Procter & Gamble's Old Spice deodorant has caused severe rashes and chemical burns to possibly thousands of "unsuspecting consumers," according to a class-action lawsuit filed this month that seeks more than $5 million in damages.
The lawsuit names 13 Old Spice products – among them, Old Spice Lionpride and Arctic Force High Endurance deodorants – that it says have affected "hundreds, if not thousands, of consumers."
According to the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Columbus, there have been hundreds of online complaints about the products.
"In addition to blog complaints, YouTube features numerous videos also documenting armpit irritation, rash(es) and burning caused by Old Spice deodorant," the lawsuit states. "Indeed, the problem is rampant, and rather than acknowledge the serious issue, Defendant is concealing it, in order to continue selling the product and reap windfall profits."
A spokesman for Procter & Gamble, Damon Jones, said the products are safe to use. The problems a small number of consumers are experiencing are not chemical burns, Jones said, but skin reactions that can be caused by a range of factors or ingredients, such as alcohol or fragrance. The complaints posted online, Jones said, are not exclusive to Old Spice.
“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," Jones said in a statement. "A small number of men may experience irritation due to alcohol sensitivity, a common ingredient across virtually all deodorant products. For men who have experienced a reaction to a deodorant, an antiperspirant may be a better option because they have a different formulation."
A 2008 study, posted on the website for the National Center for Biotechnology Information, said compounds in most deodorants and antiperspirants "have the potential to cause irritant and allergic reactions in many consumers."
The lawsuit says the Old Spice products are defective, and that the people affected have used other deodorants without experiencing burning, rashes or discomfort.
The lead plaintiff is an Alexandria, Va., man, who says he suffered severe rashes, burning and discomfort "after only a few uses" of an Old Spice product. Photos of the man's rashes and burns are included in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also includes online complaints, that it says were posted in 2015 by people in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, Arizona and Ohio.
People posting the complaints described "burns" and chafing. One woman said her husband was burned badly under one arm. She said she called Old Spice to complain and was told by a representative, "I was only the second person in all her three years of working for the company who had complained."
"I told her that she should then do some research online and see the hundreds, if not thousands, (of) pictures of burns from Old Spice," the woman wrote.
Another woman, from Philadelphia, said her husband suffered burns that were red and purple under both armpits. She said she found online complaints dating back to 2009.
"What the heck?" the woman wrote, according to the lawsuit. "They are doing NOTHING … This is blatant disregard for the well-being of their customers."
Jones said any Old Spice user who have questions can call 1-800-677-7582.
