Founded in Rio de Janeiro on 6 January 1870 by Portuguese immigrant José Antonio Coxito Granado, Granado began with preparations made from Brazilian plants and herbs. The pharmacy became an official supplier to Brazil’s imperial court and received the title “Pharmacia Oficial da Família Imperial Brasileira” from Dom Pedro II. In 1903, João Bernardo Granado created Polvilho Antisséptico, identified as the brand’s oldest product, with a formula Granado says remains unchanged. After three generations of family ownership, Christopher John Ogle Freeman acquired the business in 1994 and modernized it while retaining its historical positioning; in 2004, he incorporated Brazilian cosmetics and perfumery brand Phebo into the Granado group. Granado began its European internationalization in 2013 after an invitation from Paris department store Le Bon Marché. Its public identity combines Brazilian botanical and cultural references with historical packaging and imagery updated through vivid colors and contemporary fragrance design. Carioca, launched in 2015 as Granado’s first Eau de Toilette, became a Brazilian bestseller, while Bossa, created by independent perfumer Cécile Zarokian, was also described as a bestseller.
