Curel is special because it is a ceramide therapy, this lotion helps the skin build this layer that it is missing. Over time the skin will stop cracking or drying out in certain spots which are usually hot spots for eczema. Unlike other lotions, Curel trains your skin to retain moisture, brands like Aveeno, CeraVe, Nieva and Eucerin don't help build a barrier, they just provide relief. This is the biggest problem with these lotions, they don't give the skin adequate ammunition to repair itself, only enough to get rid of a flare-up that will eventually return. Soon that lotion will no longer prevent the flare-up and you will find yourself looking for a new product to use. Compared to other products Curel is reasonably priced, in store Aveeno, Eucerin and CeraVe would cost you $10-12 for a 7oz-12oz bottle, which makes no sense when they don't work very well, you are forced to use a cream moisturizing on the top of these products because just the lotion alone is not enough. Then you have to be careful because mixing products can cause allergic reactions or make things worse, you end up spending more than necessary. Nieva is fairly priced, $6-7 in some places, the problem with Nieva is the fact that it is not thick enough, it gets into the skin but once absorbed into the skin it stays