Old Spice Class Action: Different Product, Same Story

According to reports, a new class action lawsuit has been filed against Proctor & Gamble alleging that the company’s Old Spice deodorants have caused armpit burns and rashes on “hundreds, if not thousands” of customers. According to the complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, lead Plaintiff Rodney Colley, a 23-year old college student from Virginia, used Old Spice deodorant on several occasions and suffered burns as depicted below:

(Yes, the photograph is included within the pleadings). In addition to Colley, the pleading quotes complaints from Consumer Affairs from seven other customers who allegedly experienced similar injuries. The plaintiffs contend that Old Spice is defective and lacks appropriate warnings about the risks of burning, rashes, and irritation.

In response to the suit, 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 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.

If you are thinking you have heard this before, you have. Earlier this year, we reported on a class action suit filed against EOS alleging that the company’s lip balm causes lips to crack, bleed, and blister. Similar to the statement made by Proctor & Gamble, several doctors opined when the EOS case was filed that consumers were having allergic reactions to natural oils contained in the product. The EOS suit settled just a few weeks after it began with EOS agreeing to provide more details on its packaging about the ingredients and instructions on how to use the product safely.

While it might be overly ambitious to expect the Old Spice suit to settle as quickly as that of EOS, we wouldn’t be shocked if the result is the same. It makes good business sense for Proctor & Gamble to seek a quick resolution with a statement to customers that the product ingredients will remain the same. If not, let’s just hope Old Spice doesn’t have to go back to being associated with sailors and nursing homes.