This woman got burned by Old Spice—literally.
Old Spice rose in popularity in the 2010s as it shifted its image to more closely associate with modern masculinity, humor, and internet culture. Remember those over-the-top “The Man You Could Smell Like” commercials?
But it seems some people are turning on the brand as more and more customers allege the deodorant caused them physical harm.
Woman calls out Old Spice
In a viral video with more than 300,000 views, content creator Lauren Beck (@sillysnorin) shared her experience with Old Spice deodorant.
In the clip, she says her viewers warned her not to use the brand’s deodorant, but she went ahead and did it anyway because she didn’t want to be wasteful. She liked that it didn’t leave residue on her pits.
But it did leave something worse.
When Beck lifts her arms in the clip, you see she has large pink splotches across her pits. It looks like it could be a chemical burn or allergic reaction.
“My dermatologist would probably be so pissed at me right now,” Beck says.
“Maybe I should stop,” she adds.
What is a chemical burn?
A chemical burn is exactly what it sounds like.
Instead of burning yourself with something hot, a chemical burn comes from a harsh or corrosive chemical substance. This can include a strong acid, drain cleaner, gasoline, or skincare product that damages your tissue, the Mayo Clinic reports.
When harsh chemicals come in contact with your skin, they can destroy the cells and permeate past the superficial layer.
Sometimes, these burns are instant. Other times, they take time to show up. Chemical burns range from mild to severe. Mild burns usually heal quickly, but the more severe ones can cause permanent tissue damage, scarring, or death.
Man files class-action lawsuit against Old Spice
Back in 2016, an Old Spice user took legal action against Old Spice, claiming that it gave him “severe rashes and chemical burns,” Green Matters reported.
He specifically pointed out the use of the chemical benzene, a known carcinogen, in the deodorants. Benzene is often used to make plastics, synthetic fibers, detergents, drugs, pesticides, and dyes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
The man, who initially sought $25,000 in damages, ended up being the principal plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit claiming 13 Old Spice products were unsafe.
A judge determined the class action suit could not be pursued since there were too many individualized cases to review, and each deodorant has a unique fragrance composition, Class Law Group reported.
Proctor & Gamble issued the following statement:
“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. A small number of men may experience irritation due to alcohol sensitivity, a common ingredient used 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.”
Commenters react
“The white ones won’t do this, but the blue ones will every time. It’s likely the alcohol in the formula that causes this reaction,” a top comment read.
“I’ve used Old Spice since middle school. Got chemical burns in 7th grade but kept using it— and now I still use Old Spice and don’t get chemical burns anymore Nevertheless she persisted,” a person shared.
“Girl this happened to me and I emailed them about it and they gave me a five dollar voucher,” another wrote.
@sillysnorin My poor armpits
♬ original sound – snorin
The Daily Dot reached out to Beck for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message and to Proctor and Gamble via email.
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