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Curél Foaming Facial… vs Murad Essential-C Cl… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Curél Foaming Facial Wash vs Murad Essential-C Cleanser

Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores 8.0/9.8 vs Curél Foaming Facial Wash at 6.5/9.8. Murad Essential-C Cleanser wins for hydration.

Head to head

Curél

Foaming Facial Wash

cleanser

6.5

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Niacinamide
Retinol
Hyaluronic 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 3 of 5 attributes.

Curél wins 0

Tied 2

Murad wins 3

9.0

Curél

Murad

Ingredient face-off

9% overlap

15Curél

3Shared

32Murad

Only in Curél Foaming Facial Wash

12 unique

Water/Aqua Maltitol Propylene Glycol Peg-150 Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate Sodium Lauroyl Aspartate Lauryl Hydroxysultaine Polysorbate 60 Ethylhexylglycerin Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate+2 more

Shared ingredients

3 in common

Glycerin Disodium Edta Phenoxyethanol

Only in Murad Essential-C Cleanser

29 unique

Water (Aqua)Cocamidopropyl Betaine Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate Butylene Glycol Aminomethyl Propanol Polysorbate 20 Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Panthenol Phospholipids Tocopheryl Acetate+19 more

Why Murad Essential-C Cleanser comes out ahead

Where Murad Essential-C Cleanser really shines is hydration efficacy, scoring 8.4 compared to Curél Foaming Facial Wash's 4.8. 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 Curél Foaming Facial 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, while curél Foaming Facial Wash relies on Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

Curél Foaming Facial 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

+1.5 lead

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

6.5Curél

8.0Murad

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Curél Foaming Facial 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 Curél Foaming Facial 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 Curél Foaming Facial 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: Curél Foaming Facial Wash→Full analysis: Murad Essential-C Cleanser→

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