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SK-II vs Grown Alchemist

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

SK-II and Grown Alchemist are esteemed skincare brands that offer a thoughtful curation of formulas designed to nurture and balance the complexion. The Japanese brand founded in 1980 features nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, restorative masks, clarifying toners, and gentle formulations powered by pitera, while the Australian-rooted counterpart is loved for its cleansers and serums. Both ranges suit sensitive, dry, and combination skin best, though they differ in their specific targeted solutions, such as the former's pitera-driven approach to improving pore area, roughness, and redness, and the latter's botanical-focused remedies.

SK-II is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

en.wikipedia.orgdiscoversk-ii.wixsite.comglossy.co

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

Popular SK-II vs Grown Alchemist products

People Say

SK-IIGrown Alchemist
  • Improves skin texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Smoother skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “silkiest cleanser — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Balances and hydrates Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “skin feels deeply hydrated, plump, and smoother — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
    • “Leaves skin soft, feels moisturized, does not dry out skin. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
    • “Skin version of chugging water — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Radiance and glow Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “gives a glass skin look — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “leaves me with a red carpet glow — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Skin looks brighter — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
  • Effective cleansing and makeup removal Rarely 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”
    • “doesn't strip at all — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Dissolves waterproof mascara, melts stubborn makeup, removes sunscreen easily. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
  • Gentle formula Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “calms my skin down — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Great for sensitive — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
  • Pleasant scent Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Smells amazing — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “smell is divine — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Subtle rose fragrance, spa-like scent, not overpowering. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
  • 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”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Unpleasant or strong scent Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “smells slightly like saliva — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Too perfumy notes — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “smells medicinal — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Lack of results Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Nothing to brag about — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Not for makeup Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Isn't going to be your makeup remover — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”

Questions and answers

SK-II or Grown Alchemist: which is better?

SK-II generally does better than Grown Alchemist for improving texture, radiance, and hydration across the products on this page. Reviewers note that Grown Alchemist offers gentle, hydrating cleansers, but it often faces issues with high price points and a lack of results.

What is the difference between SK-II and Grown Alchemist?

SK-II stands out for improving skin texture, balancing and hydrating, and bringing radiance and glow, with the products on this page best fitting dry sensitive skin, combination skin, and acne-prone skin. Grown Alchemist focuses instead on effective cleansing and makeup removal, a gentle formula, and a pleasant scent, though reviewers frequently mention issues with cleanser performance and packaging.

Which is more affordable, SK-II or Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist is noted for having a high price point among the review themes on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, SK-II or Grown Alchemist?

For acne-prone skin, SK-II features products on this page with High to Superior fit levels, whereas Grown Alchemist products on this page generally have Average fit levels.

Which brand has better fragrance options, SK-II or Grown Alchemist?

Both SK-II and Grown Alchemist offer fragrance options that are equal, as every product on this page for both brands lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand's products are best suited for dry sensitive skin?

For dry sensitive skin, SK-II fits best because the products on this page achieve a High fit level across most of the line. Grown Alchemist also offers options like Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser which has a High fit level for this skin type.

What do reviewers say about the cleansers from Grown Alchemist compared to SK-II?

Reviewers frequently mention that the cleansers from Grown Alchemist are hydrating, gentle, and pleasant, though they note issues with cleanser performance and packaging. In contrast, review themes indicate that SK-II does better at improving skin texture, balancing and hydrating, and providing radiance and glow, while SK-II is noted as not for makeup.

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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