Murad Active Radiance Serum

Murad

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Murad Active Radiance Serum is a serums, essence, ampoule. Our analysis of its 56 ingredients (47 low-risk) rates it Excellent (95/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Serums, Essence, Ampoules
Ingredients
56
Low-risk
47
Fragrance
Contains fragrance
Origin
United States

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 15/10
Good for dry skin
Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract Glutamic Acid Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate Mannitol Betaine Sorbitol Silica Dimethyl Silylate Ethylhexyl Palmitate Ectoin Caprylyl Glycol Butylene Glycol Sodium PCA Sodium Hyaluronate Glycerin Cyclopentasiloxane
Caution for dry skin
Dimethicone Crosspolymer Corn Starch Modified Silica Dimethyl Silylate Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract Xanthan Gum Glycerin PPG-26-Buteth-26 Sodium Hydroxide Polysorbate 20 PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 2/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
Sensitive Skin 6/22
Good for sensitive skin
Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Glycerin Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Tocopheryl Acetate Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract
Caution for sensitive skin
Glycine Glutamic Acid Lysine Mannitol Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide Menthyl Lactate Serine Sorbitol Alanine Arginine Ethyl Menthane Carboxamide Ethylhexyl Palmitate Butylene Glycol Glycerin Threonine Proline PPG-26-Buteth-26 PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Phenoxyethanol Linalool Limonene Fragrance

Ingredients list

56 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (8)
All56 Skin Conditioning52 Fragrance19 Hair Conditioning16 Humectant15 Antistatic Agent9 Masking9 Viscosity Controlling8 Emulsion Stabilising7
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
4
B
Glycolic Acid
(Exfoliant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
A
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling)
3
A
Cyclopentasiloxane
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Solvent)
Silicone
Silicone
1
A
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Hair Fixing, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Viscosity Increasingagent Nonaqueous, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
(Astringent, Skin Conditioning)
1
B
Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Abrasive)
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
(Skin Conditioning)
Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract
(Skin Protecting)
Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Oleanolic Acid
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Ectoin
(Buffering Agent, Skin Conditioning, Emollient)
1
A
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
(Antioxidant)
3
Zinc Gluconate
(Cosmetic Biocide, Skin Conditioning, Deodorant)
3
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
1
A
Biotin
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antiseborrhoeic)
1
Mannitol
(Binding Agent, Flavoring Agent, Humectant, Binding, Masking, Moisturising, Skin Conditioning)
1
Chitosan
(Film Forming, Hair Fixing)
1
A
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
(Flavoring Agent, Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
1
B
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Perfuming)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
B
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
(Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Slip Modifier, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Viscosityincreasing Agent Nonaqueous, Antifoaming Agent, Emollient, Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
1
B
Sodium PCA
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
B
Betaine
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Sorbitol
(Flavoring Agent, Fragrance, Humectant, Plasticizer, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Glycine
(Buffering Agent, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Agent Miscellaneous, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Alanine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Masking)
1
A
Proline
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Serine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Masking)
1
A
Threonine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Hair Waving Or Straightening)
1
A
Arginine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Masking)
1
A
Lysine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent)
1
A
Glutamic Acid
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Antistatic Agent)
1
Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide
(Fragrance, Masking)
1
Ethyl Menthane Carboxamide
(Flavoring Agent, Fragrance, Tonic)
1
Menthyl Lactate
(Flavoring Agent, Fragrance, Masking, Refreshing)
1
B
Lauryl Laurate
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Hair Conditioning, Opacifying, Skin Conditioningagent Miscellaneous, Skin Conditioning)
3
B
Polysorbate 20
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Corn Starch Modified
(Absorbent, Film Forming, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
2
A
PPG-26-Buteth-26
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
3
B
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
(Fragrance, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Perfuming)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
1
A
Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
1
A
Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant)
2
A
Chlorphenesin
(Cosmetic Biocide, Antimicrobial, Preservative)
6
Limonene
(Deodorant, Perfuming, Solvent)
Allergens
Allergens
5
Linalool
(Fragrance, Deodorant, Masking)
Allergens
Allergens
8
Fragrance
(Deodorant, Masking, Perfuming)
Yellow 5 Lake
Orange Yu

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

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Key ingredients

Glycolic Acid
Exfoliant
Butylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning, Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
Astringent, Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract
Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant, Skin Protecting

Benefits

Good for dry skin
Good for oily/acne-prone skin

Concerns

Contains paraben
Contains silicone
Contains eu allergen
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Fragrance — higher EWG
May not suit sensitive skin

EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion stabilising, Viscosity controlling
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Emulsion stabilisingViscosity controlling
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion stabilising, Hair fixing
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingHair fixingSuspending agent - nonsurfactantViscosity increasingagent - nonaqueousViscosity controlling
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
Astringent, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 AstringentSkin conditioning
Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B AntioxidantSkin conditioningEmollientAbrasive
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract
Skin protecting
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin protecting
Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Oleanolic Acid
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
Ectoin
Buffering agent, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Buffering agentSkin conditioningEmollient
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antioxidant
Zinc Gluconate
Cosmetic biocide, Skin conditioning
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 Cosmetic biocideSkin conditioningDeodorant
Biotin
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningAntiseborrhoeic
Mannitol
Binding agent, Flavoring agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Binding agentFlavoring agentHumectantBindingMaskingMoisturisingSkin conditioning
Chitosan
Film forming, Hair fixing
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Film formingHair fixing
+ 27 more — see the full ingredients list above
Glycolic Acid
Exfoliant, Ph adjuster
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B ExfoliantPh adjusterBuffering agent Good for Oily SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
Butylene Glycol
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSkin conditioningSolventViscositydecreasing agentHumectantMaskingViscosity controlling Good for Dry Skin
Cyclopentasiloxane
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningEmollientSolvent Silicone
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 AntioxidantSkin conditioning Bad for Oily Skin
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B FragranceSkin conditioningEmollientPerfuming Fungal-acne trigger
Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningHumectant Good for Dry Skin
Sodium PCA
Hair conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Hair conditioningHumectantAntistatic agentSkin conditioning Good for Dry Skin
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B EmulsifyingSurfactant Fungal-acne trigger
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Fragrance, Emulsifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B FragranceEmulsifyingSurfactantPerfuming Fungal-acne trigger
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben
Limonene
Deodorant, Perfuming
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 6 DeodorantPerfumingSolvent Allergens
Linalool
Fragrance, Deodorant
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 5 FragranceDeodorantMasking Allergens
Fragrance
Deodorant, Masking
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 8 DeodorantMaskingPerfuming

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Where it fits: Apply after toner and before moisturiser — thinnest to thickest.
  • 2 Evening, start slow: Best in the PM a few times a week to begin with; avoid layering with other strong actives the same night.
  • 3 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Vitamin C (ascorbic) 5–20%

L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

AHA (acid exfoliant) 5–10% (OTC)

OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.

Glycolic Acid

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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