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Honest Beauty Calm O… vs Murad Essential-C Cl… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming Cream Cleanser vs Murad Essential-C Cleanser

Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores 8.0/9.8 vs Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming Cream Cleanser at 6.6/9.8. Murad Essential-C Cleanser wins for hydration.

Head to head

Honest Beauty

Calm On Foaming Cream Cleanser

cleanser

6.6

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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 2 of 5 attributes.

Honest Beauty wins 0

Tied 3

Murad wins 2

6.6Honest Beauty

+1.4vs

8.0Murad

Scores last verified: April 2026

Attribute battle

Hydration Efficacy

Murad WINS

4.6

8.4

Honest Beauty

Murad

Irritation Risk

TIE

9.5

Honest Beauty

Murad

Active Ingredient Strength

Murad WINS

2.0

4.4

Honest Beauty

Murad

Ingredient Transparency

TIE

8.5

Honest Beauty

Murad

Formulation Safety

TIE

9.0

Honest Beauty

Murad

Ingredient face-off

9% overlap

22Honest Beauty

3Shared

32Murad

Only in Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming Cream Cleanser

19 unique

Water (Aqua/Eau)Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine Cetyl Alcohol Glyceryl Stearate Se Isoamyl Laurate Propanediol Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Sodium Chloride Phytosterols+9 more

Shared ingredients

3 in common

Phospholipids Sodium Pca Caprylyl Glycol

Only in Murad Essential-C Cleanser

29 unique

Water (Aqua)Cocamidopropyl Betaine Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate Glycerin Butylene Glycol Aminomethyl Propanol Polysorbate 20 Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Panthenol 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 Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming Cream Cleanser's 4.6. 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 Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming 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 honest Beauty Calm On Foaming Cream Cleanser relies on Arginine. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming 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

+1.4 lead

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

6.6Honest Beauty

8.0Murad

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming 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 Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming 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 Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming 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: Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming Cream Cleanser→Full analysis: Murad Essential-C Cleanser→

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