The untold truth of Bath & Body Works

Racked reported that the Bath & Body Works line was first sold at Express clothing stores before opening up their first 1990 flagship location near Boston, Massachusetts in Cambridge. Going for a wholesome image, the brand marketed itself as a “straight from the heartland.”

But the concept wasn’t as American and pure as it sounds. The brand was essentially a rip-off of British retailer, The Body Shop. According to the same Racked article, they even copied the store’s signature green leaf logo. In fact, the packaging was so similar, The Body Shop filed a lawsuit against Bath & Body Works in 1991. They won and the company was forced to change their packaging. According to a former employee, as a result of the lawsuit, the company debuted a new gingham label. She also said that the stores were also decorated with wooden barrels to keep with their heartland theme.

Bath & Body Works was originally sold at The Limited, however, the two brands were rather mismatched. In an attempt to strengthen their image, Forbes reported that executives created a fictional character named Kate who personified what Bath & Body Works was trying to establish.

A former store employee divulged the origin story of the mythical founder, as it was told to her by her former manager: “Kate grew up on a farm in the Midwest and loved to make her own beauty products using the natural ingredients she found around the farm. She went to college and majored in biology so she could learn more about the beneficial properties of these natural ingredients. When she graduated, she decided to open up her own store to sell her homemade, natural beauty products. Thus [the store] was born!”

She also said that during the “Kate” era, store employees were told they should always ask themselves what Kate would do when it came to everything involving their jobs. If Kate wouldn’t have done something, they should not do it either. Stores were also decorated to resemble Kate’s house.

Racked also reported that so many Bath & Body Works scents and names are designed to tap into your emotions and associate a feeling to connect you to that product. While this obviously doesn’t apply to classic fragrances such as Cucumber Melon, Cherry Blossom and Wild Honeysuckle, it does apply to so many of the seasonal offerings, particularly the food based scents.

Take the Gingerbread Latte, Winter Candy Apple, Eucalyptus Tea, Lovely Lemon Meringue and Peach Bellini fragrances for example. They remind you of happy holiday times and delicious treats. On the other hand, scents such as Bali Blue Surf, Wakiki Beach Coconut and Fiji Pineapple Palm feel as if they were created to remind you of a dream vacation on a tropical island.

Some products are branded based on things that don’t have an actual fragrance (unless you know what wishes smell like). Examples of this include Hello Beautiful, Sweater Weather, Magic In The Air, A Thousand Wishes, and Cashmere Glow.

Bath & Body Works guarantees their products 100%, offering full refunds for absolutely every item they sell. However, several former store employees I spoke with say that many customers take advantage of this policy, much to their dismay. Even returning completely empty bottles is not entirely uncommon.

But that can sometimes be the least of the store’s problems according to a former associate, who wishes to remain anonymous: “One woman brought all these nasty, used bath poufs in. She wanted to exchange them for new ones because she [said that she] didn’t like them.” Another former employee, who also wished to remain anonymous, shared that candles are frequently returned, “People used to come in all the time with a fully burnt candle and say they wanted a refund because they didn’t like the scent.”

But, not all returns are unethical. Some are downright hilarious. A different former retail employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that some customers just aren’t the smartest, “A woman returned some body butter because it didn’t taste good on her toast. The cashier had to explain it was lotion, not actual butter.”

Anyone who has ever walked into a Bath & Body Works retail location knows the moment that you step through the doors, you will be immediately be hit with a distinctive and overwhelming odor, which is a combination of every single fragrance. If you’ve ever wondered how employees deal the smell, the answer might just surprise you. I spoke with Maleeka Hollaway, who worked at Bath & Body Works for a year. She said that “The scent is only overpowering for the first ten minutes or so. Once you get settled, it goes away.” She continued, “I know of plenty of people who won’t go near a Bath & Body Works store because they get immediate headaches. I, on the other hand, would cover myself in a scent as soon as I clocked in and then with another scent before I left. It’s really a personal preference kind of deal.”

When I spoke with Victoria Cameron, who was employed at the store from 2005-2010, she told me that it was inconsiderate shoppers who contributed the most to the smell, “It was the worst when customers would spray several of the concentrated room sprays, not caring how strong they are. The combined smells would stick around for hours and give the staff headaches, though I don’t remember anyone quitting as a result of the smells.”

According to a 1991 article in Adweek’s Marketing Week, at that time, Bath & Body Works was marketed as being both environmentally friendly and cruelty-free, however, that is no longer the case.

Over the years, Bath & Body Works has even sold products with harmful ingredients including Triclosan, but Consumerist stated the brand phased out this ingredient in 2014. Triclosan was ultimately banned by the FDA in 2016.

Furthermore, the company’s policy regarding animal testing has also changed. Their website states the official policy, which reads, “Bath & Body Works policy prohibits the testing of our branded products, formulations and ingredients on animals except in rare cases when required by government regulations.”