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Equate Gentle Skin C… vs Murad Essential-C Cl… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Equate Gentle Skin Cleanser vs Murad Essential-C Cleanser

Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores 8.0/9.8 vs Equate Gentle Skin Cleanser at 5.9/9.8. Murad Essential-C Cleanser wins for hydration.

Head to head

Equate

Gentle Skin Cleanser

cleanser

5.9

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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.

Equate wins 0

Tied 1

Murad wins 4

8Equate

1Shared

32Murad

Only in Equate Gentle Skin Cleanser

7 unique

Water Cetyl Alcohol Propylene Glycol Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Stearyl Alcohol Hydroxyacetophenone Sodium Hydroxide

Shared ingredients

1 in common

Phenoxyethanol

Only in Murad Essential-C Cleanser

31 unique

Water (Aqua)Cocamidopropyl Betaine Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate Glycerin Butylene Glycol Aminomethyl Propanol Polysorbate 20 Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Panthenol Phospholipids+21 more

Why Murad Essential-C Cleanser comes out ahead

Where Murad Essential-C Cleanser really shines is hydration efficacy, scoring 8.4 compared to Equate Gentle Skin Cleanser's 4.2. 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 Equate Gentle Skin 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

Equate Gentle Skin 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

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

+2.1 lead

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

5.9Equate

8.0Murad

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Equate Gentle Skin 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 Equate Gentle Skin 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 Equate Gentle Skin 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: Equate Gentle Skin Cleanser→Full analysis: Murad Essential-C Cleanser→

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