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Glow Recipe Watermel… vs Murad Essential-C Cl… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops vs Murad Essential-C Cleanser

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops scores 8.2/9.8 and Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores 8.0/9.8 — a near-tie where your skin type decides the winner.

Head to head

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Glow Recipe

Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops

serummid-range

8.2

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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

These two are neck and neck — just 0.2 points apart.

Glow Recipe wins 1

Tied 4

Murad wins 0

8.2Glow Recipe

8.0Murad

Scores last verified: April 2026

Attribute battle

Hydration Efficacy

Glow Recipe WINS

8.8

8.4

Glow Recipe

Murad

Irritation Risk

TIE

9.5

Glow Recipe

Murad

Active Ingredient Strength

TIE

4.7

4.4

Glow Recipe

Murad

Ingredient Transparency

TIE

8.5

Glow Recipe

Murad

Formulation Safety

TIE

9.0

Glow Recipe

Murad

Ingredient face-off

13% overlap

23Glow Recipe

4Shared

32Murad

Only in Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops

19 unique

Water/Aqua/Eau Niacinamide Propanediol Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract Hyaluronic Acid Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment Beta-Glucan Sodium Hyaluronate Tremella Fuciformis (Mushroom) Extract+9 more

Shared ingredients

4 in common

Glycerin Butylene Glycol Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Phenoxyethanol

Only in Murad Essential-C Cleanser

28 unique

Water (Aqua)Cocamidopropyl Betaine Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate Aminomethyl Propanol Polysorbate 20 Panthenol Phospholipids Tocopheryl Acetate Retinyl Palmitate Ascorbyl Palmitate+18 more

Why these two are neck and neck

These two serums take different paths to a similar destination. Both formulas include solid hydrating ingredients, and the overall scores reflect that — the gap here is genuinely slim.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops brings Niacinamide, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, and Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract as actives, while murad Essential-C Cleanser relies on Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, and Ascorbyl Palmitate. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops 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

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

At mid-range pricing with a score of 8.2, Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops delivers strong value. Murad Essential-C Cleanser sits at the premium level with a 8.0 score — the extra cost doesn't translate to better scores here.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

It's a close call — both products score within 0.3 points of each other. Your choice depends on your specific skin concerns.

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8.2Glow Recipe

8.0Murad

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops or Murad Essential-C Cleanser?

Based on ingredient analysis, Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.

Do Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops 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 Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops 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: Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops→Full analysis: Murad Essential-C Cleanser→

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