18 Years Online: How SweetCare Grew with a Changing Beauty Consumer

From Portugal in 2008 to more than 800,000 registered customers across 180+ countries today, SweetCare celebrates 18 Years of Trust as the way people discover, research and shop for beauty continues to evolve.

Porto District, Portugal, October 1, 2026 /MarketersMEDIA/ -- When SweetCare went online in 2008, shopping for beauty online was still a relatively new behaviour. The customer journey was simpler, largely desktop-based and far less connected to the communities and recommendations that influence beauty choices today.

For founders Susana Guimarães and Sérgio Faria, e-commerce was already familiar territory. The pair entered online retail in 2002 through an earlier design business, gaining first-hand experience before launching SweetCare.

Today, SweetCare marks 18 Years of Trust. With more than 30,000 products from over 700 brands, the company now serves 800,000 registered customers across 180+ countries. But the numbers tell only part of the story.

Buying beauty online is no longer the novelty. The challenge has shifted towards navigating an abundance of choice and information.

A beauty journey that often began with a product search can now start with a skin concern, an ingredient discovered on social media, a recommendation, specialist advice or even a conversation with an AI assistant, long before a customer reaches an online store.

For SweetCare, this has changed what it means to be an online beauty retailer. What was once primarily a place to purchase products has evolved into an experience shaped by discovery, information and guidance. Keeping pace has meant more than keeping up with technology, it has meant rethinking how SweetCare can remain useful to a more informed and demanding customer.

SweetCare founders Susana Guimarães and Sérgio Faria. Founded in Portugal in 2008, SweetCare marks 18 years of trust in beauty e-commerce in October 2026.

From Access to Informed Beauty Discovery

This transformation can be seen not only in what SweetCare offers, but in the experience built around it. Over the years, SweetCare has responded by bringing more expertise and content into the online journey. Beauty Advisors and Pharmacists provide specialist guidance, while SweetMag provides customers with information about products, ingredients, routines and trends.

“When we look back at SweetCare in 2008, what stands out is not simply how much we have grown, but how much we have learned along the way. People discover beauty differently, arrive with more information and ask more specific questions,” said Maria João Nogueira, CMO & COO of SweetCare. “Our role has evolved from providing access to products to helping people navigate those choices with greater confidence, combining human expertise and technology while preserving what has mattered from the beginning: trust.”

From its base in Portugal, SweetCare has built an increasingly international business as beauty itself has become more global. Korean beauty has moved further into the mainstream, ingredient-led skincare has changed how consumers choose and understand products, and beauty, dermocosmetics, wellness and technology have become increasingly relevant and connected.

SweetCare's international growth has also received independent recognition. The company has been recognized among the Financial Times and Statista's Europe's Long-Term Growth Champions in both 2025 and 2026, following its inclusion in Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 EMEA 2023 ranking.

The Next Beauty Journey

As SweetCare enters its 19th year, another shift in beauty discovery is already taking shape.

Artificial intelligence and conversational search are creating new ways for consumers to ask questions, explore alternatives and discover products. At the same time, social platforms, creators, communities, editorial content and specialist expertise continue to shape decisions, making the path from discovery to purchase increasingly non-linear.

For SweetCare, the opportunity is not simply to add more technology to e-commerce. It is to use technology alongside human expertise to make an increasingly complex beauty journey easier to understand, and discovery more relevant, informed and personal.

In 2008, being online was itself a transformation. Eighteen years later, the transformation is in how people discover, understand and choose what is right for them.

As platforms, trends and technology continue to evolve, so does the role of an online beauty retailer. But some things matter just as much today as they did in 2008. In an increasingly complex beauty landscape, consumers need to trust not only the products and brands they choose, but also the retailers they choose to buy from, knowing they can rely on the authenticity of what they sell, the information and expertise they provide, and the experience they deliver.

The way people discover beauty will keep changing. The need to earn their trust will not.

About SweetCare

SweetCare is a Portuguese beauty, dermocosmetics, and wellness e-commerce platform founded in 2008 and headquartered in Porto, Portugal. The company offers more than 30,000 products from over 700 international brands across dermocosmetics, clinical skincare, Korean beauty, premium beauty, haircare, fragrance, wellness, and beauty technology categories. Serving customers worldwide, SweetCare is recognized for its expert curation, commitment to authenticity, and customer-focused shopping experience. SweetCare has been named among the Financial Times and Statista's Europe's Long-Term Growth Champions in both 2025 and 2026.

Contact Info:
Name: Maria João Nogueira
Email: Send Email
Organization: SweetCare
Website: https://www.sweetcare.com

Release ID: 89204830

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