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Medik8 vs Grown Alchemist

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

Medik8 and Grown Alchemist are British and Australian skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, and moisturizers built around nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid. Medik8 features products best suited for dry and sensitive skin, while its counterpart suits sensitive, dry, and combination skin as well. Both brands differ in their standout formulas for specific concerns, such as the former brand providing targeted options like Oxy-R Peptides for dark spots.

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular Medik8 and Grown Alchemist products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Medik8 vs Grown Alchemist products

People Say

Medik8Grown Alchemist
  • Gentle and non-irritating formula Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “calms my skin down — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Lightweight and elegant texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “silkiest cleanser — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Very light weight — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
  • Deep hydration and plumping Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Instantly quenched the skin — Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense”
    • “Skin version of chugging water — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
    • “Doesn't dry tacky — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Pleasant experience and scent Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Smells amazing — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “smell is divine — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “smells like a spa — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
  • Brightening and glow Often MentionedNot noted
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “unlocked a serious glow — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “pigmentation lightened slightly — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
  • Improves skin texture Often MentionedNot noted
    • “smoother skin — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
    • “My skin was smoother, my skin texture felt more resurfaced. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
  • High price point Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “very expensive for amount — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “expensive for what it is — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “A bit pricey — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Packaging issues and fragility Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Glass bottle breaks easily — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “hard to get last bit — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “click mechanism tricky — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
    • “tube cracks easily — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Makeup removal issues Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Isn't going to be your makeup remover — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Medik8 or Grown Alchemist: which is better?

Medik8 is better for brightening and glow and improving skin texture, whereas Grown Alchemist does better for lightweight texture and pleasant scent. Both brands offer equal hydration and gentle formulas, though the products on this page for Medik8 feature a wider range of targeted active treatments.

What is the difference between Medik8 and Grown Alchemist?

Medik8 provides a much wider selection of serums and treatments on this page that help with brightening and skin texture, whereas Grown Alchemist focuses primarily on cleansers and offers a lightweight texture. Both brands generally provide gentle, hydrating formulas, though Medik8 is known best for dry and sensitive skin types.

Medik8 or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?

Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse has a Superior Lovi fit for acne-prone skin and skin with dark spots, whereas Grown Alchemist cleansers offer Average or High fits depending on the skin type.

Which is more affordable, Medik8 or Grown Alchemist?

Both brands share a high price point among the review themes on their pages, so neither is more affordable than the other.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Medik8 or Grown Alchemist?

When comparing breakouts, both brands offer products on this page that are generally well tolerated, though neither brand has a published focus specifically on acne-prone skin routines. Reviewers frequently note that Medik8 provides gentle serums, while Grown Alchemist is known for gentle cleansers, and both options are unlikely to cause irritation.

Which brand offers a greater variety of anti-aging and brightening serums like crystal retinal and vitamin c?

Medik8 offers a greater variety of products on this page for anti-aging and brightening, including serums with vitamin C and retinal. Topical hyaluronic acid, featured across these products, helps provide deep hydration and skin quality benefits.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of Medik8 and Grown Alchemist compare?

Medik8 was founded in 2009 in the United Kingdom and has been owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025. In comparison, Grown Alchemist was founded a year earlier in 2008 with an unspecified origin, and it has been independently owned since 2024.

Which brand includes products with fragrance, and how many fragrance-free products does each offer on this page?

Medik8 includes products with fragrance, offering eleven fragrance-free products on this page, while Grown Alchemist offers three fragrance-free products and lists no fragranced options.

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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