No7 vs Grown Alchemist
No7 and Grown Alchemist are distinct skincare lines, with the British brand established in 1935 and acquired by Sycamore Partners in 2025 focusing on serums, eye treatments, moisturizers, and sunscreens built around vitamin c, shea butter, and hyaluronic acid, while the latter is loved for its cleansers, serums, and targeted formulas. No7 products suit mature skin and dry skin best, featuring key ingredients like shea butter that protect skin and mitigate erythema, whereas its counterpart suits sensitive, dry, and combination skin. Both brands differ in their specific standout offerings for various concerns, allowing users to choose between the former's advanced night creams and the latter's gentle gel and cream cleansers.
No7 is a British skincare brand founded in 1935 and owned by Sycamore Partners since 2025.
cosmeticsbusiness.comen.wikipedia.org
This page compares some of the most popular No7 and Grown Alchemist products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular No7 vs Grown Alchemist products
People Say
Skin Texture and Smoothing Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
- “Skin feels softer — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum”
- “skin feels so soft — No7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Exfoliator”
- “skin feels velvety — No7 Pure Retinol”
- “Very light weight — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
Gentle Formula and Deep Hydration Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
- “zero irritation — No7 Pure Retinol Eye Cream”
- “Skin feels moisturized — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Night Cream”
- “Softened fine lines — No7 Pure Retinol 1% Night Concentrate”
- “Skin version of chugging water — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
Cleansing and Scent 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”
- “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
Hydration and Radiance Mostly MentionedNot noted
- “healthier glow — No7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Exfoliator”
- “Brighter complexion — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum”
- “helped reduce puffiness — No7 Pure Retinol Eye Cream”
Packaging and Value Concerns Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
- “Runs out quickly (2-3 weeks) — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum”
- “Pump breaks — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum”
- “Expensive for amount provided — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum”
- “tube cracks easily — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
Fragrance and Makeup Performance Issues Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
- “Too much fragrance — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Night Cream”
- “overpowering — No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Night Cream”
- “Scent is overpowering — No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream”
- “Isn't going to be your makeup remover — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
Questions and answers
No7 or Grown Alchemist: which is better?
No7 outperforms Grown Alchemist for skin texture, hydration, and radiance on the products on this page, while Grown Alchemist does better on cleansing and scent experience.
What is the difference between No7 and Grown Alchemist?
No7 offers a much larger variety of serums, eye creams, and moisturizers that feature key ingredients like niacinamide and retinol, whereas Grown Alchemist only features three cleanser and serum options on this page. Lovi rates No7 with Superior fit levels for mature skin in specific products like Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Night Cream, while Grown Alchemist products generally receive Average fit levels.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Antioxidants, 2021
Which is more affordable, No7 or Grown Alchemist?
Grown Alchemist and No7 are not compared for affordability on this page, but the page notes that No7 has packaging and value concerns.
Which causes fewer breakouts, No7 or Grown Alchemist?
Neither brand is rated High for acne-prone skin across the products on this page, as No7 rates Average for acne-prone skin on most of its products and Grown Alchemist ranges from Average to High depending on the specific cleanser.
Which brand has been around longer, No7 or Grown Alchemist?
No7 has been around longer, having been founded in 1935 in the United Kingdom, whereas Grown Alchemist was founded in 2008.
Do any No7 products contain fragrance, and how does that compare to Grown Alchemist?
Yes, 3 of the 13 No7 products on this page list fragrance, while every Grown Alchemist product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.
Which brand performs better for skin texture and smoothing according to reviewers?
No7 performs better for skin texture and smoothing according to reviewers, and the products on this page include key ingredients like retinol that may help improve skin quality.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007
Research behind their key ingredients
The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer
Final report on the safety assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, and Sodium Benzoate
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Effects of ascorbic acid on gingival melanin pigmentation in vitro and in vivo
Efficacy of olive leaf extract-containing cream for facial rejuvenation: A pilot study
A Rose Extract Protects the Skin against Stress Mediators: A Potential Role of Olfactory Receptors
The evaluation of aluminum oxide crystal microdermabrasion for photodamage
Clinical and histologic changes determine optimal treatment regimens for microdermabrasion
Development and efficacy assessments of tea seed oil makeup remover
Treatment with Ascorbyl Glucoside-Arginine Complex Ameliorates Solar Lentigos
Effects of fermented tea seed oil on the skin lipid barrier and microbiome of sensitive skin
Targeting Circadian Rhythm for the Regulation of Skin Collagen Metabolism
Retrospective Review of Dermal Safety Studies of Organic Sunscreens
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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