🇸🇬Singapore

Some By Mi vs Grown Alchemist

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

Some By Mi and Grown Alchemist are skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, toners, moisturizers, and more. The former, founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021, is known for niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid, while the latter is loved for its cleansers, serums, and formulas. Both suit dry skin, though the first fits skin with dark spots best, and its counterpart suits sensitive and combination skin. They differ because the Korean brand relies on niacinamide to decrease hyperpigmentation and salicylic acid to reduce acne lesions, whereas the Australian-founded label features standout products like the Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser, the Instant Smoothing Serum, and the Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser for specific concerns.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Some By Mi vs Grown Alchemist products

People Say

Some By MiGrown Alchemist
  • Hydrating and Moisturizing Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin version of chugging water — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
    • “doesn't strip at all — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Lasts 100 hours as claimed — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
  • Gentleness and Sensitivity Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “calms my skin down — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
  • Pleasant Scent Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Smells amazing — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “smell is divine — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “smells like fresh lemons — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Anti Blemish Serum”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Serum”
    • “Very light weight — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Product Texture and Feel Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “silkiest cleanser — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “spreads soft on my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
  • Deep Pore Cleansing Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Gets everything nice and clean — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “pores look visibly smaller — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
  • Fragrance Dislikes and Sensitivity Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
    • “Smell is too strong — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “Too perfumy notes — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “smells medicinal — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Packaging Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Hate dipping fingers in a jar — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “bottle is too small — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Anti Blemish Serum”
    • “tube cracks easily — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Price Point and Value Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “expensive — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Too expensive for 50ml — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “expensive for what it is — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or Grown Alchemist: which is better?

Some By Mi is better for acne-clearing and brightening, while Grown Alchemist offers better hydration and gentleness according to the review themes on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce skin pigmentation, and panthenol supports skin repair.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

What is the difference between Some By Mi and Grown Alchemist?

Some By Mi stands out for its wide variety of targeted skin treatments, offering Superior fit levels for dry skin, skin with dark spots, and dry sensitive skin, whereas Grown Alchemist focuses primarily on cleansers and a smoothing serum that generally achieve Average to High fit levels across skin types.

Some By Mi or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?

Some By Mi cleansers are generally rated as High or Superior for oily and acne-prone skin on Lovi, while Grown Alchemist cleansers tend to offer more gentle hydration.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or Grown Alchemist?

Some By Mi is more affordable than Grown Alchemist, as price point and value are advantages noted for Some By Mi on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Some By Mi or Grown Alchemist?

Some By Mi is much better suited for acne-prone skin, with several products achieving a Superior fit level for oily acne-prone skin and effective acne-clearing treatments frequently noted by reviewers. Grown Alchemist only reaches an Average fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page.

Which brand has more products that are fragrance-free, Some By Mi or Grown Alchemist?

Both Some By Mi and Grown Alchemist perform equally well here, as every single product on this page for both brands lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Some By Mi and Grown Alchemist compare?

Some By Mi was founded in South Korea in 2016 and is owned by JKL Partners, whereas Grown Alchemist was founded earlier in 2008 and is independently owned.

Which brand offers better review themes for deep pore cleansing and product texture?

Grown Alchemist does better for deep pore cleansing and product texture according to the review themes 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?

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

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play