Overview
Murad Acne Complex is a three-part system created by Dr. Howard Murad, who has been producing skincare ingredients for a number of years. Dr. Murad has an impressive resume, and clearly has taken the time to put together a beneficial acne product. Judging from the amount of customer testimonials on the Murad web site, it is easy to see that the product has helped people to treat acne. In fact, according to the company web site, 90% of customers saw acne reduced in 4 weeks. We have seen better effects in other products (for example, TriClear had a 98% success rate in 2 weeks or less), and we were a bit concerned over the lack of scientific research studies cited on the Murad site.

Featured Ingredients
Salicylic Acid. Fortunately, the Murad Clarifying Cleanser contains Salicylic Acid, which is one of the best ingredients for the treatment and prevention of acne. Salicylic Acid has been found to help wipe away dead skin cells and many of the clogging substances that can aggravate acne. In addition, it promotes renewal of skin cells and encourages the replacement process of the skin. Studies have found that the best concentration of Salicylic Acid is 2.0%. For some reason, Murad only has a 1.5% concentration.  Retinol and Glycolic Acid. The Murad Exfoliating Treatment Gel is intended to exfoliate dead cells from the skin’s surface, while also helping to prevent future breakouts. While there is some evidence that Retinol will help cut some oil production, it does not seem to be as potent as other ingredients (such as Silicol Dioxide). In addition, some people can have negative reactions to Glycolic Acid’s exfoliating effects. 

Queen of Meadow and Arnica. The Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion contains a wide array of botanical ingredients that are intended to soothe the irritation caused by acne, and caused by treating acne itself. Two of these botanicals, Queen of Meadow and Arnica, seem to soothe skin and help calm it to improve complexion. Unfortunately, the Murad web site does not cite any specific studies verifying this effect.

Web Site at a Glance
Murad has a nearly complete web site that contains a lot of information on the product, how it works and additional information about acne, including how it starts and tips for treating and prevention. All of these elements could be helpful for the average consumer. In addition, there are plenty of real testimonials, including some on video, from actual customers, which speak to the formula’s success. However, the web site does seem to be missing additional details or specific research about some of the ingredients in the product. It would have been helpful for us to actually see the scientific basis for the claims for some of the botanicals in the formula. Without those, we can’t be quite sure that Murad will perform as promised.

Pros
- Uses Salicylic Acid, even though it is at a weaker concentration (only 1.5% vs. recommended 2.0%)

- Plenty of useful acne information on the web site

Cons
- No specific scientific research on botanical ingredients

- Details for home use test are brief and not as thorough as we would like

- No free trial offered

Summary
In comparison to other three-step systems, the Murad Acne Complex does seem to be one of the better formulas available. There is plenty of information contained on the web site, and the customer testimonials are impressive. However, we found the formulas to fall a bit short, and feel that Murad could be better with the addition of other key ingredients, such as Silicol Dioxide and Inflacin.