Mitchum deodorant users report painful reactions and ongoing irritation

Consumers have described how they were left with blistering armpits and red, itchy skin after using a popular deodorant brand – and some have said they are still dealing with soreness and irritation weeks later.

A number of women have told Which? how they had painful reactions after using Mitchum's 48-hour roll-on anti-perspirant and deodorant.

Mitchum has apologised and said a change in the manufacturing process of one of the raw materials had altered how the product reacted with some consumers' skin. It also said medical experts had noted that, while antiperspirants and deodorants are generally considered very safe, some people can experience adverse reactions to them.

On 2 October, the Office for Product Safety and Standards issued a safety report about select batches of the deodorant leaving some consumers with skin irritation.

For more on the alert and the full list of affected products, see our product recalls page.

Consumer Nikki O’ Loughlin, 66, from Dorset told Which? she had used Mitchum for years without issue and looked on it as a trusted brand.

'Then in July, after opening a new bottle, I started to get this skin irritation. My skin was red and blistering. My armpits were really sore, but I didn’t put two and two together at first. I put some Sudocrem on, which calmed things down.

'I stopped using the deodorant two to three weeks ago and there’s still a tiny area that’s sore. I didn’t feel I needed to go to a GP, but when I saw Which?’s post on Instagram, I realised it might be linked to the deodorant.

'I’ve stopped using it now – and I’m loath to use Mitchum again.'

She has contacted the brand via its website about reimbursement.

Clare, 46, from London, said she had felt a burning pain under her arms after using a new bottle of Mitchum Pure Fresh while on holiday in August.

'I noticed a really painful burning, stinging feeling under my arms. It was a scaly red rash with pink, raised skin,' she said.

'At first, I thought it was maybe heat rash. I couldn’t sleep, it was so sore. I was up and down to the bathroom all night, trying to calm it down.

'When I got home, I started using my old deodorant again and the pain stopped. At that stage, I still thought the pain had been related to the heat on my holiday. Then I began using the new bottle and my armpits became really sore again.

'I went online looking for information about painful armpits one night when I couldn’t sleep and found the news about Mitchum.'

She added she had since been in touch with Mitchum but had felt disappointed by the response

'They apologised for the inconvenience. But it’s not been inconvenient – it’s been really painful. I’d rather not have had the offer of the voucher and got some advice from them instead about how to treat this because, while it’s not as sore as it was when I was using the deodorant, it’s still a bit rough and itchy.'

Another woman who used the deodorant, Deborah Hutchinson, 55, from Devon, said she began experiencing irritation under her arms after using the deodorant at the start of September.

'It stung so much,' she said.

'At first, I thought I’d scratched myself or that it was linked to skin changes from the menopause.

'I was left with redness and brown discolouration under my arms. My armpits looked brown, scarred and sore.

'It still stings and itches. I’ve been to the doctor and was prescribed a steroid cream, an emollient lotion for washing and antihistamines for the itching. It’s been really painful.

'When I realised it might be linked to the deodorant, I contacted Mitchum. They offered me either a £3.50 refund or £7 in vouchers, but no compensation or apology and I feel pretty angry about that. My doctor said it could leave some scarring. I feel really let down by them and I won’t be using their brand again.'

Several other women contacted Which? with similar experiences. One, Claire, 48, from South Wales said she had been unable to shave or wear deodorant for two weeks, so sore was her skin, and she had started using natural deodorant as a result.

Another, Jasbinder Virdee, told Which? she developed itching and irritation after using a Mitchum roll-on that wasn’t among the listed affected batches. She said she sought treatment from her doctor and was prescribed medication for the symptoms.

When Which? raised this with Mitchum, a spokesperson said: 'Following a thorough investigation, we can confirm that no other product lines are affected by the issue that impacted the Mitchum 48-hour 100ml Roll-On antiperspirant and deodorant.

'However, if you are experiencing a reaction from any of our other products, please get in touch with our Customer Care Team and we will look into this for you.'

Some women affected are seeking to take legal action against the brand.

Anna Molloy, a faulty product specialist at InjuryLawyers4U said they are now investigating dozens of cases of women who have been badly affected after using Mitchum deodorants.

She said: 'We are taking legal action on behalf of an increasing number of women affected by Mitchum products. 

'Our clients were all using the deodorant as part of their normal daily beauty routines.

'Some of these women have not been able to wear their normal clothes because of being conscious of showing the scarring or the irritation.

'And some haven’t been able to shower normally because of the irritation with soap and water and they're struggling to use other hygiene products because of the pain and the irritation.

'You should be able to go out, buy a big brand product and use it without the risk of ending up having to seek medical attention.'

A Mitchum spokesperson said: 'We are aware of reports from some consumers regarding reactions to select batches of Mitchum 48-hour 100ml Roll-On anti-perspirant and deodorant sold in the UK, Ireland, and South Africa. We have conducted a thorough investigation, and no other product lines are impacted.

'Consumer wellbeing is always our priority. Mitchum has been loved and trusted by people around the world for decades.  We know we let some of our customers down and are working diligently to make it right and win back their trust.

'We want to reassure there has been no change to the formula of our products, but we have identified a change in the manufacturing process affecting one of our raw materials. This has impacted how the roll-on interacts with the skin of some users. 

'We have worked closely with retailers to remove the limited amount of affected product remaining on shelf.  In addition, we have reverted to the original manufacturing process. We advise those experiencing issues to stop using any anti-perspirant, as prolonged usage may impact how long the irritation lasts, and to contact our customer care team to give us a chance to make this right.'