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Drunk Elephant Beste… vs Murad Essential-C Cl… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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/Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser
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/Murad Essential-C Cleanser

Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser vs Murad Essential-C Cleanser

Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores 8.0/9.8 vs Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser at 6.5/9.8. Murad Essential-C Cleanser wins for hydration.

Head to head

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Drunk Elephant

Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser

cleanserpremium

6.5

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Niacinamide
Retinol
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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.

Drunk Elephant wins 0

Tied 2

Murad wins 3

9.0

Drunk Elephant

Murad

Ingredient face-off

13% overlap

16Drunk Elephant

4Shared

32Murad

Only in Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser

12 unique

Water/Aqua/Eau Coco-Glucoside Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Glycol Distearate Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate Polyquaternium-10 Sodium Chloride+2 more

Shared ingredients

4 in common

Glycerin Cocamidopropyl Betaine Sodium Pca Phenoxyethanol

Only in Murad Essential-C Cleanser

28 unique

Water (Aqua)Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate Butylene Glycol Aminomethyl Propanol Polysorbate 20 Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Panthenol Phospholipids Tocopheryl Acetate Retinyl Palmitate+18 more

Why Murad Essential-C Cleanser comes out ahead

Where Murad Essential-C Cleanser really shines is hydration efficacy, scoring 8.4 compared to Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser's 4.9. 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 Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser. 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

Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser 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

Both sit in the premium bracket, so value comes down to formulation quality. Murad Essential-C Cleanser gets the nod here with its 8.0 overall score — you're getting more for a similar outlay.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

+1.5 lead

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

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6.5Drunk Elephant

8.0Murad

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser 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 Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser 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 Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser 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: Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser→Full analysis: Murad Essential-C Cleanser→

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