Loading...
Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores 8.0/9.8 and Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum scores 8.0/9.8 — a near-tie where your skin type decides the winner.
These two are neck and neck — just 0.0 points apart.
Scores last verified: April 2026
28 unique
40 unique
These two cleansers 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.
Active Ingredient Strength is another area of separation. Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum scores 5.3 here versus 4.4 for Murad Essential-C 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 sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum relies on Retinol, Ubiquinone, and Honey Extract. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.
Murad Essential-C Cleanser is better if you have
Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum is better if you have
Both sit in the premium bracket, so value comes down to formulation quality. Murad Essential-C Cleanser gets the nod here with its 8.0 overall score — you're getting more for a similar outlay.
It's a close call — both products score within 0.3 points of each other. Your choice depends on your specific skin concerns.
Based on ingredient analysis, Murad Essential-C Cleanser scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.
Yes, they share common ingredients. Check the ingredient face-off section above for a detailed comparison.
The key differences are in their active ingredients and formulation approach. Check the attribute battle above for a detailed breakdown.
Some links on this site are affiliate links. We may earn a commission from purchases made through our links, at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep Gracie free and independent.
© 2026 Gracie. All rights reserved. Data sourced from Open Beauty Facts (ODbL) and EU CosIng.