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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 skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners built around ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane. Both brands suit sensitive and dry skin best, while also accommodating combination, acne-prone, and mature skin. The Canadian brand focuses on targeted science-backed formulas, whereas the other is loved for its botanical cleansers and serums. They differ primarily in their formulation philosophy, though both provide effective care for diverse skin concerns.

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 a better choice for tackling acne, dark spots, and texture improvement, while Grown Alchemist stands out for gentle cleansing and hydration.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Grown Alchemist?

The Ordinary offers a larger variety of targeted skincare products that excel in skin glow, texture improvement, redness, and acne care, whereas Grown Alchemist specializes in hydrating and gentle cleansers that provide a pleasant cleansing experience. Additionally, The Ordinary is recognized for its affordability and great value, while Grown Alchemist tends to receive more complaints about packaging and pricing.

The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page for The Ordinary include options like the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser which has a High Lovi fit level for dry skin, whereas Grown Alchemist offers the Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser which also achieves a High Lovi fit level for dry skin.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist?

The Ordinary offers more affordable products on this page compared to Grown Alchemist, with reviewers frequently praising its affordability and great value serums.

Which causes fewer breakouts, The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist?

The products on this page for The Ordinary offer High to Superior Lovi fit levels for acne-prone skin and are frequently praised as acne-clearing serums, whereas Grown Alchemist features only average fits for acne-prone skin.

Between The Ordinary and Grown Alchemist, which brand is better for hydration and plumping?

Grown Alchemist is better for hydration and plumping based on reviewer feedback. Hyaluronic acid helps provide moisturizing and anti-aging effects.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Do The Ordinary products contain fragrance?

The products on this page from The Ordinary list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Which brand was founded earlier, The Ordinary or Grown Alchemist?

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

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

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