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As personal care products go, Axe Body Spray has got to be one of the most ironic: It promises to make male fans smell sexy -- yet ends up right at the top of every woman's "Biggest Turn Off" list.
Turns out, smelling Axe feels like a cold (stinky) shower for the state of California, too.
The California Air Resources Board announced last month that it had fined Unilever (Axe's parent company) $1.3 million because the deodorant releases levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that exceed the state's clean air standards for aerosol products. VOC emissions contribute to ground-level ozone (aka smog), exposure to which can cause impaired breathing, coughing, lung inflammation and asthma attacks.
VOCs aren't the only problem with body sprays like AXE. Most fragranced products also contain diethyl phthalate (DEP), a chemical that's been linked to -- wait for it! -- sperm damage and feminized genitals. Oy.
The good news is that California official report Unilever is cooperating and reformulating AXE to reduce emissions to safer levels. But will they reformulate across the board, or only on the AXE spray that gets shipped to California? And what about that DEP?
We won't hold our breath -- unless, of course, we're stuck in a car with a bunch of fifteen-year-old boys.
More on volatile organic compounds
Caught In The Act: Volatile Organic Compounds
Detox Your Home: Freshen Your Space Naturally
Avoid These 'Dirty Dozen' Toxic Chemicals
