The German skincare maker’s ad for a deodorant included a picture of a woman and the slogan “white is purity.”

It was posted on Nivea’s Middle East Facebook page with the caption: “Keep it clean, keep it bright. Don’t let anything ruin it.”

The post sparked a backlash, with social media users accusing Nivea of being racist and insensitive.

“Come on Nivea. This is so racist that I do not even know where to begin. Speechless. In future, refer to clothes or products, not colors,” Scott Bellows posted on Twitter.