🇬🇧United Kingdom

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 distinct skincare lines, with the former being a South Korean brand founded in 2016 and acquired by JKL Partners in 2021. The South Korean brand features serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers built around niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid, while the latter is loved for its cleansers, serums, and formulas. Both brands suit sensitive and dry skin best, though the former also fits sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin, while the latter suits combination skin as well as acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin. They differ in their core active ingredients and targeted benefits, with niacinamide decreasing hyperpigmentation and improving skin aging signs, and salicylic acid reducing acne lesions and maintaining skin clarity.

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?

Grown Alchemist does better for hydration, gentleness, and product texture, while Some By Mi wins on price and value. Lovi rates the products on this page across both brands differently depending on individual skin types.

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

Some By Mi offers a much broader range of products on this page targeting concerns like acne and dark spots, whereas Grown Alchemist focuses primarily on gentle cleansers and a smoothing serum. Reviewers note that Grown Alchemist tends to do better for hydration and gentleness, while Some By Mi scores well for deep pore cleansing and brightening.

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

Some By Mi cleansers offer High Lovi fit levels for oily acne-prone skin on this page, while Grown Alchemist products on this page achieve Average fit levels for that skin type. Niacinamide helps reduce skin pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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

Some By Mi does better than Grown Alchemist for price point and value. The products on this page offer budget-friendly options compared to Grown Alchemist.

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

Some By Mi helps with acne-clearing treatments and features products on this page with High to Superior Lovi fit levels for acne-prone skin, while Grown Alchemist offers average fit levels for acne-prone skin.

How do the founding years and current ownership differ between Some By Mi and Grown Alchemist?

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

Which brand has more products listed on the page with a Superior fit level for dry skin?

Some By Mi has several products on this page with a Superior fit level for dry skin, while Grown Alchemist has none.

What specific review themes show that Grown Alchemist performs better than Some By Mi?

Grown Alchemist performs better than Some By Mi in review themes covering hydrating and moisturizing, gentleness and sensitivity, pleasant scent, product texture and feel, and deep pore cleansing.

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