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Alpha Skin Care Refr… vs Murad Essential-C Cl… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash vs Murad Essential-C Cleanser

Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores 8.0/9.8 vs Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash at 6.2/9.8. Murad Essential-C Cleanser wins for hydration.

Head to head

Alpha Skin Care

Refreshing Face Wash

cleanser

6.2

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Niacinamide
Retinol
Hyaluronic Acid
Salicylic Acid

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Honest skincare intel. No jargon, no gatekeeping — just the ingredients decoded.

Murad

Essential-C Cleanser

cleanserpremium

8.0

Score comparison

Murad Essential-C Cleanser takes this one, winning 4 of 5 attributes.

Alpha Skin Care wins 0

Tied 1

Murad wins 4

14Alpha Skin Care

2Shared

32Murad

Only in Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash

12 unique

Water Decyl Glucoside Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate Peg-3 Distearate Sodium Laureth Sulfate Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate Citric Acid Propylene Glycol Diazolidinyl Urea+2 more

Shared ingredients

2 in common

Cocamidopropyl Betaine Glycerin

Only in Murad Essential-C Cleanser

30 unique

Water (Aqua)Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate Butylene Glycol Aminomethyl Propanol Polysorbate 20 Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Panthenol Phospholipids Tocopheryl Acetate Retinyl Palmitate+20 more

Why Murad Essential-C Cleanser comes out ahead

Where Murad Essential-C Cleanser really shines is hydration efficacy, scoring 8.4 compared to Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash's 3.6. With Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, and Panthenol in its top ingredients, Murad Essential-C Cleanser delivers stronger moisture-binding capability.

Active Ingredient Strength is another area of separation. Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores 4.4 here versus 2.0 for Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash. That difference comes down to how each formula is built — the ingredient list tells the story.

Murad Essential-C Cleanser brings Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, and Ascorbyl Palmitate as actives, giving it an edge in targeted skincare benefits.

Best for your skin type

Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Murad Essential-C Cleanser is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Dry or dehydrated skin that craves moisture, thanks to Glycerin
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Value comparison

Murad Essential-C Cleanser comes in at premium pricing with a 8.0 score, which is solid value at that tier.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

+1.8 lead

Murad Essential-C Cleanser wins this comparison with a meaningfully stronger ingredient profile and overall score.

6.2Alpha Skin Care

8.0Murad

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash or Murad Essential-C Cleanser?

Based on ingredient analysis, Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.

Do Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash and Murad Essential-C Cleanser share ingredients?

Yes, they share common ingredients. Check the ingredient face-off section above for a detailed comparison.

What's the main difference between Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash and Murad Essential-C Cleanser?

The key differences are in their active ingredients and formulation approach. Check the attribute battle above for a detailed breakdown.

Full analysis: Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash→Full analysis: Murad Essential-C Cleanser→

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