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The Ordinary vs Grown Alchemist

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

The Ordinary and Grown Alchemist are distinct skincare lines offering varied formulas for daily routines. The Canadian brand centers its serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while the second is loved for its cleansers, serums, and overall formulations. Both cater well to dry and sensitive skin types, though they differ in their targeted selections and underlying active ingredients.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Grown Alchemist products

People Say

The OrdinaryGrown Alchemist
  • Skin Glow and Texture Improvement Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “Very light weight — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Hydration and Plumping Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin version of chugging water — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
    • “doesn't strip at all — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Gentle Application Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “calms my skin down — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Cleansing and Brand Experience Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Doesn't dry out my skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “Gets everything nice and clean — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “Smells amazing — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
  • Redness, Acne and Dark Spots Often MentionedNot noted
    • “calms down the redness immediately — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
  • Texture and Pilling Issues Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Gooey texture — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Packaging and Price Complaints Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Wish it came in a pump — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “tube cracks easily — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Skin Irritation and Sensitivity Often MentionedNot noted
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist: which is better?

The Ordinary is often preferred for acne, dark spots, and glowing skin, while Grown Alchemist does better for hydration, gentle application, and cleansing. Reviewers note that The Ordinary offers great value, whereas Grown Alchemist can sometimes have texture and pilling issues.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Grown Alchemist?

The Ordinary provides a larger selection of products on this page that focus on value, acne-clearing, and skin glow, whereas Grown Alchemist specializes in hydrating and gentle cleansers. The products on this page from Grown Alchemist score higher for hydration and gentle application, while The Ordinary offers better options for reducing redness and dark spots.

The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Grown Alchemist is noted for a better overall cleansing experience while The Ordinary excels in value. The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser achieves a High fit for dry and oily skin types on this page.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist?

The Ordinary offers much better affordability and value compared to Grown Alchemist, and reviewers frequently highlight its budget-friendly serums on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist?

The products on this page by The Ordinary help better with acne and breakouts, offering high to superior Lovi fit levels for acne-prone skin across many items. Grown Alchemist features average or high fit levels for cleansers but lacks the targeted acne-clearing serums found in The Ordinary range.

When was The Ordinary founded compared to Grown Alchemist?

The Ordinary was founded in 2016, whereas Grown Alchemist was founded earlier in 2008.

Which brand has more products listed on the comparison page?

The Ordinary has more products listed on the comparison page than Grown Alchemist, with a wide variety of serums, cleansers, and treatments.

Do any of the products from either brand contain fragrance?

Every product on this page from both The Ordinary and Grown Alchemist lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

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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