Ach. Brito / Confiança

At the end of the nineteenth century Porto already smelled of soap and perfume at Claus & Schweder, the first soap factory in Portugal. Achilles de Brito joined that firm in 1903 and became a partner in 1908. In 1918 two brothers, Achilles and Affonso de Brito, gave life to Ach. Brito, and the house has made soap in Portugal ever since. The 1920s brought innovation and elegance, with a showing at the first Salão de Outono da Elegância Feminina e das Artes Decorativas in 1928, and the house appeared at the Exposição Colonial Portuguesa of 1934. In 1968 the factory received a visit from the President of the Republic, Américo Tomás. In 2007 Ach. Brito inaugurated modern premises at Fajozes in Vila do Conde, and two years later the Loja da Fábrica opened its doors there, at Rua de Castelões Sul 346. The house marked 100 years of history in 2018. In 2022 Ach. Brito returned to its founding family and is now held by Aquiles de Brito, great-grandson of the founder. The range still turns on soap, from the 1918 collection to technical and perfumed bars, with colognes, solid shampoos and shaving goods alongside, and the packaging is described as a symbol of Portuguese heritage.