Bath & Body Works removes candles with KKK-like art

Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Your favorite perfume store in the nostalgic mall, Bath & Body Works, isn't feeling the holiday spirit yet. The retailer, known for its often bold fall and holiday candles, had to withdraw its Snowed In candle this week due to some poor graphics. The candle was supposed to be wrapped in a festive red wrapper with an image of a snowflake, but it looked nothing like the angelic, crystal-white flakes we typically associate with winter-inspired packaging. Instead, the snowflakes looked like KKK hoods to some.

The Bath & Body Works candle that went viral has now been removed by the retailer.
Photo: Bath & Body Works

The candle quickly went viral on social media. On Wednesday, a Reddit user posted a picture of the candle and asked, “I know it's one of those paper snowflakes, but I can't be the only one who sees 'her,' or…” RIGHT??” the commenters were Everyone agrees. One user on This design certainly made it past a lot of people, but somehow ended up on the shelves. Less than 48 hours later, the candle was removed from the site and all the stores and the company apologized A Bath & Body Works spokesperson told the Cut: “At Bath & Body Works, we are committed to listening to our teams and customers and fixing any mistakes we make – even those as unintentional as we are.” “We apologize to anyone we offended and are working quickly to have this article removed and evaluate our further process.”

This isn't the first time the retailer has come under fire for poor packaging. In 2022, a Black History Month collection went viral with its signature home fragrances and personal care products in Kente cloth-like packaging. It looks like the art department needs a new direction.