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COSRX vs Grown Alchemist

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

COSRX and Grown Alchemist are distinct skincare lines that invite careful comparison for those seeking targeted care. COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024, beloved for its thoughtful array of serums, moisturizers, cleansers, masks, and more, which harness key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide. Meanwhile, Grown Alchemist is loved for its cleansers and serums, as well as its formulas. The former suits oily skin and sensitive skin best, while the latter suits sensitive, dry, and combination skin best.

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

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This page compares some of the most popular COSRX and Grown Alchemist products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular COSRX vs Grown Alchemist products

People Say

COSRXGrown Alchemist
  • Deep Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “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 Formulation Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “calms my skin down — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “absorbs practically immediately — COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)”
    • “Very light weight — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Gentle and Non-Stripping Cleansing Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Doesn't dry out my skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “Gets everything nice and clean — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • Soothing and Calming Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smell is divine — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “calms down my redness — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Skin Texture and Glow Improvement Often MentionedNot noted
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “skin feels softer immediately — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “Skin feels like glass — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
  • Price and Packaging Issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “only 20mls... significantly less product — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “tube is tiny — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “tube cracked on the side — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “tube cracks easily — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Medicinal or Strong Scent Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like chemicals — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “smells like onions — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “smells like tea tree/medicinal — COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)”
    • “Too perfumy notes — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
  • Makeup Compatibility Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Isn't going to be your makeup remover — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”

Questions and answers

COSRX or Grown Alchemist: which is better?

COSRX is better for lightweight absorption and skin texture improvement, whereas Grown Alchemist does better for soothing, calming, and gentle, non-stripping cleansing.

What is the difference between COSRX and Grown Alchemist?

COSRX offers a much wider selection of skincare products on this page and tends to excel in lightweight absorption and improving skin texture, whereas Grown Alchemist focuses on a smaller range where reviewers mostly note its hydrating and gentle cleansers.

COSRX or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?

Grown Alchemist does better for gentle and non-stripping cleansing. Reviewers mostly mention that Grown Alchemist offers hydrating, gentle and pleasant cleansers.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Grown Alchemist?

Reviewers note that COSRX has price and packaging issues on the products on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, COSRX or Grown Alchemist?

COSRX is the better choice for managing breakouts, as the products on this page frequently feature ingredients like salicylic acid and snail mucin for effective acne control, whereas Grown Alchemist focuses primarily on gentle cleansers and hydration.

How do the founding years and ownership of COSRX and Grown Alchemist compare?

COSRX was founded in 2013 in South Korea and has been owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024, whereas Grown Alchemist was founded in 2008 and has been independently owned since 2024.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products listed on the page, COSRX or Grown Alchemist?

COSRX has more fragrance-free products on the page, with 37 out of 38 products listing no fragrance, while Grown Alchemist has every product on the page listing no fragrance.

What specific review themes and performance areas does Grown Alchemist do better in than COSRX?

Grown Alchemist does better than COSRX in gentle and non-stripping cleansing, as well as soothing and calming formulations.

Research behind their key ingredients

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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