Versus

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser Versus Murad Essential-C Cleanser

Face Cleanser
Face Cleanser
Korean Brand South Korea
American Brand United States

Updated on August 20, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
Essential-C Cleanser

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.

This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.

Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.

While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.

Learn more about Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Emulsifying

Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.

As a surfactant, it helps collect dirt and oils for washing. Emulsifiers prevent oils and water from separating.

Polysorbate 20 also adds scent to a product. Since it is made using sorbitol, it has a sweet scent. Sorbitol can also be found in fruits such as apples and peaches.

The lauric acid used to create Polysorbate 20 is often derived from coconuts.

Polysorbate 20 may not be fungal acne safe.

Learn more about Polysorbate 20
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Learn more about Butylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing

Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.

Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.

Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Learn more about Allantoin
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

When to use

5,628 Routines
55% use in am
45% use in pm
97% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
87 Routines
56% use in am
44% use in pm
97% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser 25 ingredients

2.9 /5
from 101 ratings
Drying (33) Light Scent (21) Great Value (20)
Roseblushbliss's avatar

Roseblushbliss

1 year ago
Review

You will find better things out there.

This wasn’t completely destructive to my skin back in my late teens (dehydrated oily-combo skin with hormonal acne I assume) but there’s a reason why I only aimed to finish my tube of this. Doesn’t cleanse very deeply so I felt I needed to use more product (I was oily, sweaty, and in a very place with very polluted air), and tends to leave me more dry Show more

#drying
#broke me out
#irritating
#strong scent
katrina1's avatar

katrina1

1 year ago
Review

works great on my oily skin, cleanses while not being stripping, so it doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight. 10/10 :)

#great value
#strong scent

Murad Essential-C Cleanser 35 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 1 rating
Drying (1) Light Scent (1) Works Well (1)
christinamariebenedicto's avatar
Review

This product thoroughly cleansed my skin, but it left me feeling very dry. It was to the point that I had to immediately put on the rest of my skincare routine right after use or else I’d feel like a vacuum-sealed raisin.

#drying
#light scent
#works well