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A 42-year-old UK man was left screaming in the shower when a cheap shower gel he was using burned off a layer of skin on his penis and testicles.

Raymond Cuss said that the herbal scented body wash left his manhood glowing bright red.  He said that he was in so much pain after using the Dettol-branded shower gel that even when his underwear brushed against his privates, he would be forced to bend over in pain, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Cuss, who works as a carpet cleaner, said he was afraid he was scarred for life after using the liquid body wash he bought from a 99p Stores in Gosport, Hampshire. Cuss was given £1,000 ($1558) as part of an out-of-court settlement.

"It was the first time I had bought this particular shower gel, and I chose it because it had the Dettol brand on the front, which I trusted," Cuss said, according to The Sun.

"I had a shower to freshen up when I got home from work and suffered a horrendous reaction. When I stepped out of the shower and looked down at my groin I could see I had been burned," he said. "At that point there was no pain but the area was inflamed, my penis was bright red, and I had lost a layer of skin. I was horrified and scared I may have suffered permanent damage.

"As the area dried, I was left in incredible pain, with a burning sensation," Cuss added. "I had trouble sleeping and could not lie on my front because it was far too painful. I had tears in my eyes when pulling on my boxer shorts."

It is believed that Cuss' reaction was caused when chemicals he uses for work reacted with ingredients in the gel. 

According to Daily Mail, a letter to Cuss from his lawyer Ian Barnett stated that the 99p Stores company said "the chemicals used during the course of your regular employment may have caused the reaction you suffered when they came into contact with the shower gel."

"By this they mean that ... (normally) the shower gel would not have affected you," the letter explained.

Cuss said that when he went to the hospital doctors said he had suffered burns.

"I don't have sensitive skin and had never suffered a reaction like this before," he added.

"Because I'm self-employed I had to go to work and battle through the pain, which was a real struggle. The whole incident left me feeling depressed because I feared my ordeal would never end," he said. "After a month of applying moisturizer at the doctor's suggestion it healed and, thankfully, I have not suffered any lasting damage."

Cuss said he doesn't know yet when he'll do with his £1,000, but he says he won't be spending it on shower gels in dollar stores.

"I now get an even cheaper brand from Lidl," he added.

Cuss' lawyer also contacted the makers of Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser, which examined the bottle and identified the supplier.

"A review of the product packaging identified it as most likely a product originally made for the Korean market and imported as a grey market product," a Reckitt Benckiser spokesman said, according to the Daily Mail.