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l-oreal Micellar Cle… vs Murad Essential-C Cl… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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l-oreal Micellar Cleansing Water vs Murad Essential-C Cleanser

Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores 8.0/9.8 vs l-oreal Micellar Cleansing Water at 6.1/9.8. Murad Essential-C Cleanser wins for hydration.

Head to head

l-oreal

Micellar Cleansing Water

cleanser

6.1

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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.

l-oreal wins 0

Tied 2

Murad wins 3

9.0

l-oreal

Murad

Ingredient face-off

6% overlap

7l-oreal

2Shared

32Murad

Only in l-oreal Micellar Cleansing Water

5 unique

Aqua (Water)Hexylene Glycol Poloxamer 184 Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate Myrtrimonium Bromide

Shared ingredients

2 in common

Glycerin Disodium Edta

Only in Murad Essential-C Cleanser

30 unique

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

Why Murad Essential-C Cleanser comes out ahead

Where Murad Essential-C Cleanser really shines is hydration efficacy, scoring 8.4 compared to l-oreal Micellar Cleansing Water's 4.3. 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 6.0 for l-oreal Micellar Cleansing Water. 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

l-oreal Micellar Cleansing Water 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

+1.9 lead

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

6.1l-oreal

8.0Murad

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: l-oreal Micellar Cleansing Water 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 l-oreal Micellar Cleansing Water 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 l-oreal Micellar Cleansing Water 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: l-oreal Micellar Cleansing Water→Full analysis: Murad Essential-C Cleanser→

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