A man in Virginia has filed a class-action against Old Spice, claiming that the popular men’s deodorant has actually caused him to break out into a painful rash, or “chemical burn.”
While Rodney Colley is the lead plaintiff on the class-action lawsuit—filed in U.S. District Court in Ohio against Procter & Gamble, the company that manufactures Old Spice—he’s not the only person complaining about the deodorant’s horrifying side effects.
According to court documents, Colley claims he started noticing an uncomfortable rash underneath his arms almost immediately after using Old Spice.
Like many other consumers speaking out against Old Spice, Colley says he has never experienced any irritation when using any other brand of deodorant.
“After only a few uses of the Old Spice product, [Colley] suffered severe rashes, burning and discomfort requiring [Colley] to immediately cease using the product,” the lawsuit states, according to BuzzFeed News.
“Indeed, the problem is rampant, and rather than acknowledge the serious issue, [Procter & Gamble} is concealing it in order to continue selling the product and reaping windfall profits,” the lawsuit continues.
A spokesman for Procter & Gamble told BuzzFeed News that only a small number of consumers have reported negative experiences while using Old Spice, arguing that those who do may simply have a sensitivity to alcohol, an ingredient present in a number of different deodorant brands.
Damon Jones, the spokesman, added that the “chemical burns” some people have reported aren’t actually burns.
“They are essentially skin reactions some people have that can be caused by a broad variety of factors or ingredients,” he said.
Judging by Old Spice’s Facebook page and the Consumer Affairs website, however, many customers disagree with Jones.
Many men have come forward about the painful rashes they’ve been left with after using Old Spice deodorant, even after just one or two uses.
One mom shared a heartbreaking photo of her 12-year-old son, who suffered what she described as a “chemical burn” after trying Old Spice.
While many of these complaints are coming from men, at least one woman was forced to visit the emergency room, thanks to Old Spice deodorant.
After being examined, the woman was immediately told by a doctor that the “rash” was, in fact, a chemical burn.
“I need to put burn cream on it to help ease the pain,” she wrote on Consumer Affairs. “And it hurts to put my arm down or wear sleeved shirts. It’s seriously unbearable and it seems like it’s only getting worse.”
Despite the lawsuit’s allegations—which names no less than 13 different deodorants made by Procter & Gamble—Jones insists that Old Spice is perfectly safe to use.
“The safety of the men who use Old Spice is the foundation of everything we do,” he told BuzzFeed News. “We go to great lengths to ensure our products are safe to use, and tens of millions of men use this product with confidence and without incident every year.”
