What Murad does

Murad, operating as Murad LLC, is a US-based dermatologist-founded clinical skincare company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Founded by Dr. Howard Murad (with founding-year references in the source data spanning 1989 to 1995), the company develops and markets a portfolio of clinically-proven skincare products spanning anti-aging, brightening, acne treatment, hydration, sensitive skin, and broad-spectrum sun protection. Formulations center on active ingredients including encapsulated retinal, retinol, vitamin C, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, peptides, niacinamide, and salicylic acid. Its proprietary Encapsulated Retinal Technology is positioned as 2.5x more effective than standard retinal, with documented clinical claims such as 38% wrinkle reduction over 8 weeks on the Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment.

The company operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer model anchored by its owned e-commerce site (murad.com), supported by a Subscribe & Save subscription program offering 10-15% recurring discounts and a tiered Murad Rewards loyalty program. Distribution is multi-channel, including Ulta Beauty retail, Amazon, TikTok Shop, and authorized resellers across North America, Europe (UK, Germany), and Asia Pacific (Malaysia, Australia). Product pricing spans $10-$105, positioning the brand in the mass-premium tier. The company has layered AI-driven personalization onto the funnel through a Revieve partnership that uses selfie-based computer vision to generate tailored skincare recommendations.

Murad serves multiple consumer segments, with primary emphasis on mature/anti-aging consumers, alongside acne-prone, sensitive/dry skin, and younger prevention-focused buyers. The brand claims the "#1 Dermatologist Founded Brand in the U.S." position with 30 years of clinically proven results. Leadership includes CEO Paul Schiraldi, founder Dr. Howard Murad, Chief Digital Officer Van Vuong, and Chief Marketing Officer Denny Downs. The company is privately held with no disclosed parent, private equity, or venture backing in the source data, and employs 501-1,000 people.

Name

Murad

Legal name

Murad LLC

Website

https://murad.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Murad is a US-based, dermatologist-founded clinical skincare brand selling mass-premium anti-aging, acne, hydration, and SPF products through its DTC site, Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and TikTok Shop, targeting consumers across multiple skin concerns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Skincare

NAICS

Health and Personal Care Retailers (4561), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (45612)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Dermocosmetics & Medical-Grade Skincare (CRABAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dermatology OTC & Skin Health (Acne Treatments, Eczema/Psoriasis OTC, Antifungals, Wart Removal) (CRADAMAF), Eye & Lip Skincare (CRABAAAC), Professional Skincare & Facial Treatments (CRABALAF), Dermatology & Topical Skin Treatments (HLAIADAE)

Keywords

• Clinical skincare products
• Anti-aging treatments
• Skincare serums
• Facial moisturizers
• Acne treatments

Headquarters

HQ city

El Segundo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Product Sales: One-time purchases of skincare products including serums, moisturizers, cleansers, SPF, masks, treatments, and supplements sold directly to consumers through murad.com website.
2. Subscription/Recurring Revenue: Subscribe & Save program offering 10% off initial order, free travel-sized gift on 1st recurring order, and 15% off 2nd recurring order and beyond. Double rewards points for subscribers.
3. Marketplace Sales: Sales through authorized retailers including Amazon and TikTok Shop for broader market reach and product discovery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Murad is a dermatologist-founded clinical skincare company that develops, manufactures, and sells a broad portfolio of science-backed skincare products including anti-aging treatments, brightening serums, acne control solutions, hydration boosters, sensitive skin care, and broad-spectrum SPF protection. The company sells primarily direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce site (murad.com) with subscription options, and through retail partners including Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and TikTok Shop.

Product overview

Murad is a dermatologist-founded clinical skincare brand offering a comprehensive portfolio of science-backed skincare products. The product line includes anti-aging treatments (Retinol Youth Renewal and Retinal ReSculpt collections), brightening serums (Rapid Dark Spot Correcting and Vita-C Glycolic), acne control solutions (Biome-Balancing and Deep Relief lines), hydration boosters (Cellular Hydration and Nutrient-Charged Water Gel), sensitive skin care (Heartleaf collection), and broad-spectrum SPF protection (City Skin and Superactive SPF lines). Products span categories including cleansers, toners, exfoliators, serums, treatments, moisturizers, eye care, masks/peels, and supplements. The brand leverages clinically-proven ingredients like retinol, retinal, vitamin C, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and salicylic acid. Murad positions itself as the #1 dermatologist-founded brand with 30 years of clinically proven results, emphasizing a complete skincare regimen approach rather than individual products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retinol Youth Renewal Serum Award-winning anti-aging serum with retinol that addresses lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness while boosting radiance. Targeted at consumers seeking anti-aging skincare solutions.
• Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment Advanced anti-aging treatment with encapsulated retinal providing 2.5x more effective results vs. free retinal for lifting and firming. Reduces wrinkle depth by 38% in 8 weeks.
• Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum Brightening serum designed to reduce dark spots and improve uneven skin tone with environmentally protective benefits.
• Vita-C Glycolic Serum Brightening serum combining vitamin C and glycolic acid for dark spot correction and skin radiance.
• Retinal ReSculpt Eye Lift Treatment Targeted eye treatment with retinal for lifting and firming the delicate eye area.
• City Skin Age Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Multi-functional sunscreen providing broad spectrum SPF 50 protection with anti-aging benefits for city-exposed skin.
• Multi-Vitamin Clear Coat Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Multi-vitamin sunscreen providing SPF 50 broad spectrum protection with a clear coat finish.
• AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser Dual-action exfoliating cleanser combining alpha and beta hydroxy acids for thorough skin renewal.
• Renewing Cleansing Cream Gentle cream cleanser that removes impurities while restoring moisture balance to skin.
• Rapid Relief Acne Sulfur Mask Acne treatment mask with sulfur for reducing blemishes and controlling oil production.
• Biome-Balancing Clear & Prevent Acne Treatment Serum Acne serum that balances skin microbiome to prevent breakouts and clear skin.
• Biome-Balancing Calm & Recovery Cream New biome-balancing moisturizer that soothes skin and addresses hormonal breakouts.
• Nutrient-Charged Water Gel Lightweight hydrating gel that delivers nutrient-charged moisture to skin.
• Cellular Hydration Barrier Repair Cream Moisturizer that repairs skin barrier while providing deep hydration.
• Heartleaf Calming Cream Gentle moisturizer with heartleaf for sensitive and eczema-prone skin.
• Deep Relief Acne Treatment Acne spot treatment for rapid relief of blemishes and breakouts; viral TikTok bestseller.
• Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream Night cream with retinol for reducing lines and wrinkles while skin renews overnight.
• Retinal ReSculpt Body Treatment Body treatment with retinal for addressing sagging and skin texture on the body.
• Superactive Moisturizer SPF 50: Wrinkle-Fighting Multi-tasking moisturizer combining SPF 50 protection with retinol for anti-aging benefits.
• Clarifying Toner Toner that balances and clarifies skin while minimizing the appearance of pores.
• Revitalixir Recovery Serum Recovery serum designed to address stress-related skin concerns.
• Renewing Eye Cream Eye cream targeting fine lines, wrinkles, and signs of aging around the delicate eye area.
• Essential-C Cleanser Vitamin C-enriched cleanser for brightening and supporting skin renewal.
• InvisiScar Resurfacing Treatment Treatment designed to reduce the appearance of acne scars over time; viral TikTok bestseller.
• Pure Skin Clarifying Supplement Oral supplement designed to support clear skin from within.
• Murad Resurgence Collection Comprehensive anti-aging collection featuring retinal-based products for lifting, firming, and restoring mature skin.
• Lipid-Enriched Double Cleansing Balm Balancing cleanser balm for dry skin that removes makeup and impurities while nourishing the skin barrier.
• Heartleaf Soothing Body Cleansing Wash Gentle body cleanser with heartleaf for sensitive and eczema-prone skin.
• Quick Relief Colloidal Oatmeal Treatment Treatment for eczema-prone and sensitive skin using colloidal oatmeal for quick relief.
• Superactive Moisturizer SPF 50: Hydrating SPF 50 moisturizer with hydrating properties for all-day moisture and sun protection.
• Superactive Moisturizer SPF 50: Mattifying Oil + Pore Control SPF 50 moisturizer that mattifies skin and minimizes the appearance of pores.
• Superactive Moisturizer SPF 50: Brightening SPF 50 moisturizer with brightening benefits for radiant, protected skin.
• Subscribe & Save Subscription Program Recurring subscription program offering 10% off initial order, free travel-sized gift on first recurring order, and 15% off second recurring order and beyond, with double rewards points for subscribers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces wrinkle depth by 38% in 8 weeks (Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• RevievecoreTechnology or IntegrationRevieve provides AI-powered personalized skincare recommendations for Murad customers through their digital beauty platform. The partnership enables Murad to offer customized product recommendations and skin analysis, supporting the shift toward data-driven, customized beauty solutions.
• Ulta BeautycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUlta Beauty serves as a major retail distribution partner for Murad products, providing physical storefront presence and expanded customer accessibility in the US market.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Ordinary (DECIEM): Ingredient-focused clinical skincare brand offering actives (retinoids, acids, vitamin C) at disruptive price points, putting pricing pressure on premium clinical peers like Murad across shared categories.
• Paula's Choice: Clinical skincare brand built on founder credibility and ingredient transparency, with a similar dermatology-rooted value proposition and DTC-first channel mix overlapping Murad's anti-aging and exfoliation categories.
• SkinMedica: Dermatologist-affiliated clinical skincare brand owned by Allergan Aesthetics, with comparable retinoid and anti-aging franchises. Overlaps directly with Murad's clinical efficacy positioning and target consumer.
• Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare: Dermatologist-founded clinical skincare brand with similar premium positioning, hero acid-based exfoliation/anti-aging products, and DTC plus Sephora retail distribution.
• Sunday Riley: Clinical-luxury skincare brand with retinol and acid-based hero SKUs, similar DTC and Sephora retail model, and comparable target consumer seeking clinically-proven results.
• Tatcha: Premium skincare brand sold DTC and through Sephora/Ulta, with strong loyalty mechanics and clinically-positioned products in similar price tiers. Comparable go-to-market motion including social commerce and subscription.
• Drunk Elephant: Premium clinical/biocompatible skincare brand targeting similar concerns (anti-aging, acne, hydration) with a strong DTC and Sephora retail presence. Comparable in price points and active-ingredient positioning to Murad.

Emerging players

• Dr. Barbara Sturm: Dermatologist-founded luxury clinical skincare brand with premium pricing and celebrity-driven demand, representing the high-end of the dermatologist-founder category that Murad also competes in.
• Allies of Skin: Premium clinical skincare brand with active-ingredient formulations (retinoids, peptides) and a DTC-first model; competes for the same clinically-minded, higher-spending consumer as Murad.

Broad incumbents

• Estée Lauder (Clinical Skincare Portfolio): Global beauty conglomerate with clinical skincare brands (SkinMedica, Clinique) that overlap Murad's categories and distribution. Acts as a strategic acquirer of clinical brands and a benchmark for exit multiples.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/murad
• Instagraminstagram.com/muradskincare
• TikToktiktok.com/@muradskincare
• Xx.com/muradskincare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/murad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Murad