🇦🇺Australia

Shiseido vs Grown Alchemist

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

Shiseido and Grown Alchemist are a historic Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and an esteemed botanical counterpart, respectively. The brand from Japan is beloved for its sophisticated moisturizers, gentle cleansers, protective sunscreens, nourishing serums, and more, all formulated with key ingredients like glycerin, while its Australian counterpart is loved for its cleansers and serums, as well as its formulas. The former suits sensitive skin and oily skin best, owing to their balanced formulations, whereas the latter suits sensitive, dry, and combination skin best. They differ because Shiseido features standout products for particular concerns, including the Treatment Softener for acne-prone skin, the Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Day Cream for skin with dark spots, and the Essential Energy Hydrating Cream for mature skin, while Grown Alchemist offers the Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser, Instant Smoothing Serum, and Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser for those same respective concerns.

Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

corp.shiseido.comen.wikipedia.orgmarketscreener.com

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

Popular Shiseido vs Grown Alchemist products

People Say

ShiseidoGrown Alchemist
  • Deep hydration Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Skin feels more hydrated — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “Skin version of chugging water — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Pleasant scent Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Smells amazing — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “smell is divine — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Pleasant floral fragrance, relaxing, luxurious smell. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Luxurious texture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Velvety texture — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
    • “silkiest cleanser — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Gentle on skin Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “calms my skin down — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “No irritation — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Lightweight texture Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Very light weight — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Anti-aging and firming Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Smoothed out crow's feet — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “tighter jawline, lifted appearance, improved elasticity, less sagging — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Smooths out fine lines — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • High price point Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “expensive for what it is — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “A bit pricey — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Strong fragrance and scent issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Too perfumy notes — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “smells medicinal — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Packaging and bottle issues Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “heavy to travel — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “Heavy bottle but plastic pump, cannot see remaining product, straw too short to get last drops. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “heavy jar, waste of plastic, faulty pump (on dispenser versions) — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “tube cracks easily — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Shiseido or Grown Alchemist: which is better?

Shiseido is generally better for deep hydration and anti-aging care, whereas Grown Alchemist is better for gentle, fragrance-free routines. Topical hyaluronic acid in the products on this page helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between Shiseido and Grown Alchemist?

Shiseido offers a wide range of products with luxurious textures that provide deep hydration and anti-aging benefits, while Grown Alchemist focuses on gentle, fragrance-free cleansers that are well-suited for sensitive skin. Topical hyaluronic acid, a key ingredient featured across Shiseido products, helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Shiseido or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?

Shiseido features cleansers that Lovi rates as High for oily and combination skin, such as the Deep Cleansing Foam. Grown Alchemist offers fragrance-free options like the Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser, which Lovi rates as High for dry, sensitive, and mature skin.

Which is more affordable, Shiseido or Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist is more affordable on this page, as high price point is noted as a negative review theme for Shiseido.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Shiseido or Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist is unlikely to cause breakouts because all the products on this page are fragrance-free and gentle, whereas Shiseido features several products that reviewers note can occasionally lead to skin irritation.

Between Shiseido and Grown Alchemist, which brand offers fragrance-free products?

Between the two brands, Grown Alchemist offers fragrance-free options because every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand performs better for deep hydration according to reviewer themes?

Shiseido performs better for deep hydration compared to Grown Alchemist according to reviewer themes on this page.

When comparing the two skincare lines, which brand is associated with anti-aging and firming benefits?

When comparing the products on this page, Shiseido is the brand associated with anti-aging and firming benefits.

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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