Bath & Body Works apologizes for candle after alleged resemblance to Ku Klux Klan hood sparks controversy

Retailer Bath & Body Works is apologizing and rushing to pull a holiday-themed candle from its shelves after online users pointed out that the label was reminiscent of the white hoods that represent the Ku Klux Klan.

The Columbus, Ohio-based company known for its personal care and home fragrance products is apologizing to those it offended after the product label on its “Snowed In” candle incorrectly drew comparisons to the white supremacist group the formed after the Civil War.

The label features a close-up of a snowflake, highlighting the product's winter theme, and is finished with a maroon background. However, some social media users said the snowflake looks like several of the white, conical-shaped hoods the group wears, with two holes in each, similar to holes for eyes.

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The label of a Bath & Body Works candle bears similarities to Ku Klux Klan hoods. (Screenshot/Fox News)

“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 this one,” a Bath & Body Works spokesperson told Fox News Business. “We apologize to anyone we offended, are working quickly to have this article removed, and are evaluating our moving forward.”

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Some social media users labeled the candle a “Klandle,” while others pondered how the label even ended up on shelves.

“This isn’t just a branding mistake; “It’s a reminder of how sensitive cultural symbols can be,” one X user asked. “Let’s hope they take this as a lesson in awareness and responsibility.”

However, others complained about how easily people could be offended.

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A Bath & Body Works store in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., on Monday, June 3, 2024. The company pulls a candle from its shelves after users compared it to the Ku Klux Klan online. (Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“This is a reminder of how absolutely ridiculously over-abused people can be and how they see 'racism' in absolutely everything. I miss the days when such fools were laughed at and ignored,” another X user wrote.

Bath & Body Works was founded in 1990 and became an independent public company in August 2021. According to its website, the company currently has more than 1,850 company-operated Bath & Body Works locations in the United States and Canada.

The company had sales of $7.4 billion in 2023.