Anyone who’s ever smelled Axe Body Spray or any Axe products probably has their own opinion on the scent of the stuff, so we shall refrain from voicing ours, but for one teenager in Pennsylvania, it wasn’t just that he didn’t like the smell. He had such a bad physical reaction to the scent that he had to go to the hospital, prompting his high school to ask other students to refrain from dousing themselves in it.

The high school posted a statement on its website, reports the New York Daily News, asking students to stop using Axe after a boy suffered an allergic reaction and was rushed to the hospital. It was reportedly a “potentially life-threatening” situation (I tried using that line when my little brother bought Axe in his misguided adolescence but this is the real deal):

“My request to all [high school] members is that we take into consideration this student’s allergy to Axe Body Spray and refrain from using it as your cologne or fragrance of choice while attending [the high school],” the statement said.

The boy’s mother told WFMZ-TV that her  15-year-old son said his throat started closing up after catching a whiff of the spray. Over nine days, his family says that happened three times.

He’s being taught at home right now, and Axe’s parent company Unilever says it’s looking into the situation.

“The safety and well-being of those who use our products is always our first priority,” a Unilever spokesman said in a statement. “If there are any issues with our products, we advise consumers to reach out to our Consumer Services Team at our 800 phone number, which is available on the back of our product packaging.”

Teen seriously allergic to Axe body spray speaks out [WFMZ-TV]

Ax the Axe! Pa. high school tells students to stop using Axe Body Spray after one suffers ‘life-threatening’ allergic reaction [New York Daily News]

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