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Facetheory Glow-C Cr… vs Murad Essential-C Cl… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Facetheory Glow-C Cream Cleanser vs Murad Essential-C Cleanser

Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores 8.0/9.8 vs Facetheory Glow-C Cream Cleanser at 6.7/9.8. Murad Essential-C Cleanser wins for hydration.

Head to head

Facetheory

Glow-C Cream Cleanser

cleanser

6.7

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Ingredients

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 3 of 5 attributes.

Facetheory wins 0

Tied 2

Murad wins 3

9.0

Facetheory

Murad

Ingredient face-off

9% overlap

17Facetheory

3Shared

32Murad

Only in Facetheory Glow-C Cream Cleanser

14 unique

Cetyl Alcohol Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil Glyceryl Stearate Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil Stearic Acid Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Sodium Anisate Sodium Levulinate Glyceryl Caprylate+4 more

Shared ingredients

3 in common

Glycerin Limonene Linalool

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 Facetheory Glow-C Cream Cleanser's 4.7. With Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, and Panthenol in its top ingredients, Murad Essential-C Cleanser delivers stronger moisture-binding capability.

Ingredient Transparency is another area of separation. Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores 8.5 here versus 7.5 for Facetheory Glow-C Cream 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, while facetheory Glow-C Cream Cleanser relies on Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Lactic Acid. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

Facetheory Glow-C Cream 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

+1.3 lead

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

6.7Facetheory

8.0Murad

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Facetheory Glow-C Cream 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 Facetheory Glow-C Cream 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 Facetheory Glow-C Cream 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: Facetheory Glow-C Cream Cleanser→Full analysis: Murad Essential-C Cleanser→

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