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The INKEY List vs Grown Alchemist

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

The INKEY List and Grown Alchemist are distinct skincare lines, with the British brand founded in 2018 offering moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products built around glycerin, while the latter is loved for its cleansers and serums, as well as its formulas. Both options suit dry and sensitive skin, though the British brand fits dry sensitive skin best and the latter also suits combination skin. They differ in targeted top products and key ingredients, as the British line relies on glycerin to increase hydration and restore barrier function, with standouts like the PHA Toner, Azelaic Acid Serum, and Ceramide Moisturizer, whereas the other brand features cleansers and serums including the Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser, Instant Smoothing Serum, and Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser.

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

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

Popular The INKEY List vs Grown Alchemist products

People Say

The INKEY ListGrown Alchemist
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin version of chugging water — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
    • “doesn't strip at all — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Gentle on Skin and Soothing Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Doesn't dry out my skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “calms my skin down — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Lightweight Texture and Fast Absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “Very light weight — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Affordable Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “Good for the price — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “One of the best balms for quality and also price — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “unbeatable value — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Makeup Compatibility and Removal Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Melts away makeup and impurities without drying — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “Gets everything nice and clean — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “calms redness instantly — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “Skin instantly looks less oily — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Packaging and Bottle Size Issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Very difficult to squeeze out at first — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “tube cracks easily — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Only 25ml — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Unpleasant Scent or Fragrance Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smells like BBQ/meat — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Smells like chemicals — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “Too perfumy notes — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “smells medicinal — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • High Price Point Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “expensive for what it is — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”

Questions and answers

The INKEY List or Grown Alchemist: which is better?

The INKEY List offers better value and blemish control across the products on this page, while Grown Alchemist scores better for hydration and soothing care.

What is the difference between The INKEY List and Grown Alchemist?

The INKEY List offers budget-friendly products with lightweight textures that help control acne, while Grown Alchemist does better with hydration, moisture, and gentle soothing on the skin.

The INKEY List or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page from Grown Alchemist score a High Lovi fit for dry and sensitive skin with the Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser, whereas The INKEY List offers multiple cleansers including a Superior fit for acne-prone skin with the PHA Toner.

Which is more affordable, The INKEY List or Grown Alchemist?

The products on this page for The INKEY List provide more affordable value and pricing compared to Grown Alchemist, and reviewers mostly mention its affordable moisturizers and affordable serums.

Which causes fewer breakouts, The INKEY List or Grown Alchemist?

The INKEY List does better for acne and blemish control, while reviewers sometimes note purging and breakouts as a downside for the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for hydration and moisture, The INKEY List or Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist performs better for hydration and moisture compared to The INKEY List.

Which brand is better for gentle and soothing skin care, The INKEY List or Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist does better than The INKEY List for gentle on skin and soothing.

Which brand offers a better lightweight texture and fast absorption, The INKEY List or Grown Alchemist?

The INKEY List does better than Grown Alchemist for a lightweight texture and fast absorption, as reviewers mostly note its moisturizers are lightweight and fast-absorbing.

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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