredients.”

The company suggested that users who experienced problems with Old Spice deodorant switch to the antiperspirant, which contains different ingredients.

Chemical burns are caused when a substance, such as a strong acid, irritates the skin. According to the Mayo Clinic, you are usually unaware of the burn and its cause, and may not even immediately recognize it as a burn. Those who have experienced chemical burns are advised to rinse the burn with water and loosely apply a bandage of gauze. Livestrong advised that you not apply soap or other types of cleansing products to chemical burns, as they could further irritate the skin.

The lawsuit claims to seek class-action status and more than $5 million in damages, and others who also may have suffered from this problem are urged to come forward.

Deodorant isn't the only seemingly innocent consumer product known to give users nasty burns. Last May, Lauren Waterman of Queens New York sued the makers of Veet hair-removal cream after she suffered from third-degree burns as a result of sunbathing immediately after using the product, The New York Post reported. Waterman sued the company for negligence and claimed that the warning label on the bottle was too vague and failed to make her aware of the full scope of damages she could receive. New York-based dermatologist Dr. Jeannette Graf told Yahoo Beauty that due to the cream’s ability to break down the keratin in our hair, she would not recommend its use on those with sensitive skin.