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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 better for skin glow, texture improvement, value, and targeting acne or dark spots, while Grown Alchemist tends to perform better for hydration, gentle cleansing, and overall brand experience.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Grown Alchemist?

The Ordinary provides better results for skin glow, texture improvement, acne, and dark spots at a great value, while Grown Alchemist excels in hydration, gentle application, and cleansing experience.

The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?

Grown Alchemist provides better cleansers than The Ordinary because reviewers mostly mention its cleansers as hydrating, gentle, and pleasant.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist?

The Ordinary provides better value and pricing among the products on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist?

The products on this page from The Ordinary generally focus on addressing blemishes, whereas Grown Alchemist does not feature specialized acne treatments. Consequently, The Ordinary tends to help manage breakouts more effectively for acne-prone skin.

Which brand has been owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021, The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist?

The Ordinary has been owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021, whereas Grown Alchemist is independently owned.

How does the Lovi fit level for dry skin compare between The Ordinary's Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA and Grown Alchemist's Instant Smoothing Serum?

The Ordinary's Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA has a Superior Lovi fit level for dry skin, whereas Grown Alchemist's Instant Smoothing Serum has an Average fit level.

Which brand performs better for hydration and plumping according to the review themes?

According to the review themes, Grown Alchemist performs better for hydration and plumping among the products on this page.

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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