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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Correcting Cream versus Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum .

Published on April 04, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances

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

General Moisturizer American Brand United States
Serum American Brand United States

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Rapid Tone Repair Correcting Cream

Starts at $19.42
Shop

Buy Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum

Starts at $83.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid
Vitamin C
Exfoliators
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (4)
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Peptides

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (2)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (3)
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Correcting Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Correcting Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.

Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

3
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

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

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Correcting Cream contains this as ingredient number 8.

Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

4
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Correcting Cream contains this as ingredient number 21.

Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum contains this as ingredient number 31.

5
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

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

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Correcting Cream contains this as ingredient number 30.

Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum contains this as ingredient number 27.

6
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Correcting Cream contains this as ingredient number 31.

Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

25% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
53% are disliked or very disliked
9% have no rating yet
45% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
32% are disliked or very disliked
10% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Correcting Cream 32 ingredients

Rapid Tone Repair Correcting Cream hasn't been rated yet.
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Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum 31 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 review
ErikaGutierrez's Avatar'
Feb 7, 2024

You wouldn't think this works for acne all that much, but it totally does! I use a daily retinol at night and use this under sunscreen in the morning and my skin is clearer than it's been since...ever. It's the Tranexamic acid! Gentle...

You wouldn't think this works for acne all that much, but it totally does! I use a daily retinol at night and use this under sunscreen in the morning and my skin is clearer than it's been since...ever. It's the Tranexamic acid! Gentle enough to be used alongside a retinol, but strong enough to brighten skin and combat acne.

Expensive
Hydrating
Sticky
Strong Scent
Works Well

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 26 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Correcting Cream.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 10 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum.

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