Dove and Australian cookie brand ButterBoy have called it a 'packaging error' after shoppers peeled back limited-edition labels on Black Forest Cookie Exfoliating Body Polish tubs to reveal Japanese-market Dove scrub packaging underneath. A TikTok video filmed at a Woolworths supermarket in Australia showed cherry-and-waffle imagery hidden beneath the collaboration's purple branding.
The discovery, which circulated in late October 2026, prompted other customers to inspect their purchases and question whether the exclusive scrub was actually a new product. Some also raised concerns about ingredients and allergies, turning what began as a packaging controversy into a wider discussion about product transparency.
How Did Shoppers Discover the Japanese Dove Scrub?
In the video, a shopper picks up the 298g body polish from a supermarket shelf and begins lifting the sticker on its lid. Underneath is packaging for a Japanese-market Dove scrub rather than the Black Forest Cookie design advertised on the outside. The discovery drew attention because the Australian version had been promoted as part of a collaboration with Sydney cookie business ButterBoy.
Other customers tried peeling their own labels after seeing the footage. 'I have one and just peeled all the labels off, and it is indeed cherry,' one TikTok user commented, while another reported finding the same packaging. Their responses suggested that multiple tubs carried the unexpected label, although the total number of affected products remains unknown.
The Dove x ButterBoy collection launched exclusively at Woolworths on 21 September 2026, with the Black Forest Cookie scrub arriving in mid-October. Its advertised scent combines cherry compote with chocolate-inspired notes, echoing the bakery's dessert flavours. The range also includes Birthday Cake Cookie Vanilla Body Wash and a matching 72-hour antiperspirant aerosol.
Dove and ButterBoy Respond to the Packaging Controversy
Unilever, Dove's parent company, and ButterBoy said the Japanese label was 'a packaging error and not intended for the Dove x ButterBoy collaboration'. The companies apologised for the confusion following the viral video. However, their response did not clarify whether the scrub inside was formulated differently from the Japanese-market product.
The brands emphasised that the Birthday Cake Cookie Body Wash and Birthday Cake Cookie Antiperspirant Aerosol had been created in partnership with ButterBoy.However, that reassurance concerned the other two products in the collection rather than the Black Forest Cookie polish at the centre of the controversy. Woolworths directed questions about the discovery to Dove.
Before the controversy, Unilever had described the partnership as combining Dove's Advanced Care formulas with ButterBoy's bakery-inspired fragrances. ButterBoy founder James Sideris had likewise presented the collection as a way to bring popular cookie flavours into everyday routines. The discovery has since shifted attention from the products' dessert-inspired scents to questions about their packaging and formulation.
Ingredient Labelling Raises Allergy Concerns
One TikTok commenter raised a different concern: 'imagine being allergic to an ingredient in the solution that's covered but not allergic to one in the solution with the sticker....' The remark questioned what could happen if the product inside differed from the ingredients declared on its packaging. Other shoppers focused on whether they had purchased an existing Dove scrub presented as an exclusive collaboration.
Australia's product safety regulator requires cosmetic ingredient information to be available to consumers so they can avoid substances that trigger allergic reactions. Its guidance warns that missing or inaccurate ingredient lists can expose shoppers to allergens and irritants. Severe allergic reactions can be life-threatening, making accurate labelling particularly important for people with known sensitivities.
There is currently no confirmed discrepancy between the scrub's declared ingredients and its contents. However, their response did not clarify whether the Australian Black Forest Cookie polish contains a formula different from the Japanese-market product. For shoppers who purchased the limited-edition scrub expecting a collaboration-specific fragrance, that remains the unanswered question behind the packaging controversy.
