Anua vs Grown Alchemist
Anua and Grown Alchemist are distinct skincare lines, with the South Korean brand founded in 2019 focusing on moisturizers, toners, serums, and cleansers built around hyaluronic acid, heartleaf, and niacinamide, while the latter is celebrated specifically for its cleansers, serums, and overall formulas. Anua fits oily, acne-prone, and combination skin best, whereas the second brand suits sensitive, dry, and combination skin. Through these contrasting formulations, both offer targeted solutions for diverse complexions, such as addressing blemishes, dark spots, and mature skin concerns.
Anua is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by The Founders Inc..
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This page compares some of the most popular Anua and Grown Alchemist products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Anua vs Grown Alchemist products
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Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
AED 70.99
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Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner
AED 59.00
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Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
AED 74.95
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PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum
AED 94.00
- Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam
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Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner
AED 43.11
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PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM
AED 55.80
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Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad
AED 35.10
People Say
Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “Skin feels super smooth — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
- “melts into skin — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
- “Feels like water, not heavy oil — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
- “silkiest cleanser — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “complexion feels so plump — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
- “leaves skin plump — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
- “Skin version of chugging water — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
- “doesn't strip at all — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
Gentle and Non-Irritating Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “calmed my red spots — Anua Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad”
- “leaves my face soft, smooth, and fresh without dryness — Anua Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder”
- “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
- “calms my skin down — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
Cleansing and Makeup Removal Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “Dissolved my sebaceous filaments immediately — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
- “Melted my waterproof mascara — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
- “Doesn't dry out my skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
- “Gets everything nice and clean — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
Scent and Fragrance Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
- “Smells amazing — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
- “smell is divine — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
- “no scent — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
Brightening and Glow Mostly MentionedNot noted
- “Significant reduction in hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
- “glass-like glow — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
- “Gives a nice healthy glow — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
Price and Packaging Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
- “price feels way too high — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
- “be careful when you first squeeze it out — Anua Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder”
- “small size, the price is expensive — Anua Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder”
- “tube cracks easily — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
Cleansing Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
- “leaves skin tight — Anua Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam”
- “takes a long time to wash off cause it's very slimy — Anua Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder”
- “Isn't going to be your makeup remover — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
Breakouts and Acne Often MentionedNot noted
- “Wrecked my skin barrier — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
Questions and answers
Anua or Grown Alchemist: which is better?
Anua offers a much larger selection of products on this page compared to Grown Alchemist, with formulas that shoppers often praise for brightening and texture improvements.
What is the difference between Anua and Grown Alchemist?
Anua features a much larger product lineup centered on brightening, pore care, and soothing ingredients like heartleaf and niacinamide, whereas Grown Alchemist offers just a few basic cleansers and serums. Reviewers note that Anua is better for texture and brightening, while Grown Alchemist does well with gentle hydration.
Anua or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?
Both brands offer gentle cleansers on this page, but Anua stands out with options like the Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam which Lovi rates as High for oily and acne-prone skin. Grown Alchemist focuses on hydrating cleansers such as the Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser, which also achieves High fit levels for sensitive and dry skin types.
Which is more affordable, Anua or Grown Alchemist?
Price and packaging are a downside for the products on this page from Anua, while Grown Alchemist does better in this area.
Which causes fewer breakouts, Anua or Grown Alchemist?
Grown Alchemist is noted by reviewers for having fewer issues with breakouts, whereas the products on this page for Anua are sometimes reported to cause breakouts.
When was Anua founded and who owns the company?
Anua was founded in 2019 in South Korea and is owned by The Founders Inc..
Which brand has better texture and absorption according to review themes?
According to the review themes on this page, Anua does better than Grown Alchemist for texture and absorption.
What are the key ingredients used across Anua products?
The products on this page from Anua feature key ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, heartleaf, niacinamide, glycerin, ceramide, panthenol, and centella asiatica. These components help support skin hydration and barrier function.
Research behind their key ingredients
The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer
Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence
Final report on the safety assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, and Sodium Benzoate
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Apigenin inhibits UVA-induced cytotoxicity in vitro and prevents signs of skin aging in vivo
Effects of glyceryl glucoside on AQP3 expression, barrier function and hydration of human skin
A comparative study of gluconolactone versus benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne
Efficacy of olive leaf extract-containing cream for facial rejuvenation: A pilot study
A Rose Extract Protects the Skin against Stress Mediators: A Potential Role of Olfactory Receptors
Moisturizing Effects of Diglycerol Combined with Glycerol on Human Stratum Corneum
Nanocomplex of quaternized cyclodextrin grafted chitosan and hyaluronic acid for a skin delivery
Histometric assessment of the age-related skin response to 2-hydroxy-5-octanoyl benzoic acid
Emulgels powered by coco-glucoside: A stable and effective synbiotics delivery system for skin care
Development and efficacy assessments of tea seed oil makeup remover
Effects of fermented tea seed oil on the skin lipid barrier and microbiome of sensitive skin
Behind this comparison
Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.










